Gardening for Amateurs 



199 



taller plants, or, if occasion arises, to form 

 an edging. 



Various other plants are suitable for 

 bedding, and different associations will 

 suggest themselves to the enthusiastic 

 amateur. 



HOW TO INCREASE BEDDING PLANTS 



To propagate a collection of bedding plants 

 requires a glasshouse or frame that can be 

 suitably heated. Some of the more tender 

 plants require a certain amount of heat to 

 enable them to pass safely through the 

 winter, while in the case of others it is of 

 importance to exclude damp from the glass- 

 house rather than to maintain a warm 

 atmosphere. In dealing with plants that 

 are increased by means of cuttings, it is well 

 to start in August, in order to obtain strong 

 specimens from which a further supply can 

 be obtained early in the new year. Some 

 tender bedding plants are raised from seed 

 annually, in which case a commencement 

 should be made early in February. 



There are several materials to be provided 

 before the work of propagation is com- 

 menced. A supply of pots and boxes is 

 essential, and a stock of loam, leaf soil, and 

 silver sand should be laid in, so that once 

 a start is made there shall be no unnecessary 

 delay. Suitable soil for propagating pur- 

 poses consists of 2 parts loam, 1 part leaf 

 soil, and 1 part silver sand. This should 

 be passed through a -inch sieve, and will 

 be suitable for all kinds of cuttings. 



Abutilon. This is principally used as a 

 " dot " plant in beds furnished with those 

 of dwarf er growth. Cuttings should be 

 taken in August or September, and may be 

 inserted in 5-inch pots. Place them in a 

 warm frame to root, and water them. A 

 light spray over with the syringe twice a 

 day is an advantage, and shade from bright 

 sunshine is beneficial. When nicely rooted, 

 pot them separately in small sixty pots, 

 and grow them in a temperature of 50 

 during the winter. Later repot into 6-inch 

 pots, in which they will make strong plants 



A handsome plant for a lawn bed, Ornamental Seakale (Crambe orientate). 



