CHAPTER VIII 

 SWEET PEAS FOR DECORATIONS 



IN this one respect, if in no other, the Sweet Pea may be 

 said to be the foremost flower in British gardens at the 

 present day. Whether blossoms are required for the adorn- 

 ment of the home or for purposes of exhibition, the Sweet 

 Pea will meet every demand that is made upon it, and in 

 the hands of a skilful manipulator it is perfectly certain 

 that an arrangement can be made which will excel in 

 artistic beauty that which will be forthcoming from any 

 other flower. 



Plants grown for the decoration of the garden will 

 yield thousands of flowers for cutting, and since it is not 

 essential in the filling of vases, epergnes, and other orna- 

 ments suitable for the display of the flowers, that each stem 

 shall carry four or more blooms on its length of anything 

 from 1 6 inches to 2 feet, it is not imperative to adopt 

 elaborate methods of procedure in the cultivation of the 

 plants. At the same time it must be kept in mind that 

 the plant which is grown in poor soil, and is still further 

 prejudiced by not being allowed an abundance of space in 



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