August 10, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



611 



HYDRANGEA HORTENSIA. 



It is worthy of note that, despite many 

 transitions through which horticulture has 

 passed in tlie last decade or so^ Hy- 

 drangea Hortensia has ever maintained a 

 foremost place in gardening. It is difficult 

 to exaggerate its usefulness, as it lends it- 

 self to a variety of purposes in decoration, 



while in the cultivator's hands it is most 

 tractable. 



For furnishing greenhouses and conserva- 

 tories specimens in small-sized • pots are 

 generally in request; these are readily ob- 

 tained by inserting cuttings at this season ; 

 placing them in a cluse pit until rooted, 

 when they should be gradually inured to Vss 

 dose conditionsj eA'entiiailly exposing them to 



anything in the nature of sour soil, and 

 the tendency to this end is ever present at 

 " tubbing ^' time, hence more than ordinary 

 care should be exercised in watering. Onco 

 established in tubs it is comparatively easy 

 to maintain hydrangeas in maximum 

 vigour iby frequent applications of liquid 

 manure or an approved fertiliser dusted 

 over the surface and watered in, while an 

 annual top-dressfing of rich soil to the tubs 

 in spring will greatly stimulate activity in 

 the roots. 



Hydrangea Hortensia attains its highest 

 decorative beauty when treated practically 

 as a hardy shrub, as is readily evidenced 

 from numerous examples grown in the open 

 in favoured parts of the country. When 

 cultivated in tubs or pots, protection from 



staking, whereas, by the former method 

 tlie wood is generally strong enough to sup- 

 port the flowers without assistance. 



Hydrangea Hortensia is most in request at 

 present when obtained in ricli pure shades 

 of pink or blue ; the former colour is readily 

 obtained ^by high cultivation, and may be 

 described as natural to the species, but the 

 blue colour is more or less accidental, and, 

 with plants cultivate<l in pot^, is rarely per- 

 manent ; hence ai-tificial treatment is most 



this 



generally practised in order to obt 

 colour. Oxide of iron and alum have long 

 been held in repute by gardeners as a means 

 to this end, Ibut their action is always slow 

 an<l often erratic. A preparation lately 



plncei] upon the market i^ivi^s the quickest 

 rt^sults I Itave vvi <ilitaiii(M! aiul the blue 



Eun and air in autumn in order to build up frost is necessary in the case of the roots, shades are singula I'ly fr*^' from the purple 



HYDRANGEAS ON THE TERRACE AT COOMBE COURT, KINGSTON. 



strong buds to flower the followino; year, 

 plants treatt>d in this manner may be grown 

 m 60-sized or 48-sized pots, and will de- 

 velop an inflorescence out of all proportion 

 to the size of the pot, the chief requisite 

 to this end being a rich, loamy soil when 

 potting, while, during the growing period in 

 spring, a weekly ap])li<*ation of liquid 

 manure is advisable. After flowering, 

 plants of this description are most suitable 

 for growing into large specimens. Before 

 placing them in larger pots as much old 

 soil should be removed as possible, as this 

 admits the maximum quantity of new soil, 

 and is also a safeguard agains-t overpotting. 

 To obtain large specimens, such asi are 

 generally in request, as tub plants, for fur- 

 nishing terraces and other formal positions 

 in the garden during summer, large plants 

 of several years' growth are needed, and, 

 when placing these in large tubs, it is never 

 advisable to use plants other thiin those tho- 

 roughly well rootedj as hydrangeas resent 



and if water is withheld from these in late 

 autumn, so that the mass of soil is prac- 

 tically dry during winter, then hydrangeas 

 may safely be wintered in any airy out- 

 house, shed, or even sheltered verandah. 

 Early in March they should be examined, 

 cleaned, and watered, and placed in a sunny 

 yet sheltered part of the garden, and. with 

 the unfolding of the first leaves, the annual 

 top-dressing should be afforded. Plants so 



t r e a t ed flo we r during Aug u s t and S ep - 

 tember. 



In order to obtain hydrangeas in flower 

 during May and June the plan>ts should 

 be introduced into heat in January. A tem- 

 perature of 50 deg., rising 5 or 10 deg. 

 with 6un heat, is ample at all times, and if 

 they are placed near the glass and fully ex- 

 posed to the sun, short, robust specimens 

 will result. A long-growing season is much 

 to be commended for hydrangeas, in prefer- 

 ence to rapid forcing, as the latter invari- 

 ably weakens the woo<I, an l entails much 



which frequently mars one's efforts in this 

 dirtHtion. 



It is well to remember when potting 

 hydrangeas, with the view of ofbtaining blue 

 flowers, that lime in any form is detrimental 

 to the process, a remark that applies 

 equally to water impregnated with the same 

 substance. Thomas Smith. 



Coombe Court Gardens. 



Bcug:ainvillea glabra.— Despite 



the fact that, when grown out of doors dur- 

 ing the summer months, tlio bracts of this 

 bougainvillea are very richly coloured, it 

 is often allowed to devt^o]) in a close and 

 shaded structure, under wliicli conditions it 

 cannot for one moment compare with tho;>e 

 grown in a cooler and more exposed manner. 

 Time was when this bougainviliea was re- 

 garded absolutely as a stove plant, but now, 

 in common with many other subjects, it has 

 been proved that less heat is neecs>ary for 

 its well-doing. — W, 1- 



