842 



THE 



GARDENERS' MA^AZINli. 



November 2, 19ll 



NERINES. 



Since the days when the old Nerine sar- 

 niensis (Guernsey Lily) was introduced 

 many fine species and varieties of this 

 showy genus have found their way into our 

 gardens^ but w^e do not find them grown 

 to any considerable extent. Nerines, 

 though not hardy, except in the most 

 favoured spots in this country, are never- 

 theless well worthy of cultivation in all 

 places where room can be afforded them. 

 Most of them will succeed well in a cold 

 frame, provided the frost is kept from them 

 during the winter, and when all danger of 

 frost is past they should be stood in a 

 sunny position in the open until the foliage 

 dies down. It is thought by some that 

 repotting prevents the bulbs from flower- 

 ing freely, but that is not my experience, 

 and, having grown some hundreds, which 

 bloomed most profusely, a few remarks 

 upon management niay be of general 

 interest. 



The nerine is a native of South Africa, 

 and, with us, flowers in the autumn be- 

 fore the foliage has developed. When 

 ■^rown in pots, about five bulbs should }>e 

 ])laoed in 32's or 24's, according to the size 

 of the bulbs and the variety grown, as some 

 kinds make much larger bulbs than others, 

 and their foliage, too, is much stronger, 

 and therefore needs more room to develop. 

 The bulbs should be potted up in August, 

 and stood in a cold frame, so that the lights 

 could be put over them to protect them 

 from rain, as it is necessary to keep the 

 soil dry until the flow^er-buds appear, when 

 water should be given in moderate quan- 

 tities. Air should be admitted freely both 

 4 lay and night so as to induce the flower 

 st(^ms to grow as stout as possible, and 

 on no account should the plants be intro- 

 duced into artificial heat, as this causes 

 the flower-spikes to draw up spindly, and 

 renders them incapable of supporting the 

 flowers in an upright position. Large, well- 

 ri])ened bulbs should prodiue two trusses 

 of bloom each ; it is seldom they profluce 

 more. As the flower-stems appear before 

 th(^ leaves, it will })c necessary when using 

 these ])lants for decorative ]un-post*s to em- 

 plov other foliage to cover the ])ots. 



When the ])lants have gom* out of flower 

 th<*v .should be sto(Kl in a cold frame, and 

 here the foliage will continue to grow pro- 

 vided frost is excluded, so that by spring 

 it will have become thoroughly developed. 

 When all danger of severe frost is past, 

 the pots should be stood in a sunny position 

 ui the open where the bulbs will l>ecome 



ducing fine scarlet flowers ; it i^ worthy of 

 cultivation, and should be given a place 

 where there is only room for two or three 

 kinds. N.Bowdeniis of recent introduction, 

 and rather a strong grower, making bulbs 

 and foliage similar to that of Fothergilli 

 major, but the flowers arc of a beautiful 

 pink colour. There are many other kinds 

 worthy of inclusion, and as all seed freely, 

 there is no difficulty in raising hybrids. 

 Seed germinates freely, and soon produces 

 good bulbs, so that there is no difficulty 

 in working up a stock of these plants. 



H. C. Prinsep. 



are 



with herbaceous 



PERENNIALS FOR SPRING 



FLOWERING. 



One of the most striking instances of 

 neglect of plants is the manner in which 

 most of the spring-blooming perennials are 

 either not employed at all, or else so in- 

 efficiently that their whole merits 

 wasted. Bedding out 

 plants for summer is becoming popular, 

 whether they are left to spread in the 

 ground or are lifted later for border en- 

 richment, but the beauties that blossom 

 from March to the end of May are seldom 



placed anywhere but as isolated specimens 

 on rockeries. 



A notable example of fine garden- 

 ing was given in the front garden 

 of a villa in a southern county last 

 year ; the precise site was a four- 

 feet wide border against a white stone 

 house, facing south-west. The back row 

 consisted of Daphne Mezereum shrubs, 

 alternately trained to the wall and set 

 forward as bushes, the next row was of 

 Megasea speciosa Leichtlini, the third of 

 Pulmonaria mollis, and the fourth was an 

 edging belt composed of the single crim- 

 son primrose Miss Massey, double lilac and 

 double white primroses. The megasea is 

 an exceedingly showy form, fifteen inches 

 high, producing handsome foliage and clear 

 rose blooms; the pulmonaria, with its 

 mingling of blue and rose, harmonised with 

 the peach of the double primrcses in a 

 fashion that an ai tist would anticipate. 



Window-boxes above ^vere remarkable 

 for the use of another neglected spring 

 ])erennial, in front of and between minia- 

 ture golden shrubs ; this was Megasea 

 Straeheyi, which gives an immense amount 

 of April florescence, of pale pink, at a 

 height of six inches. In ornamentai stone 



urns near were doub^.e rose and gokl tulips 

 edged by purple pansies, and pink, as dis- 



riiHMied and the foliage die off, so that a tinct from white, arabis. 



This 



rest may be giv(»n them before repotting 

 in August. 



The most popular kinds grown in pots 

 are X. Fothert^illi. This has a fair-sized 

 bidb. and as tlie foliage is rather broad it 

 r<'(jni!-cs more ])()t room than some of the 

 sinallei -growing kinds. The flower stems are 

 stout, carrying from six to (Mght oi- more 

 l)right crimson flowers. There is a variety 

 known as N. Fothergilli major, which 

 is similar in every resptxt except that it 

 grows larger. X. sarniensis is a smaller- 

 growing kind, producing bright red flowers 

 on slender stems in Septemlier and October. 

