74 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



February, 



The Bouvardia for Amateurs. 



When our New York correspondent in last 

 month's Issue spoke of the Bouvardia as being 

 very much in demand in that city, but always 

 inexpensive, she gave an intimation of two of 

 the most striking qualities of the plant. These 

 are, first, that the flowers are so charming that 

 flower buyers eagerly demand them; second, 

 they are grown so easily that they never can be 

 a costly commodity. To winter flowers the 

 Bouvardia occupies a relation somewhat similar 

 to that of the Sweet Pea to other fine 

 summer flowers, namely, they are most 

 delightful yet always low priced in the 

 city flower markets. 



Still it camiot be said that amateurs in 

 general are very successful as Bouvardia 

 growers, and especiaUy not so in the 

 window garden. Simple as are the re- 

 quirements of the plant, yet these are im- 

 perative for best results. It is as a winter- 

 blooming plant that the Bouvardia has the 

 gi-eatest value. If for this one wishes to 

 bring on his own stock a start should be 

 made with 2 1-4 inch pot-plants the spring 

 previous, growing such until fall in pots 

 with several shifts or in the open ground. 

 As to soil for the Bouvardia, whether in 

 pot or bedding-out culture, one that is 

 light, rich and mellow is the best. While 

 young growth is going on the plants need 

 an occasional heading in, for securing 

 stocky forms ; taU plants are not the best 

 bloomers. In starting the young plants a 

 temperature of 70° with a moist atmos- 

 phere will suit them well until placed out- 

 side for the summer, say June 1. 



To have flowers by Christmas from pot 

 plants, these should be in a .5-inch size by 

 the end of July, stopping the ends of the 

 shoots not later than August, and shifting 

 into the flowering pots in September. 

 Plants grown in the open ground need 

 clean culture throughout the season. As 

 early as September 10th they should be 

 lifted ; to leave them until Geranium lift- 

 ing time, some weeks later, would be a 

 bad mistake. The size of pots required 

 for flowering in varies from about six to 

 eight inches across, according to strength 

 of plants. In lifting exercise care that the 

 roots are not exposed to air needlessly for one 

 moment. Pot moderately firm and water the 

 plants once thoroughly, then shade heavily for 

 about a week, during which time spray the 

 foliage frequently but lightly. 



As the Bouvardia likes warmth, it should 

 from the taking up time on have this provided. 

 For a wint«r temperature anywhere from .50° to 

 65° night will suit ; in the former the bloom 

 will be finer ; in the latter, earlier and more 

 profuse. In inside culture the Red Spider, Green- 

 fly and Mealy Bug are liable to do injury. 

 Sponging or syringing the leaves very often 

 will keep the plants clear of the first named ; 

 a dusting with tobacco powder will put an end 

 to Green-fly, while for Mealy Bug the thumb 

 and finger remedy, or else washing with warm 

 soap-suds, should easily sufiice. 



The flowers of the Bouvardia come somewhat 

 in crops throughout the winter. Towards 

 spring the blooming slackens up a good deal, 

 at which time it is well to withhold water for a 

 spell, cutting the plant back fully one-half. A 

 month or so later they may be started up again, 

 removing most of the old earth and repotting 

 in fresh soil. Or, if growing in a bed, a method 

 very common among florists, mulch with ma- 

 nure. Such treatment, along with a good 

 watering, should induce a new thick growth 

 that will yield much bloom during a new term. 

 Those who grow Bouvardia extensively start 

 with fresh plants each spring. It does not fol- 

 low, however, that no success could be had by 

 working with the same plants for several years 

 after the course outlined above. Something 

 should be said about the propagation. This is 

 commonly, because most successfully, done 

 during this month from cuttings of the roots. 



Healthy young roots are taken and cut into 

 small pieces. These are strewn over a warm 

 bed of sand, covering them 1-4 of an inch in 

 depth with sand. It does not take a long time 

 before minute plants will appear, and these 

 after having grown an inch or two are to be 

 treated like any other cuttings. 



Of varieties adapted to the window garden, 

 these which foUow are the best: Alfred Neuner, 

 double white; President Garfield, double pink; 

 Elegans, a charming and well tested single red, 



looks dry, it gets a generous drink ; if a little 

 moist it gets none,unles6 it be a greedy drinker. 

 When the plants need a bath, instead of tak- 

 ing them singly in the washtub as I did last 

 winter, I turn the stand part way round, hang 

 a heavy blanket behind them, and with warm 

 water and a Whitman Fountain Pump give 

 them a thorough washing. I do this on warm, 

 bright days, keeping the sun from them until 

 they dry off ; all this requires scarcely more 

 than half an hour, including mopping the floor, 

 while the washtub, process required a 

 great deal of time, and strength too. 



Elder's Wife. 



