252 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



ScHiZANTHUS Grahami retusus (Fig. 142) is an elegant 

 autumn-flowering annual, suitable for beds and borders ; its deep 

 rose-coloured flowers, tipped with crimson, are produced from 



June to October. Grows 2ft. high. 

 S. phinatus^ 2ft. high, has rosy-purple 

 and yellow flowers, spotted with purple 

 or violet. It flowers from May to 

 October, and is the hardier of the 

 two species. They make excellent 

 pot plants. 



ScHizoPETALON Walkeri is a 

 pretty annual, bearing white flowers, 

 which are delightfully fragrant 

 in the morning and evening, or 

 after a shower. It grows ift. 

 high, and flowers from May to 

 August. 



Senecio (Jacob.ea) elegans 

 (Double Groundsel) has long been 

 a favourite bedding-plant, flowering 

 in July and onwards till October ; 

 there are three or four varieties, with 

 crimson, purple, and white flowers, 

 also several dwarf varieties, growing 

 only pin. high ; these produce a 

 brilliant effect in beds and mixed 

 borders. 



Stocks form a useful and very 

 ornamental class of plants for flower- 

 garden decoration, and are, or ought 

 to be, grown in every garden. The 

 numerous, and may be divided as 

 Intermediate, and Biennial groups, 

 should be sown in March or 

 or boxes under glass, aff"ording air when 

 quite young, and watering carefully so as to 



Fig. 142. — ScHizANTHus 

 Graha:mi retusus. 



varieties are now very 

 follows : The Ten-weeks 

 The Ten-weeks Stocks 

 April in pans 

 the plants are 



large 



prevent mildew from attacking them. The seedlings, when 

 enough to handle, should be pricked off into an old hotbed 

 frame, or into boxes, keeping them as near the glass as possible 

 to prevent drawing, and finally transplanting into the beds or 

 borders during showery weather. The seed may also be sown 

 in the open border about the end of April, in good soil, well 

 dug and manured. Plants from this will flower when the 

 earlier-sown batches have finished, keeping up a supply until late 

 autumn. 



There are several varieties, including the 



large-flowered 



dwarf Bedding Stock, growing ift. 



high. 



and 



forming 



a most 



