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Gardening for Amateurs 



The Agapanthus is seen to advantage when 

 grown in large pots or tubs, and is then 

 most useful for placing outdoors in summer, 

 for instance, on a balcony or garden steps. 

 The plants flower best when undisturbed at 

 the roots ; hence, when in large pots they 

 will thrive for years without repotting. 

 Small plants, of course, need to be repotted 

 as becomes necessary. The compost employed 

 should consist of good turfy loam with an 

 admixture of a little well-decayed manure 

 and sand. Beside the ordinary kind, there 

 is a vigorous variety called umbellatus 

 maximus, a white-flowered variety, albus, 

 and Mooreanus, which is of smaller size than 

 the others, and most useful for small gardens. 

 The double-flowered sort (umbellatus flore 

 pleno) rarely opens its flowers in a satis- 

 factory manner. Agapanthus passes the 

 winter in a somewhat dormant state, though 

 the leaves are evergreen ; at that season 

 they may be kept in a light shed, coach- 

 house, or any similar place, provided they 

 are safe from frost. The soil must be 

 watered occasionally so that it does not 

 become dust dry. 



Agathaea coelestis (Blue Marguerite). 

 Known popularly as the Blue Marguerite, 

 this is a pretty little shrubby plant, about 

 18 inches high, that bears Daisy -like flowers 

 about 1 inch across on firm, wiry stems ; 

 they are of considerable value for cutting, 

 and a succession is kept up from spring until 

 autumn if an occasional stimulant is given 

 to the plants. This Agathaea is very easily 

 grown, as cuttings strike readily during the 

 spring months, while seeds often ripen and 

 germinate readily if sown at once. Ordinary 

 potting soil is suitable. 



Agave. (See Succulent Plants.) 

 Aloe. (See Succulent Plants.) 

 Aloysia citriodora (Lemon - scented 

 Verbena). This is a deciduous (leaf losing) 

 shrub, possessing deliciously fragrant leaves, 

 which renders it especially welcome in the 

 old-fashioned nosegay. It is readily pro- 

 pagated by cuttings of the young growing 

 shoots, taken in spring, inserted into pots 

 of sandy soil, and placed in a closed pro- 

 pagating case in the greenhouse. The Lemon - 

 scented Verbena will thrive in ordinary pot- 

 ting compost, and in winter, when devoid 

 of leaves, needs much the same treatment 



as a Fuchsia ; that is, to be kept moder- 

 ately dry at the roots, and in a place where 

 it is safe from frost. The flowers are not 

 at all showy. 



Amaryllis. (See Hippeastrum.) 



Arum Lily. (See Richardia.) 



Asparagus. (See Notes on Foliage 

 Plants.) 



Aspidistra. (See Notes on Foliage 

 Plants.) 



Azalea. (See Hard-wooded Plants.) 



Balsam. (See Annuals for the Green- 

 house.) 



Begonia. The Begonias may readily be 

 divided into several distinct sections. From 

 one or another of these classes flowers may 

 be obtained all the year round. The tuber- 

 ous Begonias are exceedingly popular, not 

 only for the embellishment of the greenhouse, 

 but also for summer bedding, as in the open 

 ground they will flower throughout summer 

 and early autumn. 



Tuberous Begonias are usually raised from 

 seeds, which should be sown during the 

 month of February. Owing to the exceed- 

 ingly minute size of the seeds, the work of 

 sowing requires considerable care. Shallow 

 pans are best suited for the purpose ; these 

 should be quite clean, and drained by means 

 of a few broken crocks placed in the bottom. 

 A suitable compost may be made up of 

 equal parts of loam and leaf-mould, with 

 a liberal sprinkling of sand. This should 

 be passed through a sieve with \ inch mesh, 

 or even finer, the rough portions that will 

 not pass through the sieve being placed on 

 one side to put immediately over the crocks 

 in the seed pan. The soil is then pressed 

 down moderately firmly and made level, 

 keeping it about one-third of an inch below 

 the rim of the pan. This will allow of a 

 pane of glass being laid over the pan after 

 the seeds are sown. 



Before the seeds are sown the soil should 

 be moistened by standing the prepared pan 

 in water, of such a depth that the pan is 

 three parts immersed. The water gradu- 

 ally percolates through the soil, which is 

 thus thoroughly moistened without dis- 

 turbing the surface. While the soil is still 

 moist the seed is sprinkled thinly on the 

 surface, to which it will readily adhere. The 

 only covering needed is a pane of glass, but 



