34 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



Stock. The colours of the flowers are crimson, scarlet, white, and 

 purple. 



Giant or Brompton Stocks have the finest spikes of bloom, often 

 from fifteen to eighteen inches in length, and very massive ; the plants 

 being quite hardy may be grown by those who do not possess a frame. 

 Sow the seed in fine soil in a cool sheltered place out of doors early in 

 June, prick out the young plants when large enough, and plant them in 

 their final quarters in August. They must have a sheltered nook or 

 corner, and be planted in loamy soil that contains some old mortar. 

 Give them plenty of room, and if the winter is not exceptionally severe 

 they will make a brave show in May. 



Sunflowers. The Sunflower is as familiar in the garden as the 

 crimson Paeony or clove Carnation. A child can grow a Sunflower, 

 because it only wants soil of some kind and sunshine. There are two 

 distinct groups, annual and perennial. The annual Sunflower is Helian- 

 thus annuuSj of which there are many forms, some with huge double 

 flowers, others of the same dimensions but single, and a few quite dwarf 

 in comparison, the bright apple-green leaved, yellow-flowered H. cucu- 

 merifolius being an example. But one of the prettiest of all annual 

 Sunflowers is called Primrose or Primrose Dame ; the flower is not large 

 or very coarse, and the plant is not more than three, or in strong soils 

 three and a half feet high, its colour is clear primrose yellow, set off with 

 an almost black centre. A new variety with a crimson-brown centre 

 has recently been introduced, and is very effective in the garden. 



For the quite small garden and larger places to form free graceful 

 groups of colour in the autumn the perennial Sunflowers are of most 

 value, and several varieties have been raised of recent years. This 

 group is conspicuous for its graceful growth, tall willowy stems and 

 yellow flowers ; and they are so robust that the roots run here and there 

 and everywhere, leaving one spot when the soil is exhausted to find fresh 

 pasture. Some are more aggressive than others, the variety raised by 

 the late Mr. H. G. Moon, and named after him, not having this charac- 

 teristic so pronounced as many others. The common kind is H. multi- 

 ftorus, which has long remained a good border flower ; and its variety 

 ft. plena, which has quite double yellow flowers, is as well known. These 

 are not so tall or willowy as H. decapelalus , which will reach a height of 

 about six feet ; H. giganteus, H. l&tiflorus, H. orgyalis, a very graceful 

 and beautiful flower, and H. rigidus Miss Mellish. The last-named is 

 about six feet high, very strong, leafy, and with large flowers. A group 

 of this upon the lawn is very handsome in the autumn. We have seen 

 the perennial Sunflowers made excellent use of for planting in ugly 

 corners, and where more delicate perennials would fail. The plants 

 are easily increased by division of the roots in spring, when new growth 

 is beginning. 



Sweet Williams. These showy hardy biennials are of the easiest 

 possible culture. They are well suited for shrubbery borders, masses 

 in beds, the herbaceous borders and, in fact, almost anywhere that the 

 soil is reasonably good. For most amateurs a good mixed strain is best 



