THE CENTURY BOOK 



OF GARDENING. 



A. armata, which flowers with equal freedom whether 

 lit. or 6ft. high. The small leaves, after the manner of 

 a Myrtle, are deep green, while the globular blossoms, 

 about the size of peas, are of a rich golden yellow. This 

 is o.ie of the most distinct of the whole family, the foliage 

 intense green against the yellow blooms, and is a very- 

 neat plant grown in pots ; indeed, it is far better for 

 this purpose than planting out in the border. Acacias 

 are seldom seen nowadays, which is a pity, when such 

 kinds as A. armata are so readily grown and bright in 

 colour. 



A. dealbata. — This is known as the Silver Wattle tree, 

 and is one of the most vigorous of the entire family. It 

 is useless for a small greenhouse because of its won- 

 derfully free growth, but when planted out in a large 

 conservatory, where it can have free play, its great 

 beauty is revealed, feathery masses of Kern-like foliage, 

 hidden almost in spring with clouds of golden flowers. 

 In its Australian home it is one of the most beautiful 

 pictures in the scenery, and along the Riviera it forms 

 delightful groups. The graceful branches are cut and 

 sent to the English markets under the name of Mimosa. 



A. Driimmondi. — The leaves of this are of a rich green 

 hue, whilst the lemon-coloured blossoms are borne in 

 elongated spikes, just like little bottle brushes. It is 

 particularly suitable for flowering in a small slate. 



A. grandiS. A sturdy little bush, with pinnate leaves, 

 which are freely clothed with hairs, and globular flowers 

 of a rich golden vellow. 



A. lineata. — This Ins small narrow leaves and pale 

 yellow blossoms. They are borne in great profusion, 

 and it is altogether a neat, pretty little plant. 



A. longifolia. — One of the larger kinds, with simple 

 leaves 6in. long and half an inch wide. It forms a large 

 bush, and when laden w ith its cylindrical-shaped spikes 

 ..I pale vellow blossoms is very handsome. 



A. platyptera. — This has peculiarly winged stems, 

 quite different from any o) the others, and its golden 

 flowers expand in the autumn, whereas all the rest 

 mentioned bloom in the spring. Small plants of this in 

 Mourn are verv showv. It flowers in quite a small state. 



A. pulchella. -The branches of this are very slender, bin 

 the side shoots are pushed out so freely as to form a 

 dense bush. The leaves are pinnate, while the flowers 

 are of a rich yellow. The elegant arrangement of the 

 minor twigs renders this one ot the most graceful ol all 

 the smaller Acacias. 



A. Riceana.- -A rambling plant suitable for training 

 to the roof of a greenhouse, in which position the 

 slender shoots hang down for a long distance, and when 

 studded with spikes of pale yellow blossoms they are very 

 beautiful. The leaves are narrow and pointed. 



AcllimeneS. — These comprise a verv pretty group of soft- 

 wooded plants, which flower throughout the summer, and 

 pass the winter in a dormant state. Of late years, however, 

 the Achimenes have been little seen, though why such 

 flowers should fall practically out of cultivation it is not 

 easy to tell, for their culture is not difficult, and vigorous 

 plants in full bloom are wonderfully bright, the colours 

 ranging from pure white to deep purple. The beginner 

 would not require a large selection, and the following are 

 amongst the most handsome : Carminata, Lady Lyttelton. 

 Ambroise Verschaffell, Dazzle, Mauve Oueen, Longiflora 

 and its white variety, and Rose (^ueen. Achimenes require 

 rather more heat than the ordinary greenhouse affords. 

 Whilst the tubers are at rest in winter the soil must be 

 kept quite dry. and in early spring, when growth 

 commences again, shake them free from soil and repot in 

 a good light compost. Several tubers must be grouped 

 together to render the plants effective. It is possible by 

 starling the tubers at various periods of the year to secure 

 a longer succession of flowers than could be obtained by 

 having only one batch of plants, and, if an increase of stock 

 is desired, it is simply necessary to break the tubers into 

 pieces. Each piece will soon become established. Those 

 who delight in these beautiful flowers, and there are still 

 a few gardens left in which they are grown, commence 

 about February, when the first flowers open in May. 



