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Gardening for Amateurs 



alum-water to produce the desired result. 

 When large plants are needed as specimens 

 in pots or tubs, it is simply a matter of 

 potting the plants on as they become ready. 

 When such plants are well established re- 

 potting is usually out of the question, so 

 that top dressing should be practised every 

 spring, using a mixture of loam and old 

 manure for the purpose. 



In warm localities Hydrangea Hortensia 

 proves quite hardy in the open garden, but 

 in many districts it is cut down to the soil 

 level almost every winter ; however, the 

 plants usually spring up quite strongly in 

 the spring, and flower later on. It is advis- 

 able to plant in well-drained positions, in 

 any good garden soil which is rich in leaf- 

 mould or peat rather than animal manure, 



as the latter is apt to cause sappy growth. 

 Plants flowering well may be mulched with 

 old manure, however, or, as an alternative, 

 they can be fed with manure water. After 

 flowering merely remove the faded heads, 

 and in spring take out very weak growths 

 entirely. It should be mentioned that these 

 Hydrangeas succeed in the shade. I have 

 known them thrive splendidly when planted 

 in peat underneath large Elms. 



H. paniculata grandiflora is a very fine 

 Hydrangea, and a well-flowered group makes 

 an imposing sight. Practically the only 

 difference between their cultivation and 

 that of Hydrangea Hortensia is that they 

 need hard pruning in spring, whereas Hor- 

 tensia can very well do without such treat- 

 ment. 



Bouvardia. Well-grown plants of Bou- 

 vardia are always appreciated for green- 

 house and conservatory decoration during 

 autumn, yet we rarely see any but small 

 plants. A method practised twenty or 

 twenty-five years ago for the production of 

 large specimen plants appears to have been 

 lost sight of by present-day gardeners. One- 

 year-old plants were planted out in a frame 

 in May in rich loamy soil over a hotbed. 

 Growth was rapid, and the removal of the 

 points of the branches now and then during 

 early summer resulted in a mass of shoots. 

 In July plenty of air was admitted, and 

 eventually the lights were removed. Buds 

 were set in August, and the plants were then 

 chopped round with a spade, lifted a week 

 later, placed in wide flower pots, and kept in 

 a closed greenhouse until recovery from root 

 disturbance was complete. They were then 

 given ordinary greenhouse treatment, and 

 plants 2 feet high and 2 to 3 feet in diameter 

 covered with flowers resulted. 



Jasminum nudiflorum. Many people 

 fail with this charming and easily-grown 

 winter-flowering climber solely through im- 

 proper pruning. Instead of being content 

 to wait until spring, they prune the branches 

 back in autumn, thus cutting away the flower 

 buds. Others neglect pruning altogether, 

 with the result that the plants become 

 choked with dead wood and the outer 



branches suffer in consequence. The correct 

 method is to get the support covered with a 

 moderate number of main branches, then 

 cut the secondary branches back to within 

 one or two buds of the base each year as 

 soon as the flowers fade. Now and then a 

 young shoot may be allowed to remain, 

 and one of the old main branches be 

 removed. One pruning a year is all that 

 is required. 



Tuberous Begonias. The Tuberous 

 Begonias are invaluable summer-flowering 

 plants, either for the greenhouse or out of 

 doors. A great variety of forms are to be 

 found, some with small, others with large 

 flowers ; some bear single, others double 

 blossoms. The smaller and more floriferous 

 forms are the most useful for decorative work 

 and the amateur will be well advised to grow 

 mixed sorts in preference to named varieties. 

 Tuberous Begonias should be plunged in 

 boxes of coco-nut fibre in February, and 

 when growth is noticeable those required 

 for pots are potted in a compost made up 

 of three parts good fibrous loam, one part 

 leaf-mould, and half a part each of dried cow 

 manure and silver sand. Place them in a 

 warm and moist greenhouse, but do not give 

 much water until the roots are really active. 

 Those required for out of doors may be 

 planted in boxes of similar soil, and be kept 

 in a cool frame until the end of May. 



