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PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS beekheya 



carpet beneath taller plants. Seeds may 

 be sown in gentle heat in March, and the 

 seedlings will be ready for the open air by 

 the end of May. They may also be sown 

 in the open border where the plants are to 

 bloom during April and May. To obtain 

 large plants for early flowering the seeds 

 may also be sown as soon as ripe in cold 

 frames. The seedlings should be pricked 

 out when large enough, and should be 

 protected in cold frames or greenhouses 

 during the winter, giving as much light 

 and air as possible on all favourable 

 occasions. By potting the plants on and 

 encouraging growth strong plants will be 

 ready for the open border in May, and 

 very often they flower much better than 

 plants raised from seeds at other periods. 

 Other species are V. fugax, about 18 in. 

 high, with radical elliptic leaves and 

 bright orange-red flowers; and V. hirsu- 

 tuvi, 9-12 in. high, with lyrate pinnatifid 

 leaves and bright orange-red flowers with 

 a blackish centre. 



GAZANIA (Treasure Flower).— A 

 genus containing 24 species of showy, 

 somewhat stemless, more or less hoary 

 or woolly annual or perennial herbs, with 

 radical or alternate entire or pinnately 

 cut leaves. Flower-heads on long stalks. 

 Involucre urn-shaped, rarely broad, with 

 bracts in many rows. Disc flat or 

 convex, slightly pitted. Achenes densely 

 covered with long hairs. Pappus with 

 numerous linear scales. All the species 

 are natives of S. Africa. 



Culture OMcL Propagation. — Gazanias 

 thrive in a mixture of sandy loam and 

 peat, and are most effective in warm 

 sunny corners of the flower border. 

 About July and August cuttings of the 

 lower side shoots will root freely in a 

 cold frame in sandy soil, and the plants 

 must be kept under glass protection until 

 the following June. Plenty of air must 

 be given on all favourable occasions, and 

 only just enough heat to keep the frost 

 out, otherwise the plants are apt to grow 

 weedy and delicate. 



G. Pavonia. — A beautiful species 

 about 1^ ft. high, with hairy pinnately 

 cut leaves, and large, handsome yellow 

 flowers in July ; ray florets with a brown 

 spot at the base, or a white one in the 

 middle, Disc dark. 



Culture dc. as above. 



G. rigens. — A species about 1 ft. high 

 with linear spoon-shaped hairy leaves 

 and bright yellow flowers in June, with a 

 dark velvety zone at the base. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



G. splendens. — This beautiful plant is 

 supposed to be a hybrid, probably between 

 G. rigens and Qt. vmifiora. It grows 

 about IJ ft. high, with linear spoon- 

 shaped leaves, white beneath, and bright 

 orange flowers in summer, with a black 

 and white spot at the base of the ray 

 florets. There is a form with yellow 

 variegated leaves. 



Culture dtc. as above. 



G. uniflora. — A shrubby species about 

 1 ft. high, with somewhat decumbent 

 stems and spoon-shaped lanceolate 

 leaves, downy beneath. Flowers in July 

 and August, wholly yellow. 



Culture dc. as above. 



BERKHEYA.— A rather large genus 

 of more or less Thistle-like herbs or bushes 

 with alternate or rarely opposite radical 

 leaves, sometimes decurrent, toothed, pin- 

 nately divided or cut, and having spiny 

 teeth or lobes. The yellow or purple 

 flower-heads are either solitary or in small 

 clusters. 



B. purpurea [Stobcea purpurea) An 



attractive S. African perennial 2-3 ft. 

 high, with spiny Thistle-like leaves about 

 9 in. long towards the base of the stems, 

 somewhat clammy above and greyish or 

 downy beneath. The beautiful flower- 

 heads, 2|— 3 in. across, appear in late 

 summer in loose clusters, and have lilac- 

 purple strap-shaped ray-florets surround- 

 ing a deeper piurple centre, 



Culture and Propagation. — Out of 

 about 70 species the above appears to be 

 the only one of any value for the outdoor 

 flower garden. It flourishes in any good 

 and well-drained sandy soil, but prefers a 

 rich sandy loam and open sunny positions 

 sheltered from the north and east. It 

 may be increased by detacliing the slickers 

 or underground shoots in spring as they 

 are just beginning to push through the 

 surface of the soil. Seeds are ripened in 

 ordinary good seasons and should be 

 sown in cold frames when mature, after- 

 wards transferring the seedlings to the 

 open air the following spring when danger 

 from frost is past. 



