176 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING, 



golden leaves margined with green ; Sunray, a beautiful decora- 

 tive variety, with red variegated leaves ; Meteor, a valuable 

 bedder, the lower leaves of a buff-yellow colour, whilst the 

 upper ones are of a rich crimson hue. 



Gaillardias. — As well as being ornamental border-plants, 

 these are excellent for bedding displays. They should be 

 planted rather thinly, so as to allow room for pegging down 

 the shoots. Propagation is effected by means of cuttings taken 

 in the autumn, and treated in the same way as Pelargonium 

 cuttings. It is surprising how well they succeed in a dry season^ 

 producing an abundance of flowers from June to November. 

 G. grandifiora maxima is one of the best of the perennials, 

 having large handsome yellow flowers, with a central crimson 

 ring; the shoots grow about i8in. long. Numerous named 

 varieties are now in cultivation. 



The half-hardy annual varieties, such as Lorenztana, Driimmondh 

 or picta, amb/yodon, &c., are also very effective and useful bedding 

 plants, on account of their richly-coloured flowers and the long 

 duration of their flowering period ; but as these are described 

 under " Half-hardy Annuals," it will be unnecessary to repeat 

 the descriptions here. 



Gazanias. — These are useful plants for sunny positions ; they 

 are best propagated by cuttings put in during August in a close 

 frame. When rooted, they should be removed to a cool, airy 

 place, the object being to keep them short and sturdy. It is 

 advisable to winter them in the cutting-pots or boxes, merely 

 keeping them out of the way of frost. In the spring they should 

 be potted off singly, keeping them close until established, and 

 afterwards hardening off for planting in May or June. These 

 autumn-struck cuttings should not be topped in the spring, as is 

 done with many bedding-plants, or they will be very late in flower- 

 ing. In colour the flowers are generally yellow, with dark basal 

 spots. G. splendens is a handsome and much-grown trailer, with 

 stems I Sin. long ; it has bright orange-coloured ray-florets, with a 

 black-and-white spot at the base, the disk being paler in colour. 



Geraniums. — See Pelargoniums. 



Golden Feather. — See Pyrethrum. 



Heliotropes. — These are popular bedding plants, being much 

 prized for their deliciously fragrant flowers, which are produced 

 abundantly throughout the summer. The dw^arf kinds are suitable 

 either for forming beds by themselves or for carpeting beds of 

 taller-growing subjects, whilst the vigorous growers are admirable 

 for training into pyramids, carpeting the beds with other dwarf 

 subjects. Propagation is best eff'ected by means of cuttings 

 taken about the end of August, and placed in a close case 

 until rooted. They should be kept in a warm greenhouse 

 during the winter, and in the spring be brought into a higher 



