THE JOYOUS ART OF GARDENING 



late July until frost. Some of the best and easiest of the 

 tender bulbs are as follows: 



Gladioli. — One of the easiest bulbs to grow is the gladiolus and 

 one of the most encouraging, since it gives more bloom to the square 

 inches of ground it occupies than almost any other plant I know. 

 Gladioli need plenty of sun and rich soU, but the roots should not 

 come in direct contact with manure. Plant the bulbs three inches 

 deep and six inches apart. Planted about May 1 (in the latitude of 

 New York) they bloom continuously from the end of July imtil frost. 

 It is not necessary to buy named sorts but pink, scarlet, and red shades, 

 oranges and yellows, and the new blues and piuples, come in separate 

 mixtures and should be kept apart. The reds and scarlets are least 

 desirable — they rarely harmonize with other flowers. 



Red-Hof Polcer Plants. — Tritomas or "Red-Hot Pokers" are strik- 

 ing. The tall spikes of orange-red flowers stand bolt-upright above 

 the foliage (two and a half to five feet, according to variety). This 

 plant requires sun and good soil, and its rather sensational character 

 suggests that it be planted with discretion and a suitable background. 



Montbretia. — ^Another rather strident plant. Its late-blooming 

 starry flowers, orange, red, and yellow, are striking — so much so that 

 it is rarely combiaed with any but white flowers. Needs good soil, 

 plenty of sunshine. 



Dahlias. — These have been wonderfully improved of late and are 

 now a valuable addition to any garden. The most important classes 

 are the cactus, decorative, show, fancy, and single dahlias, and there 

 are hundreds of named varieties of each. The most beautiful perhaps 

 are the cactus dahlias. These vary in height from three feet to four 

 and a half, and the colors are indescribably charming — striking reds, 

 iridescent salmon-pinks, rich maroons, and pure yellows. Some of 

 the best varieties are these: 



Clara G. Stredmck — three feet; salmon, shading to yellow. 



Mrs. Freeman Thomas — ^three feet; clear yellow centre, shading 

 to orange toward the tips of the petals. 



J. H. Jackson — ^four feet; rich maroon. 



Lord Roberts — ^four feet; white. 



Britannia — ^four feet; salmon, pink, and apricot. 



Countess of Lonsdale — rich salmon-red. 



Mary Service— iom feet, puddsh heliotrope, shadmg into yellow. 



The flowers bloom in from six to eight weeks after the tubers are 

 set out. For dahlias the soil should be deep and rich and spaded to 



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