Mar.] 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



863 



SOWING HARDY PERENNIAL AND BIENNIAL FLOWER SEEDS. 



All kinds of hardy perennial and biennial flower seeds 

 may be sown towards the middle or end of this month. 

 As these plants do not flower the same season in which their 

 seeds are sown, it is therefore unnecessary, at this time, to pre- 

 pare a hot-bed for them ; the proper situation for them being 

 the reserve garden, where a piece of rich light ground should be 

 got ready for their reception by being well dug, and divided 

 into beds according to the number and quantity intended to be 

 sown. The ground being prepared, the seeds of each sort 

 should be sown thinly and regularly, either in beds or in drills ; 

 and as they are sown, let them be covered to the depth of half 

 an inch and correctly labeled. 



ALPINE AND OTHER RARE PLANTS IN POTS. 



The potting of the Alpine, and other rare plants, in pots 

 or frames, should now be finished ; and afl;er they are again 

 sufficiently established in the pots, they should be placed out 

 in their summer station. There are, however, many which 

 will require the shade and close air of the frame or pit during 

 summer, both for shelter and shade, particularly the latter ; of 

 these are most of the natural order Orchidece, many Ferns, and 

 some other families, such as Sarracenia, Drosera, &c. ; these 

 should be kept in a close frame during the summer, plunged in 

 a thick mass of sphagnum or other mosses, and kept damp by 

 often watering them over head with a moderately fine rose 

 watering pot. By far the greater portion of Alpine plants will 

 succeed well in pots of the sizes called large sixties or small 

 and large forty-eights, in a soil composed of one half of light 

 sandy loam, and half bog or peat mould, occasionally using a 

 little fine white sand or mould of decomposed leaves. During 

 the summer they should be placed in a situation as little ex- 

 posed to the sun as possible, but not by any means under the 

 drip of trees, on a bed prepared for them of finely-sifted coal 

 ashes, as already noticed. As the great object of a shaded situa- 

 tion is to give them the advantage of a cool and equitable atmo- 

 sphere ; this will be increased by frequent watering over head 



