HARDY FLOWERS. 8 1 



or 6in. high. The flowers are delicate blue in the type, 

 and the planl succeeds in lighl soil in the rock garden. 

 Tin' white variety may be used oven as an edging, as it 

 forms a dense carpctdikc growth hidden with |>ure while 

 llowers like little hells. Very easily increased by division 



of the tllftS. 



C. pyramidalis.- -This is the well known chimney P.ell- 

 Ikiwer. which is not only beautiful in the garden, but is 

 also a valuable pot plant for the conservatory in summer. 

 There are two distinct forms, one with clear blue flowers 

 and the oilier pure while, though some variation will 

 occur amongst seedlings. For growing plants in pots, 

 sow the seed in a cool frame in March, first moistening 

 the soil, as water applied alter sowing is likely to wash 

 the seeds, which are very small, out ol the pans. Cover 

 w ith a glass or sheet of paper until germination has taken 

 place, and when large enough prick out the seedlings 

 into shallow pans of fine soil 2 in. apart. When esta- 

 blished, place in quite a cold frame, ami pot singly into 

 either jin. or 5m. pots, transferring them to 6in. or -in. 

 si/e in August. A cold frame or greenhouse w ill suffice 

 during the winter, when little water is necessary, as loo 

 much moisture results in the plants damping off. (live 

 the final potting into c)in. or loin, pots in April, and use 



good loamy soil mixed with a little 



wood ash. Well-decayed manure 



may he put just over the drainage. 



During the summer place in a 



sheltered corner, and il possible 



plunge the pots in coal ashes to 



keep the roots cool ; at any rale, 



they must he placed upon coal 



ashes to prevent w orms getting in the 



holes in the bottom ol the pots and 



disturbing the drainage. Keep the 



stems well slaked, and pick oil 



decayed blossoms to prolong the 



flower display. When using this 



Bellflower in the open garden, make 



groups of it-— either the blue by 



itself, or mixed with the white 



variety. They are also very charm- 

 ing amongst low-growing evergreen 



shrubs. Other interesting Cam- 

 panulas are C. abietina, C. barbata 



and its variety alba, C. garganica, 



C. lactiflora, C. Raineri, the beautiful 



varieties of our wilding Harebell, 



C. rotundifolia, such as alba, C. 



Scheuchzeri, C. Trachelium, and 



C. Waldsteiniana and the variety 



Tommasiniana. 



Candytuft, Perennial.— See iberis. 

 Canterbury Bells. — See "Biennial 

 Flowers. " 



Cape Hyacinth {Hyadnthtis, or Galtonia candicans). — 

 This is a noble late July flowering bulb, which should 

 he planted in a bold group or colony to get ti e best 

 effect from the broad, light green leaves and tall spikes. 

 The flowers are produced towards the end of the spikes, 

 and remind one of large Snowdrops, their colour ivory 

 white. Like many strong-growing bulbous plants, the 

 Cape Hyacinth is very chaining planted amongst shrubs, 

 flowering and otherwise, in the woodland or in the 

 border. Its tall stems are less exposed, and they rise 

 gracefully from the undergrowth, so to say, of other 

 things. The plant is propagated by offsets or by seed, 

 and the seedlings are four seasons before they bloom ; 

 but this is a good method of propagation, sowing the 

 seeds as soon as ripe in the open gior.nd where the soil 

 is good. Leave the seedlings alone for the first year, 

 keeping weeds from them, and at the end, in very kite 

 autumn, when the foliage has died down, lilt and 

 transplant into good ground. Never keep the hulls 

 long out of the soil when received from the dealer, 

 and after the stems have died down pull the surface 

 soil over very lightly to fill up holes occasioned by the 

 dead stem. 



Carnation (Border). — " The fairest flowers of the 



season are our Carnations," declares Perdita in the 

 "Winter's Tale "(Act IV., Scene 3). and these words 

 are true of our own lime, when Carnations are the 

 glory of many English gardens. In the cottage plot 

 Clove Carnations make silvery spreading tufts, fragrant 

 with their big crimson flowers in July, and deign even 

 to flourish in quite town gardens. As a rule, however, 

 Carnations in town gardens require frequent renewal; but 

 much depends upon the treatment given as to the length 

 of their life. 



Propagating. — There are three ways of increasing 

 Carnations, by layering, seeds, and cuttings, and of these 

 the simplest and surest is by layering the shoots in July, 

 and, of course, in the case of named varieties, the only 

 one, unless cuttings are taken. One can layer also in 

 August, and even in early September; but July is the 

 recognised season. The operation is very simple. First 

 choose the strongest layers near the soil, and make 

 a shallow basin round the plant, filling this partly 

 with a prepared compost, such as one would pot a 

 Geranium in. Then strip off a few of the leaves of 

 the layer where it has to be pegged down, and with 

 a sharp knife make an upright cut through a joint. 



SEEDLING CARNATIONS. 



Teg the layer into the soil w ith either a strong hairpin 

 or little pegs made from ha/el twigs. Layers put down 

 in July will be ready to lift and plant out or pot, to keep 

 over the winter in frames, in September ; but if the 

 summer has been exceptionally dry and free rooting is 

 improbable, it is w L,e to leave the layers untouched until 

 spring. When planting out the layers make certain 

 that the soil does not contain wireworm, and give a 

 light dressing of well-decayed manure to the surface. 



Cuttings may be struck at almost any season of the 

 vear, but thev take root in July almost as well as at 

 any season. The growths on the stem of the Carnation 

 which cannot be iayeied make suitable cuttings, and 

 it is simply necessary to take them off, cut just below 

 a joint, and remove sufficient leaves to give a clean stem 

 for insertion in the soil. Put them round the sides of a 

 5in. pot filled with fairly light soil, and give, if possible, 

 a little bottom heat, but tins is not essential in summer, 

 only in spring when the cuttin s are taken horn pot 

 plants. When rooted, pot them off separately, and 

 do not plant out until the spring, March being the best 

 month. 



Seeds. — This is a very interesting way of raising 

 Carnations, because when the best seed obtainable is 



