WHITLAVIA, Nat. Ord. HydropkyUaceas. 



HITLAVIA. The Whitlavia is a pretty little California annual, with 

 delicate foliage and drooping clusters of beautiful bells, of the 

 " size of the engraving, blue and white. The 

 plants are perfectly hardy, proof against cold 

 and wet, but suffer often in dry, hot weather, 

 like Nemophila and many other California 

 annuals. For a shady spot there are very few 

 little flowers that will give more real pleasure. 

 The flowering branches, if cut while the 

 lower buds are about opening, will continue 

 fresh in water for several days, every bud opening, and are elegant for a small, slender vase. 



ZINNIA. NEW DOUBLE-FLOWERED, Nat. Ord. Composite. 



INNIAS must be familiar to all our aged readers, for as far back as we 



can recollect, the old single variety was grown under the name of 



Youth and Old Age in almost 



every garden. The Double Zin- 

 nia we may call a new flower, 



for it has been introduced but a 



few years, and has found itself so 



well adapted to our climate that 



the double Zinnias in America 



seem a different and better flower 

 1 than the Zinnias we see growing 

 [in Europe. The plant usually 



grows two feet in height, at least 



seventy-five per cent, give flowers almost as beautiful and 

 quite as double as the Dahlia. A plant that commences flow- 

 ering in June will grow larger and handsomer, and the flowers 

 better every day until destroyed by frost. Tie a string around 

 the stem of a flower, or mark one in any other way, and that flower will be found perfect in six 



weeks from the time 

 it was marked. 

 Having taken par- 

 ticular pains in im- 

 proving the Zinnia, 

 I think my strain is 

 excellent ; indeed, 

 my Zinnias have 

 been pronounced 

 by florists from 

 England, France 

 and Germany the 

 best in the world. 

 Seed will do well 

 sown under glass, 

 but must not have 

 much heat, and 

 plenty of air. Seed 

 will, however, grow 

 well in a bed in 

 the garden, and 

 transplant as safely 



as a Cabbage plant, 

 and this should be 

 done as early as 

 possible, and when 

 the plants are 

 small ; cold, rough 

 weather will do 

 them good. The 

 plants begin to 

 blossom when quite 

 young, and the first 

 flower is not usual 

 ly good. Set them 

 about eighteen 

 inches apart. 

 The largest flowers 

 are sometimes 



nearly six inches 

 across. The Zin- 

 nias are coarse 

 plants, and we do 

 not suppose every 



one will be pleased with them, but we must remember that there are always places in the gar- 

 den waere large, and even coarse, plants look well, and those that are more delicate are useless. 



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