Apml 13, 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



297 



place in what may bo called romantic gar- 

 dens, tliose^ namely, in which beautiful 

 natural eftects are imitate^l/ but in prim 

 villa gardens they have their uses, espe- 

 cially to edge borders 1>eside the tiled walks 

 from gate to front door. They do not liar- 

 bour nisects as do old grey stones, and 

 their dark shades show off the hues of 

 polyanthuses, violas, aubrietias, arabises, 

 and alyssums. 



Pinks can edge walks alone, their foliage 

 soon gaining a sufficient solidity to hold in 

 the soil, especially if the young shoots are 

 pegged down twice yearly. The beauty 

 of a long edging in which numerous varie- 

 ties of pinks are alternated must be seen 

 when in perfe<*tion to be correctly appre- 

 ciated. 



M(3ssy 



saxifrages, pink, white, 

 and crimson, are equally suitable, the vivid 

 green of the foliage giving a winter splen- 

 dour of immense worth, l>eing appa- 

 rently uninjured by any kind of insect pest. 

 When tiles have to be employed, and their 

 inartistic aspect is a subject of annoyance, 

 dwarf close-growing perennials should be 

 planted closely behind them, and the mate- 

 rial %vill soon be hidden in leaf and bloom. 



M. H. 



THE FORSYTHIAS^ 



Although attention has often been 

 directed to the various species of forsythia, 

 they are of such general use and of such a 

 showy character that their virtu -s still bear 

 discussion. Thriving in all except the very 

 coldest parts of the country, they may be 

 used in tlie largest and smallest gardens, 

 for, whether massed' in large groups or 

 grown as single plants, they grow and 

 tiower equally well. They ai'o not very par- 

 ticular regarding soil, although that of a 

 loamy character is best suited to their re- 

 quirements. Pi-opagation is easily effected, 

 providing care is taken to obtain cuttings 

 trom quite young wood, say, in June or early 

 July, for at that time, if inserted in sandy 

 soil in a close frame roots are formed in 



f 



in a 



aljout three weeks, but if the wowl is 

 aUowed to become liard before the cuttings 

 made, a much longer time is requirerl 

 ior the- formation of roots, and the subse- 

 quent growth is very weak in comparison to 

 that lornied by cuttings taken at an 

 earlier date. It is a good practice to plant 

 the cuttings out as soon as well rooted, 

 for they thus become well established before 

 winter, and form strong buds for the ensu- 

 ing season's growth. By <'utting the 

 branches back once or twice during the fiist 

 summer, nice bushy plants are foi-med the 

 first year. 



Subsequent pruning must be done after 

 flowering is over, but the amount depends 

 entirely on the object for whicb the plaii 

 are grown. F, viridissiina and F. iiit<M- 

 media do not require pruning annually aud 

 what pruning is done is for the object ot 

 thinning the branches and leducing tlu^ 

 bushes when out-growing their positions. 

 By doing this us soon as the flowers fade, 

 a long growing season is obtained for the 

 production of wood for the following vear. 



With ¥ susptMisa tlie ])runing is done ou 

 different lines. Ijeft unpruned, it forms 

 a loosenhabiteHl bush, 10 to 15ft. high, with 



111 ~ ■ 



nnig, slemler^ pendant secondary bi'anches, 

 :»n(l in this form it is useful for many pur- 

 poses. It may, however, be pruned hard 

 each year to form a denser bush with more 

 upright shoots. To obtain the desired re- 

 sult, the younger branches are pruned hard 

 back each year as soon as the flowers are. 

 over. A foundation of strong branches is 

 nec^essary in the first place. These branches 

 fn-e allowed to grow about 2^ft. high. They 

 are then cut over, and from them vigorous 

 iJP'''iiht shoots, 31 to 4ift. long, are formed 



during summer, which bloom from neaily euetd <luring the early months of the year, 

 every bud, from base to summit^ the fol- 

 lowing spring. After the flowers are over 

 the slioots are cut back to within two or 

 three eyes of the base, and anotlier set of 

 flowering branches is produced for the fol- 

 lowing year. This system of culture is an 

 exhaustive one ; therefore steps niu^^t be 

 taken by top-tlressing the bushe-s with well- 

 rotted manure to keep them in a healthy 

 and vigorous condition. When, however, 

 plants shew serious signs of enfeebled 

 health, it is as wed to destroy them and 

 start again with young plants in fresh soil. 