TRUSS OF BOUVARDIA ELEQANS. 

 of which we give an engraving from the cata- 

 logue of HiU & Co., florists of Richmond, Ind. ; 

 Leiantha and Triphylla, also red; Davidsonii 

 longiflora, and the fragrant Humboldtii cor- 

 ymbifiora, white. The last one is really a 

 superior sort under all circumstances. 



A Reader Describes her Plant Stand. 



My plant stand is a plain home-made affair, 

 but answers my purpose well. It is made of inch 

 pine boards, has four shelves, each one project- 

 ing five inches beyond the one above. The 

 three lower ones are one foot wide, the top one 

 seven inches. The height between them is nine 

 inches; a foot piece of oak two inches square, 

 reaching from front to back of the stand is 

 secured to each side of the stand, and into these 

 four casters are put. 



The stand is made of a width corresponding 

 with a large window in the south side of the 

 kitchen, only a few feet from the cook-stove and 

 holds when filled about 100 plants. My collec- 

 tion embraces Geraniiuns in variety. Begonias, 

 Coleus, Heliotrope, AmaryUis, Agapanthus, 

 Hardenbergia, Mesembryanthemums, Vinca, 

 etc., etc., all seeming to enjoy the combined 

 warmth of sun and stove, and thriving in tin 

 cans, wooden buckets, and other "bric-a-brac." 



The tea kettle is kept on the stove always, to 

 keep the air moist, and a bottle of strong tobacco 

 water, and a machine oiler filled with Pyreth- 

 rum powder, stand near to do instant execution 

 on the appearance of insect enemies. I water 

 the plants early every morning, using warm 

 water. By taking hold of one end of the stand, 

 the casters allow me to roll it back from the 

 window with ease, giving access to them, so I 

 can readily see the needs of each. If a plant 



Some Fine Annuals for Next 

 Summer. 



WILBUR F. LAKE. 



To the annuals we are larglely indebted 

 for our finest summer and early autumn 

 flowers. At this comparatively idle season 

 in gardening work, it is in order to study 

 up our next season's display of these. I 

 would like to urge the more general culti- 

 vation of many of the more delicate and 

 really elegant aimuals which cultivators 

 too often pass by. 



Without the gaudy Phlox Di-ummondi, 

 the carpet parterres of Portulaca, and the 

 beautiful beds of Asters, the summer gar- 

 den would be incomplete enough, no doubt. 

 These are £ill right in their place, but a 

 flower garden wholly composed of these 

 does not begin to possess the charm of one 

 containing the fine things to which I in- 

 vite attention. 

 To my mind some of Nature's best smiles 

 are found in such delicate annuals as the Asper- 

 ula, the Nierembergia and the Fenzlia, aU of 

 which are worthy of being named here. For a 

 shady spot few flowers give more pleasure than 

 the Whitlavia. The plants are proof against 

 cold and wet, but often suffer in hot weather, 

 hence their suitability for shady places. The 

 flowers consist of di'ooping clusters of white 

 and blue bells. The Saponaria is another an- 

 nual too rarely seen. It is a low-growing plant 

 that is very desirable for edging, setting alter- 

 nately with other low plants of pink and white. 

 For a fine trailing flowering plant try the 

 Abronia, a native of California, where it grows 

 very plentifully. The branches of this plant 

 are several feet in length and most pleasingly 

 studded with the modest heads of bloom of 

 various colors. The Eutoca, although a coarse- 

 growing plant, produces blossoms of blue that 

 ai'e not common among flowers. These are very 

 desi rable for cutting. A branch placed in water 

 will go on developing for many days. 



The new varieties of the Godetia, with their 

 delicate tints of rose, crimson and white, mu.st 

 also be mentioned among our attractive an- 

 nuals. On the rockery one should be sure to 

 have some plants of the Nolana, these being 

 very pretty here. Treat them like Portulacas. 

 The flowers are cup-shaped, resembling those of 

 the Morning Glory, to which, indeed they are 

 not distantly related. 



I have mentioned the foregomg as being 

 especially desirable, having grown them year 

 after year. There are many others I have 

 only given one year's trial and of which the 

 Browallia, Callirhoe, Spraguea, Salpiglossis, 

 Nemophila, GaiUardia and Viscaria pleased me. 

 A particular merit of the annuals is that, 

 with being so numerous and differing so widely 

 in habit, form and color, there is no spot other- 

 wise left unoccupied but can be made attract- 

 ive with them. The kinds of soil also are few 

 in which some will not well thrive. 



As TO Fuchsias for winter flowering, 

 Speciosa is one of the finest; corolla scai'let, 

 sepals blush. Earl of Beaconsfield is a fine 

 one ; flowers large, corolla rosy carmine, sepals 

 carmine. Black Prince is of fine habit ; corolla 

 rose, sepals carmine. Arabella is fine ; corolla 

 rose and the sepals white. 