Alter turning the tubers carefully out of the pots in which 

 they have rested during the winter, upon some shelf or 

 under a plant staging away from frost, put them into 

 small pans or boxes filled with light soil, made up chiefly 

 of leaf mould. Transfer them to a propagating pit, with a 

 temperature of from 55deg. to 6odeg., and w hen 2in. in 

 height put eight or ten of them in a 6in. pot. Use for 

 soil a mixture composed of light loam and peat, 

 or the latter may be used with leaf mould added. A 

 light yet not poor compost is essential, and to these may 

 be added sharp silver sand and thoroughly dried cow 

 manure. After potting, place them in a house kept at a 

 temperature varying between the figures mentioned above, 

 and keep the air moist, without wetting the foliage, the 

 moist atmosphere holding red spider, which frequently 

 attacks the plants, in check. ( )nce this pest gets established 

 it is not easy to destroy. Shade during very hot sunny 

 w eather in the middle of the day, a light scrim shading 

 being most suitable, and put thin bamboo stakes to the 

 stems when it is seen that support is necessary. 



A warm greenhouse is, therefore, more suitable to their 

 requirements than a cool structure, in which, at any rate 

 during their early stages, they will not thrive. But when 

 the Hi iwer buds appear keep the house cooler until they can 

 be brought into the conservator)' and greenhouse. As the 

 plants go out of flower, give less water until it is stopped 

 altogether, and store in a dry place. Although Achimenes 

 make delightful little pot plants, their fullest beauty is 

 revealed when they are grown in baskets and suspended 

 in the conservatory. In this form of culture there are no 

 great difficulties to surmount, and a mass of bloom is 

 the result. It is a pity such handsome flowers as the 

 Achimenes are almost lost to cultivation. One supposes it 

 is the result of ever-changing fashion. Probably in the 

 near future Achimenes, Tydoeas, and allied plants will 

 be grown as largely as in the old days, when there 

 was scarcely an exhibition at which they were not 

 represented. 



African Lily. — Agapanthus. 



AgapanthUS. — One associates the Agapanthus mainly, 

 perhaps, with its use as a tub plant to stand ou': in the 

 garden during the summer, but it is a greenhouse flower 

 really, and, if it cannot be used for tubs, may be grown 

 easily under glass. The chiel species is A. umbellatus, 

 which is a native of South Africa, and may be trusted in 

 the open air in the extreme Southern Counties of England. 

 Large masses of this, in pots or tubs, may remain for 

 years without disturbance, save occasional top dressings 

 and liberal watering in summer, varied with liquid 

 manure. But over-potting is fatal to a free display of 

 flowers. Only when the receptacle is crammed with 

 roots can a rich display of the handsome spikes be 

 expected. Of its varieties the pure white albus is as 

 precious as any. and there are other forms, one with 

 double flowers (flore-pleno), but this is of little account. 

 The big-flowered Giganteus is seldom seen, and it 

 does not seem to have come up to expectations. Mooreanus 

 is a very charming kind, smaller than Umbellatus, and of 

 a pretty bluish shade. Even when out of flower Agapan- 

 thuses possess considerable beauty, by reason of their 

 graceful fresh green leaves. The best way to increase 

 them is by division of the crowns in spring. Remove the 

 soil from the roots, and then one can see where to divide. 

 The plants soon recover with a little warmth to assist 

 them. Insects do not seem to care much for the 

 Agapanthus. Green-fly is sometimes troublesome, but this 

 is easily got rid of by fumigation. 



Aloysia eitriodora (Sweet Verbsna). — This, which is 

 popularly known as the Lemon-scented Verbena, is a 

 general favourite, not for the beauty of its blossoms, but 

 for its fragrant leaves. It may be grown as a wall plant 

 in mild districts, and if injured during the winter quickly 

 recovers. Ordinary potting compost suits it well, and 

 cuttings of the young growing shoots put in during the 

 spring and treated as a Fuchsia strike root readily. In all 

 cold climates the greenhouse is the place for it, hence it is 

 referred to here, although mentioned elsewhere in the 

 book. 



