THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



they have been temporarily bedded out instead 

 of keeping so many in boxes or pots. They 

 ought to be finally planted in moderately rich 

 soil, and be kept supplied with moisture till well 

 established. 



Tall Scaelet Lobelias.— These are very beautiful 

 and suitable alike for beds or mixed borders. 

 The plants attain a height of 2 to 3 feet, have 

 dark green or bronze foliage, and produce hand- 

 some spikes of rich scarlet flowers. The most 

 popular are L. cardinalis, L. fulgens, with the 

 varieties Mulberry, Firefly, Prince Arthur, and 

 the attractive Queen Victoria. They present a 



Fig. 102. Raising Lobelias. 



a, Stock plant ; b, divisions ; c, cuttings. 



showy appearance, either massed in the centres of 

 beds or thinly dispersed among a groundwork of 

 white alyssum, or white, yellow, or blue violas. 

 These tall lobelias may be raised from seed and 

 increased by division of the roots and crowns. 

 In the latter case lift and store old plants in 

 boxes of rich soil, kept moist but not saturated, 

 and winter them in pits, keeping them steadily 

 growing. In the spring, pull in pieces and place 

 the root divisions in small pots or boxes of good 

 loamy compost. They must not be subjected to 

 much fire-heat, and ought to be finally planted 

 out in rich soil before they become root-bound in 

 the pots. 



Marguerites, or Paris Daisies. — These are the 

 popular names for varieties of Chrysanthemum 

 frutescens. The plants are admirable for beds 

 and borders. Good marguerites are Etoile d'Or, 

 yellow ; grandiflora, white, and Halleri, white — all 

 growing 18 inches to 3 feet high, according to 

 soil and season, and are continuous flowering. 

 Short firm cuttings, preferably from plants in 

 pots free from leaf-mining maggots, root quickly 

 in moist sandy soil, in gentle heat during August 

 and early in September. They may be placed 

 either singly in thumb pots, or an inch or two apart 

 in pans or shallow boxes, and must be kept close, 

 and lightly shaded from bright sunshine till rooted; 

 top early and place those in pans or boxes singly 

 in 2|-inch pots, wintering them on greenhouse 

 shelves. Duly hardened and planted out early, 

 these would be the first to flower in the summer ; 

 but if cuttings of firm young shoots are rooted in 

 heat during March and April, these would move 

 well out of small pots late in May. Plant in 

 comparatively poor soil with a view to checking 

 exuberant growth. 



Pelargoniums. — The old term " Bedding Geraniums," 

 if the more popular is yet incorrect. They are 

 Zonale Pelargoniums. No good pmpose would 

 be served in dwelling at length upon the clas- 

 sification of these pelargoniums, nor, owing to the 

 changes constantly taking place, in giving 

 selections of varieties. Suffice it to say that those 

 having green leaves with a well-defined horse- 

 shoe zone are termed green Zonales, and these 

 are further divided into either silver, or silver 

 variegated ; golden or golden variegated ; bronze 

 zonals, or golden bicolors if there are only two 

 colours ; silver or golden tricolors, if there are 

 three distinct colours, as the case may be. Henry 

 Jacoby is a grand example of the green zonal ; 

 Boule deNeige a good silver variegated form; Crys- 

 tal Palace Gem, a favourite golden-leaved variety; 

 Black Douglas, a good type of bronze zonal ; 

 Mrs. Laing, a handsome silver tricolor, and Mrs. 

 Henry Cox, a fine type of golden tricolor. There 

 are double-flowering varieties, but singles are the 

 best for flower-gardens. New varieties are raised 

 from seed, but many freaks of nature (sports) 

 have been "fixed " and propagated by cuttings. 



Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums are excellent for beds, vases, 

 and window boxes. Only the best of the single 

 and semi-double varieties should be grown, the 

 flowers of the extra double forms damping 

 seriously in wet weather. Pelargoniums gene- 

 rally are most gay during dry hot summers ; 



