Gardening for Amateurs 



629 



February for succession if desired. To grow 

 these Anemones really well the soil must be 

 good, deeply dug and manured. Previous to 

 planting mix in some decayed manure, leaf- 

 mould and wood ashes. In early April 

 water several times with liquid cow manure ; 

 this makes a wonderful difference in the 

 growth and flowers. Plant the roots 2 to 3 

 inches deep, and 4 or 5 inches apart, accord- 

 ing to their size. They may be planted with 

 a dibber (blunt-pointed stick), but when 

 planting beds the work can be done more 

 regularly by removing 2 to 3 inches of the 

 top soil, laying out the roots uniformly, and 

 replacing the soil. Lift the roots carefully 

 when the foliage dies off and store them in 

 an airy shed or cellar. The 

 varieties of the several sec- 

 tions named below grow 

 9 inches to 1 foot in height, 

 and, in addition to their value 

 in the garden, are most useful, 

 particularly the semi-double 

 and double sorts, for cutting. 

 They are chiefly varieties of 

 Anemone coronaria, the 

 Poppy Anemone, but the 

 several strains are rather 

 confusing, as different nursery 

 growers catalogue them under 

 slightly different names. The 

 St. Brigid is the best known ; 

 the flowers comprise numerous 

 shades of colo ur, and are 

 mostly semi - double. Then 

 there are single and double 

 Poppy Anemones, Giant 

 French or Caen, Hortensis 

 (the Star Anemone of the 

 Riviera), and the double 

 Chrysanthemum -flowered 

 strains. Crimson, scarlet, ver- 

 milion, purple, blue, rose and 

 white are only a few of the 

 many colours represented. 

 Quite distinct from these, 

 and rather earlier to flower, 

 is the Scarlet Windflower A. fulgens, 

 Nothing can possibly be more effective than 

 a bed of these dazzling scarlet blossoms in 

 spring ; Aldboroughensis is a variety with 

 straw-coloured centre, while annulata has a 

 white centre. 



Arum (Dragon Plant). The Arums are 

 curious and interesting plants. The most 

 suitable positions are those partially shaded, 

 among hardy ferns or in shrubbery borders. 

 Plant in rather light sandy soil in autumn, 

 which is also the best time to lift and remove 

 the offsets for propagation. A. cornutum 

 (Sauromatum guttatum), the Monarch of 

 the East, has a dark, almost black flower- 

 sheath in spring, which may grow to 2 feet 

 in height ; this is followed by a stout um- 

 brella-like leaf, the stalk being prettily 

 spotted. A. Dracunculus (Dragon's Plant), 

 purple-red and almost black inside the 

 spathe. green outside, prettily marbled stem, 

 30 inches or more in height, flowers in 



Single Poppy Anemones. 



summer. A. italicum has yellowish-green 

 flowers in spring, and scarlet fruits in 

 summer, spotted foliage. Associated as they 

 almost invariably are with other plants, the 

 distance apart to plant varies accordingly. 

 Cover the tubers with 3 inches of soil. 



