6 7 4 



Gardening for Amateurs 



A giant ornamental Grass (Miscanthus sinensis). 



for the development of young leaves. Strong 

 gloves must be worn for this work, for the 

 margins of the leaves cut like knives. Manure 

 or manure water may be given with advantage 

 during summer. 



Gunnera manicata is a showy plant 

 from Brazil suitable for placing near water, 

 in such a position that the crown of the 

 plant can remain dry and the roots enter 

 the water. It resembles a gigantic Rhubarb, 

 for the rounded but deeply lobed leaves are 

 from 4 to 9 feet across and are borne on 

 stout stems of a similar length. In some 

 Cornish gardens the leaves have measured 

 11 feet across. It needs a little protection 

 in spring just when the leaves are commencing 

 to grow. Rich soil and an annual dressing 

 of cow manure are essential. Propagation 

 is by removing offsets in early spring. There 

 are other less decorative kinds of Gunnera. 



Miscanthus. 



All the kinds are 

 useful plants and 

 group \vell with 

 Bamboos either in 

 the garden proper 

 or about the banks 

 of pond or stream. 

 They require good 

 loamy soil which 

 retains a fair 

 amount of moisture 

 even in dry 

 weather. As all 

 are vigorous 

 growers a surface 

 dressing of well- 

 decayed manure 

 applied in May is 

 beneficial. The 

 leaves die to the 

 ground line each 

 winter but they 

 should not be cut 

 down until spring, 

 for although brown 

 they are effective 

 during winter. Pro- 

 pagation is effected 

 by division of the 

 clumps in spring 

 just as growth is 

 commencing. Mis- 

 canthus japonicus is the commonest kind. 

 It is found in Japan and other countries, 

 and forms handsome clumps 4 to 6 feet 

 high. The flowers are brownish in colour, 

 and borne in plume-like heads. The leaves 

 of the type are green, whilst in the variety 

 variegatus they are marked with silver 

 lines and in the variety zebrinus with 

 transverse bands of gold. Miscanthus 

 sinensis, from China and Japan, is a hand- 

 some green-leaved kind 3 to 4 feet high, 

 whilst M. saccharifer, from Japan, attains 

 a height of 12 to 15 feet. It forms less 

 dense clumps than the others. 



Phormium tenax, sometimes called the 

 New Zealand Flax, on account of the fibre 

 from its leaves being used as flax in its 

 native country, is an excellent plant for the 

 water side and other moist positions in the 

 milder parts of the country. A large number 



