Gardening for Amateurs 



75i 



Tuberose. Bulbs of the Tuberose that 

 can be depended upon to flower well are 

 usually sent here in quantities from America 

 during the early months of the year. They 

 are generally forced into bloom as quickly 

 as possible in a hothouse, but may be grown 

 more slowly in the greenhouse. Good bulbs 

 are placed in pots in a mixture of loam, well 

 decayed manure and sand. Little water is 

 needed until growth commences. Before 

 potting all offsets should be picked off, as 

 they only weaken the flower spike. When 

 the blossoms are over the old plants are 

 thrown aAvay. 



Tydaea. A pretty class of plants bearing 

 blooms of an inflated tubular shape with an 

 open mouth. The colour of many of them 

 is some combination of yellow and red, while 

 nearly all have a velvety 

 appearance. The plants 

 grow to about 18 inches 

 high, and will flower for 

 months together. The 

 Tydaeas are nearty re- 

 lated to the Gesneras, 

 and the same cultural 

 conditions are suitable 

 for both. 



Vallota purpurea. - 

 Known as the Scar 

 borough Lily, this is a 

 very showy greenhouse 

 bulb, quite simply grown. 

 Its bright scarlet Lily-like 

 flowers are borne, as a 

 rule, in September and 

 October. After flowering, 

 the Vallota should not 

 be dried off, as it grows 

 during winter ; it has a 

 period of partial rest in 

 summer, when it must 

 not be kept too dry. It 

 will stand for years with- 

 out repotting if the roots 

 are in good condition. 

 Should it, however, be 

 needed, this must be done 

 directly after flowering, 

 using a compost formed 

 mainly of loam with an 

 admixture of leaf-mould 

 and sand. July and 



August are the months in which to buy 

 dormant bulbs. 



Verbena. Since the advent of the beau- 

 tiful pink Verbena Miss Willmott, these old- 

 fashioned plants have been employed for 

 greenhouse decoration much more than they 

 formerly Avere. They are increased by cut- 

 tings of the young shoots in spring, for which, 

 however, a fairly warm greenhouse is neces- 

 sary. Although the process is not available 

 for the increase of any particular variety, 

 Verbenas can be readily raised from seeds, 

 which, if sown in spring in warmth, will pro- 

 duce plants that will bloom in summer. 

 Verbenas are not at all particular as to soil, 

 provided it is moderate^ light. 



Veronica. The different garden varieties 

 of the Xew Zealand Veronica speciosa form 



The Scarborough Lily (Vallota purpurea). 



