Gardening for Amateurs 



627 



Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily). Alstroe- 

 merias are showy plants deserving of greater 

 attention in gardens. Being natives of 

 Brazil, Chili, and other parts of South 

 America, a warm spot must be chosen in 

 which to plant them. Frequent causes of 

 failure are unsuitable soil and planting the 

 roots in a too-exposed position. Ideal con- 

 ditions are a border of well-drained sandy 

 loam at the foot of a south wall or fence. 

 If the soil is unsuitable, it should be taken 

 out to a depth of 18 inches, and replaced 

 by 6 inches of brick and mortar rubble for 

 drainage, and upon this 12 inches of turf 

 soil with Avhich leaf-mould, wood-ashes, and 

 decayed manure are mixed. As the roots 

 are rather tender they ought to be covered 

 4 or 6 inches deep, unless protection is 

 afforded with light litter or coal ashes in 

 winter. Alstroemerias dislike being dis- 

 turbed, and so long as the plants are giving 

 satisfaction they should not be moved. 

 They may be increased by division of the 

 roots in spring, but as a rule plants raised 

 from seed, which ripens freely, are more 

 satisfactory. If this is sown in early spring 

 or in autumn, as soon as ripe, many of the 

 seedlings will flower a year later. Sow where 

 the plants are to bloom, or in boxes in a cold 

 frame, and plant out the seedlings sub- 

 sequently. The flowers of Alstroemeria last 

 well in water when cut. The best kinds 

 are A. aurantiaca (aurea), golden -orange, 

 .spotted carmine, 3 feet ; A. Chilensis, 

 numerous and pleasing colours, red, crimson, 

 rose, yellow, buff, etc., variously marked, 



2 feet ; A. lutea, yellow, carmine spots, 



3 feet ; and A. psittacina, crimson, tinged 

 with brown and green, 1J to 2 feet. They 

 ilower in July. 



Amaryllis Belladonna (Belladonna 

 Lily). Most readers have heard of if they 

 have not grown this beautiful Lily from the 

 Cape of Good Hope. The first essential to 

 success with the bulbs is a well-drained, 

 warm, sunny border and rich loamy soil. 

 If the border is not well drained remove the 

 soil to a depth of 30 inches, put in 9 inches 

 of brick rubble, and upon this place pieces 

 of chopped turf, grass side downwards ; to 

 fill the remaining space use half old soil 

 and half good loam, adding also some decayed 

 manure, J-inch bones, wood ashes and sand. 



Flowers of the Belladonna Lily. 



Planting is best done in June or July, when 

 the bulbs are dormant ; put them 6 inches 

 deep and 12 inches apart ; when they are 

 growing well do not disturb the bulbs, they 



An ornamental Onion (Allium triquetrum). 