 This is most useful for cutting, as the 

 individual flowers remain in perfection for 

 a considerable time, and, having such a 

 light, elegant appearance, are exquisite for 

 arranging in vases. This species will grow 

 in the open in sheltered situations near the 

 sea in tlie .southern 



nties, but T liav(^ 

 always fonnd it do much better wh(*n given 

 the )u-(>tfv-tion of a cold frame, as the foli- 

 age is ant to be iniured bv frost, and 

 when this happens the bulbs receive a 



check, and so do not bloom so freely after- 

 wards. 



was a 



worthy attempt to bring neglectetl plants 

 into prominence. 



Orobus vernus is an instance of a pleas- 

 ing perennial, one foot high. Although th^ 

 blue-lilac blossoms cannot be called strik- 

 ing, they give a particularly agreeable 

 contrast to the gold, orange, and brown of 

 double wallflowers, those giants that our 

 grandfathers cultivated to perfection, but 

 which are now seldom seen attaining the 

 height and w^ealth of sj)ikcs of which the 

 })lant is capable. There is a double white 

 variety of this ()robus that is passing out 

 of notice; still it is not more valuable than 

 the double white arabis that has succeeded 

 it. Other blue and white flowering earlv 

 perennials are the six-inch Omphalodes 

 verna and O. v. alba. 



A vshrub often classed among herbaceous 

 plants and belonging to the order rosaoe{e 



is Xuttallia cerasiformis. This should be- 

 come a deniz^ 



N. 



oor 



goo<l 



of every gard(*n. Grow- 

 ing ultimately to a height of four f^^^t, it 

 gives early white blossom, and is suite<l, 

 like the daphne, to wall-training if this 

 niethml is preferred. Bv-thc-])yc two 

 fiimiliar shrubs make a satisfactorv 'eff^et 

 nailed against a warm wall, giving their 



already early fresh green leafage some 

 weeks sooner than in the open. Ihese are 

 the red or yellow American currants and 

 the Snowberry Tree (Symphoricarpus). h 

 front of these might be grouped Japanese 

 primroses, in any locality where ordinary 

 primroses thrive, with auriculas perhaps, 

 the twelve-inch yellow Potentilla 



or 



as its 



pyrenaica, or the two-feet Potentilla rupes- 

 tris, white. Primula japonica should not 

 be grown near a red-brick wall, 

 crimson shade clashes. 



Uncommon spring effects can be gained, 

 too, by filling borders with a crimson-and- 

 gold variety of German iris, and purple 

 Helleborus orientalis, with giant polyan- 

 thuses for an edging. Small standards of 

 the Japanese quince will give an exquisite 

 show at intervals along a terrace border; 

 beneath them crimson pansies would make 

 plenty of colour, with double blue and 

 white hepaticas for an earlier display. The 

 double rose hepatica will make a harmony 

 as a carpet to a small shrubbery of golden 

 privet, the whole being improved by the 

 proximity of copper beeches, forming new 

 leaves later as companion to the yellow 

 shrub, deep-lined German iris being set in 

 clumps here and there, with a ring of 

 Darwin tulips around each. 



Purple, as distinct from violet, German 

 iris, constitute one of the herbaceous bor- 

 der's richest hues in earlv Mav ; the double 

 red daisy, Bellis perennis, adds to the 

 glowing appearance if lavishly planted for 

 a foreground, tall purple columbines will 

 add to the iris hue, or succeed it; purple 

 pansies will not be out of place, and the 

 edging may be of rose, crimson, mauve, not 

 lavender, and purple aubrietia, that useful 

 miniature perennial that begins early and 

 is loth to discontinue blooming. It is by 

 concentrating colour that notable masses 

 are gained at a season when brilliance and 

 richness of hue are otherwise missed. 



Giant gold pansies are so vahmble that 

 it is surprising how seldom they are sepa- 

 rated from those of other tints. If they 

 are cultivated in rich deep soil, with dif- 

 ferent doronicums, and fnlged by several 

 sorts of yellow madwort, or alyssum, the 

 result Avill be an earlv ]»e<l, or stretch of 

 border, of brightnt^ss s<\arcely ever wit- 

 nessed until summer. 



Dioentra eximia is a dwarf plant of no 

 especial value as a specimen, but capable 

 of assisting excelhuitly in bed-filling. As 

 a close carpet its ruddy bloom and lovely 

 foliage will tone delightfully with crimson 

 polyanthuses and wallfloAvers. Lastlv, the 

 Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratense fl. pl ) 

 should not be despised. Its pale ])nrple 

 colour is a fit companion for yellow and 

 violet German irises and columbines, edged 

 by hybrid primroses. M. H. 



rias.— The different species of 

 these Mexican orchids are now classed with 

 cpidendrums. B. elegans, B. spectabilis, B. 

 Lindley ana , and li . Skinneri are difficult 

 plants to cultivate and keep in a presentable 

 condition for long together, lliey are best 

 grown in shallow pans^ suspended close up 

 to the roof glass, where they obtain the 

 maximum amount of light, giving them 

 plenty of water during the growing season, 

 and resting them afterwards as advised for 

 the other Mexican species. They do best 

 in a comportt r-iniilar to that used for catt- 

 leyas and laelias. but care must be taken not 

 to overburden the roots with compost by 

 placing them in large receptacles. Tlie 

 house in which these and other Mexican 

 species are grown mu«t be well ventilat'^d 

 on all favourable occasions. r-i)t'('i;iny 

 Jiight^ as they enjoy a buoyaul and airv 

 rnosphere at all times therefore very little 

 damping down will be iiocesi^ury luilcss there 

 inncli stm boat, oy ;ni v\iv;\ aninnnt of Hre 



1 



iicat has 

 weather. 



to \)v iistnl, owiijo 

 J. T. Barker. 



