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PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS dianthus 



gentle heat in light and rich well-drained 

 soil. When about 2 in. high the young 

 plants may be pricked out into other boxes 

 about 2 in. apart, and grown on under 

 glass until the end of May or beginning 

 of June. In the meantime they must 

 have plenty of Hght and air, and be 

 gradually hardened off so as to be ready 

 for the outdoor garden at the time stated. 

 Besides sowing under glass, the seeds may 

 also be sown in the open border in April 

 and May in patches, where the plants are 

 to bloom eventually. In this case the 

 seedlings are to be thinned out about 6 to 

 8 in. apart, as if transplanted at that late 

 period the plants will hardly come into 

 bloom the same season, except in the south 

 and west. 



D. cinnabarinus. — A free-growing 

 species, native of Greece, with tufts of 

 linear leaves. The flowers appear in 

 summer, and are a beautiful orange or 

 cinnabar-red. 



Culture do. as for D. deltoides. 



D. cruentus. — Native of E. Europe. 

 Leaves linear lance-shaped, very acute, 

 lower ones tufted. Flowers in summer, 

 small, numerous, blood-red, scarlet ; petals 

 toothed, bearded near base with scattered 

 reddish- violet hairs. 



Culture lie. as for D. deltoides. 



D. deltoides {Maiden Pink). — A much 

 branched British perennial 6-9 in. high. 

 Leaves narrow lance-shaped, downy, the 

 lower ones blunt. Flowers from June to 

 September, f in. across, rarely 2 together, 

 rose-coloured, with a dark circle spotted 

 with white, or white in the variety albus. 

 Calyx smooth, strongly ribbed. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Maiden Pink is excellent for carpeting 

 borders and rockeries with its dense 

 masses of leaves and flowers. It likes a 

 rich sandy soil and a warm sheltered 

 position to appear at its best. It ripens 

 seeds freely, and these may be sown in 

 the same way as described above for 

 Sweet Williams (D. harhatus). It is, 

 however, much easier to increase the 

 plants simply by dividing them during 

 mild showery weather, either in early 

 autumn or in spring. Once established, 

 the plants need not be disturbed for three 

 or four years unless they exhibit signs of 

 weakness. Besides seeds and division 

 most of the perennial species of Dianthus 

 may also be increased by cuttings and 



layers in the same way as stated for 

 Carnations. 



D. dentosus [Amoor Pinh). — A native 

 of S. Bussia, 6 in. high. Leaves rather 

 broadly linear, sometimes slightly wavy, 

 glatuoous, tinged with a reddish hue, 

 especially in autumn. Flowers in sum- 

 mer, violet-lUac, more than 1 in. across, 

 with a regular dark spot formed of purple 

 streaks at the base of each petal, produ- 

 cing a dark eye in the centre. Petals 

 toothed at the edge, bearded at the base. 



Culture do. as for D. deltoides. The 

 Amoor Pink seems to have crossed readily 

 with some of the other species, as there 

 are now several varieties of it in cultiva- 

 tion, some vrith double or semi-double 

 flowers, aU larger than those of the type. 

 These double-flowered forms are mostly 

 sterile and do not produce seed. They 

 must, therefore, be increased by division. 



D. iimbriatus. — Native of Spain, 1 ft. 

 high, with awl-shaped, roughish leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, rosy, solitary. Petals 

 oblong, multifidly toothed, beardless, 

 somewhat like those of Z>. superbus. 



Culture dc. as for D. superhus below. 



D. Fischeri. — A somewhat rare Eus- 

 sian species 7-10 in. high, with stiff lance- 

 shaped serrulated leaves. Flowers in 

 summer, light rose, with petals much cut 

 or feathered at the edge, almost beardless 

 at the base. 



Culture dc. as above for D. deltoides. 



D. fragrans. — -Native of the Caucasus, 

 6-9 in. high, with awl-shaped, rongh- 

 edged leaves. Flowers from July to 

 September, white, fragrant, suffused with 

 purple. Petals somewhat cut, beardless. 



Culture dc. as above for D. deltoides. 



D. Freyni. — A beautiful perennial of 

 garden origin, forming dense masses or 

 cushions of foliage, and producing in early 

 summer, and often again in autumn, 

 bright rosy-carmine flowers, about | in. 

 across, sitting close to the grassy foliage, 

 the entire plant being not more than 2 in. 

 high altogether. 



Culture dc. as above. This pretty 

 little plant is apt to rot off at the ground 

 if placed too low down. It does not 

 spread by means of suckers like some 

 other species, and is best propped up 

 between two or three pieces of limestone 

 rook, so that water will pass readily away 

 from it. As slugs are rather partial to it 

 a watch must be kept for them. 



