HARDY SPRING FLOWERS. 



'85 



beds are the most gay, but long before that time bulbous-rooted and a few of the 

 earliest flowering perennials will have done much towards relieving the dulness of the 

 garden, while dwarf shrubs, conifers, and hardy, fme-foliaged plants, as well as those 

 plants to flower in the spring, clothe the beds with greenery of a more or less 

 ornamental character. Bare soil, that is to say, empty beds and borders, especially 

 when these are in a conspicuous position, are the reverse of attractive, and should 

 therefore be avoided where possible. We have first to take the various classes of 

 plants in detail, giving concise cultural notes, and then show how the different kinds 

 may be effectively arranged in beds or borders. 



The plants to be noticed, though several of them may be raised from seed, are 

 usually increased by (1), cuttings; (2), slips; (3), divisions. A stem "cutting" 

 (a, Fig. 88) is a portion of a plant severed with the knife above the ground. The end 

 of the stem should be cut transversely, close under a joint, with a sharp knife ; a 

 smooth, clean cut facilitates rooting; a bruised end retards or prevents root-production. 

 A " slip," b, is the stem of a plant torn or slipped off ; if within the ground a few roots 

 may be retained; should the end of the slip ("heel") be much torn, it is well to trim 

 it to a smoother surface. A "division," e, is composed of more than one stem, usually 

 with roots attached. All ought to be inserted deeply, quite up to the leaves, and 

 it is of great advantage that this be done quickly, while they are still fresh, as the 

 greater the extent of leaf drooping the longer is rooting delayed. Illustrations, showing 

 how cuttings and slips should and should not be inserted, will be shown under the 

 the heading of " Reserve Gardens " (page 196). 



Hardy Perennials for Bedding. 



Ajuga reptans rubra (Creeping Eed Bugle). — 

 Britain. Height 4 inches; grown for its deep 

 crimson foliage, and is one of the most reliable 

 edging or carpeting plants. Should not be 

 allowed to flower, as this spoils the foliage. 

 Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Increased by- 

 division when moved from the beds in the 

 spring, every small piece soon growing to a good 

 size. Summer quarters ought to be cool and 

 moist. 



rough treatment. Common garden soil. In- 

 creased on removal in the spring by a free 

 division or splitting up of the plants, each piece 

 having a few roots attached. Replant firmly 

 across a cool border, 6 inches apart in rows 1 

 foot asunder. Cuttings may also be made of 

 young shoots in May, dibbling these firmly and 

 quite up to the tuft of leaves in sandy soil and 

 covering with hand-lights. When rooted, care- 

 fully transplant to nursery beds, and pinch off 

 any flowers that form on either these or the 

 divisions in the autumn. Cuttings or slips not 

 properly sunk into fine soil and well fixed, either 

 fail to grow, or develop into miserabls "leggy ' 

 })lants, that cannot possibly give satisfaction (see 

 pp. 198, 199). 



Alyssum (Madwort). — A. saxatile, Eastern Europe. 

 The beautiful variegated form of this, known as 

 A. s. variegatum, together with A. s. nana, are 

 among the showiest of spring bedding -plants. 

 Height 6 to 9 inches ; flowers rich yellow ; per- 

 fectly hardy, and will bear a fair amount of 



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