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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



August, 1912 



and should have chopped tobacco-stems 

 placed over the soil from the first. 



Aster {single flowering). Should be 

 treated as the above for best results. 

 Sown about July ist, should blossom by 

 early February. Are unknown to most 

 amateurs, being passed over in favor of 

 the double varieties. Are, however, ex- 

 tremely ornamental, with large daisy-like 

 flowers, in shades of pink, light blue, 

 purple and white, with large yellow centres. 

 They flower freely in pots, but need a 

 sunny situation, and careful attention to 

 aphis. 



Balsam. One of the few annuals that 

 do best when seed is sown directly where 

 they are to flower. One plant only should 

 be allowed to a five-inch pot. In the house 

 they should begin to flower in from six to 

 eight weeks from time of sowing. The 

 striped and flaked varieties are unique, 

 and very effective. Need a great deal of 

 fertilizer to give best results. 



Pot marigold. So hardy and tenacious 

 of life, that large plants can be lifted from 

 the garden in the fall, and will go on bloom- 

 ing with almost no setbacks if cut back 

 slightly. Their flowers, in shades of orange 

 and yellow make a cheery spot in the con- 

 servatory. Their worst drawback is their 

 attractiveness for aphis, and I have never 

 succeeded in keeping them entirely free 

 from these pests. They will stand almost 

 any extreme of heat and cold. 



Candytuft. The white, tall-flowered is 

 the most valuable for house-culture. Self- 

 sown plants are the most successful. The 

 carmine, purple and rose varieties are 

 somewhat ragged, and do not develop as 

 full flower spikes. The old-fashioned 

 sweet-scented, I consider the most reliable 

 of all though not the most showy. But 

 it is easy to grow, and not susceptible to 

 insect pests. Self-sown plants begin blos- 

 soming by mid-December. 



Larkspur. These are exceedingly beau- 

 tiful and satisfactory. Choose dwarf var- 

 ieties for house-culture. Seed sown in 

 pots and plunged in the ground August 

 20th gave blossoms in January, and the 

 blooming period lasted a long time. The 

 plants do not succumb readily to insects, 

 nor to sudden changes of temperature. 



Lupin. Treat as above. They are 

 rather tall for house culture, but exceed- 

 ingly graceful as well as easy to grow. 

 Seldom seen except in the old-fashioned 

 blue shades. The newer hybrids in azure, 

 pure white, scarlet tipped white, blue and 

 yellow, and pale salmon pink are extremely 

 beautiful. Self-sown seedings are the earli- 

 est to flower beginning as early as January, 

 and lasting throughout the spring. Lupins 

 are rather prone to the depredations of red 

 spider and the air should be kept moist 

 where they are grown. They do best out 

 of the full sunlight. 



Mignonette. Self-sown seedlings are best. 

 Or if you are anxious to keep the varieties 

 separate, seeds may be sown in the open 

 ground about August 15th when they 

 will begin to blossom about November ist. 

 Of the varieties I have grown, the old 



fashioned, Improved Machet, Parson's 

 White, and Golden Queen have proved 

 most worthy. The plants are not subject 

 to any of the greenhouse pests and can 

 stand sudden drops in temperature, but 

 need plenty of humidity. This is one of 

 the most trustworthy annuals for indoor 

 culture. 



Nasturtium. The climbing varieties are 

 best for house culture. Seed should be 

 sown directly where the plants are to 

 flower, and a short trellis provided. Seed 

 sown September 4th gave first blossoms 

 February 2d. Blossom freest when pot- 

 bound, so three or four plants may be 

 grown in a five-inch pot. Leading shoots 

 should be pinched back frequently to in- 

 sure a stocky, branching growth. Stand 

 great extremes of heat and cold without 

 damage, but are susceptible to aphis after 

 being weakened by freezing. Under ordin- 

 ary vigor they are not troubled by any 

 insect pests except a tiny white miller 

 that is apt to appear if the atmosphere 

 is too dry. This can be routed by fre- 

 quent spraying with weak soap-suds. 



Flowering Tobacco. A plant that should 

 be included in every collection on account 

 of its exquisite fragrance at night. The 

 large white flowers open in the evening 

 and are not attractive in the day-time. 

 Self-sown seedlings begin to flower in 

 January. A single plant will scent the 

 whole lower floor of a house. Should be 

 cut back frequently to induce branching, 

 thrives either in sun or shade. 



