GROUPS OF GARDEN FLOWERS 9 



one colour being planted, and a wonderful colour effect thus obtained. 

 Although the Snapdragon is really a perennial plant, and in a wild or 

 semi-wild state is usually allowed to grow as such, the gardener generally 

 finds it more convenient to treat it as an annual, or at the most a biennial, 

 for the purpose of filling beds or planting in borders. It is such a good- 

 natured plant that it readily lends itself to this treatment, and the 

 modern varieties have been so carefully selected that most of them can 

 be relied upon to come true from seed. 



There are two methods of raising seedlings ; the one is adopted where 

 the plants are to be treated as annuals and the other if their existence 

 is to extend well into the second year, though either would be applicable 

 were it desired to allow the plants to remain as perennials. To treat 

 them as annuals, i.e. to raise the plants from seed, allow them to flower, 

 and discard them all in one year, it is necessary to sow the seed early 

 in the year, and the latter part of January or the early days of February 

 is usually selected as the most appropriate time. By sowing the seed 

 so early a long period of growth is secured, a feature that is necessary 

 with these plants. The actual sowing of the seed and raising of the 

 seedlings present no serious difficulty. A quite cool greenhouse or frame 

 is essential, and the boxes or pans in which the seed is to be sown must 

 be well drained, as Snapdragons are greatly averse to excessive moisture. 

 The soil for filling the boxes ought to consist of good loam two parts, 

 coarse grit one part, with a little leaf-soil and some old mortar added. 

 A similar mixture, except that a little old, well-decayed manure should 

 be substituted for the leaf-soil, may be utilised for transplanting the 

 seedlings into when they are large enough to be conveniently handled. 

 Thin sowing of the seed, early transplantation of the seedlings, and, 

 above all, cool, airy treatment throughout the whole of their career, are 

 the passports to success in the raising of Snapdragons from seed early 

 in the year. If kept near the glass and freely ventilated, as advised, 

 the young plants should be sturdy and branching by the end of May, 

 at which time they may be planted in their flowering quarters. 



If we desire to treat Snapdragons as biennials, i.e. raise them one 

 year to flower the next, the seed may be sown in June in the open garden, 

 and the seedlings subsequently transplanted to where they are to flower. 

 Thin sowing and prompt transplantation are essential. So far as soil is 

 concerned, these delightful flowers are not at all fastidious, but it must 

 not be heavy clay that is water-logged. Thorough drainage, and a fair 

 depth of loam to which has been added a goodly proportion of well- 

 decayed manure, will give large spikes of glorious flowers. But, on the 

 other hand, dry, starved soil will produce bushy plants that never seem 

 to tire of flowering, and for this reason the Snapdragon is an excellent 

 plant for growing in the warm, dry borders that are usually found sur- 

 rounding the dwelling-house, for dry walls, or for rockwork where there 

 is very little soil. In such situations it is best to sow the seed in June 

 where the plants are to grow and flower, and allow them to remain as 

 perennials. This also applies to dry and open spots in the wild garden, 

 where it is desirable to allow the Snapdragons to become naturalised. 



