700 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



September 14^ 1912 



EARLY POT ROSES. 



Where pot roses are grown it is gene- 

 rally to supply a few eariy blooms to come 

 in a little before the climbers upon the 

 walls of greenhouses. In order to secure 

 this it is necessary to prepare the plants 

 <luring August ajid fcieptember. Those 

 which have flowered under forced treatment 

 during last winter, and have been pro- 

 perly attended to since, will now need care- 

 ful examination. Having been growing 

 from January onwards, they have had 

 quite time enough to make sufficient growth 

 for our purpose, providing they were j^idi- 

 cioiisly treated, and not allowe<l to become 

 dry or starved at the roots, as is too often 

 the case with forced roses immediately after 

 their most useful crop of blossoms has been 

 realised. My own plants have been 

 stjuidinp; out of doors since the middle of 

 June, and aie now rather more than three 

 parts ripened. As usual, the hybrid per- 

 petuals are the ripest. We can seldom get 

 the whole of the growths upon the teas 

 and tlieir hybrids quite ripe until frost aids 

 us, and even in the open ground it needs 

 a considerable p<*ri(Kl of frost and -colder 

 weather before these are properly ripened. 



When a plant has been in a pot for 

 a coiiple of seasons it is wise to turn it 

 out and remove as inucli of the old and 

 worn-out soil as possible^ without too much 

 injury to the roots. Even when it is re- 

 turned to the same sized pot, the presence 

 of some entirely fresh soil is of immense 

 benefit, in fact, is absolutely necessary to 

 secure the best results. The best compost 

 is a strong turfy yellow loam^ helped by 

 suitaltle manures. But this is hard to 

 rl)t;nn. and nr>t absolutely necessary. A 



conipost < ;in ni;Mlf as follows: Cood 

 Inani and well -decayed vegetable refuse, 

 one-third each, anil the i-emaindcr made 

 np of r<iad sweepings, well-decayed manure, 

 and a little sand. Do not use road sw(>ep- 

 ings from tarred highways, whi:di is all the 



more <lea<lly fjoni tlie pr<^senee -of petrol 

 throu^^b leakage antl waste from motor 

 cars. Stable manure, ludess tliorouiibly 

 rotted, !e:i\-es the <-()nipo^t teo lenst^ as it 

 decays, and 1 j)refer tliat from a farm- 

 yard, or even a few ])iee<*s of dried cow 

 manure, to the looser material from the 

 stable. Do not have the compost broken 

 up so finely as most use it. So long as 

 some of it can be work(^l among the roots 

 the remainder may be coarse, and will be 

 l^etter so if pressed down firmly. Too finely 

 riddled a compost sets down hard from suc- 

 cessive waterings, and soon stagnates. The 



roots must not l>e cram]>ed nor bunched to 

 one side of the i>ot. and if the plant can 

 be potte<l a trifle deeper than it was l)e- 

 fore it will be better^ as this will en- 

 •fonraoe lower growths that arc stroTigtM" 



iban tlui>e breaking:; liiglier u]> the ])lant. 



looses require a <'onsiderab]4» amftunt of 

 water, and tlie pots must be well <lrained. 

 There is not nearly so niueb di*ainage niate- 

 l iiil needed as many use, and I do not a]>- 

 ]>rn\ e of crocks or pieces of pot alone 

 supplying the drainage. Two or three 

 pieces ])roperly place^l are ample, a few 

 lialf-inch bones and coarser soil being added 

 before the ball of the plant is set into the 

 ^ot. Add a little of the prepared corn- 

 iest at a time, and press firmly with the 

 lingers, or a piec-e of woml. 



After potting stand the plants upon the 

 slmdy side of a hedge or wall, and sprinkle 

 the g I' o th f reel y t wo o r t b r (^e t i m e s a 

 dav durinn; fine weatli(M'. This; wil! not 

 onU' cruard airninst anv und ie sbi iveliin<z. 

 but prevent the ^rouili fioni dra^int: all 

 needcf] moisture from tlio roots for a slinit 

 iime. l\y the end of Se))tend)er the roots 

 slinuld ba V'^ worked f reelv into the new 



have plumped up and be ready to break 

 into new growth as soon as put under cover 



once more. 



Do not introduce the plants to heat 

 hastily, but let them come along naturally 

 as they will for a time when brought 

 under glass again, afterwards giving just 

 sufficient heat to keep the growtli on tlie 

 move until the flower buds appear, when it 

 is generally safer to hurry them a little. 

 Little pruning is needed ; simply cut away 

 weak growths, and shorten back the 

 stronger rather less than would be prac- 

 tised upon the same variety in the open ; 

 but always keep the centre of the plants 



from becoming crowded. 



ROSARIAN. 



THE MIXED BORDER. 



The numerous illustrated gardening books 

 which issue from the press in a never- 

 ending stream accustom us to pictures in 

 which we see the whole of a mixed border 

 one blaze of colour from end to end. 

 Whether it is intended that we should be- 

 lieve them to represent the normal con- 

 dition of a successfully managed border at 

 any time during the height of the summer 

 or no, the fact is that they are apt to 

 make us very discontented with our own 

 comparatively poor efi^orts. But a little 

 reflection will show us that a border which 

 in early June is a magnificent display of 

 irises, tree lupins, eschscholtzias, and 

 Oriental poppies, will present but a dull 

 appearance from July to September, while 

 a border which at the end of the same 



necessarily at the expense of the effects 

 in the height of the summer. 



