954 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. decembeb u, 1912. 



LILIUMS.— I. 



Liliums are a veiy distinct and useful 

 genus of bullous plantSj about sixty spe- 

 cies l>eing in cultivation. There are also 

 a considerable number of botanical and 

 garden varieties^ and a few hybrids. Lilies 

 are wild in almost every country in the 

 >»orthern Hemisphere, troni Japan in the 

 East to California in the West. Explora- 

 tions during recent years in Central and 

 Western China point to that part of Asia 

 as the headquarters of the genus, thirty- 

 eight specie^ij awording to the *'B<)t^uiical 

 Magazine/' being natiA'cs ot ('liiua ; Nortli 

 America comes next with seventeen^ and 

 Japan fifteen. It s*'«Mns not improbable 

 that several species regarded as natives of 

 China and Japan have been introduced to 

 Japan from China, where lilies appear to 

 have l>een cultivated for centiiries. The 

 true L. Browni is said to l>e only found 

 wild in China, though wo obtain most of 

 our btilb-s from Japan. Several sjx^ies 

 grow iu tropical oountrii?s^ thougli .it lngli 

 altitudes, L. philippinense, for (^xample, 

 being foimd at an elevation of 7^000 feet 

 in the Philippines. 



Tlio (Milti\ ati()n of liliums in this country 

 dates i);u*k to Shakosponre's time. fre- 

 qiHMitly tefers to thcMii in bis writings, aiul 

 we know from old writers that L. eatidi- 

 <lin;i. L. inartagon, and L. chalcedonicum 

 wer*^ intrcMlueed into this country late in 

 the sixteenth centurv. It is no doubt to 

 the Madonna Lily. L. candidum, that 

 Shakespeare alhuh^s. L. niartagon is 

 naturalised in s(*veral ]>arts of the country. 

 Tn passing, it is intei*estiiig to note that 

 in so larg<» and wi<lely distributed a g(»nns 

 there is not a single sperirs that <an iiv)- 

 sonably be considered as nn wort liy of n 



])bK'(x in our gard<Mis. All are worthy of 

 <'ultivation as <le['orat i^'e plants. 



Propa.g:ation. 



The increase of liliums is ])ossible by 

 seeds, offsets, or division ot tlu* Indbs, 

 scales, and bulbils. It is vei y ])robable 

 that if lilies were raised extensively from 

 seeds in this country many more of the 

 beautiful species would 1>ecome perma- 

 nentlv established in our borders, and the 

 nec-essity to import thousands of l)nlbs an- 

 nually from Japan and Holland would l)e 

 appreciably lessened. The <'hiet' <li'awback 

 to raisinsi lilies from seeds eomniereiallv is 

 that it takes from two to six y*^ais to 

 flower most of them from seeds. ()i)\-ionsly 

 work for the amateur ratber tlian I hose 

 who grow for sale, as long as it is jtossiblo 

 to ])urchase the Ja]>ani^se article at '^uli low 

 prizes, (vven though aeknowledg*Hl inf<M ior 

 to the honu^-gi'own l)nlbs. Wbih^ tlie se<'ds 

 of some lilies may tak(^ six iiionths or longer 

 tr> irerininat*', L. iii^^uiti'Uin i- oiu* -of the 

 i;r<'a test la;^(::a if Is \u tli is i es|K'( t . others 

 < ()me up (juickly. (mm inination is liasten^Ml 

 by sowing tlu^ serds as s(Kin as ripe. 



Sow in well-diaim'd ])ans of light, sandy 

 soil, and stan<l \n a <'o<il greenliotise or uu- 

 heated frame to germinate. Tn due course 

 the seedlings will be large enough to ]^rick 

 out about an inch apart in pans or shallow 

 boxes. The soil this time need nt)t bo 

 quite so fine, and may <ons!st of equal 

 parts peat, sandy loam, leaf-mould, and 

 coarse sand. Tlio next move will bo to nur- 

 serv 1)(m1s where it will consideiablv lu'ln 

 th(^ mor*^ tender kinds if th(\v are planted 

 in s u cl I a p os i t i on as ^v\\\ nWow of 1 1 u> i i- 

 bcinn; covered in winter Avitb 1 ights as a 

 protection against exc(^ssiv(>, j»ioisture, an<l 

 a liiilo a'^>.istanee <lurinfi; severe weather 

 wbib^ the buUts are in th(v seed Ix^ls. 



