THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



BELLIS. 459 



BAPTISIA (False Indigo}. A vigor- 

 ous Lupine-like group of perennials from 

 North America, forming strong tufts 3 

 to 5 ft. high, with sea-green leaves ; the 

 flowers, mostly of a delicate blue, in long 

 spikes. B. australis, exaltata, and alba 

 are the best-known kinds, and should be 

 placed in the mixed border in any garden 

 soil, but their value is not high. 



BARBAREA. Mountain and marsh 

 cruciferous herbs of the Old World, few 

 of much garden value, only two varieties 

 being worth growing. The fines't is the 

 double yellow Rocket (B. vulgaris fl.-pl.\ 

 which is a beautiful and curious plant. It 

 is about 1 8 in. high, flowers bright yellow, 

 from June till late summer, and often till 

 autumn. It succeeds in almost any soil, 

 preferring a rich light loam. Division. 



Barkhausia. See CREPIS. 



Bartonia aurea. See MENTZELIA. 



BEGONIA (Elephant's Ear}.k large 

 tropical and sub-tropical family of plants, 

 many of them of much value in our hot- 

 houses, and, of recent years, in our open 

 gardens. The Tuberous Begonia is the 

 most familiar to flower gardeners, and 

 now plays a large part in summer bedding. 

 Grouped together in beds a fine effect is 

 produced, and the colours vary from the 

 darkest scarlets and crimsons to the 

 various shades of rose and pink ; also 

 white and blush-coloured kinds. 



The cultivation of the Begonia is 

 not difficult. Seedlings raised in March 

 will make good plants for planting early 

 in June. One can just prick them off into 

 pans ; from these, when large enough, 

 they are put in shallow boxes, and not 

 disturbed again until planted out, unless 

 getting overcrowded. The beds should 

 be well prepared for them, if the soil is 

 heavy, using plenty of well-decomposed 

 leaf-mould, and failing this old Mushroom 

 manure. During the first year those of 

 inferior quality should be discarded when 

 lifted, marking the finest for another 

 year. For the second and after seasons' 

 display start the tubers in a gentle heat 

 in boxes in March, transferring them to a 

 cold frame or pit in May. A north frame is 

 best, as the plants make very free growth, 

 and get a good size for planting out the 

 first week in June. The beds should be 

 surfaced with either a dwarf kind of plant 

 or with Cocoa-nut fibre. When, however, 

 they are planted thickly together, use the 

 fibre, which will soon be covered by the 

 foliage. Begonias planted in dry posi- 

 tions should always be kept moist 

 at the root. Damping the beds over- 

 head as the sun leaves them in the 

 after part of the day when the weather is 



dry and warm will greatly refresh them. 

 When lifted, the tuberous varieties require 

 careful attention so as to prevent the 

 decaying stems from imparting any ill 

 effects to the tubers. Remove these stems 

 as soon as they can be twisted out without 

 any trouble. Some growers expose the 

 tubers in a light, dry, and airy house until 

 the stems are quite dried up. Later on 

 the bulbs when quite at rest should be 

 kept in a cool place, neither too dry nor 

 too moist, but where frost .cannot reach 

 them, being stored in either Cocoa-nut 

 fibre or silver sand in shallow boxes until 

 again required for starting. It is better to 

 have single than double flowers for bed- 

 ding out, and there is no want of good 

 colours. 



A class getting more popular each year 

 is that called the shrubby set, these 

 being known as forms of B. semper- 

 florens. They are neat and shrubby in 

 growth, with an abundance of rather small 

 leaves, varying in shade. Conspicuous is 

 Vernon's variety, the leaves deep crimson 

 to light green, and pinky blossoms. There 

 are many varieties, and as easily and 

 similarly raised as the tuberous kinds. 

 The plants are, when in beauty, a mass of 

 bloom, the small flowers almost hiding 

 the leaves. But many of the kinds are 

 very dull in colour, and get shabby to- 

 wards the end of summer. There are 

 many uses for them in gardens as 

 distinct groups, or as a groundwork to 

 beds filled with taller plants. 



Bellevallia. See HYACINTHUS. 



BELLIS (Daisy). B.perenms, Daisies 

 raised from our Wild Daisy, are among the 

 most popular of garden flowers, although 

 not used so much as formerly. They 

 need only simple culture, increase rapidly, 

 and in the spring garden are of great 

 service in large clumps or masses. Though 

 we have numerous kinds, growers have ad- 

 hered most closely to the old flat-petalled 

 white and the old quilled red, both of which 

 are grown by millions as market plants. 

 Besides these are the flat-petalled Pink 

 Beauty, a charming pink of the quilled 

 class ; a deep rich red or crimson quilled 

 kind, called Rob Roy; White Globe, 

 with large white quilled petals ; and many 

 others. The yellow-blotched or Aucuba- 

 leaved kinds have originated by sporting, 

 and one named aticubcefolia is a pretty 

 kind, but rather tender, though it will do 

 well in winter on a free porous soil, and 

 in summer in a cool shady border, if 

 transplanted there. The giant or crown- 

 flowered Daisies almost form a distinct 

 section, and, though vigorous, are much 

 less free of bloom than the better-known 