Forsythias are useful plants for forcing, 

 especially F. suspensa, and useful specimens 

 may be grown in large pots or tubs and 

 used several years in snwesvsion bv feeding 



ior sometimes, as in the present year, the 

 blossoms were as far advanced by the end 

 of the first week in March as they are in 

 some other years by the end of the month. 



F. viridissiina is a second Chinese specie! , 

 which differs rather widely in habit from 

 the last-named. The branches are stiff, 

 green, and upright, attaining a height of 

 4 or oTt. The leaves are distinct in shade, 

 and show none of the variable form peculiar 

 to F. suspensa. Flowering is a week or 

 more later than in the case of the last- 

 named species. The yellow flowers are, 

 however, borne freely. 



F. intermedia is a hybrid between the 

 two species referred to. Of vigorous<'onstitu- 

 tion, it grows quite Hft. high, and lirandies 



■ 



V 

 -■■ 



■l 



i 



•i. 



w 



Mr 

 1 



A beautiful little plant with a neat iialiit, and Hnwr?'- oi a rich 



A.'M., R.H.S., April 2. Mr. Jaim- Dnu^la^. fiirat Hoiikliam 



pui ])]ish blue shade. 

 (Sec ]iagt' 305.) 



tluMU during the o;ro\\in,:r p ri:;{|. IjUvj^o 

 plants lifted from tin- ^ pen ni Octitbei" also 

 atfoi-d plentv of fl<nvers in January hy 



gentle fortiug. 



V. sUsptMisa is a C'liiiies<^ .s])r(ies wliiili 

 may he t^asily recoguisecl hy \i> Itright brown 

 hra^iches, and hy some ^)! the l(^av(';> ht^inz 

 ternato and others two-loin <1 : th»Mna joriiy. 

 howevei'. are single. An t xaniination 

 the yellow l)ell-sha[)e(l flowers Avill reveal 

 tln^ tact tliat some have styles wliicb pro- 

 trude beyond the stamens : whilst in other 

 cases the stvles are 111 d - ^ 

 The varying e,liaraet(n- of the species has 

 given rise to more than one nami* beini: 

 adopted for the plant, a fairly common one 

 being F. Fortunei. It is, howevtM-. as r\ 

 suspensa that the species is enri-* ctly 

 named. Its time of flowering vanes <-::n- 

 siderablv according to tlie weath*^r exixM'i- 



triM'lv the liaUit hcin:'' int*M'nn'<li<iU' h(»- 

 <nMt tliat ol t lu' pa roll ts. Flow or ^ are 

 honu^ jirnfiisiMv mo^-i v*'ais altliou<:ti now 

 and tlim a loan yoar is oxpenonood. ''1A\ o 

 vorv floriioi ou-v tomK havo !)een sehs'ie<l toi* 

 \ariotaI names. Tliosc ;iro <lonsiflora and 

 s[)o: taUili-. Mmh ai*(^ siiporior to the ty})e, 

 and ought to be sohntod ior pieloriMH*e 

 wluMt^ a tew ])Iants only ai'o requiriui. 



F. iMiiopa'a was introduced from Albania 

 a tew yi-ai's ai;i>. (^t rathor stiff, upright 

 habit, it gro^\s into a soniowhai -j>are shrub 

 or <)tt .hiult. Vellf)W flouors aro borne a 

 ^\ eek or two hitor thai] i?i ihr ca-o ot tlio 

 ('hine.se kimU and xhov a?i' raroiv in ^uffi- 

 <'iont (|iianii!y to make a go-sd .^lio-w. Alto- 

 gether, it is a disa]ij)oini ing >hrni>. an<l is 

 not worth intrttduf-ing tor d(H'<>rative offeot, 

 althou'di it may b(» im lmhMi in sciont itie co]- 

 Ux'tioiis ot dirubs. W. Dali.imore. 



