138 



BEDDING 



BEDDING, or BEDDING-OUT. The temporary use 

 out-of-doors of plants that are massed for showy and 

 Btrikins effects. There are four main types : spring, 

 summer, subtropical, and carpet bedding. 



Sprino Bedding is the most temporary of all, and is 

 usually followed by summer bedding in the same area. 



196. Phaseolus multiflorus. Niituriil size. (See Bean, p. 135.) 



It is the only kind that largely employs hardy plants, as 

 crocuses, narcissi, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and other 

 Dutch bulbs. All fcmr types of bedding are commonly 

 seen in public parks, but spring bedding is the most 

 appropriate for amateur and home use, as the bulbs 

 flower at a dreary time of the year, when their brave 

 colors are most cheering, and also because they are 

 much more familiar than the subtropical and foliage 



BEDDINa 



, hardy bnljjs are more 

 class of plants, and they 



nrr rip III-, 111.' iiiiLin |iririri|,i,- is to plant them early 

 ciii-iij ::j r.i"t ilcvelopment. Hence 



tip, ,1 - !■ I. 1 -I :-.. ;iiMt planted in the latter 



ji;ni i'l I 'I'l PI ;ir~i pi \i>\ .nil.fr. The colors may be 



iii:i5M-il iir iiiix.il aiLiji.iiiii; t.. ui>.tt-. the terms massed and 

 mi.\ed beUdintc relening to unity or variety of effect, 

 and being applicable in each of the four main types men- 

 tioned nliove. Opposed to this style of bedding is the 

 tmiiiniliziML' nf Imlbs in the lawn. Crocuses and squills 

 iir. |i;iri I' Ml M i < harming when they appear singly, or in 

 tv, . PI:,, iiiiexpected places in the lawn. Daffo- 



dii I I I naturalized in large masses in spots 

 \vlp i( IIP L'lp s is not mowed. Pansies are the only 

 otliHi- |il.iiits tliKt are used extensively for spring bed- 

 dini,'. Knglish double daisies and catchHies are largely 

 usp.l f.ir edgings. Pansies are set out between April 1 

 and 1."). in largeoperationa, pansy seed issown in August 

 of the preceding year, and the young plants are trans- 

 planted once and wintered in a ooldframe. After flower- 

 ing, the plants are thrown away. The other method is to 

 sow the sped in a greenhouse in January. The August- 

 sown i.aiisjps pi\ p larger and earlier blooms, but the .Tan-« 

 nai i n pii, MS will last longer, and in partially 

 siipp ! ill give scattering bloom all summer, 



e-i : I 'ppted from drought. 



M Mill: i; is.i often follows spring be.dding in the 



sanip space of ground, and employs chiefly geraniums, 

 coleus, begonias, ageratum, salvia, vinca, alyssum, 

 petunia, verbena, heliotrope, grasses, cacti, and aquatic 

 plants, the culture and varieties of which may be sought 

 elsewhere in this work. As to tenderness, these fall into 

 two groups, the first of which may be set out about 

 May 15 in New York, and the second about .June 1. 

 Geraniums are the most important of the first group, 

 and coleus is an r"vaiii|ilR of the tenderest material, 

 which isspi Pill -ihiiili .iippusly with subtropical plants 



when all dn i is past. As to fondness for 



sunlight. Ill I II I All groups, but the only bed- 

 ding phti it-- p| Mill' I lull' p that prefer shade are tuberous 

 begonias and fuchsias. The wonderful popularity lately 

 achieved by the former in Europe will probably never 

 be duplicated in America. The secret of their culture is 

 shade, shelter, and moisture at the roots. Hence a clay 

 bottom is desirable for a bed of tuberous begonias, as 

 being more retentive of moisture than a sandy or porous 

 soil. They enjoy cool air and as much indirect light as 

 possible, but not the direct rays of the sun. Hence the 

 north side of a building is better for them than a station 

 under trees, as the trees usually give too dense a shade, 

 and their roots interfere. On the other hand, coleus is 

 more highly colored in full sunlight than in shade. 

 The only flbrous-rooted begonias largely used for bed- 

 ding are varieties of the semperflorens type, of which 

 Vernon and Erfordii are extremely popular at present. 

 In the manipulation of tender perennials, there are often 

 two methods of propagation, either of which may be 

 better, according to the ideal in view. As a matter of 

 general tendency, propagation by cuttings gives bloom 

 that is earlier but not as continuous or profuse as by 

 seeds. Salvias and verbenas are pronounced examples. 



especiallv for mass-work. S.iMiptimcs the tall, puiiili.- 

 leaved, old-fashioned, small-Howered types are used in 

 the center or at the back of the bed, and the dwarf, 



