Gardening for Amateurs 



49 



or less in bloom. A suitable soil consists 

 of 3 parts turfy loam to 1 part leaf-mould ; 

 plenty of coarse sand and a little broken 

 charcoal or soft brick about the size of 

 peas should be mixed in. Propagation is 

 by seeds and cuttings during spring and 

 summer. The greatest success with cut- 

 tings is usually obtained when they are 

 inserted singly in small pots and placed 

 under a handlight or bell-glass on the 

 greenhouse stage. The bottom heat of a 

 closed propagating frame is not necessary. 

 Plants obtained from both seeds and cut- 

 tings commence to flower in about six 

 months. The following is a selection of 

 the best-known sorts of perennial duration 

 those that continue to grow and increase 

 in size from year to year. They may even 

 become in course of time large enough to 

 be placed in tubs and put outside in sum- 

 mer on the terrace or steps with such 

 plants as Agapanthus and Hydrangea. 

 Statice arborescens, the Tree-like Sea Laven- 

 der, has blue flowers and large leaves ; the 

 stem branches freely and grows in time 

 from 3 feet to 5 feet high. Bourgeau's Sea 

 Lavender(S.Bou rgaei ) 

 has pretty purple and 

 white flowers. The 

 Hybrid Sea Lavender 

 (S. profusa) is the 

 most useful of all the 

 greenhouse kinds, as 

 it flowers very freely. 

 Small plants less than 

 1 foot in height make 

 delightful little ob- 

 jects in 5-inch wide 

 (48 size) pots, while 

 specimens 3 feet 

 through and 2 feet 

 high are no unusual 

 sight at a large 

 flower show. It will 

 thus be seen what a 

 useful plant this is. 

 The flowers are pur- 

 ple and white. The 

 Rose-coloured Statice 

 (S. rosea) is very dis- 

 tinct, with rosy -tinted 

 blooms, as the name 

 suggests. The height 

 4 



One of the Sea Lavenders (Statice Suworowi), 

 an attractive plant with rose-coloured flowers. 



of plants in pots is from 12 inches to 2 feet. 

 During recent years the annual Sea Laven- 

 ders have increased in popularity for grow- 

 ing in pots in the cool and cold greenhouse. 

 Quite the most beautiful is S. Suworowi, 

 with lovely branched inflorescences of rose- 

 coloured flowers. It makes a graceful pot 

 plant, and the dried flowers are delightful 

 for winter decoration. There are several 

 forms of the large-flowered annual Statice 

 sinuata ; the mauve variety is perhaps most 

 frequently grown. Bonduelli is the yellow- 

 flowered variety of sinuata ; alba, of 

 course, is white ; and there is also a purple 

 form. Seeds of all these may be purchased 

 in separate packets or in mixture as sinuata 

 hybrida. March is a suitable time to sow 

 the seeds, which should be in light, sandy 

 soil. The shelf of a cool greenhouse is a 

 convenient place to raise the seedlings. 

 When these are large enough to handle, 

 prick them off in 3-inch pots, placing four 

 round the side of each pot. Under favour- 

 able conditions the young plants will be 

 ready for removal to the flowering pots, 

 5 inches wide (48 size), in six weeks or two 

 months' time. They 

 flower in about four 

 months from seeds. 

 S. Suworowi takes 

 rather longer, and for 

 this reason is often 

 sown in August and 

 treated as a biennial 

 or sown in a warm 

 greenhouse during 

 February. This rose- 

 coloured Sea Lavender 

 is stronger than S. 

 sinuata ; one plant in 

 a pot is sufficient 

 August - sown plants 

 in 6-inch (32 size) 

 pots, and spring sown 

 plants in 5-inch (48 

 size) pots. 



Fairy Immortelles 

 are a pleasing group 

 of half-hardy annuals 

 much prized for pot 

 culture. Though re- 

 sembling one another 

 in habit and flowers, 



