Gardening for Amateurs 



431 



Though seeds of Asters may be sown out- 

 side towards the end of March the resultant 

 plants as a rule bloom so late that it is much 

 better to treat them as half-hardy annuals 

 and sow the seeds in a heated greenhouse, 

 on a hotbed, or in a cold frame, about the 

 middle of March. When a few inches high 

 Asters are very liable to the attacks of black 

 fly. Spraying with in- 

 secticide (tobacco water 

 will do) in the evening 

 several times will check 

 the fly. Asters delight 

 in rich soil and the posi- 

 tion must be sunny. 

 Plant out the seedlings 

 at the end of May (hav- 

 ing previously trans- 

 planted them to boxes), 

 the dwarf bedding sorts 

 7 inches or 8 inches 

 apart, the tall strains 12 

 inches to 15 inches apart. 



Campanula (Bell- 

 flower). Only two an- 

 nual Bellflowers are in 

 general cultivation. C. 

 attica is a hardy annual, 

 6 inches high, with 

 violet-blue flowers ; there 

 is also a white variety, 

 alba. Sow the seeds 

 where the plants are to 

 flower ; useful in the 

 rock garden and for 

 edgings. C. macrostyla, 

 9 inches high, has open 

 flowers, lilac - purple in 

 colour. Sow the seeds 

 preferably under glass 

 and plant out the seed- 

 lings in May. 



Gentaurea (Corn- 

 flower, Sweet Sultan). 

 C. americana is a tall Cornflower, about 3 

 feet high, with large lilac flowers ; there is 

 a white variety, alba ; sow seeds under glass. 

 C. Cyanus, the popular blue Cornflower, 2 

 to 3 feet high, is one of the most easily grown 

 annuals, and the flowers are valuable for 

 cutting ; seeds are sold separately or in 

 mixture, blue, white and pink. The variety 

 Tom Thumb or Victoria Dwarf Blue, 9 inches 



high, makes a pretty edging. Sow seeds 

 where the plants are to flower. C. Moschata 

 (Sweet Sultan), 1^ to 2 feet high, is a valuable 

 and fragrant hardy annual for cutting, the 

 flowers are white, mauve, purple, or yellow. 

 Seeds of these colours are sold separately or 

 in mixture. The Bride, white ; The Bride- 

 groom, mauve ; The Bridesmaid, lemon- 



The Sweet Sultan (Centaurea Moschata). 



yellow ; and The Honeymoon .golden-yellow, 

 are selected sorts of great beauty. Sow 

 where the plants are to flower or under glass. 



Centranthus macrosiphon (Scarlet 

 Valerian). A lovely red-flowered annual for 

 a rather dry border, 1 foot to 18 inches high ; 

 sow preferably where the plants are to flower. 



Chrysanthemum. Annual Chrysanthe- 

 mums are highly valued for cutting as well 



