548 



Gardening for Amateurs 



broken pots and rough leaves or manure. 

 Then fill the tubs with soil, to which add a 

 little bone-meal and short manure, and make 



.-' . 





r 



Sweet Pea 

 Elsie Herbert 

 bearing seven 



blooms on 



one stem. 



the whole compost fairly firm. Plenty of 

 room should be allowed for watering, for 

 during the growing period the plants will 

 need a lot of water. Five seeds should be 

 sown in each tub, February being the best 

 time to carry out the work. 



Just as the seedlings are breaking through 

 they will want watching, for sparrows seem 

 to have a great liking for Sweet Peas. Black 

 cotton strained across the tub will be found 

 the best thing to guard against the birds. 

 Small twigs should be put round each plant 

 when about 2 inches high, and as the plants 



grow the final staking may be given ; or 

 if a trellis is available the Sweet Peas may 

 be used for covering it. 



From a decorative point of view, I think 

 the best way of training when growing in 

 tubs is by means of circles of Simplicitas 

 netting. These are from 4 to 5 feet in height, 

 painted green, and fitted with green stakes. 

 When strained tight on the tubs (which is 

 essential) they answer the purpose well, and 

 do not look so unsightly as sticks. No seed- 

 pods should be allowed to form, or the 

 plants will soon cease blooming. Abundance 

 of water should also be given during the 

 growing season, and an occasional dose of 

 liquid manure or Clay's Fertilizer will help 

 a great deal. 



Colour-blending Sweet Peas. In any 

 colour scheme white blooms are very im- 

 portant ; they are so useful in separating 

 colours that would otherwise clash. And 

 it is worth while to note that they are very 

 effective in association with pale blue and 

 orange. Scarlet is not such a difficult colour 

 to place as one would at first think, but it 



Sweet Pea Edrom Beauty, of orange-salmon 

 shades 



must never be grouped with either crimson or 

 maroon. With violet, orange, blue, yellow 

 or cream it blends admirably. A Picotee 



