528 DIANTHUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DIANTHUS. 



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 



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 

 of French seed, are very satisfactory 

 plants, and useful for cutting. Their 

 drawback is the habit of flowering in 

 winter, but this can be obviated by sow- 

 ing early, so as to get them to a good 



size by autumn, when they will flower in 

 the spring and continue to bloom all the 

 summer. Pipings struck in the spring 

 and planted out in the autumn will behave 

 in the same way. Old plants are difficult 

 to manage in the open air, but survive 

 the winter if well thinned out ; the only 

 danger is damp cold, which rots them at 

 the surface of the ground. They grow 

 very well in light rich soil on chalk. 

 Their free-rooting habit makes them un- 

 suitable for pots. Many of my plants 

 filled almost 3 ft. of soil with their roots ; 

 it is manifest waste to cram such free- 

 growing plants in pots. J. D. 



GARDEN CULTURE FOR EXHIBITION. 

 About the end of July cover the bed 

 intended to be devoted to Carnations, &c., 

 about 2 in. with good rotten manure, and 

 if the soil be sandy add to this 2 in. of 

 good mellow loam, or, if it be stiff, add 

 the same quantity of sand. Then, when- 

 ever time can be spared, fork in the dress- 

 ing well and dig it over. Then put the 

 plants in firmly, putting all of the same 

 sort in a row with a good legible label at 

 the end. Being perfectly hardy, they will 

 need no attention till next spring. At the 

 same time take up and put in in the same 

 way any seedlings sown in the spring, 

 which will now be fine strong plants. The 

 next spring, when the severe cold has 

 ceased (about March or April), hoe the 

 beds over carefully between the rows, and 

 in fine weather water them if they are 

 dry. When the flower-stems begin to rise, 

 place a stick about 30 in. long to each 

 plant. These sticks should be painted a 

 light whitish green. The flower-stems 

 must be kept well tied up as they grow, 

 but they must be tied quite loosely, for if 

 they are tied tightly they will knee and 

 bend, and finally break. About 2oth June 

 (or later), when the buds appear, take off 

 all but three on each shoot, so as to leave 

 each bud a little footstalk to itself when 

 it grows (what is lost by this in quantity 

 will be regained twenty-fold in quality). 

 From this time until the buds are near 

 showing colour, give occasionally a little 

 weak manure-water a handful of \\ell- 

 rotted stable manure to a large pot of 

 water. As soon as they show colour at 

 the top, tie them round with a little strip 

 of bass about half-way down. This 

 should be done every morning in July, as 

 it saves much trouble as well as the un- 

 sightly peculiarity termed a "split pod." 

 If in spite of this the pods split on one 

 side, carefully open the bud all round at 

 the other segments, using the flat wedge 

 handle of a knife used for layering. Un- 

 less it is intended to save seed, cut off 



