132 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 



July loth. — This is about the time we move our things 

 from the reserve garden, spoken of before, and from the 

 late-sown seed beds, and plant into the borders and 

 square beds those amiable autumn annuals that do 

 not seem to mind moving at all, such as French Mari- 

 golds, Tagetes, Everlastings, Scabious, &c. The Phloxes, 

 Michaelmas Daisies, and early low-growing Chrysanthe- 

 mums, grown in the reserve garden, move just as well in 

 warm, dry weather as in wet, only, of course, they must 

 be well and continuously watered tiU the weather 

 changes and they have taken hold. The large Sedum 

 spectabile, so loved by the bees in September, also moves 

 perfectly in the same way, and, in a large mass, makes 

 a very handsome autumn plant. I am sure that the 

 system of reserve garden and moving plants and seed- 

 lings in July can be extended and experimented upon to 

 almost any extent. Next year I must try it with the 

 Veronica spicata — white, blue, and pink. They are very 

 pretty things when flowering well and healthily, and 

 they come into bloom at a time of year when herbaceous 

 plants are scarce. Campanula turbinata, blue and white, 

 are useful for the same reason. 



Alstrcemerias do very well on dry, light soil ; they 

 want mulching in spring, but are no trouble at all when 

 once established. A. aurantiaca is the easiest to grow, 

 but A. chilensis is the most beautiful. The seeds of the 

 best flowers are worth keeping and sowing, to improve 

 the colour and size of the flowers. The white one I have 

 not yet succeeded in making grow from seeds, but I saw 

 it at the Horticultural Show, and it was most beautiful 

 and delicate. I find that buying the bulbous rootlets 

 dried is no use at all, they do not grow. They do not 

 mind moving in August after flowering, and they are 

 best increased as Lilies of the Valley are — by digging out 

 square pieces, filling in with good soil and dropping in 



