142 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Sweet Williams. — A quaint garden flower is this, and 

 it belongs to the Pink family, being named Dianthus 

 barbatus. Plants may be raised in almost any garden, 

 and they will spread freely — too much so — until the 

 growth becomes matted, when it is well to lift the stock 

 and throw it away, two or three years being sufficiently 

 long for Sweet Williams to remain in the border. There 

 are many varieties, and one group is named Auricula- 

 eyed ; but the golden rule is to choose only self colours, 

 those spotted in any way losing greatly in effect. Deep 

 crimson, clear rose, white, and similar shades make a 

 rich and bright display. The single and double deep 

 crimson varieties are charming garden flowers. Seed may 

 be sown in April, in a sunny bed out of doors, thinning 

 out the seedlings in due course, and planting out in their 

 permanent positions early in the following September. 

 To increase any particular kind resort must be had to 

 cuttings, which are easily struck in early su inner, from 

 the moderately ripened flowerless shoots. These dibbled 

 into light soil under a bell-glass quickly root, and may 

 then be planted out. 



Thalietrums are chiefly grown for the beauty of their 

 leaves, which may be used even for accompanying 

 cut flowers, as they are very much like Fern fronds. 

 T. minus is as charming as any, but there are many 

 others. T. aquilegifolium is very handsome, with its 

 elegant foliage and tall stems of soft yellow flowers. It 

 will gro.v to a height of 4ft. Ordinary soil, if not 

 too heavy and cold, suits these Meadow Rues, as the 

 Thalietrums are popularly called. 



Thrift. — See Armeria. 



Thymes are useful for edgings or the rock garden, and 

 may be increased freely by cuttings placed in a lit tie bed 

 of light soil, and covered with a bell-glass. A beautiful 

 kind is the variety of the British Thyme (Thymus Ser- 

 pylluin) named Coccineus, which is covered in summer 

 with crimson flowers. Bees will cluster thickly upon its 

 carpets of blossom. 



Tradeseantia virginiea is the Virginian Spiderwort, a 



hardy, vigorous, free-flowering plant, the most beautiful 

 of its race. The type has purple flowers, produced over 

 a Ion; season, but there are varieties of it, in one well- 

 known catalogue no less thin eight being recorded, from 

 white to double red. If increase of stock is wanted, 

 divide the roots in spring. Any sod and position will 

 suit this Tradeseantia. It is sometimes vigorous by a 

 shady woojland walk, and in a hot mixed border. 



Trilliums. — The most beautiful of this race is the White 

 Wood Lily (T. grandiflorum), which opens out its large 

 white flowers in spring. It loves a somewhat moist, 

 peuy place, and grows lieely amongst dwarf shrubs, in the 

 lront of a shrub group, or in association with hardy Ferns. 

 But it may be grown too in the border and rojk garden, 

 especially in a rather shady pea'y recess. Other kinds 

 are in a measure attractive, though net as beautiful as 

 this, such as T. erythrocarpum, T. erectum, etc. 



Triteleia Utliflora. — This is sometimes known as Milla, 

 and is a small group ol pretiy, early flowers, which may 

 be planted amongst dwarf bulbous plants, such as the 

 Windflowers or Anemones, at the foot of Rhododen- 

 drons, or in front of shrubs in general. Uniflora is the 

 most common kind, and known by its whue lilac-tinted 

 flowers, which in the variety violacea are blue striped 

 with violet. Biflora is very pretty ; its flowers are white. 

 Whilst it is advisable to grow this kind in pots and 

 plant out in March, the oth.rs may be planted in 

 the autumn. 



Tritonia. — See Montbretia. 



