So 



THE 



GARDENERS MAGAZINE. 



February 



5> i8g$ 



- 



Hardy Winter Flowers. 



The mild winter — which before these notes are read will probably have 

 been interrupted disagreeably — has produced a record amongst hardy 

 flowers in this garden, which has never in its life been so gay in January. 

 Bees are always abundant at Edge, and are busy as soon as any flowers 

 are open ; this year they have been at work all January in every gleam 

 of sunshine, and on some warm clays when there was no sun. 



To begin with Anemone blanda, some have been in flower ever since 

 Christmas, but at the end of January— the date of these notes — the 

 flowers are in profusion. They are earliest and thickest under a south 

 wall ; but as seed is gathered and scattered along the edge of the flower- 

 beds every year, it is gay in many parts of the garden. The colours vary 

 from dark violet to pure white, some being three coloured, shades of light 

 and dark showing in transverse bands. The last are the largest flowers, 

 the variety having been introduced by Mr. Whittall from Asia Minor; 

 but they all grow promiscuously, and it is hard to know whether the 

 seedlings, which flower when two years old, come true. Mixed with these, 

 in choice sunny spots, grow bunches of Hyacinth us ciliatus, better known 

 as II. azureus. These, too, have been in flower all January, and as the 

 seeds at e left to come up round the parents, the abundant tiny cones of 

 azure blue make a very effective show. It would not be easy to have too 

 many of them. The winter aconites, which swarm in the shrubberies 

 wherever they are allowed, but do not grow in the grass here, as it is too 

 luxuriant for them, generally begin to show through the soil about New 

 Year's Day. This year they were visible by the middle of December, 

 and were, as usual, the first flowers to attract the bees. Crocus Imperati 

 was not long behind the aconites, several being in flower about Christmas 

 Day. They kept on coming fast till the middle of January, the fine 

 flowering time bringing them all out at once, and making a splendid 

 show. They seem as easily contented as any other crocus, and are planted 

 and sown about in great profusion, but the grass is too coarse here for 

 these too. They are now nearly over, the latest being a variety without 

 any stripes outside the flowers, and very dark purple inside. I have a 

 good many of the white variety, raised from seed collected for me in 

 Italy. 1 hese, too, are later than the type, and are less fine and less white 

 than some of the best forms of C. vermis. Crocus Sieberi, also in various 



Early Border Chrysanth 



The extreme usefulness of this section of chrysanthemums is not 

 so widely appreciated as it should be, and maybe the wonderful 

 siasm created by the large flowering varieties in November has h " 

 absorbing that, to a great majority, the only ones which appear to? S ° 

 any merit are those which are capable of being grown to a la • 

 There is another reason, and perhaps the most reasonable one wlfvt? 6 * 

 early flowering sorts are not much grown, and this is that very few ne i 

 have any idea of the great variety which has during the last few 

 been introduced into this section, both from foreign raisers and l/^ 

 own specialists. A few years ago very few sorts existed which IT 

 worth planting outdoors, and most of these needed the protection T 

 wall to ensure the blossoms opening before severe frosts crippled th 

 plants, but now there are at least one hundred really good varieties wh h 

 open their flowers in an ordinary border before the end of October 



We set apart a border for these early chrysanthemums durintr th* 

 past year, besides using them in bedding arrangements ; for cutting 

 from they were invaluable. The general remark of gardener friends whn 

 saw the plants in bloom was one of surprise that such " good things" 

 existed. I had the opportunity also of seeing the extensive collection 

 grown in the open by Mr. Davis, at Framfield, last October, and amontrs 

 these I noted several excellent new varieties ; two or three of a lovelv 

 shade of salmon-pink were particularly attractive, and one called Andre 

 Falhere, a most charming flower, in form reminding one of the well- 

 known Roseuin superbum, but of a beautiful amber colour. It is also 

 evident how valuable such plants will be in gardens with only one or two 

 greenhouses, when in ordinary seasons abundance of flowers may be cut 

 from the open up till the end of October ; and if frost is likely to injure 

 the blooms, a covering of some kind may be placed over the plants 

 or they may be lifted and potted, or placed in a pit, or on the floor of a 

 greenhouse, and have a covering of light soil over the roots, where 

 they will continue to develop their blossoms. It is much best, if possible 

 to devote a border exclusively to these varieties, where they may be 

 arranged in large groups of each sort and according to the height of the 

 plants ; the effect thus obtained is much better than by mixing them in 



shades from Z SS^eiSS iridi ^New Vear\ a nH\ ,n Jfn n0 ^ S"""^ d °7 r borders > and they are much more interesting togeth r 

 later C. b maticus, a prolific and haVdy ^ han * do " ed ab ,° Ut am , 0n S st other thm ^- At the same time they may 



flowers of uniform pale purpl. KveS^ 22 S=S 25S& ff*A» with h « b **ous J 



r.tt,»^c^- n ' ,« - Tli e common yellow crocus and several 

 other spnng-rtowering kinds are out earlier than ever before. 



