152 



Gardening for Amateurs 



half -shady positions if these are not too dry. 

 The plants are usually cultivated in groups 

 in the herbaceous, shrubbery, and mixed 

 borders. The taller kinds are particularly 

 effective in the shrubbery border during 

 September, the yellow flowers rising well 

 above the shrubs. Where space permits 

 beds of Perennial Sunflowers on the lawn 

 are worth considering, a most showy effect 

 is produced in autumn when comparatively 

 few plants are in flower. 



Dividing the Roots. The usual method 

 of propagation is by division of the roots, 

 from towards the end of October to March, 

 during favourable weather. Should circum- 

 stances allow, the plants may be lifted and 

 divided annually, though they may be left for 

 three years without disturbance. After this 

 the flowers decrease considerably in size, 

 though they are very plentiful. It is 

 possible to purchase seeds of most of the 

 kinds, but raising seedlings is not a 

 method of propagation much in favour. 

 Sow the seeds on a border out of doors at 

 any time between May and July, or in a 

 cold frame during April or May. 



Some of the Best. The following com- 

 prise a selection of the most showy sorts, 

 flowering from August to October : H. 

 decapetalus, 6 feet high, producing quantities 

 of rather small sulphur-yellow blooms, very 

 effective in masses, the variety nanus is a 

 dwarf form, 3J to 4 feet high ; H. giganteus, 

 7 to 8 feet high, producing an abundance of 

 small yellow flowers ; H. grosse-serratus, the 

 tallest of all the Perennial Sunflowers, 10 

 feet or even more in height, in rich soil ; 

 H. mollis, height 4 to 5 feet, a plant with 

 distinct grey-green foliage, and golden- 

 yellow flowers with black centres ; H. 

 multiflorus, 6 feet high, large single yellow 

 flowers, probably the most generally cul- 

 tivated Perennial Sunflower ; there are 

 several varieties, maximus, with large single 

 golden yellow flowers having dark centres ; 

 flore pleno, 5 feet, double orange-yellow 

 flowers, very free ; Bouquet d'Or, very fine 

 double golden yellow flowers, 4 feet ; Soleil 

 d'Or (syn. grandiplenus), double golden- 

 yellow ; Queen Victoria, 4 feet high, an 

 anemone flowered or semi-double variety, 

 very pretty, useful for cutting. 



H. orgyalis, the Willow-leaved Sunflower, 



height 6 to 7 feet, is an attractive plant with 

 narrow leaves and golden-yellow flowers. 

 H. rigidus, the Prairie Sunflower, height about 

 4 feet, golden yellow with black centre, rough 

 foliage and dark stems, commences to flower 

 in July ; there are several varieties, notably 

 semi-plenus, semi-double orange-yellow, 

 Miss Mellish, height 6 feet, rich yellow 

 flowers, with several rows of petals and dark 

 centres, and Rev. Woolley Dodd, 6 to 8 

 feet high, a late-flowering variety. H. 

 tomentosus, 4 to 5 feet high, has hoary or 

 tomentose foliage and pale yellow flowers ; 

 Helianthus H. G. Moon, 4 to 5 feet high, 

 bears rich golden yellow flowers, the petals 

 are broad, and the plants very free-flowering. 



Helleborus (Christmas and Lenten 

 Rose). The Hellebores are divided into 

 two groups, the Christmas Rose (Helleborus 

 niger and varieties), which blossoms from 

 November to March, and the Lenten Rose 

 (varieties of H. orientalis and H. viridis), 

 flowering from February to May. Blooming 

 as they do in mid-winter, when the weather 

 conditions are often unfavourable, it behoves 

 the grower to choose a sheltered position 

 for the plants. They prefer a rather moist, 

 shady position, and thrive in any good 

 garden soil enriched with decayed manure 

 and leaf-mould. Perhaps the best of all 

 positions is among hardy ferns, for these 

 two kinds of hardy plants have several 

 cultural requirements in common. Both 

 are shade-loving, delighting in liberal mulch- 

 ings of leaf-mould, and during summer 

 greatly benefit from free watering, and an 

 occasional application of weak liquid cow- 

 manure. The old fronds left on the ferns 

 in winter provide protection for the flowers 

 of the Hellebores, this being particularly 

 desirable for the Christmas Rose. To give 

 further protection it is worth while covering 

 the best clumps showing flower buds with 

 hand-lights or a temporary frame. A 

 shrubbery border, where the trees and 

 shrubs are not planted thickly, may be 

 made very interesting from November to 

 May with a planting of Hellebores. The 

 falling tree leaves in autumn should be left 

 on the ground. They will improve the soil 

 and protect the plants. 



When to Plant Christmas Roses. Helle- 

 bores are increased bv division of the 



