Mat 7, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Rhododendron Delicatissimum. 



mand our attention now. We hope that 

 strong field plants have been secured and 

 potted as- suggested a few weeks ago. 

 It is not yet too late to do this if you 

 have forgotten it. Pot the plants firmly, 

 soak well with water, cut down close 

 to the pot and grow along in a light, 

 sunny greenhouse. If too many shoots 

 start from the bottom, rub out the weak- 

 er and unnecessary ones. If you keep 

 these plants under glass, you will get a 

 much better growth and one freer from 

 mildew than if you grow them in the 

 open. The last Easter, it is reported, 

 pink ramblers outsold the crimson ones. 

 Bear this fact in mind when potting up 

 your plants. Also remember that East- 

 er, 1909, comes ten days earlier than 

 this year. 



Brief Reminders* 



Plants of variegated vinca will now 

 do well in a coldframe. Young stocl^ 

 can be planted in the field by May 15. 



Make an additional sowing of asters. 

 Such varieties as Victoria, Semple's and 

 Comet are all good. 



A second planting of the gandavensis 

 type of gladioli will now be timely. 



Thin the sweet peas in the open if 

 they have come up too thickly. Use 

 brush or wire supports without delay. 



Plan to reserve a sufficient stock of 

 bedding plants for your own needs. Pull 

 out the single stocks in the benches as 

 soon as they sho^? themselves. They are 

 of little value as cut flowers ana will not 

 sell if any double ones are to be had. 



Iris Hispanica is a useful flower for 

 Memorial day. If the spikes are push- 

 ing up by the middle of the month, they 

 will be in season. Try to hold a good 

 batch of Gladiolus Colvillei The Bride, 

 Blushing Bride and Peach Blossom for 

 the same festival. 



Choose, if possible, cool, cloudy days 

 for moving evergreens and be sure the 

 roots are moist before covering them. 



Clear away all lumber and ash piles 

 about the houses, mow the front lawns 

 and try to give your place an inviting 

 appearance. Slovenly kept places are 

 but poor advertisements for. the owners. 



See to it that the seedlings of smilax 

 and Asparagus Sprengeri and plumosus 



are potted off before they can become 

 crowded. 



Note the spring bulbous flowers now 

 in season. Jot down the names of de- 

 sirable sorts for another season. 



Ericas, boronias, camellias and 

 acacias, if properly hardened, can be 

 planted out by the middle of the month. 



Now is a good season to increase your 

 stock of Ficus elastica by ringing the 

 shoots with moss, which must be kept 

 constantly moist in a warm house. 



HARDY RHODODENDRONS. 



That rhododendrons are becoming 

 more and more appreciated each year on 

 private estates and in public parks is 

 evidenced by the steadily increasing de- 

 mand for them. While the native R, 

 maximum and R, Catawbiense are being 

 heavily planted, in fact rather overdone 

 in some instances, the hybrids of Euro- 

 pean origin of the latter species are even 

 more valuable for the adornment of home 

 grounds. In Great Britain, with its 

 moist climate, comparatively mild win- 



ters and absence of summer torrid heat, 

 rhododendrons are a feature on every 

 estate, growing with a reckless abandon 

 which gives us a feeling of something 

 akin to despair after struggling with 

 them through a series of New England 

 winters. But even, here, where good 

 evergreen effects are desired, on the edge 

 of avenues or woodlands, in the woods 

 themselves, or to set off some architec- 

 tural feature, rhododendrons are valu- 

 able. On the shore of ponds and lakes 

 they are splendid. 



For massing effects an excellent show- 

 ing can be made at once by planting 

 large specimens of the two native kinds 

 named. If these are carefully .lifted, 

 roots burlapped and planting done ex- 

 peditiously when received, the percent- 

 age of loss will be small. We have never 

 given these any winter protection, but 

 occasionally in severe winters, such as we 

 had in 1903 and 1904, the flower buds 

 are killed. The variety R, Ponticum, 

 used so extensively in Europe for covert 

 and mass effects, is not hardy here ex- 

 cept in some of the southern states. All 

 rhododendrons love some shade, particu- 

 larly from the morning sun, although 

 clumps of healthy plants are sometimes 

 seen where they get little shade, but in 

 all cases these are kept moist at the root 

 and heavily mulched. 



In preparing beds for rhododendrons, 

 either native or hybrids, if the best re- 

 sults are desired, the soil should be ex- 

 cavated to a depth of two- and a half to 

 three feet. These plants do not root 

 deeply, but want a soil which is at once 

 moderately porous and continually moist. 

 All stones and gravel should be removed 

 and good loam added, also one-fourth 

 well rotted cow manure, some coarse leaf- 

 mold and sharp sand. If well mixed, 

 this will form an ideal compost. Plant- 

 ing should be done not later than the 

 middle of May and the soil cannot be 

 too firmly tamped about the roots. If 

 at all dry, soak the balls before filling in 

 the holes. A mulching of partially de- 

 cayed leaves should ha^eft over the siir- 

 face all summer. These should be of 

 sufficient thickness to keep the soil con- 

 stantly moist. During long droughts 

 it may be necessary to water the plants 

 with the hose or by hand. Scrape away 

 the leaves, make a ring around each stem 

 and soak the ball well, then replace the 



Rhododendron Roseum Elegfans. 