niJJmJJS Cyclamen coum, with flowers of crimson or pink or white, is 

 now ornamenting a dozen or more choice corners. In some the leaves 

 are plain glossy green hke those of C. Europium. Others are more or 



E5n££fti. and aH ' h . eSe VaHed flowers and ,eaves seem to come from 

 seedlings of the same plant. I have tried in vain to distinguish between 



one name do' for^P TlU ? a , S gr ° Wn * nUrSeries > 50 1 ^5 



erne name do for a l. 1 hese are not abnormally early this year. It is 



niure the flower T* SH*?* *?* "or snow ^ seem to 



njure the Mowers, lo come to snowdrops, their name is now Winn 



T. S£f™ ffifiSW 1 " nie half-a-dozen names will cove? Jinf S 



I na\c no ambition to have snowdrops out in October Bv far the h^t 



EE rZ ikeTt but? "^7 \ hC oW-fe^Wi,^^ 

 ESZaJ* JSlA^i??" Its constitution is so robust that it is 



will add materially to the display during autumn, when most plants are 

 losing their beauty. Clumps of three plants of one variety are most 

 satisfactory when planted in mixed borders. The height of the various 

 sorts ranges from one to four feet, so that very little staking is required 

 by any of them. Though the varieties are quite hardy, it is much best to 

 replant with young stock every spring. This does not involve much 

 labour, and is amply repaid in the superior quality of the growth and 

 llowers. In the autumn after flowering lift one or two stools of each 

 variety and store them in a cold frame to provide cuttings in early 

 spring ; these may readily be rooted in pots in the ordinary way, or be 

 planted in a fiame like viola cuttings, whence they may be transplanted 

 to the open early in May. It is a bad practice to take cuttings from the 

 open, in winter, before they have made any growth, as these cutting 

 usually grow spindly and are also very liable to go "blind," but cuttings 

 taken from the frame after some two or three inches of growth has been 

 made, are no trouble to grow. 



I have made a selection of varieties from those which have come 



- . . . . r 6 M, 3 .a, (lK „,,,y OI »nv snowrir.H« i nni,, ^USSLl? obs f vat,on > and though there may be very excellent sorts 



say that half the pleasure of them is g^iHhe "aw "to b ? ovXdo^S IS f S!° win S lists ' th *y delude none bu{ really good and 



by labels large enough to contain the long varietal names which 11 f HF^* The lists are for September, and also for October, but 



in Catalan*. , and I have now learnt the \lury of eTowiL suS To™ u the earher ones commence to bloom in August, and of those 



c ■„• c •„ i**™*™ becoming sTarStoWfe?^* ^^SS nnh 0 ? 0 ^ some . ma y Moom towards the end of September, so that an 



scju.ll is Sella sibirica, which has come up c e™ where canrilfouslv S V nbroken ^cession of flowers is provided over almost three months. 



AreXU^s SB!!: VT? by - dense ^S^S^SS^Sl &SS»^ reader S P S hould examine those given in the 



The earLt "cWfod Te g™^"^^ °* ? P reC ° Ci ° US natUre > 

 January 20 , and is now fmly y U bCg3n th ' S ^ ear on 



th^p^^?ttL us d r r talis anda L ,ied species ' but here m ° s t of 



arc hundred "of finep hnts l?ch >f m ° re th ^ a paS5in * notice - There 

 first planted as seedlmis TW ^ "T* bee " mOVed since ^ w «e 

 pink/almost liki apSf hi J^ OU "u- f S °™ » . charmin * ! delicate 



Experience ha?teuffi*heSSo^ Stf' Sp °" ed with P ur P le - 



weather. Cold winds an I Ll P l Sf m S ° aS t0Suflfcr Ieast frof n had 

 stand a good deJSafftSSE th , e,r WOrst the flowers 



.he north ^ trrJtrJ™ Wi ^out damage. They do best close to 



&s S 1& ~ -e short, bit aU naW'C 

 s^tehhe'mt"^ 



s garden attacks such 

 We read of several varieties of 



and 

 only 



in catalogues ; 



without names 



r , n _ T - T . v icauua iuuuiu examine uiusc gi>cu »* 



gardeners Magazine of September 18 and October 16 1897, where 

 tne uniswick trials were reviewed and the heights of varieties given. 