l*ropai;ation by nieaiis of scales is some- 

 what like raising seedlings. A few of the 

 outer scales are taken off the bulbs, or ihoy 

 may be pulled to pieces if large numbers 

 are desired. These are spread thinly over 



the surface of pang filled Avith light^ w^ell- 

 drained soil, and covered with a thin laj-er 

 of sand. In due time a tiny bulb develops 

 on each scale, these being, when large 

 enough, transferred to nursery beds with 

 the seedlings. 



As the growth of the lily bulbs proceeds 

 they throw up two or more stems, Avhich in- 

 dicates that the mother bulb is dividing 

 up, or producing offsets. When an increase 

 of stock is required, or the stems become 

 unduly crowded, the bulbs may be lifted 

 and divided. 



Bulbils are formed in the axils of the 

 leaves of several species, notably on L. 

 tigrinum, L. vsulphureum, L. bulbiferum, 

 and L. Brow*^ni leucant\hum. Remove these 

 from the stem when they, will detach fairly 

 readily. Place in boxes. of light sandy soil, 

 and treat as advised for scales. Several 

 I i lies Avhich produce stem roots, that is 



roots at the base of the stem above the 

 bulb, as well as from beneath, develop tiny 



bulbs on the stem among these roots, these 

 forming a rea<i^ means of: iiicrease. In- 

 stances are L. longiflorum and L. Henryi. 



A, OSBORN. 



SECLUSION IN GARDENS. 



A garden should be at once overlooked 

 and secluded. The house windows should 

 have some of the fairest floral and foliage 

 displays exposed to them, and passers-by 

 slH)nlci be allowed glimpses of those plea- 

 sure-grounds that are so Avell j^lanted as to 

 institute triumphs ; but nooks, whole por- 

 tions, should remain shut away from all 

 except thoso who penetrate them. Unless 

 tbei'e is i)rivacy liere and there the home 

 feeling of the gai"<len will be lost, and it 

 will bavr nouv of that soothing influence so 

 gratetui to tlu^ artist, the author, or man 

 or woman bnrdened with nuuiy thoughts 

 and cares. 



In even a small villa back garden secluded 

 seats can i)e arranged. If there is only 

 one poiiit from which a pleasant view can 

 be obtained, that should be taken advan- 

 tage of, and prohably the best of all ways 

 in which to make a miniature solitude is by 

 setting up a wooden screen. If the back 

 piece of this is twelve feet long and eight 

 to ten feet high, and two side wings are 

 of six feet Avidth, a considerable area of 



y — — — 



ground will be shielded from observation. 

 Tlieri^ need be no roofing, branches will 

 supply a partial one in time, if that is con- 

 si(ler(Hl <lesirable. An inner border may 

 follow tbo. walls, exeejn where bench seats 

 ar*^ spt. ()iu» of these may be slanted 

 across eacb corner, which will enable sun- 

 sliiiu^ to l>e enjoyed or escaped from, ac- 

 ionling to ])leasure. and a short onmmental 

 seat can occupy the centre of the back wall. 

 Tlie flooring ought to be well slanted. If 

 that is done, it can be inf.rcly of gravel, 

 especially if foot-rests aro giv(4i\o the seats! 

 In tbe middle of tlie grav(d might be a 

 miniature round bed containing a pillar 

 rose or weeping standard, with violas be- 

 neath, a small ]-o-kery mound for delicate 

 aljunes. or, for utilitarian value, a rustic 

 table. Tbe screens themselves should be 

 simply cbtsE^ly-fitted deal, the joints puttied 

 over, and j^ainted dull dark grev, a colour 

 tbat will lie found far better 'in keeping 

 with tbe environs than would any other, 

 (ireen ])aint. if used in gardens, must be 

 of an 4'xe«»edingly <lull s]iad(\ as it infallibly 

 <*laslios with the foliage greens. Krown i's 

 apt to prove too warm in tone, giving by 

 <■< ntrast a balf-dead appearance to'^tho 

 tiatural wood of sbrnb and tr(^e bram bes. 



