936 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Tulip grown in a flower-pot. 



suitable for growing Alpines, and although 

 the actual size is immaterial, the most con- 

 venient for the purpose are those 6 or 7 

 inches in diameter and 4 or 5 inches deep. 

 For Rockfoils or Saxifrages of the crusted 

 foliage type, and other similar plants, the 

 pans should be filled quite one-third of their 

 depth with broken crocks to ensure thorough 

 drainage. In the case, however, of stronger- 

 growing plants and bulbs, not so many are 

 needed. When in full growth and flowering 

 abundance of water is necessary for all 

 Alpine plants, and they should never be 

 allowed to get dry during this time. During 

 late autumn and winter, however, they 

 obtain plenty of moisture from the sur- 

 rounding ashes, and seldom require water- 

 ing, as it is much better to 

 keep them on the dry side. 



Time to Start. The best 

 time for potting up the peren- 

 nial kinds is when they have 

 done flowering for the season. 

 The plants are turned out of 

 the pans, divided up carefully, 

 repotted in fresh soil, and 

 afterwards placed in a frame, 

 where they can be kept close 

 and shaded for a time. Many 

 of the bulbous plants require 

 to be renewed every year. 

 The more attractive kinds, 

 like Squills (Scilla), Glory of 

 the Snow (Chionodoxa), and 

 Tulips, however, are very 

 cheap, and it is not worth 

 while growing them for two 



seasons in pots. Bulbs should be 

 potted up as soon as they can be 

 procured in late summer or early 

 autumn. For making a display during 

 spring the following are some of the 

 best kinds : 



Dog's Tooth Violet (Erythro- 

 niurn). These are among the most 

 charming of hardy plants, and may be 

 strongly recommended for pans. While 

 growing they require a shady place, 

 and should be potted in rich, moist 

 soil of a peaty and leafy nature. A 

 selection should include E. giganteum, 

 with pale straw-coloured flowers, hav- 

 ing a ring of bright orange-red ; E. 

 grandiflorum, with yellow flowers ; E. Hen- 

 dersoni, one of the most distinct, with pale 

 lilac flowers having a purple centre. One 

 of the most robust is E. revolutum, in 

 colour varying from bright rose to creamy- 

 white. These bulbous plants should never 

 be allowed to get dry, and the pans ought 

 to be plunged in a shady frame after they 

 come out of the Alpine house. 



Fritillary (Fritillaria). These are bulbs 

 easily grown in loamy soil, and some 

 kinds are very attractive. One of the most 

 graceful is our native Snake's Head Lily 

 (F. Meleagris), with purple spotted flowers. 

 Others worth growing are the golden-yellow 

 F. pudica and the scarlet F. recurva, both 

 of which are showy. 



Primula frondosa in a flower-pan. 



