January The Passing of Winter 



suitable for the greenhouse, for the summer garden, 

 or for rooms. It is readily raised from seed, which 

 may be sown now. The plants grow several feet high, 

 and if carefully watered retain their graceful leaves to 

 the base of the stem. Ornamental -leaved Coleus are 

 raised from seed sown at this season, so too are Lobelia 

 and Freesia. Seed of innumerable rock and border plants 

 is obtainable, and if sown now in a greenhouse tem- 

 perature of about 50, a splendid stock of seedlings will 

 be available for permanent planting out of doors in 

 early autumn. 



It is not possible within the space at disposal to refer 

 individually to the innumerable hardy flowers which can 

 be raised from seed early in the year, for there are few 

 exceptions. There are some, however, to which special 

 reference may be made. One of the most delightful 

 flowers I have discovered (I say discovered, for I have 

 rarely seen it in other gardens) is an apricot-coloured 

 Poppy called Papaver rupifragum. It is of somewhat 

 spreading growth, and throughout the whole summer 

 continues to produce its exquisite blossoms on slender 

 stalks some 12 to 18 inches high. It will bloom in summer 

 from seed sown now. I grow it on the rockery, where 

 it makes a most delightful show ; self-sown seedlings 

 subsequently spring up in all sorts of places and ensure 

 flowers for another year. Or to make assurance doubly 

 sure, one has only.to gather a few pods late in summer, 

 sow the seeds in fine soil in a box, and the seedlings come 

 up like Cress. They ought to be transplanted or potted, 

 kept in a cold frame during winter, and planted out in 

 spring. A pretty cream-coloured Snapdragon for the 

 rockery (Antirrhinum asarinum) will bloom in summer 

 from seed sown now, so too will Tunica Saxifraga, a small 

 plant that bears a profusion of pale rose blossom, and 

 Vittadinia triloba (Erigeron mucronatus), or Mexican 

 Daisy, of low growth and producing Daisy-like blossoms 

 for months together. Oriental Poppies, Lupins and Red 



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