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Gardening for Amateurs 



delightfully fragrant Tobacco Plant, Nicotiana 

 alata (affinis). It grows about 3 feet high, 

 and blooms freely throughout a long season. 

 The introduction of coloured sorts should 

 ensure an even greater popularity for 

 Nicotianas. Almost all shades of pink, rose, 

 purple, red, scarlet, as well as white, are to 

 be obtained from a mixed packet of seeds 

 of N. affinis or N. Sanderae. The rich red or 

 scarlet variety, seeds of which are sold in 

 separate packets, is the colour favoured by 

 most growers. N. Sanderae grows 4 to 5 feet, 

 and has rose-coloured blooms. N. sylvestris 

 is more stately and bold in growth than those 



White and coloured Tobacco (Nicotiana). 



named previously, 6 feet in height ; the long 

 pure white tubular flowers are very freely 

 produced. All the Nicotianas are effective 

 for lawn beds, groups in the flower border, 

 and masses in the shrubbery border. They 

 thrive in most soils, in sunny positions of 

 partial shade. As the plants need a fairly 

 long season of growth, seeds of Nicotiana 

 should be sown under glass during March, 

 preferably in a heated greenhouse, planting 

 the seedlings outside, where they are to 

 bloom, during the month of May. 



Nigella (Love-in-a-Mist). The flowers 

 of Nigella, prettily set, as they are, in the 

 elegant foliage, have been 

 fittingly named Love-iri-a- 

 Mist or Jack-in-the-Green. 

 There are several kinds ; 

 formerly N. damascena 

 was the most popular, but 

 the newer variety, Miss 

 Jekyll, with Cornflower 

 blue blossoms, is now chief 

 favourite ; a white variety, 

 alba, is obtainable ; all 

 these grow 12 to 18 inches 

 high. There is also a 

 dwarf variety with blue 

 flowers known as Double- 

 flowered Dwarf, 9 inches 

 high, suitable for edging. 

 A second kind, Nigella 

 hispanica, has purple-blue 

 flowers, it is 12 inches 

 high, and even after the 

 flowers fade the seed- 

 vessels are attractive. 

 Nigellas are valuable alike 

 in the border and for cut- 

 ting. Seed must be sown 

 where the plants are to 

 flower; they are as diffi- 

 cult to transplant as Pop- 

 pies. To provide a succes- 

 sion of flowers make three 

 sowings at intervals of a 

 fortnight from the middle 

 of March to the end of 

 April. 



Nycterinia. A fragrant 

 half-hardy annual of which 

 two sorts are grown in 

 gardens, N. Capensis, white,. 



