March 30, 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



255 



SPECIMEN ZONAL 



The 



PELARGONIUMS. 



cultivation of specimen plants of 

 any sort is an art that is fast dying out, 

 the craze for quantities of cut bloom hav- 

 ing done much to oust from popular favour 

 what wa^ once the pride of almost everv 



garden. blooii 

 Certainly we see quite good examples of hard 

 specimen plants at some of the leading ex- purpose. The shape of tlie plants having 



loam, not broken up too finely, with just 

 sufficient leaf-soil and sand to keep it por- 

 ous ; to these should be added a fair propor- 

 tion of bone-meal. Potting should be done 

 very firmly, so as to induce a good short- 

 jointed growth, as strong sappy shoots do 

 not branch as nicely as might be wished 

 the following season. Plants that have 

 bloomed through the winter, and liave good 

 hard wood in them are lust 5;nitahlf> for tliP 



hibitions, York probably providing a dis- 



been decided 



a framework must be 



pel 



ailed at anv other show i 



made of stakes and stiff wire, firml}- fixing 

 this to the top of the pots. All flowei's 

 should be -rigorously removed, and as 



The question miglit reasonably be asked 



What is there that makes a 'bolder or growth is made, the side shoots should be 



brighter show, or continues to bloom over 

 long 



gradually drawn to the bottom framewoi'k, 

 pinching them when necessary to secure 

 niums? Bright and interesting as there are sufficient growths to fill up nicely, the cen- 



such plants should go on right through the 

 summer and autumn, and with good man- 

 agement they should make fair specimens, 

 but if they have not filled up sufficiently 

 they may be kept going very steadily 

 through the winter. I have found it ad- 

 visable, however, to give them a rest if 

 possible, during the dullest days of winter, 

 by keeping them quite cool and giving only 

 sufficient water to keep them healthy, 



TJie following spring a top-dressing 

 should be given^ and ^ little more warmth 

 allmved to start them into growth again. 

 Jf they are not nee{led to hloom early in 

 tlie season, and tlu^ are of go<Hl shape and 

 well fil]e<l, practically the whole of the 

 shoots may have the tips taken out, as this 

 will naturally induce them to break evenly 

 all over, and on being alh>wed to flower the 



when cultivated in small pots, either for tral shoots being allowe<l to grow freely plants should be furnished from top to hot- 



WKKV 



GOOD PYRAMIDAL SPECIMEX ZONAL PKLARGOXIUMS. 

 I«ft, Bertha de Presilly, soft rose; centre, Gustavo Emich, scarlet; right, Olive Sclireiner, white with red edge 



winter or summer flowering, they are in- 

 finitely grajider and more striking when 

 cultivated as specimen plants. The accom- 

 panying illustration admirably indicates 

 the adaptability of these plants for pyra- 

 niidal specimens. 



Such plants take some considerable time 

 to gTOw^ and, needless to say, occupy a 

 great amount of space, so that anyone Un- 

 dertaking their cultivation must needs have 

 a fair-sized house to devote to them if many 

 specimens are to be grown. 



If it is desired to grow specimen plants 

 pom a single cutting, three to four years 

 15 not too long to allow, hut where good 

 bushy plants are establishes! in 48 or 32- 

 ^izv<] pots, very fair specimens mav be ob- 

 tauHHl tlio yvar after making up;^by this 

 A mean that two or three plants (the latter 

 number for preference) may 

 a 12in. or 16in. pot. Tlu 

 •^pecnnens should 



to furnish the apex of the pyramid, tliough 

 some few of them must i)*^ st()[)ptHl and tied 

 in position, so as to s* ciiri' a good line from 

 the bottom circle to the apex. Very strom: 

 and sii]:)j»y shfjots should be piuclied at 

 once unless they are absolutely essential to 

 fill up some gap. 



A light, airy house is by far the best to 



torn with a good nias6 of bloom, which, by 

 judicious ft (Mling, will continue for eome 

 consid^M al'l*' time either indoors or out. 



Such specimens are very suitable for 

 pluni:in!j; on tho lawn or for furnishing 

 large vases on a tcrracH', and once grown 

 t{) the desire<l size they may be kept so with 

 careful niaiiag<^ment for quite a number of 



grow these plants in, keeping them turned years. 



be 



put m 



fompost for such 

 <ousi.st of 



round, so that all fiides of the plants get an 

 equal amount of light. WatiMin^ niu^t hi^ 

 careftilly done, as an excess protluc»'s the 

 soft shoots alreadv referred to, and thou*:li 

 these appear to make the plant quickly, 

 they never tlioless are likely to die back 

 once the growtli becomes <lense. Xo feefling 

 of anv sort sliould bo iHM-^'v>arv for some 

 few months after potting, but when the 

 pots are full of roots a little mu^t ])e givtui 

 to kvv]) up the vigour of the plants: soot 

 water is useful, .as itlso is Peruvian guano 



The tsekx'tion of varieties i^ largely a 

 matter of personal taste, the whole of the 

 singles being amenable to this system of 

 i'ultivation, but for usefulness the semi- 

 doubles are far the best. th(^ blooms stand- 



Gustave 



Emich, King of Denmark, li* r-tha de Pre- 

 silly, Olive Schreinor. F. V. Haspail. Im- 

 proved, llcrnioiiio. Villo <le Poitiers, Won- 

 derful, and White Kitig of Denmark are all 

 variotit's that can Ih' recommended for the 



i n g better than the s i nij; ! os. 



good turfy given in small quantities. The growth of 



])urp(>s(\ 



Woburn Place Gardens. 



Thomas 8tevknson. 



