December 8, 1888.] 



THE GABDENEBS' CH BON I CLE. 



665 



As one much interested in this truly beautiful 

 group of plants, I may be permitted to briefly 

 detail my practice, which I doubt not, if followed, 

 would prove helpful to growers, or would-be growers, 



are required to be at their best, will, to a great 

 extent, regulate that of the planting ; but assuming 

 that they are required — as they are in most cases — for 

 early spring and summer display, then there is no 



1# 



FlO. 94. — DISA QIUNDIFLOBA : FI.OWEES CRIMSON AND PINK. (SEE P. 664.) 



of these plants, particularly in the South. By many, 

 the most important fact in regard to their culture is 

 lost sight of, and that is the right time for planting. 

 Many people imagine — and rightly, too, so far as it 

 goes — that Violas will transplant readily for several 

 months in the year. Quite so, but only with a cer- 

 tain amount of success. Of course the season they 



time for planting them to guarantee these results like 

 early autumn. Any one who requires Violas to make 

 an early display should plant early in October, from 

 cuttings taken in the end of July, or early in August, 

 these are the right stamp for producing the best 

 effect. Those of your readers who have planted 

 largely from summer-struck plants during the 



month of October, will well need reminding of 

 the superiority of the system. Many people plant 

 from divided stock, but these always lack the 

 vigour and energy of strong, newly-rooted stock. 

 Provided cuttings of the right sort have been selected, 

 i.e., those from near the base of the plants, and 

 which have flowered but little, plants of the right 

 kind will be forthcoming also as a natural conse- 

 quence. These inserted at the time stated will be 

 in fine condition for planting out during the month 

 of October. It is such as these that, if cared for 

 after planting, will be found bristling with under- 

 ground shoots before the end of the year — the best 

 possible promise of a rich bloom in the future. Even 

 the newly rooted plants will exhibit this tendency to 

 break freely from the base, and from this fact I glean 

 that they should be buried just below the surface, as 

 they are too young and tender at this time to endure 

 continuous change; in fact, they are benefited by 

 being earthed up as the young shoots are made, with 

 refuse from the rubbish fires, road scrapings, leaf- 

 soil, or well-decayed manure. This method is of 

 real value in low-lying foggy places, where damp 

 and a raw cold atmosphere are frequent in winter 

 time, as they suffer more from continued damp 

 and cold than from actual hard frost in drier 

 districts. 



Few plants enjoy a richer soil more than Violas ; 

 and in planting them I use cow manure wet from 

 the sheds ; in this state it is of great value when the 

 summer comes in, keeping the ground moist and 

 cool about their roots, which by that time will have 

 got down to it. Those, therefore, who would grow 

 Violas to perfection should manure freely, especially 

 when the soil is gravelly, and consequently dry. I 

 do not believe that gardeners generally are aware of 

 the many and various purposes to which Violas may 

 with advantage be put, otherwise they would be 

 grown by thousands where only scores are at preseut 

 grown. Take, for example, some of our London 

 parks and public gardens, and here you will find a 

 vast number of either empty beds or at least bare sur- 

 faces in that portion occupied by bulbs, with no other 

 chance but that this 'monotony must prevail till the 

 bulbs push through the soil three months hence. How 

 much more natural and pleasing the effect if, mean- 

 while, such beds as these, after the Tulips, &c, 

 are planted, were carpeted with such things as Violas 

 or even Myosotis dissitiflora, or some such simple 

 plant ; Limnanthes Douglasi, again, would here and 

 there make a change if necessary, though among 

 Violas there is an almost endless variety of form and 

 colouring. A natural carpet such as this would 

 make a very pleasing and desirable change, and the 

 effect would be enhanced by studiously avoiding a 

 yellow Tulip and a yellow Viola appearing on the 

 same bed, or in short any two of like colour. The 

 Violas may readily be planted after the bulbs, ard 

 thus, instead of a bare surface to gaze upon, the 

 public would have something to relieve the monotony 

 for the moment, and which would burst into blcom 

 in the earliest days of spring. 



This plan need not be nonopolised by public 

 gardens, for it is quite as desirable in any garden, 

 and I doubt if anyone will gainsay its usefulness 

 and effectiveness. Again, take a bed of standard c r 

 dwarf Roses, and what more delightful companions 

 have we than these and Violas ? — the latter crowded 

 with endless buds and flowers, while the Roses are 

 only bursting as it were into new life. Is it 

 impossible for those who have the management < f 

 these large public gardens, to make an attempt at 

 what I describe ? or are they content to continue 

 their round of carpet designs year by year, which 

 entails a great amount of labour annually, while 

 little if any change or improvement is noticeable ? 

 Slowly, but still surely, the bedding Viola is be- 

 coming more popular, and it only means a little 

 waiting to see these useful flowers in much more 

 general use than now, and their hardiness and frec- 

 flowering properties cannot but assist in popularising 

 them. The great improvements of late years among 

 these has brought us many fine varieties, a brief 

 notation of which, as well as of some of the older, 



