CHAPTER XXX 

 Hardy Orchids 



SOONER or later the rock gardener is attracted by 

 the hardy Orchids, some of which are beautiful, 

 others curious, while most of them are intensely inter- 

 esting. It is usually somewhat late in his career that 

 the amateur feels competent to attempt to grow the 

 hardy Orchids, chiefly from a mistaken conviction that 

 they are difficult, while the truth is that many of them, 

 given suitable conditions, are quite easy. This diffidence 

 probably arises from the fact that the greenhouse and 

 hothouse Orchids are generally thought to be amenable 

 only to the care of the skilled grower. However that 

 may be, and it is not altogether true, no such consideration 

 need deter even the beginner from attempting the hardy 

 Orchids. The best time to plant is early September 

 or March, the former for preference. It is best to 

 purchase them in pots, so that the roots may be dis- 

 turbed as little as possible, though it is not essential. 

 If plants from a border are purchased in late summer 

 or early autumn, it is just as well to. pot them up and 

 keep them plunged in ashes in a cold frame during the 

 winter, planting out in spring. By this method one 



loses very little if any time, and the roots are safe. 



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