Gardening for Amateurs 



135 



Aquilegias prove delightful flowers. When 

 preparing a bed for the cultivation of 

 Columbines the soil should be enriched with 

 leaf-mould, old manure, and wood ashes. 



Propagation is effected by division of the 

 clumps, preferably during September or 

 October, though if the weather is favourable 

 the work may be done at any time from 

 then until March. Columbines cross-fertilise 

 so freely that it is difficult, except by division 

 of the roots, to keep the sorts true. M-t 

 growers, however, are not particular in this 

 respect, and for ordinary garden decoration 

 and the production of abundance of flowers 

 for cutting it is best to maintain a stock of 

 plants by raising a few each year from seeds. 

 They may be sown on a border out of doors 

 or in a cold frame from April to June. 

 Transplant the seedlings when large enough 

 to handle about 4 inches apart in a prepared 

 bed, made up on a sheltered border. Under 

 favourable conditions the young plants 

 should be large enough for removal to their 

 flowering quarters in September. They will 

 bloom the following spring. 



Those known as the Long-spurred Hybrids 

 are the best for amateurs. The plants grow 

 from 2 to 3 feet high, producing flowers 

 having a wide range of rich colours. To 

 .-iti-fy the more exacting cultivators, seed 

 tr rowers offer seeds of some of these Long- 

 spurred Hybrids in separate colours : in- 

 stances are Crimson and Gold, Blue shades, 

 Pink shades, and Long-spurred White. 

 Next to these in point of value must be 

 placed tin- varieties of the Common Colum- 

 bine (Aquilegia vulgaris). There are flowers 

 of numerous colours, some single, others 

 double ; two particularly effective sorts are 

 the double white and a very dark plum 

 coloured variety, also double. 



The Canadian Columbine (A. Canadensis) 

 lias blooms of scarlet and yellow colouring ; 

 A. caerulea. with long-spurred flowers, pale 

 blue and white, is very beautiful; A. 

 chrysantha is a tall growing kind, with pale 

 vellow blooms ; A. glandulosa, the Blue 

 Siberian Columbine, is first rate for the 

 front of the border or the rock garden : it 

 is only about 12 inches high ; A. vulgaris 

 grandiflora alba, also known as Munstead 

 White, growing about 2 feet high, has large 

 pure white flowers. In addition to the 



common double Columbines, there is a 

 long-spurred strain with double flowers, and 

 the double Golden Columbine, A. chrysantha 

 flore pleno, is worth mentioning. 



Aster (Starwort or Michaelmas 

 Daisy). It is only recently that the 

 Michaelmas Daisies have occupied an im- 

 portant position in the flower border, but 

 that is because twenty to thirty years 

 ago few realised how wonderfully they 

 may be improved by good cultivation. 

 They were generally relegated to the 

 shrubbery border, and no attention paid 

 to the preparation of the ground, thin- 

 ning the young growths in spring, and 

 staking the tall-growing sorts. All this is 

 changed, and the Michaelmas Daisy is 

 now regarded as one of the most important 

 of hardy autumn flowers. It is most valu- 

 able for cutting ; few, if any, flowers are 

 better suited to vase decoration, or keep 

 fresh for so long when gathered. The flower- 

 ing season extends from August to November, 

 and though the weather during the later 

 weeks of this period may be unfavourable 

 to most hardy flowers, it has to be very bad 

 indeed to spoil the Starworts. The plants 

 vary from 1 foot to 6 feet in height, and are 

 adapted for planting in numerous and varied 

 positions. The dwarf sorts are valuable 

 towards the front of the mixed border, those 

 of moderateheight are grouped in the middle, 

 and the tall sorts at the back of the border. 

 A Led oi honler devoted to a good collection 

 of Michaelmas Daisies is a most interesting 

 and effective sight in autumn. Their liberal 

 use in shrubbery borders, and by the water- 

 side also, produces most attractive displays. 



A-trrs thrive in full sun or partial shade. 

 Though it is sufficient to plant the roota in 

 ordinary garden soil, few plants so well 

 rejMiy for liberal cultivation, which means 

 digging the soil 18 inches deep, and well 

 manuring it. particularly if light and sandy. 

 The roots may \><- planted from Noveml>er 

 until the end of March, whenever the weather 

 is mild and the ground not s(xlden. In this 

 respect they are easier to deal with than 

 many hardy perennials, which resent dis- 

 turlmnce at the root in mid-winter. The 

 stronger growing sorte grow lx>tter and 

 flower more perfectly if the clumps are 

 lifted and divided each autumn or early 



