16 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



F EBRUARY, 1909 



The ivy-leaved type is very variable in form. Very 

 slender vine-like shoots and small open flower 



at will as trailing vines. This effect is more 

 readily obtained if the seeds are planted or the 

 young plants set around the outer edges of 

 the boxes or vases in which they are planted, 

 using taller erect-growing plants, like gerani- 

 ums, etc., for the middle portion. 



Among the running nasturtiums, the 

 ordinary type is the strongest grower, and has 

 the largest leaves, while the newer varieties 

 have the largest flowers. The Lobbianum 

 type is more compact in growth, with shorter 

 and thicker and much darker and richer 

 colorings in both the foliage and flowers, but 

 the flowers are not as large nor as widely 

 expanded as in the older type. 



In the new ivy-leaved type there is consider- 

 able variation in the foliage, some kinds 

 having the leaves more distinctly lobed or 

 serrated than others, but the shoots are 

 always more slender and vine-like than in the 

 common running nasturtiums, while the 

 flowers are of open form, the slender petals 

 standing well apart from each other, and are 

 distinctly toothed or serrated at the outer 

 edges. 



The most distinct type among the running 



nasturtiums is the old Tropceolum minus, 

 which makes long, slender, vine-like runners 

 with small, smoothly rounded leaves which 

 are thickly set with small, bright flowers. 

 This type is not as well adapted for long 

 rows or masses as the larger-flowered kinds, 

 but is especially pretty and graceful for 

 hanging-baskets and vases or for trailing 

 over rock work and other broken surfaces. 



Many orderly flower gardeners will of 

 course prefer to plant everything in separate 

 varieties and colors, but to my mind the 

 general effect of the mixtures of the newer 

 large-flowered varieties as offered by seeds- 

 men is more showy and pleasing than a bed 

 or row of a single color. The regular mix- 

 tures as offered in the seed catalogues run 

 largely to solid colors, but include also 

 varieties having small spots of contrasting 

 color at the base of the lower petals and 

 delicate lines in the throat of the two upper 



The old TropcBOlwm minus with small round leaves is 

 the most distinct of the running kinds. The flowers 

 are considerably smaller than in modern kinds 



Improved large-flowered running type. Note 

 crinkled texture. In the fall flowers are larger still 



petals, so that for the richest and most 

 varied effect in colors I would recommend 

 the choosing of the special mixtures such as 

 the Hotspur Harlequin, which has the red- 

 spurred flowers, French Chameleon, Caprice, 

 and Coquette. These selections comprise 

 colors ranging from pale primrose or cream 

 to deep golden tints, but are more or less 

 overlaid by marbled shadings of bright red, 

 scarlet, and soft rosy tints. They are bright 

 and showy throughout the summer, but when 

 cool weather comes in the fall they become 

 still more varied, as the brilliant markings 

 then deepen in tint and cover a much 

 larger portion of the petals. These fall 

 shadings are beautiful beyond description, 

 and have been the cause of despair among 

 flower lovers who have sought to fix these 

 grand autumn tints by saving the seed from 

 some especially fine flower. Such selections 

 result in a more diverse coloring, but the most 

 gorgeous tints and markings can be had 

 only when the nights become cool in the fall. 

 The planting of the seed is one of the 

 simplest garden operations. Dig the soil 

 early in the spring, making a fine, loose sur- 

 face as you would for other flowers, then 

 open a shallow trench or drill one to two 

 inches deep and scatter the seed thinly along 



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&'&$$ 



Tropceolum I^obbianum of compact habit, has the 

 richest colors in leaf and flower 



The Tom Thumb type is the best bush form ; useful 

 for edgings. Modern varieties have large flowers 



Queen of Tom Thumbs, the first variety with mar- 

 bled (yellow) foliage. Dwarf, with small flowers 



