THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



GLADIOLUS. 



575 



Gr. coccineum is a rare and entirely 

 different plant. A native of Mount 

 Olympus. D. K. 



GILIA. Hardy annuals, i to 2 ft. high, 

 and bearing for a long time a succession 

 of blossoms either blue, white, lavender, 

 or rose-coloured. Seed may be sown in 

 autumn for spring-blooming, and in April 

 for summer and autumn blooming. Gilias 

 should be grown in masses and the soil 

 should be light and enriched with 

 decomposed manure ; they are useful for 

 small bouquets or vases, and last for a 

 long time in water. The best are G. 

 achilleasfolia major (blue), G. a. alba 

 (white), G. capitata (lavender), G. tricolor 

 (white and purple), G. rosea splendens 

 (rose), G. nivalis (white), G. liniflora, G. 

 dianthoides, and G. laciniata. A mixed 

 packet of seed will give a fine variety of 

 colours. They may occasionally be made 

 graceful use of as carpet plants, or used 

 effectively among annuals. 



GILLENIA. G. trifoliata is a Spiraea- 

 like plant with numerous erect slender 

 stems, about 2. ft. high, and branching in 

 the upper part into a loose panicle of white 

 flowers. Distinct and graceful, is of value 

 for the garden growing in peat or free 

 loamy soil, and may be given a place in 

 the shrubbery, or in the wild garden. 

 North America. Division. 



G. stipulacea. This is a rather taller 

 plant and not quite so compact in habit, 

 but it is graceful, and no more charming 

 plant could be introduced to parts of the 

 garden where there chances to be an extra 

 amount of moisture and a little shade from 

 mid-day sun. 



Mr. J. Wood says : "It makes more 

 distinct offsets, so that in the case of 

 plants a few years old you may take the 

 rooted offsets with a fair amount of fibre, 

 and they make good plants the first year. 

 The Gillenias have a distinct and delicate 

 beauty all their own, and are pre-eminently 

 suited for growing in semi-boggy places 

 interspersed with such subjects as the Bog 

 Lilies, Irises, Bamboos, and other similar 

 strong growers." 



GLADIOLUS (Sword Lily}. Beautiful 

 bulbs, for the most part natives of S. Africa. 

 Every species ntroduced is of ornamental 

 value, is easily grown, and is suitable for 

 many garden uses. The chief charm of 

 the Gladiolus is derived from the beautiful 

 hybrid varieties now in cultivation. G. 

 gandavensis and brenchleyensis are the 

 principal kinds from which these hybrids 

 come, and are by far the most important 

 class, though the earlier-flowering kinds 

 (descendants of G. ramosus, Colvillei, 

 trimaculatus, and others) are valuable for 



early summer-flowering. The gandavensis 

 section suffers from cold autumn rains, 

 and the bulbs must be lifted in autumn. 



In growing Gladioli it is necessary to 

 prepare soil where they will be most 

 effective. They are happy in clumps be- 

 tween Dahlias, Phloxes, Roses, and sub- 

 jects of a somewhat similar character, and 

 are very effective in clumps alternating 

 with Tritomas, and also when associated 

 with masses of Cannas ; while they are 

 suitable for intermixing with American 

 plants, whose dark foliage shows off rich 

 flowers to good advantage. The position 

 should be marked out in the autumn or 

 winter, and a few spadefuls of manure 

 should be dug in. As a rule, the space 

 of each clump should be 18 in. in 

 diameter, and the soil should be turned 

 up to a depth of 18 to 24 in. March and 

 April are the best months for planting, as 

 Gladioli planted then are at their best 

 during August and the early part of 

 September. A succession of planting is 

 desirable to secure a late bloom. Those 

 who desire their gardens to be beautiful 

 late in the autumn should not fail to 

 employ the Gladiolus largely, as it is the 

 handsomest of late-blooming garden 

 plants, and its spikes are seen to great 

 advantage about the time of heavy 

 autumn rains. When spikes of extra fine 

 bloom are required it is necessary to give 

 special treatment, and an open situation 

 is of the utmost importance. A deep loamy 

 soil, not too heavy, is the most suitable 

 for spikes for exhibition, but very satis- 

 factory results even may be obtained 

 by deep digging and liberal manuring 

 in soils of an uncongenial character. Early 

 in autumn the soil should be liberally 

 dressed with manure from an old hotbed. 

 After it is spread regularly over the surface, 

 trench the soil up to a depth of 2 ft., and 

 leave the surface as rough as possible, so 

 as to expose a large body of it to winter 

 frost and rain ; this is of special import- 

 ance in the case of heavy soils, which 

 should be thoroughly pulverised by the 

 weather. If this is done, the soil will be 

 fit for working in spring, and a pricking 

 over with the fork will reduce it to a fine 

 tilth, and will admit of the bulbs being 

 planted, even in wet seasons, without 

 unnecessary delay. Planting should com- 

 mence in March, and be continued until 

 June, at intervals of a fortnight. By this 

 means will be obtained a succession 

 of bloom, from the earliest moment at 

 which the show varieties may be had in 

 flower until the end of the season. The 

 beds should be 4 ft. in width, with rows 

 1 8 in. apart. They will then admit of a 



