SUMMER BEDDING. 



631 



is useful for spring and winter effects. It is easily raised 

 from seed sown in June, or by dividing the plants used 

 for summer bedding. 



Salvia argentea. — The white downy foliage of this fine 

 perennial is most effective where bold foliage is required; 

 it keeps dwarf if the flower-spikes are removed. Raised 

 from seed sown under glass in April, and transplanted to 

 the open ground when large enough. 



Saxifraga Camposii ( Wallacei) is the best of the white- 

 flowered mossy Saxifrages. It grows 6 inches high, and 

 flowers in May. S. cordifolia purpurea is useful for large 

 beds and very hardy in the foliage. S. crassifolia is similar 

 to the preceding, but is dwarfer when in flower. S. ligu- 

 lata is the best of the large-leaved section, but it is rather 

 tender. It produces its rosy-pink flowers in March. S. 

 moschata (muscoides) makes a nice mossy carpet for taller 

 plants, such as Tulips, Hyacinths, &c. It bears a pro- 

 fusion of small red flowers in April. Height, 3 inches. 

 Prefers a cool, moist place in summer. Propagated by 

 division in May or June. 



Scilla sibirica flowers early, and is very useful for 

 planting among such dwarf - growing things as Arabis 

 albida, Saxifraga moschata, Eranthis, &c. The bulbs 

 may be planted 6 inches deep, and left permanently. 

 The colour of the flowers does not associate well with 

 other shades of blue or purple. It flowers in February 

 and March. S. nutans, the common Bluebell, is also 

 worth a place in large gardens. 



Sempervivum calcareum {californicum) and S. mon- 

 tanum are the most useful of the Stonecrop family, and 

 are best adapted for edgings. Propagated by division. 



Stachys lanata, a downy-leaved dwarf-growing plant, 

 which forms a good white edging in winter, and may 

 also be left permanently. Easily increased by division. 



Tulipa. — The most useful bulbs for the spring garden, 

 as they last in perfection longer than Hyacinths and are 

 not so stiff in habit. Some care is required in selecting 

 the varieties if all are wanted in flower at the same time. 

 The following flower together, generally about the middle 

 of April: — Chrysolora, yellow ; Cottage Maid, white edged 

 with pink ; Coleur Cardinal, dark-red, one of the best ; 

 Duchess de Parma, orange-red and yellow, very fine ; 

 Keizer's Kroon, yellow and red, very large and fine ; 

 Prince of Austria, orange-red ; Royal Standard Striped, 

 white with red stripes ; Thomas Moore, dark-orange ; 

 Vermilion Brilliant, bright-red, one of the best ; Wou- 

 verman, purple. The Van Thol family are not recom- 

 mended as they flower too early and are soon over. 

 Among double varieties the most useful are Tournesol, 

 red and yellow; and Rex Rubrorum, bright-red. They 

 flower at the -same time as the above selection. Le 

 Candeur, white, is ten days later. 



Valeriana Phu-aurea. — This has golden foliage early 

 in the season, changing to green afterwards, and is very 

 hardy. Increased by division in May. 



Vinca major and its variegated form are useful for 

 vases, &c. V. minor and variegata are neat-growing 

 plants which thrive well under trees and may be used oc- 

 casionally as edgings. 



Viola. — The bedding varieties are almost too late for 

 the spring garden, as they do not commence flowering 

 until May ; but some of them are very useful if the 

 display has to be kept up until June. The best are 

 Admiration, rich purple ; Ardwell Gem, yellow ; Blue 

 King, blue ; Blue Bell, violet, small flowers ; Cliveden 

 Purple, reddish purple ; Countess of Kintore, white and 

 purple ; Skylark, white bordered with blue ; propagated 

 by division in May or June. 



Violet, Lady Hume Campbell, pale-blue, the hardiest 

 of the Neapolitan section. It succeeds well in a shel- 

 tered position and flowers very freely in March. Single 

 Russian, increased by cuttings in March or by division of 

 the clumps in May, is well known and is always appre- 

 ciated. 



Wallflower (Cheiranthus Cheiri). — There are many 

 strains of this old favourite. Belvoir Ca.stle, yellow, and 

 Veitch's Dark Red, are two of the best. The seed should 

 be sown the first week in June, and as it is very liable 

 to be crossed by bees, &c, it should always be procured 

 from a reliable source. Transplant when 2 inches high, 

 in lines 1 foot apart, and 9 inches between the plant-. 

 They flower in April. 



Shrubs. — In some positions, such as centres of large 

 beds, vases, &c, where taller plants than the above are 

 required, the following hardy shrubs may be used with 

 excellent effect. If removed to the reserve ground early 

 in spring and carefully looked after they will last for 

 several seasons. — Aucuba japonica, Berberis AquifoHvm, 

 B. Darwinii, B. japonica, Buxus sempervirens and var. 

 argentea, Cotoneaster micropthylla, Cupressus Lawsoniana 

 and vars., C. nooikatensis, C. pisifera and var. aurea, C. 

 plumosa and var. aurea, C. squarrosa, Euonymus japonicus 

 aureo variegatus, E. radicans variegatus, Juniperus vir- 

 giniana, Pernettya mucronata, Picea morinda, P. pungens 

 glauca, Skimmia japonica, Thuya dolabrata, T. giganteo. 

 (Eobbii), T. orientalis nana and var. aurea, Veronica cypres- 

 soides, V. pinguifolia. 



Yucca recurva is one of the best plants for vases and 

 centres of small beds, &c. It is propagated by offsets 

 and root cuttings whenever they can be obtained. 



[W. H. D.] 



CHAPTER XLI. 



SUMMER BEDDING. 



A garden without plenty of flowers in summer 

 is deficient of what should be its chief attraction. 

 The tastes and wishes of the proprietor of the 

 garden, to whose pleasure and enjoyment the 

 gardener has to contribute, must, of course, be 

 the first consideration. As a rule, however, 

 these matters are left entirely to the gar- 

 dener's judgment. The majority of garden 

 proprietors find satisfaction in bright glowing- 

 displays of flower-colour for as long a period as 

 possible, and the most favourable period for this 

 is from June to September. It is easy to find a 

 large number of plants which flower abundantly 

 in May or June and are beautiful for a week 

 or month; but plants capable of keeping up a 

 display of flowers from June to October are 

 not so numerous. To these belong what are 

 known popularly as summer-bedding plants. 



The desire for bright colours of lasting- 

 character has led also to the introduction into 

 the flower-garden of plants with richly-coloured 

 foliage, such as Coleus, Iresine, Alternanthera, 



