6o8 



Gardening for Amateurs 



is excellent ; ordinary well-drained soil is 

 suitable. It is best raised from seeds, and 

 flowers from May to July. The variety 

 albus has white flowers, while those of 

 carmineus are bright red. 



Erodium. Charming rock plants with 

 finely divided leaves and flowers like those of 

 a hardy Geranium, but often prettily blotched 

 or lined. They like a dryish soil and plenty 

 of sun, and are increased by seeds, division 

 or cuttings. Those named below flower from 



provided by acaulis, 6 inches, blue, May and 

 June ; cruciata, 12 inches, blue, July and 

 August ; septemfida cordifolia, 9 inches, 

 blue, June ; and verna, 6 inches, blue, May 

 and June. 



Geranium (Crane's Bill). The hardy 

 Crane's Bills afford us a good choice of rock 

 plants. They like sandy loam and sun, and 

 are easily increased by division or seeds. 

 Good sorts are : argenteum, 9 inches, white 

 and purple, silvery leaves, June to August ; 



May onwards for weeks : cheilanthifolium, cinereum, 6 inches, light purple, May to 



6 inches, pink ; guttatum, 6 inches, white, 

 dark blotch ; macradenum, 12 inches, purple ; 

 chamaedrioides (Reichardii), 3 inches, white 

 (not very hardy) ; sibthorpianum, 6 inches, 

 rosy-purple. 



Gentiana (Gentian). Gentians are 

 among the loveliest flowers of the rockery, 

 and every gardener should grow a few. 

 Unfortunately some are difficult to culti- 

 vate, while several are fickle. G. acaulis, 



July ; grandiflorum, 9 inches, purple, June 

 to September ; and wallichianum, 12 inches, 

 blue, June to August. 



Geum. Although most of the Geums 

 are rather tall for a choice rockery, there 

 are still some valuable herbaceous rock 

 plants among them. They are easily culti- 

 vated in ordinary soil, and may be in- 

 creased by seeds or division. Among the 

 prettiest are Heldreichii superbum, 12 inches, 



the popular Gentianella, does best in a orange-scarlet, June to August ; montanum, 



9 inches, yellow, 

 May to August ; 

 and Rossii, 9 

 inches, yellow, 

 June to August. 



Globularia. 

 The Globularias 

 are low-growing, 

 with small glossy 

 leaves and 

 rounded heads of 

 blue flowers. 

 They thrive in 

 gritty soil in par- 

 tial shade ; they 

 can be increased 

 from seeds or cut- 

 tings or by divi- 

 sion. The flower- 

 ing season is from 

 May onwards. 

 The following are 



The intense blue Gentianella (Gentiana acaulis). the best : belli- 



difolia, cordifolia, 



sunny spot and in loamy soil containing nana, and trichosantha. All have blue 



stones, made firm by pressing or treading. 

 Protect with glass in winter and cover the 



flowers and grow about 6 inches high. 

 Gypsophila. The Gypsophilas comprise 



soil with gravel or granite chips. G. verna some delightful rock plants of tufted or 

 likes a moister place. Propagation is by trailing growth that blossom very freely, 

 division or seeds. A good selection is They thrive in ordinary well-drained soil 



