CHAP. IV. ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. 297 



PORTULACACE^E. 

 Portulaca. 



P. grandiflora. Of which there are many varieties, both with 

 single and double flowers. A bed of this plant when in full 

 blossom I have heard aptly likened, for the brilliancy and variety 

 of colour in the flowers, to a stained-glass window. Nothing in 

 the garden can equal it in dazzling beauty of effect. The beauty 

 of the bed, however, is of short duration, as the flowers do 

 not open till ten o'clock, and close again by about two in the 

 afternoon. 



The seed should be sown where the plants are to remain, as 

 they bear transplanting very ill. They do better in the open 

 ground than in flower-pots. If sown in the ground in October 

 the seed will germinate, and the plants become of strong, large, 

 healthy growth before requiring to be watered ; whereas in pots 

 the soil soon dries, and the young plants on first germinating 

 are either destroyed by drought from being left unwatered, or 

 if watered, by the force of the water as it issues from the water- 

 ing-pot. The best way of growing this delightful annual is to 

 make one or more small circular beds of a fine mellow soil, in a 

 conspicuous and sunny situation ; and having well watered them 

 with a watering-pot, shortly afterwards sow the seed ; cover the 

 beds with a jhamp or matting till the seeds germinate, and then 

 remove it. To distribute the seed evenly I have found it an 

 excellent plan to mix a pinch of it well in a teacupful of dry 

 silver sand, and sprinkle the mixture by throwing pinch after 

 pinch over the ground ; by this means it is made certain that 

 the seed will not be sown too thickly, nor more of it fall upon 

 one part of the bed than on another. After this a slight 

 sprinkling of pure sand may be made, and the sowing then 

 covered over with the jhamp. 



To save seed, gather the seed-vessels a little before ripe, for 

 if left to ripen on the plant the cap of the seed-vessel drops off 

 and the seed falls out and is lost. If the ground in which 

 Portulaca has grown be left undisturbed plants commonly come 

 up self-sown the following season. 



Calandrinia. 

 C. umbellata. A beautiful annual ; produces crowded umbels 



