THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



January 8, 1898. 



A Remarkable Specimen Chrysanthemum. 



We 



great value of specimen chrysanthemums trained in the form of neat 

 bushes for the embellishment of the conservatory, and as suitable oppor- 



HlBISCUS SYRIACUS. 



THE Syrian hibiscus, known also as Althaea frutex, is the only species in 

 a fairly large genus that is both ligneus and hardy in this country. I n 

 the neighbourhood of London and southward it is perfectly hardy, while 



tunities have offered we have impressed upon societies specially interested in the Midlands ^ d J^ ^ 

 in the chrysanthemum the desirability of giving them liberal encourage- 



ment. In numerous instances our advice has been acted upon, with the 



result that they are frequently met with in gardens and at exhibitions 



with, as we believe, advantage to both. We can fully appreciate the skill 



evinced in the production of the large and finely flowered convex-trained 



specimens that are occasionally represented at competitive gatherings, 



and are ever ready to bestow upon the exhibitors the praise they so well 

 deserve ; but we are fully alive to the fact that the production of these 

 specimens imposes a severe tax upon both the time and the skill of the 

 cultivator, also that, however meritorious they may be, they do 

 not so readily lend themselves to artistic treatment in the arrangement of 

 the conservatory as do specimens that have been allowed a greater 

 latitude in tmaking their growth, and that they are consequently less 

 useful where chrysanthemums are grown exclusively for home decora- 

 tion. Bush-trained specimens, which usually form a magnificent feature 



winter, or has to be cultivated against a wall to be a success. All the 



numerous seedling varieties that have been perpetuated need similar 

 treatment, and all delight in a light, porous, and rich soil and a warm 

 position. In the drier soils of Surrey and Sussex the Syrian hibiscus 

 grows freely and flowers during August and September with wonderful 

 profusion, its succession of flowers fully making amends for the evanes- 

 cence of the individuals. The leaves are comparatively small and 

 variously lobed, wedge-shaped and toothed. The flowers are large and 

 vary in colour from rose to deep red and purple ; both single and double 

 forms are in cultivation. In height both species and varieties are from six 

 to eight feet when fully grown, and the habit is fastigiate rather than spread- 

 ing. They are deciduous, and the erect branches are freely produced. 



* Hibiscus syriacus was introduced from Syria about 1596, and was 

 certainly in cultivation in England previous to 1629, for Parkinson alludes 

 to it at the latter date as being somewhat tender. As late as Miller's 

 time there were no double-flowered varieties, but as the species became 



SPECIMEN CHRYSANTHEMUM FLORENCE PULLMAN. 



the coniHv SS 1 !!" 5 ' Wh r e P f re5ent i n y a BMW natural appearance than popular, and its seedlings exhibited great varietal tendency, double forms 

 k own with a^inXiiE t Jr^ thC defe £s ch a™cter.stic of the plants were soon selected, and these became very popular on the Continent : 



K rown witn a smele stem in accordanre with the nrartirp that nk»>U ;~ «.v.«,. tZ: , . . ' r ..i r • ,t.:. nc the 



the prodtu tion of exhibition blooms, and can be readily arranged to 

 produce effects at once rich and pleasing. Hence the desirability of both 

 extending and improving their cultivation. With a view to assist in 

 bringing about these desirable results we have figured some of the finest 

 examples that have come under our notice at the English exhibitions 

 and we now present our readers with an illustration of a splendidly 

 fl^ P nr S t P i CC,me K n£ Flor ^ce Pullman, which formed a conspicuous 



eth b tin? £& VI ^Ta ?J ht - Pe ™sylvania Horticultural Society's 

 exhibi on held at Philadelphia in November last. This specimen is 

 specially remarkable for the fact that instead of having been g^rown Tn a 



cu " S n C °nT St SU< r h * 1S 55 USUa ^ advised fo? chrysanthemums 

 a stn .r n ; n ;r f r i CUt ? n e « r ° wn in Jadoo fibre, 



mnt * ? K , I ° { ° f he value of this material as a medium for the 



cou d1 0 P t weH h?2? U,, J " ? ml ° f food in their development 



«^r; m ^ 5 desired ^ e understand that the pot in which the 



2££ b enTh^ca^wT b ■ and ^sumin^ his to 



nave been the case it is not difficult to form a correct «f; m9 , nf tll . 



adaptability of Jadoo 



bloom 



were soon selected, and these became very popular on the Continent 

 they are now quite common, but not so popular in this country as the 

 single varieties. Such immense quantities of early spring flowering trees 

 and shrubs have been planted of late years that there has been a tendency 

 to ignore or forget those that are beautiful in late summer and early 

 autumn, consequently a vast number of new gardens do not possess 

 Hibiscus syriacus in any of its charming- forms. The reaction has, how- 



ev 

 be 



•er, set in, and among autumn-flowering shrubs the Syrian hibiscus ww 

 i greatly in demand. As already instanced, there are varieties to please 

 all tastes, and two of the most handsome and effective are depicted in tne 

 present issue, the light one being H. s. Painted Lady, rose tinted wiw 

 rich red blotches, and the other H. s. ccelestis, blue with purple bases to 

 the segments. The sprays represented came from plants grown at v» 

 Coombe Wood Nurseries of Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons. 



A few other of the most attractive forms of the Syrian hibiscus art 

 H. s. Totus albus, white ; H. s. rubrus plenus and H. s. roseus pie" 1 * 

 respectively red and rose coloured double varieties ; H. s. amarantnus, 

 P ur .P Ie i n* s. violaceus atropurpureus, dark violet ; H. s. Violet Claire, 2 

 bluish, double form of great beauty ; H. s. caeruleus plenus, double blue 

 H. s. albo plenus, double white ; H. s. anemonaeflorus, H. s. Leopoldi, W- * 

 Pompon Rouge, H. s. Ardens, and H. s. Due de Brabant 



