ll 



March 2, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



179 



be sheltered from rough wnias, ana \iJiere 



watering can be attended to in dry weather. 



To have the plants in readniess for 



their summer quarters by the last week 



, ^ , 1 • T the tubers 



be placed 



March, and starte<l in a similar manner to 

 that recommended for those to be grown m 

 pots. When growth has eommence<l freely, 

 plant out in a frame or pit on a partly spent 

 hotbed, in some fairly light soil. In such 

 quarters they will give but little trouble. At 

 first thev will require care in watering, but 

 if watere<l in when plante<l they will not 

 nee<l anv more for several days, but every 

 opportunity should be taken to lightly 

 damp them overhead when the weather 

 is bright ; and this, if carrie<l out in the 

 afternoon previous to closing the frames 

 before the sun is entirely off them, will 

 gre^itly assist the plants. Admit air spar- 

 ingly at first until the plants are well 



without injuring the leavCvS, and water- 

 ing must be strictly attended to during 

 dry weather. Occasional applications of 

 liquid manure at such times will have a 

 marked effect. 



The variety of ways in which begonias 

 can be used as bedding plants are iniiu- 

 merable. They form a carpet in large IkhLs 

 or borders under Lilium longiflorum. tall 

 fuchsias, swainsonias, heliotropes, etc. ; 

 and when occiipying l>eds themselves, 

 planted in separate colours, or with two 

 or more <^lours blending, they are then 

 very effective. T. B. Field. 



Wych Cross Place Oardens. 



ANNUALS FOR BEDS AND 



BORDERS. 



Annuals are doserv^Klly popular, as they 

 are verv valuable either for massing in beds 



when outside sowing should take place. If 

 this sowing has to be delayed until the 

 spring and ^arly summer flowering plants 

 rre over, the be<ls must necessarily remain 

 in a bare state for a long time, hence the 

 advantiige of having plants in readiness for 

 putting out. I'nless otherwise state<l, the 

 following methods of raising the plants will 

 l»o foun<l juost suitable for all annuals nuui- 

 tionetl in this article. 



Boxt^ or pans will l>e fouiid luosi stw \ 

 able for see<i IxhIs, and shouhl be HHimI with 

 a comj>ost consisting of two-thinls loam, 

 one-third leaf-soil, and a liberal quantity 

 of san<l. Tlie en<l of March 



quite early 

 see<ls, and when sown the 

 boxes or pans shouhl be plac^^l in a <*oId 



close and 



place. 



f ranu\ which must be k<'pt 

 sba<le(l, until germination takers 

 When the see<llings appear the shading 

 must be gradually dispens<xl with, and air 

 admitted carefully. Tmme<liately the young 



I, 



1 



A 



STOCK ^VKBH^• NI-W ADMIRATION, 

 vigorous free-branchiuff variety, effective in the garden, and useful for the sui.ply <.f n.t flowiT-^. Tnt.ndur..d by 



Messrs. E. Webb and Sons. 



iied 



tlie lights can be removed altogether 

 through the day during fine weather, put- 

 ting them on at night until all fear of 

 J^^^'s gone. AVhen treated in this way 

 tne hardening-off process is gradual, the 

 plants receiving no check. 



'he beds or borders in which l)egonias 



gi'own will need attention, as 

 /^naliy they have been occupied previously 

 'jr s*.veral months with spring bedding 

 I'i'tnts. some of which impoverish the soil 

 '■'y iimeh. In such instances it will be 



of 



as 



f<«^s.ary to work in a goo<l dressing 



u^'IZu antl. if the soil is inclined 



J* r>e heavy, add some light material 

 "*"gonia.s are not a succes,s during a dry 

 reason ,n soil which soon becomes bake.! 

 tht tf- i^'r P^=^"ting is completed, 



a In, ' '^'."^ ^« kept hoed 



"S ;is It IS possible to get between them 



down bv 



separately or for planting m clumi)s in 

 the mixed' borders. Bt^ween the early 

 summer and autumn-flowering herbaceous 

 plants the annuals fill up a gap. anil thev 

 continue flowering until cut 

 frosts. As with other classes of ])!aMt.. a 

 great improvement has been achieved re- 

 cently among annuals, and at the present 

 time^some magnificent strains of the vari- 

 ous kinds are to be obtaine<l. 



Cultivation is comparatively easy. M:im 

 of the tender kinds . mii ra.se<l witli 1 u- 

 aid of a cold frame. S..me have to J>c 

 sown earlier than others, and these re- 

 quire a little warmth, otherwise, if the s^.w- 

 ing is delave<l. the flowering season will 

 be late. In the majority of cases the hardy 

 types are sown in the open, where they are 

 to flower, but it is advisable to raise as 

 many as possible in boxes or frames, as 

 the beds and borders are nsually occupied 



plants are large enough to hamlle, tliey 

 should be trarisplant^Hl into trainee, and 

 afforde<l a slight shadni-. until they 5>e- 



fairly establishi-d . Ot ((mr-e. they 



come , , 



may l)e transplanted into hoN.'s. Init the 



plants do not run ^ucli a risk <.t lM.(^)m!ng 

 starve<l when plaiite<l out into tr;mies. 



If one li:is not the a<i\ ;mt^ii;.' ;itTorde<l 

 by fraiiH's. thf -owing must '><> postpont-^l 

 until tlir nii<l<lU> of Ai)ril. and the s<Hxilings 

 traii.-phiiited into .sinaU nursery h<>ds. Ex- 

 <'elient results are to l>e obtainiHl in this 

 wav but the flowering pori<;<l will be later. 

 Some kimls of annuals must be sown whero 

 thev are to flower, as they strongly re.s..nt 

 any disturbance. an<l among th.'sc may Ih^ 

 mentioned the beautiful Plnuela cam- 

 panularia. mignonette, poppies, neniopliihi. 



and eschs<'holzia. ... 



The following list «>f varieties <k)es not 

 claim to be an exhaustive one by 



anv 