Pansies. Self-sown seedlings can be 

 used, or blooming plants may be taken 

 directly from the garden and cut back a 

 trifle, when they will begin to bloom again 

 in a few weeks and go on blooming indefi- 

 nitely if the faded flowers are kept picked 

 off. This is by far the most satisfactory. 

 The most serious drawback to pansies is 

 their susceptibility to aphis, it being al- 

 most impossible to keep the plants entirely 

 clean. Plants may be crowded without 

 detriment to their blooming qualities, and 

 a shallow "flat" or pan filled with them is 

 a pleasing addition to the conservatory, 

 as well as providing plenty for cutting. 



Phlox. The dwarf varieties are the best, 

 although the tall ones are very successful 

 also. They should not be crowded, will 

 repay careful attention, and can hardly 

 be given too rich a soil, the blooming 

 period is a long one if faded flower-spikes 

 are kept clipped off. The "star" type, 

 with narrow, pointed petals, is a pretty 

 novelty, and as easy to grow as the regular 

 type. The dwarf varieties blossom in 

 about five weeks from time of sowing but 

 the taller take from eight to ten. 



Poppies. I have tried but one variety, 

 a seedling opium poppy of unusual color- 

 ing taken from my garden. But my 

 success with this first experiment has led 

 me to conclude that other varieties might 

 prove equally satisfactory. The plants 

 were more delicate than the other annuals 

 and had to be given the warmest, sunniest 

 spot in the conservatory. They did not 

 seem troubled by insect pests, and bloomed 



freely. The seed, sown directly where it 

 was to flower, germinated about September 

 25th, and the first blossoms appeared 

 January 29th. 



Portulaca. This is particularly useful 

 for hanging baskets, where they will re- 

 ceive the hottest temperature. The seeds 

 are now offered in separate colors, and 

 should only be bought in that way, as in 

 the mixtures, magenta shades abound. 

 Should be given a light, sandy soil, and 

 not too much water, and they will thrive 

 without further attention. I have used 

 a combination of portulaca and wandering 

 jew for hanging baskets with especially 

 good success, as the bright green leaves 

 of the latter screen the bare, somewhat 

 unsightly stems of the portulaca. Takes 

 from five to seven weeks to blossom, de- 

 pending on strength of sunlight. 



Stock. These plants are the gems of a 

 conservatory collection, as they are not 

 only easy to grow, but combine decora- 

 tive properties and fragrance, with especial 

 value for cutting. The common ten- 

 weeks stocks bloom the earliest, but their 

 blooming period is short. I have had the 

 best success with the Cut-and-Come-Again 

 type — that blooms on indefinitely. With 

 stocks it is best to sow the seed in pots 

 plunged in the ground, allowing only one 

 plant to a five-inch pot. Seed sown in this 

 manner the last of June, will give plants 

 that will blossom steadily from mid 

 November till spring. There is now listed 

 a new type of winter flowering stocks de- 

 signed especially for winter culture, and 

 greenhouse forcing. 



Sweet Pea. After many futile attempts 

 I have at last learned the secret of growing 

 and flowering sweet peas in the window- 

 garden. Get the "forcing" type, it flowers 

 in three months from sowing, but the plants 

 must have an even temperature at all 

 times. It is almost impossible to have 

 the ordinary garden type in flower earlier 

 than March. Seeds should be sown where 

 they are to flower, not earlier than mid 

 December. The little seedlings should be 

 protected from sudden drops in tempera- 

 ture, must be given plenty of sunlight, 

 and yet be placed in a rather cool spot of 

 the conservatory. They also need frequent 

 syringing with clear water to avoid the 

 plague of red spider. With careful atten- 

 tion to these details, and with a rich soil, 

 sweet peas may be grown successfully in 

 any sunny window. I have had equal 

 success with both the common and orchid- 

 flowered types. 



Wallflower. Seeds should be sown in 

 pots plunged in the ground, and if 

 started in early July, should give blossoms 

 from December till April or May. The 

 early Parisian type is the only type worth 

 bothering with, for indoor culture, by the 

 amateur. It is very hardy, and not 

 troubled with insects, and is encouragingly 

 free of blossom. Put in a cool corner for 

 best development. Their especial value 

 lies in their delicious violet-like fragrance. 

 The clear yellow varieties are by far the 

 most decorative. 



