8;o 



Gardening for Amateurs 



the whole of the previous year's growth ; 

 R. Yunnanense, a Chinese bush with light- 

 coloured flowers marked with brown. 



There are also a number of hybrids which 

 have been raised between evergreen and 

 deciduous kinds. Some of these are R. 

 azaleoides, a bush 3 to 4 feet high, which 

 bears fragrant, white, lilac-flushed flowers in 

 July ; R. Broughtoni aureum, a kind with 

 dense, shapely trusses of yellow flowers ; and 

 R. Smithii aureum, a somewhat similar 

 plant with paler yellow flowers. 



Azaleas. In this case also the garden 

 hybrids are better known than the species 

 or wild types. Those most widely grown are 

 often spoken of as Ghent Azaleas, owing to 

 the fact of the earlier ones having been raised 

 in Ghent and on account of that place being 

 a centre of cultivation. These were raised 

 between certain North American species 

 such as A. nudiflora and A. calendulacea 

 and the European A. flava or A. pontica as 

 it is sometimes called. During later years 

 other North American kinds, A. viscosa and 

 A. occidentale, and the Chinese and Japanese 

 A. sinensis or A. mollis have also been used. 



Ghent Azaleas. The progeny are well 

 known by reason of their delicate colouring 



and fragrant flowers, and all the shades 

 imaginable of yellow, orange, scarlet, pink 

 and red are obtainable, with some which are 

 almost pure white. A. nudiflora has been 

 responsible for many of the pinks and 

 lighter colours, A. calendulacea for the 

 scarlets and reds, and A. flava for the yellows. 

 The other American kinds have exerted an 

 influence in delaying the blooming of cer- 

 tain kinds, chiefly white- and pink-flowered 

 varieties, and from A. sinensis a very wide 

 range of colour has been obtained. The 

 American and European kinds have fragrant 

 flowers, but the blooms of A. sinensis are not 

 scented. There is no point in obtaining 

 named varieties of Azaleas, for collections of 

 mixed seedlings give all sorts of shades. The 

 varieties of A. sinensis open their flowers 

 earlier than the others, and are sometimes 

 injured by frost, therefore the later-flowered 

 kinds are more generally useful. The 

 sinensis varieties are largely grown for 

 forcing. 



Other kinds which belong to the Azalea 

 group and are worth growing are R. rhom- 

 bicum, purple ; R. Vaseyi, white, or pink 

 and white ; R. indicum amoenum, reddish- 

 purple ; and R. Kaempferi, red. 



Browallia speciosa. This is a most 

 delightful plant for the warm greenhouse, 

 its attractive blue flowers being very freely 

 produced for a number of weeks. Seeds 

 may be sown almost at any time ; those 

 sown in the early spring make a display of 

 bloom throughout the summer if regularly 

 fed with weak liquid manure. Sow in a 

 well-drained 32 pot filled with fine sandy 

 soil, and cover the seed very lightly. When 

 the young plants are large enough, prick 

 them off in 60-sized pots, placing two or 

 three in a pot, and finally pot them on into 

 32's, in which they will flower. Browallia 

 viscosa is a newer variety, and is a valuable 

 addition. It possesses a bushy and graceful 

 habit of growth, and flowers with unusual 

 freedom. The treatment given the former 

 variety suits this also. 



Incarvillea. The Incarvilleas are chiefly 

 of Chinese origin, and the two best for garden 

 purposes are I. Delavayi and I. grandiflora, 



the latter being given sometimes as a variety 

 of the former. I. Delavayi should be planted 

 in rich but light and deep loamy soil which 

 is naturally well drained ; cold and wet soil 

 is fatal to success. When purchased, each 

 plant is seen as a number of thick fleshy 

 roots with a terminal crown of one or more 

 buds. By separating the roots, each one 

 with a growing bud, propagation may be 

 effected, although seeds also form a means 

 of increase. The plants may be inserted 

 at any period after the leaves have fallen. 

 Though correctly border plants, they are 

 also useful for growing in pots for greenhouse 

 decoration. Except in the milder parts of 

 the country it is advantageous to plant the 

 Incarvilleas at the foot of a warm wall. 

 I. Delavayi grows 2 feet or more high, bear- 

 ing large rose-coloured flowers on tall, strong 

 spikes during summer ; I. grandiflora has 

 larger and richer-coloured flowers. Compacta 

 is about 9 inches high, with rosy-pink flowers. 



