246 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS dianthus 



edges. Ther^ is q. pretty form with 

 double flowers o&\^ei^fiore pleno. 



Culture dc^ as above for D. deltoides. 

 D. plumarius {Garden Pink; Pheasant's 

 Eye). — ^This is supposed to be the origin 

 of all the Garden Pinks. It is a glaivcous 

 plant 9-12 in. high, native of Eastern 

 Europe, and naturalised on old walls in 

 various parts of England. Leaves linear, 

 rough-edged. Flowers in sununer, white, 

 purple, either single or double, spotted or 

 variegated ; petals bearded, jagged. The 

 variety called serotinus blooms somewhat 

 later than the type, and Jlore plena has 

 double creamy- white flowers. 



Garden Pinks have always been great 

 favourites owing to the great freedom in 

 which they produce their beautiful sweet- 

 scented flowers, their dwarf, tufted habit, 

 and their great hardiness, surpassing in 

 this respect the Carnation. 



Culture and Propagation. — Pinks 

 may be propagated by exactly the same 

 methods as recommended for Carnations, 

 viz. by seeds, layers, and cuttings 

 (pipings). The latter method is usually 

 adopted, as inany of the varieties are too 

 short, close and tufted to readily admit of 

 layers being made. The mode of pro- 

 cedure is the same as for Carnations 

 (see p. 242). 



In June or July, when the stems are 

 fairly well ripened, cuttings, or ' pipings ' 

 will readily root in light sandy soil under 

 handlights if placed in a cool and shaded 

 part of the garden. When well rooted, 

 the plants may be transferred to their 

 flowering positions, but all planting should 

 be finished by the end of September at 

 .least. If plants are moved much after 

 October it is sfifer to winter them in cold 

 frames, as they will not have had sufiioient 

 time to enable them to develop new 

 roots and become established before the 

 approach of winter. 



Soil similar to that fpr Carnations is 

 also best for Pinks. The latter, how- 

 ever, do not like too much moisturp at 

 the roots, and where possible the Pink 

 beds or borders should be somewhat 

 raised above the ordinary level. Top 

 dressings of rotted manure, spent mush- 

 room beds &c. are very beneficial in 

 spring and summer, and water must not 

 be lacking in the hot weather. Where 

 particularly fine flowers are required, 

 some of the blooms may be pinched off, 

 leaving the most likely ones only to develop. 



Pinks are usually divided into two 



classes, viz. Slww or Laeed Pinks, and 

 ffor^fir Pinks, The latter are most snit- 

 ^jjjp for outdoor cidtivation, but are also 

 forced a good deal in greenhouses for 

 early bloom. The ' Show ' or ' Lapjed ' 

 varieties are grown under glass especi#Uy 

 for exhibition pmposes. The following is 

 a selection of the best Pinks fpr outdoor 

 cultivation : — 



WHITB-FLOWEEED VARIETIES 



Alba maxima, large border variety, 

 fine for bouquets ; Albino, an imprpve- 

 ment upon Snowflake, almost fike a 

 Carnation, fine taXL flower ; AUce Lee, 

 Carnation, Fairy King, Her Majesty, 

 pure white of exceptional size : in Ae 

 opinion of some, the very best; Mrs, 

 Sinkins, fine border variety, fine for 

 bouquets ; Mrs. Welsh and Snoioflake, the 

 latter a lovely variety with branching 

 stems ; it rarely bursts. 



Anne Boleyn, rose -purple; Ascot, 

 pink ; Bertha, white, rosy centre ; Boiard, 

 very large, white, bright red lacing; 

 Conqueror, dark red, laced ; Empress of 

 India, white, laoed purple ; Ernest, red, 

 broad lacing, large ; Ernest Ladhams, 

 Hght pink with deeper centre, flowers as 

 large as a Malmaison ; a fine novelty, 

 wonderfully free ; John Ball, dark plum- 

 purple; Le?! a, rosy -purple; Z/o?-ma, pink ; 

 Lowlander, red; Masterpiece, puiple- 

 maroon ; Minnie, bright red ; Modesty, 

 white, rose centre, evenly laced ; Mrs. 

 PetHfer, white, purple centre, heavily 

 laced ; Professor, red ; Sarah, fine white, 

 darky velvety red centre, perfect ; 

 Vigilant, red. 



D. ramosissimus (Bush Pink). — A 

 free-flowering species, 6 in. high, native 

 of Tartary, with linear pointed leaves. 

 Flowers in late summer, purple-rose, on 

 wiry stems. 



Culture Sc. as above for D. deltoides. 



D. Segfuieri. — A native of S. and E. 

 Europe, AsiSi &c., about 1 ft. high. 

 Flowers in summer, rose-pm-ple. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 comes very close to D. dentosus, ajid is 

 probably only a variety of it. It may be 

 grown under similar conditions a^d in- 

 creased in the same way. 



D. semperfiorens. — This is the name 

 given to a comparatively new race of 

 Garden Pinks, supposed to be the result of 



