THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



961 



December 14, 1912. 



GEUMS. 



The geiims inclucles a considerable mim- 

 ber of species and varieties^ all of which 

 are of the easiest culture, succeeding in or- 

 dinary garden soil, and producing their 

 gaily-coloured flowers over a more or less 

 extended season. The positions wherein 

 they lend themselves for decoration is either 

 the rock garden, or in borders or beds de- 

 voted to perennials ; they produce the best 

 effect when planted in bix)ad masses of each 



kind, and, being perfectly hardy, they may 

 remain undisturbed for several years. After 



the third season some decrease in size of the 

 flowers takes place in G. Heldreichi and 

 G. coccineuui and their varieties, so that it 

 is advisable to replant these after every 



the manner of Anemone pulsatilla, which 

 invests them with a certain beauty after 

 the flowers fade. G. aurantiacum is a 

 most attractive hybrid 'between the last- 

 named and G. Heldreichi; the flowers are 

 coppery-orange colour, on slender stems a 

 foot high. 



Geum Heldreichi resembles^ and is said 

 to be a form of, G. montanum ; in habit of 

 growth this is so, but the flowers are very 

 large aud coloured soft orange. In the 

 variety .splendens the flowers are of a 

 shade of reddish-orange, on stems fifteen 

 inches in height, land the variety magnifi- 

 cum attains a height of eighteen inches, 

 with or a n ge-colou re<l flowers th a t h a ve 

 generally two rows of petals, the others pre- 

 viously named being single. 



OVERCROWDING 

 HERBACEOUS BORDERS. 



A herbaceous lM>rder, well arrange<l as 

 regards the disposition of lM)th the growth 

 and the e<ilour of the flowers, forms one of 

 the most attractive features of a garden. 

 There are now so manv beautiful varie- 

 ties of the different kinds that a border, 

 judiciously treattxl, may look well for the 

 greater part of a wliolo year. 



X^sually, one finds the different kinds of 

 ])lants indiscriminately mixed so that many 

 with a weak habit are smotliered by the 

 stronger, and, as a result, the Imrder ])re- 

 sen ts a weedy a ])]>(*a ra nee . Every pi a n t 

 grown in a bonier should liave ample sj)aee 

 for development, and if more specimens of 



ASPLENIUlM divaricatum elegans. 



\ graceful fern, with licrht green, black-stc mmod fronds. A.M., R.H.S., December 3. Messrs. J. J. Parker and Co., Whetstone. 



second year, ^eums are readily propa- 

 gated bv division of the crowns, which may 

 be safely carried out at planting time, in 

 autumn or spring. They are also readily 

 raised from seed, sown in nursery be<ls in 

 April and May, or earlier under glass, and 

 if t r a n spla n t ixl wlien ... . ^ 

 handle^ strong plants are 

 autumn. 



Geums come practically true from seed, 

 a?i(l I !it^ 



larfre enough to 



obtained by 



exC'Cpt HHl . 



Alpiiu^ 



vanety Mrs. liradshaw beint!: no 



G 



montanum is -a handsonu^ 

 >pecipv robust in growth, the foli- 

 ;tg(> r(\stinir on th( 

 tufts from u liifli 



ground . 



and form 



i\ I isc .si out st*Mns. some 

 uine iuch(\s in Ihm^Ii t , ca rrviuu hi rm 

 <h'n-v)>Un\v fh)\\ei'^ : 



nig ;i 



iiol- 



t liesc -AW vU('<'etMlod hv 

 fcatliery 



Geum coccineum i.s one of tlie commonest, the smaller subjects Avere planted together 



its bright crimson flowers being produced 

 all through the summer and autimin. It 

 succeeds under most indifferent conditions. 



and, being hardv 



and a vigorous utowoi'. 



it suitable intervals a liolder and yet more 

 pleasing effect would be secured. 



The formal, sloping bank of plants 

 on a broad border finds fav<nu' with 



it has earned a full share of popular fav^)Ul•. nianv cultivators, but 

 This latter characteristic has all the appear- gj^f^^i*!^] 



greater 



ance of having l>een transferred to its varietv 

 Mi"s. Brad-^haw, owing to the duplicating of 

 the segments and tlieir elegant frilling, 

 which gives this variety tht^ appearance 

 of a perfectly douhle flower ( t more than 

 ordinai'v attra<'tiA'eness. The flowers a?'e 



verv large. ri<*li <Mim.son, and borne ])rn- 



(lu linir snnmu^r and autumn . G. 



sh^nder-'branched kind , 



in mv <»|>ini('n 



1h 



variety 

 )duced. 



There are many 

 that 



nuiY 



groundwork 



attachment; after orange 



fusel V 



miniat um is a 

 allied to (J. i-hiloense. The flowers are rich 



Tuos. Smith, 



kiiuls of dwarf gro\\i:h 



l>e p 1 an t ed to for m a 



to taller ones ; the latter 



being disposeil well apart so that thoy do 



not unduly interfere with the well-lxung of 



tluMr <hvarf neighlM)urs. Tho latter need 



not l>e wliollv confined to the front l^ait 

 of the border, neither should the tall on* s 



be limited to thv l)nck portion. 



G. B. 



