17TH SEPTEMBER. 



THE GARDEN is now waking up to a good show on sunny 

 days. Most conspicuous are the bushes of Protea cynaroides 

 (King Protea). The beautiful rose-pink cone-shaped buds 

 washed over with silver sheen take weeks to develop into the 

 perfect flower-head, which is sometimes one foot across, the 

 outer bracts a deep rose and the centre flowers pale lemon. 

 The bushes grow to about eight feet and are spreading. They 

 bear a succession of bloom for several months. Protea barbigera 

 runs these very close. Every bract in its pointed bud is edged 

 with dark fur, and when the blooms expand they show a cone 

 in the centre heavily tipped with black fur. There is a variety 

 with very deep pink blooms and another with cream ones. 

 Nearly related is Leucospermum reflexum, a very attractive bush 

 with small grey leaves and heads of flowers of soft flame-red. 

 As these open they turn back towards the stem, and the styles 

 become very prominent. I have counted 150 blooms open 

 at one time on a bush, and the effect is extremely beautiful. 

 Then all the daisy flowers open on sunny days, and what a 

 show they make ! My enthusiasm is for dimorphothecas, 

 especially the perennial ones. This year is a red-letter date for 

 me the first blooming of my special hybrids. The original 

 break was, I think, a natural hybrid ; and its appearance gives 

 me a clue as to its probable parents. This one I call V.E. It 

 has large biscuit-coloured flowers with a violet ring round the 

 disc, which is usually brown. I was able to propagate this by 

 cuttings, and when I had raised a good stock I crossed it again 

 (and what a job is the hand-pollinating of a composite !). I 

 am now getting results, and they are far beyond my expecta- 

 tions. So far no two are alike. The flowers have again increased 

 in size, and now run through every shade from pale cream to 

 deep gold. In some the ray-flowers are tipped with copper, 

 and some have a copper gleam all over the flower. Some have 

 dark centres and some pale ; but not one has the violet ring 

 of the original V.E. daisy. However, I am crossing again 

 this season and hope to get it back. There is one that I think 

 specially good : the flowers are very large, palish gold with deep 