Anotber way to form a tborough screen 

 to a part of the pleasure-grounds is to plant 

 n hedge of common laurel on the summit 

 of a six-feet liank, either in a round, semi- 

 eircle, oblong, or square shape, the first 



being the most ornamental. Shrub-lovers 

 are wont to protest against the employment 

 of the ordinary laurel where a variety 01 

 evergreens could be used, but the rapid and 

 close growth is its great merit, and the 

 glossy green is charming in all the months of 

 the year^ but especially when new shoots are 

 visible. Laurels should not be clipped ; all 

 the pruning necessary should be carefully 

 done by the removal of small branches. 

 There is one method, however, by which 

 additional beaiity can be given to the laurel 

 hedge ; this is by planting common bracken 

 fern between the shrubs. The fronds will 

 struggle to the light somehow, even if they 

 have to pierce a thicket, ami will have a 

 lovely appearance both in spring green and 

 avitumn crimson, orange, and gold hues. 



Partial screens are a most satisfactory 

 addition to gardens that lack shade or 

 j^rivacy in summer, but are damp in winter, 

 and ought not, therefore, to have the 

 shadow in them added to permanently, or 

 the beneficial drying sunshine of the dull 

 season obstructed. The best partial screen 

 consists of a very tall wire-netting wall, 

 supported by thin deal posts, and the whole 

 painted a green so dark as to be almost 

 black. When rambler roses are well trained 

 over this, with plants of ipomoeas, and 

 purple Coheea scandens, if the climate per- 

 mits, the protection each year will be most 



efficient. ^ 



A permanent screen can be well made of 

 wire netting, with green Japanese honey- 

 suckle trained against it. If rather more 

 colour is desired, the Flame Flower (Tro- 

 pPGolum speciosum), where it will thrive, 

 may adorn the cool sides, and any of the 

 large-blooming clematises, in mauve, rosy- 

 peach, and purple, can be accompanied by 

 yellow jasmine and the scarlet-oopper climb- 

 ing rose LTdeale. 



Other methods of obtaining secluded spots 

 are by the planting of thickets of holly- 

 hocks, giant sunflowers, delphiniums, mul- 

 leins, polygonums, or other extremely tall 

 perennials, by making rose hedges, either 

 on banks or levels, rockery walls, throwing 

 up banks as high as small hills, or exca- 

 vating dells. Summer-houses and orna- 

 mental sheds always make nooks and 

 prevent vision from ranging at once over 

 the garden. Their usefulness is added to 

 immensely by huilding trellis-wood screens 

 out from their sides, or porches of the 

 painted trellis-w^ork to their entrances. 



M. H. 



Primula malacoides- — Very fe^ 



greenhouse plants have made their way so 

 rapidly in popular favour as this Chinese 

 species of primula, which has already 1>^- 

 come a favourite with market growers. -IJ 

 flowers continuously for a long time, ana 

 wc shall no doubt ere long have a ^^^^^ 

 range of colour than at presjsnt exists, though 

 the typical kind varies somewhat in tint, 

 and there is now also a white-flowered 

 variety. It is first-rate for windows. — T. 



Aconitum Wilsoni ha* rapidly 



attained to a foremost position among our 

 late-flowering perennials. A recent intro- 

 duction from Chira, it is a strong, erect 

 grower, attaining a height of some five to 

 six feet, the fepikes, which are of mas^ve 

 build, are crowded with, large, hooded flowers 

 of a rich, medium blue; the centre spike, as 

 in the case of delphiniums, opens first dur- 

 ing September, and the euccession is main- 

 tained as the laterals flower in October, 

 succeeds best in soils that do not part too 

 readily with their moisture, while soils ot a 

 light character, vif liberally treated witn 

 farm-yard manure previous to planting, gi^^ 

 excellent resulted, although the growth is w*!^ 

 quite m tall. Aconitum Wilsoni is fi"^'* 

 sterling merit in the autumn 

 should be planted in various aspects, 

 order to ensure the maximum display 

 Thomas Smith, Coombe Court Gardens. 



of 6 



that 



in 