* ^^Ptember— Alice Butcher, chestnut red, very free ; California, yello* 

 excellent habit in way of Flora ; Canari, pale yellow, capital dwarf habit; 



hi u j r re ' 7 ery dwarf > an improved Little Bob ; Early Blush, pak 

 mush, dwarf and early ; Feu de Bengale, orange red, first-rate ; Frederick 

 rcie, crimson with gold tips ; Flora, yellow, very free and good habit : 



narvest Home, crimson bronze, very fine ; Ivy Stark, golden bronze, 

 lovely fl 0 w ei - and ^ . LUde ^ crimson ^ dwarfaD d 



iree La v.erge, purest white, sturdy habit ; Lily Stevens, white with 

 quuieu petals, dwarf and pretty ; Madame E. Vaucher, orange bronze, 

 very good ; Mdlle. Marie Masse, lilac mauve, large flowers excellent. 

 l^r a f n Vf 0n ^ inU0US blo °mer ; Mr. Selly, pale blush pink, charming, very 

 ulk ; - 1 G " stave Crunerwalde, pale lilac, very free ; Nanum, p* 

 sfn, n in i V Pierc y's Seedling, orange bronze, a most useful variety; 

 ?nH^ salmo "P i nk, tinted gold, pretty ; St. Mary, white, verve** 



X^'u^f ' e ^ President Hardy, orange red,' most free a* 



they arc cxrenfinnaiK, J H t UUs to make hne Mowers. This veir mt^- " 7 • — T l «mcm naruy, uranee ] 



H. cS^^fl^^^f^ but the very dark purple c£ '0^^ St ' ^ Sma " fl ° WCrS ver ^ f?ee - 



of last year the sinVe sc^r It S 1 han _ ks ^ the sunny May and June Chiuwnn er_Alexander Dufbur, bright rosy purple, dwan ; ~- 



in rfi^nin. J L H*™* Anemone hortensis is now v.n, ^ t°"u colo fi . bronz y aniber ' fine ' . Andr ^ Fallicire, beautiful arobff 



purple, dwarf; AMjJ 



in dUykT o "Sir, b ° rten - is ^w vV^good C co ourTr'st'T ^ amber fine ^ ™**> beautifuI ^ 



<loes anything ^batSX^ ^ d U,s ""Ocularis, which seldom deep ^ose nink Cha / leS ( ' erard ' reddish crimson ' & ood » CharlCS li 

 the month. akC ,ea ' es ' has « ,v «n ■ succession of dowers all 25? SA"? **} Chev. Auge Baudiere, silky mauve, very^ftej 



As for Morisia 



'ters, it will make one o( hTbcsfr^ f IS "' ed l ° in ,he ,as t two 

 Eigt Hatl. * Dcst rccent addit.ons to the alpine garden. 



C. WOLLEY DOD. 



( lunar, . ici, inusi joveiy orange Dronze, siuiu/ , . 



1 1 I t TP unconim on colour, good ; Edith Syart, a capital variety. 



ve n s ^ )ueen ' , wh 'te, excellent habit ; Lemon Queen, a deeper sha* 

 be'Jntifni me 1 im P 1, ? s ! Louis Bettzich, pale rose shaded salmon, 

 £S l dlst,nct > sturd v habit ; Madame B. Yung, crimson shade* 

 chestnut, rather tall ; Marquis de Montmort, pale mauve, very pretty 



nnVti: J * „ Parker ' %ht salmon pink, very charming; Madame* 

 rrim!on ' yell ° W , l uffused witb bronze, pmty ; Mons. G. Dubor, 

 o"S Capital , habit : October Queen, salmon pink, good ; Oj 

 shXrt rl?? P1 ^' free and Sood habit ; P^fet Leon Cohn, bright ong 

 3W ? to ft . fil « »te ; Roi des Precoces, crimson, free and eft** 

 I rent Park L .irJcn;. \V. H. 



