546 



DIANTHUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DIANTHUS. 



plants. In some soils however they make 

 a harder growth, and stand two or more 

 years, spreading into great tufts and 

 bushes. 



CULTURE FOR BORDERS AND BEDS. 

 First, then, of the wants of the general 

 grower, who rightly esteems a good 

 crimson or white Clove as it grows in the 

 open garden as much as the most exact 

 staged flower. And rightly so, because, 

 in the opinion of those who have thought 

 and studied most about it, the superiority 

 in form is wholly with the bold, free, 

 undressed flower. What applies to the 

 individual flower applies with greater 

 force to its culture in the garden. It 

 does not appear at its best in lines, or 

 circles, or dotted here and there as in 

 pattern gardening ; but good kinds planted 

 in groups of from twelve to fifty, ac- 

 cording to room, will give us when in 



Carnation. 



flower the truest idea of the value of fine 

 Carnations for ornamenting the garden. 

 These groups should be renewed annually, 

 or fresh ones should be made elsewhere, 

 a stock of plants having been raised from 

 layers. Only in a few cases are Carna- 

 tions likely to spread and make healthy 

 tufts, able to stand for two or three years. 

 It is generally advisable to destroy the old 

 plants after flowering, and, if we do not, 

 the frost often does. Young strong layers, 

 planted during September about 9 in. 

 apart, will produce an effect hardly to be 

 surpassed. Layering has to be performed 

 when the plants are in full flower, and as 

 it is undesirable to interfere with the 

 groups in flower, the best plan is to have 

 a few plants of each kind grown in nursery 

 quarters solely for layering. We can 

 then enjoy all that is gained from planting 

 groups thickly, and suffer no inconvenience. 

 We shall also have plenty of flowers, and 

 can cut great numbers without missing 

 them. Varied colour is the distinctive 

 charm of the florist varieties. Few of them 

 are likely to produce bold effects like the 

 selfs, but they may be grown in special 

 beds and borders in a less prominent 

 spot. Some nurserymen are beginning to 



see the mistake of neglecting a noble 

 flower like this, and are trying to raise 

 bold, free, and varied border flowers 

 easily grown in every garden. They will 

 succeed, and our gardens will be all the 

 better for it. In specially cultivating the 

 better kinds in beds, it is usual to cover 

 the surface with i in. or more of fine 

 rotten manure passed through a sieve, 

 and in dry weather to give plenty of 

 water ; but as many will not pay more 

 attention than is necessary, it may be 

 stated that neither water nor top-dressing 

 is usually required in good garden soil, 

 and, without either, the result will be 

 quite as valuable from an ornamental 

 point of view. But when a good collection 

 is grown in special little beds in a warm 

 border of the kitchen garden, a top-dress- 

 ing of one barrow of mould to three of 

 decayed manure could be given in a very 

 short time, and if the weather or soil were 

 very dry an occasional heavy watering 

 would improve matters. Varieties are 

 endless ; and as English, Continental, 

 and American florists are busy raising 

 seedlings, these varieties are likely to be 

 much added to, though enough attention 

 has not as yet been paid to the raising of 

 vigorous border and flower garden kinds 

 with a great range of colour, form, contin- 

 uity of bloom, and fragrance. It would be 

 well for raisers to discard the kinds which 

 burst their flowers. This is a great defect, 

 an unnatural habit too long condoned, and 

 its evils are most manifest in the flower 

 garden. In ordering, the public should 

 distinctly make known their wishes as to 

 colour, form, and fragrance. The Carnation 

 does not depend for its beauty on elaborate 

 instructions, which only the special grower 

 for exhibition cares to master. 



CARNATIONS IN POTS AND VASES. 

 It is a common practice to have pots 

 and vases of flowers in the garden, but 

 the Carnation is rarely seen in them. It 

 is a grand flower for the purpose if 

 naturally grown, allowing its flower spikes 

 to droop where they will. The flowers 

 on these last longer in bad weather, as 

 they protect themselves from wet. 

 Wherever pots can be stood they look 

 admirable, but are seen to special ad- 

 vantage if above the line of sight. In 

 window boxes they would make a pretty 

 picture. The essential thing to do them 

 well is to pot up some good strong layers in 

 autumn and keep in a frame all the winter. 

 In spring they should be potted into their 

 flowering pots or vases. There should be 

 no tying or training. 



PERPETUAL CARNATIONS IN THE 

 OPEN AIR. These, if from a good strain 