With this consideration borne m mind 

 the scheme adopted must be one in which 

 there are always some effective subjects in 

 flower in a given border auring the season 

 the garden is usefl, arranging it so that 

 it is at its best when it is expected to be 

 most seen and appreciated. Plants in 

 flower should be surrounded by others which 

 are full of growth and promise, those which 

 have had their season, and are finished 

 with, being so planted that later-flower- 

 ing plants may grow up in front 

 of them, or, in some cases, even spread 

 over them, so that the sense of prosperity 

 and general well-being may not appear to 

 be on the wane until August is at least 

 well advanced. To keep a mixed border 

 fairly presentable ail through the summer, 

 and not without beauty in the spring and 

 autumn, requires more thought than any 

 other phase of open-air gardening^ but it 

 can be done if two or three general prin- 



? borne in mind. 



ciples 



The first is that a stock of plants must 

 always be kept in reserve to fill up any gaps 

 which occur as the summer advances. These 

 may be either plants in pots, or clumps 

 i\n the open whicli can be easily lifted 

 any time during the summer when the 

 weather is damp, such as early-flowering 

 chrysanthemums, annual asters, snap- 

 dragons, Michaelmas daisies, or even young 

 plants which it is desirable to put in their 

 flowering positions for the following year 

 so as to avoid moving them late in the 

 autumn, such as the Dropmore anchiisi, 



month has towering spikes of delphmiiims, ^ j. ViniKrli/YoVc 



4: ^ ^ TT 1 Caucasican scabious, tree lupins, nollyliocKs. 



groups of wliite or orange lilies, and masses d th I'k t ^ ^ 



of the Dropmore anchusa, may be rather 

 an ej^esore in two or three weeks' time. 



These picture-book eff^ects are very fine 

 for the visitor to admire, but for the man 

 who wants to enjoy his garden from April 

 t<j September, and even another month at 

 each end, thev are a mistake, unless he has 

 so much space that he can afford to give 

 up beds and borders to each season of the 

 year, and, sifter a blaze of two or three 

 v/eoks at midsummer, be content to r^xpect 

 littlo more from them for the rest of the 

 summer than moderate tidiness. 



The most that can be done with borders 

 which are filled with perenn'als to produce 

 a great effect for a short time is to use 

 the spaces among the plants for bulbs to 

 make a display before the perennials grow 

 up, and with them may be associated such 

 early-flowering spring plants as primroses, 

 auriculas, leopard's bane, short-spurred 

 columbines, wallflowers, and the like, by 

 which means the great display of the sum- 

 mer may be preceded by a good deal of 

 brightness enrly in the spring. Borders 

 of this sort which are not expected to make 

 . nnv great show during some part of the 

 height of the summer should not bo located 

 in the most prominent parts of the garden, 

 notwitbstandiufi their l>rave show wben at 

 their l>est, unless they are plan1:e<l with 

 subjects which are at least of neat and 

 prosperous appearance after they have 

 flowered, as is the case vrith Chinese 

 pa^onios. tree lupins, iris, erigerons, etc. 



Tlie average man. however, with a gar- 

 den of moderate size, wants the whole of 

 that section of it which is given up to 

 flowers to l)e fairly presentable from May 

 to September, and in such cases compromise 

 must be the rule, though where the owners 

 are away for the same period of the sum- 

 mer or autumn earli vear the scheme of 

 planting: -will naturallv be influenced bv 

 this, for it w'll be a bad arrangement to 

 have a groat show of perennial sunflowers, 

 boVniums. rudbeckias, Japanese ane- 

 mones, and so on. when the familv is aAvav 

 tbo rrroater part of Aufrust and Rentember 



Another principle to be acted upon is 

 that plants which, though making a great 

 show, are soon over, and are untidy after- 

 wards, must not be put in such a promi- 

 nent part of the garden as tlie choicest 

 mixed beds and borders usually orcupv, hut 

 should be put where, while given full <^T)- 

 portunity to display themselves, their suh- 

 sequent untidiness will be of Httle_ conse- 

 quence. Oriental poppies, delphinnws, 

 and Madonna lilies may be treated in thi*^ 

 way. This applies to many annuals, 

 though some of the latter may well be grown 

 in patches in the mixed borders, and their 

 place taken by reserve plants as soon as 



they are getting untidy. 



Stni another useful principle to_ adopt in 

 the management of such borders is that ot 

 having a group or tw^o, at least, of sonie 

 plants which make a good show during the 

 greater part of the summer, such as gaii- 

 lardias. Coreopsis grandiflora, pontstemons 

 violas, sTiaprlrasons. genms. French am 

 African mariHolds, et€., which form an es- 

 oelknt stand-by while other things come 



and eo. 1, ■ ^ 



With a sinv-lar ohio<>t in viow. all mixfc 

 horders should contain at least some snia - 

 prowintT shrnhs or shrnbhv plants, win"' • 

 while beautiful in themselves, may act 

 a setting and a foil to give some 

 beauty to the border even , J, 



dead season. Among many such might 

 mentioned lavender, rosemary, some ot ^ 

 shrubbv veronicas, hvpericums. an" 



tie. and voun<r shrubs 



fuses, santolina. mvrtie . _ 



of laurustinus and Berberis T^arwrni. 



Alger Pi^tts 



Linum grandiflorum rubrun j 



—Tlie different annuals contribute no sn^^^ 

 share to the embellishment of our g<7 

 during the summer months, when au is 



ux.^.c. Of this class a great f^J^^^^i^ 

 of mine is the linum above mentioiiea,^^ 



and bright. 



flowers of a rich ruby-red colour, a 



darker centre. When the sun phine.^ on i 

 they are (piite da/zling in their mten 



soil, .nu.l tlM. eyes upon mat-ned wood will oaeh year, especially as such a display is 



Seed is very cheap, and can be r 

 vested. — W. 



eatlily li^'' 