TrollillS [Globe-flowers). — This is a charming family of 

 hardy plan's, running riot in rich soil, and enjoying 

 shelter from the full sun. It is unfortunate that a family 

 so rich in beautiful flowers should receive scant attention, 

 but perhaps the plants fail through being on hot borders, 

 where too often the soil is poor. This is not the way to 

 grow Globe-flowers. Plant them in colonies on the fringe of 

 shrubberies, beds of peat-loving shrubs, or by a pondside; 

 indeed, it must be a sorry garden that fails to satisfy the 

 Trullius. Spring and early summer are the limes when they 



are in bloom, and the following are the most hands me : 

 T. europaeus is the ordinary Globe-flower, and as well known 

 as any of the family. It is one of the most charming of 

 native plants, growing rather over 2ft. high, and bearing 

 pale yellow flowers with the scent of Cowslips. There isalso 

 a very dwarf form, almost white, known as T. europoeus 

 albus. T. napellifolius has rich yellow flowers with 

 orange stamens, large, and borne freely on the branching 

 shoots. This is a bold and showy kind. Another hand- 

 some kind is T. japonicus fl-pl.(Fortunei fl.-pl.), the flowers 

 semi-double, deep orange, and effective. Orange Globe 

 is a variety of it, with large flowers of rich yellow colour, 

 and may be considered the finest of the family. Gibsoni 

 is a striking variety of T. japonicus, and the golden- 

 coloured T. asiaticus may alsob; mentioned. The way to 

 propagate Globe-flowers is by root division immediately 

 after blooming or early in September, not later, otherwise 

 they cannot get established before winter. If not done 

 then, wait until growth commences in March ; but when 

 spring division is carried out, the flowers the same year 

 are naturally poor. Seeds sown in a cold frame in Sep- 

 tember or early spring will germinate freely, and repro- 

 duce as a rule the parent. But they are slow indeed to 

 germinate, and three years must elapse before any effect 

 can be expected from the seedlings. 

 Tropoeollim polyphylllim.— This is a noble hardy 

 tuberous Tropaeolum, and should be grown in every 

 garden where such a plant is admissible. It will notsucceed 

 everywhere, and is usu lily most vigorous when planted 

 on the upper parts of the rock garden in a loamy soil, and 

 where its prostrate stems covered with greyish leaves 

 can creep along, through dwarf shrubs, perhaps, and hang 

 over a ledge. It loves to wind about amongst shrubs or to 

 cover some fairly moist bank. Once established, leave it 

 alone to increase in beauty with age. The grey colouring 

 of the leaves is sufficiently attractive to call attention to 

 the plant ; when these are almost hidden with a wealth of 

 rich yellow flowers in summer, one can unders:and th.it 

 this tuberous Tropaeolum is handsome indeed. 

 Tropaeolum speeiosum is popularly named the Flame 

 Nasturtium, an apt title, but unfortunately this species is 

 far less amenable to cultivation than T. polyphyllum. 

 Cottages are sometimes aflame with its rich vermilion 

 flowers in the highlands of Scotland, and it seems only 

 successful in a cool, moist, bracing air. It is, however, a 

 plant worth trying hard to coax into respectable growth, 

 planting it in a position where its graceful shoots can 

 hang over some rocky ledge, or creep through ever- 

 green shoots, which it will festoon with glorious blossom. 

 The soil should be loam and peat, moist, and the position 

 shady. When the plants are vigorous, growth is fast, 

 the shoots mantling over shrubs and everything near to 

 them. Plant the roots about half a foot in depth in 

 spring, and increase by division or seed, but the roots 

 should be left alone once they are established. This, 

 however, is the way to propagate it. Seed should 

 be sown as soon as ripe in a pan of light loamy 

 soil, moist, and placed in a cold frame. The seedlings, 

 if the seed be sown in autumn, will appear in the 

 following spring. 

 Tulip, The. — A noble family of spring bulbs is the Tulip, 

 the flowers bold in form, and rich and varied in their 

 colouring. From the first of spring until it has passed 

 away, this group gives colour to the garden. During late 

 years the sumptuous May-flowered or Gesner's Tulips 

 have been planted, and they should continue to be sought 

 for. Tulipa Gesneriana or one of its many forms makes rich 

 pictures of colour, a species which is of great splendour 

 it itself, but the forerunner too of the self varieties and 

 the quaint striped forms. 



Darwin Tulips form a distinct class of late-flowering 

 self Tulips, all with short broad petals of great substance 

 that withstand the hot sun of May well. They were raised 

 by a Dutchman who died a few years back, when the 

 collection was bought by Mr. Krelage, who started select- 

 ing the various varieties and named them after Professor 

 Darwin. The self or May Tulips are placed first, for the 

 reason that they are less known than the early-flowering 



