174 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENIXG. 



time the flower begins to show, an occasional water- 

 ing with liquid manure will be highly beneficial. 

 The branching panicle is drooping and densely 

 clothed with smaR rosy-crimson flowers, and pre- 

 sents the appearance of a beautiful fountain. The 

 soil should be rich loam and thoroughly decomposed 

 manure in equal parts. 



It is also admirably adapted for surmounting 

 flights of steps upon terraces in the open air and for 

 general use in the sub-troi3ical garden. South-east 

 Australia. 



Hydrangea. — The plants belonging to this 

 family are all very handsome, with bold dark green 

 leaves and large terminal heads of flowers. Flowers 

 are usually dependent upon the corolla for their 

 chief beauty, but in the case of Hydrangeas the 

 reverse is the case, as the corolla is nearly always 

 wanting, and what is usually looked upon as such is 

 an extraordinary enlargement of the calyx. The 

 name comes iromhydor, "water," and, as they cer- 

 tainly revel in a large supply of that element, they 

 are popularly-called Water-drinkers. 



In some parts of the kingdom, more especially in 

 Ireland, H. hortensis attains considerable proportions 

 in the open borders, forming magnificent specimens 

 from twenty to thirty feet in circumference ; and 

 although the heads of bloom are not so large as are 

 obtained under pot-cultm^e with young plants, they 

 are nevertheless exceedingly beautiful. 



As green-house plants, there are two distinct 

 systems of treatment. If a bushy specimen is re- 

 quired, then every year after flowering they should 

 be cut back, and afterwards shifted into larger pots. 

 In this manner large plants may soon be obtained, 

 which will produce a great quantity of their beauti- 

 ful globular heads of bloom. These plants will lose 

 their leaves in winter, and, if kept tolerably dry at 

 the roots, may be stowed in a shed or any place 

 which will exclude frost till returning spring again 

 starts them into life. 



The second and more usual method is to grow 

 plants from cuttings each year, and confine them to 

 a single stem. By this means immense heads may 

 be obtained, measuring several feet in cii'cumference. 

 The details of this system are as follows: — In the 

 month of March the cuttings she aid be inserted, and 

 placed in a little heat, using for soil equal parts of 

 loam, peat, and sand. As soon as rooted, pot them 

 singly into smaU pots, and, when they are well 

 established, again shift them into pots two sizes 

 larger, using the same soil, but adding a little 

 manure to their drink about once a week. They 

 should be kept in the warmest part of the green- 

 house during this time, until the terminal growth 

 forms a knotty crown. After this, place them in 



the open air, with full exposure to the sun, which 

 will ripen the wood and set the flower-buds. Before 

 frost can touch them, remove in-doors. Exclude 

 them from frost and keep rather dry until some 

 time in the month of February, when they should 

 be started into growth, and again re-potted. In a 

 short time after this the heads of bloom "nill begin 

 to show themselves, and from that time forth liquid 

 manure must be given once every week. 



H. hortensis. — This plant, introduced from China 

 by Sii" Joseph Banks, has large, smooth, elliptical 

 leaves, tapering at each end, toothed at the edges, 

 and bright green. The flowers are produced in a 

 large cyme, and usually of a lovely shade of pink, 

 but sometimes blue. This latter colour the gardener 

 is always anxious to produce, but there are frequent 

 failirres in the attempt. There is Httle doubt that 

 this colour is derived from the presence of iron in 

 the soil, and we have also found that a continuous 

 use of alum in the water will bring about the de- 

 sired result. 



H. Thomas Hogg. — This is undoubtedly a variety 

 of the preceding, and thrives under exactly the same 

 treatment. In growth and size of blooms there is 

 little to distinguish it, but the flowers are pure 

 paper- white. Introduced to this country fi-om the 

 gardens of the United States of America. 



H. panicidata, the finest of them all, may be used 

 for out-door or in-door purposes. 



THE FLOWEE GAEDEN. 



Bt William Wildsmith. 



SPRING BEDDING AND SPRING FLOWERS. 



FOR years past every branch of flower gardening 

 has been growing in public favour, but none 

 more so than that of spring bedding : a very natural 

 piece of favouritism, seeing that this class of flowers 

 are the first to greet u? after the long and all but 

 flowerless weeks of winter. There is another reason, 

 and that is the late general revival of, and increase 

 of interest in, hardy flowers of all descriptions ; and, 

 as a matter of course, as one gets to know the merits 

 of the various sections, those that give us the largest 

 amount of pleasure at the earhest season are bound 

 to be prominent in the list. 



This is just as it should be, but there is another 

 side to the pieture which in scores of cases hinders, 

 and in some altogether prevents, the cultivation of 

 spring flowers, at any rate in large gardens. This 

 is that the London season extending over the whoit? 

 of the spring months, and entailing the consequent 

 non-residence of the gentry in the country, spring 

 flower gardening is not a necessity : and, indeed, 

 we know instances where it has positivel}- been for- 



