40 
Rustic A dormnents , 
early part of April. Every patch should be tallied, and a bit of seed of every 
sort kept in reserve. About the middle of May sow again any that have not 
by that time come up. By this plan you will be likely to secure all the sorts 
on which you speculate. 
Next, as to gathering the flowers. Take them in all possible stages ; but by 
far the largest proportion should be young and scarcely expanded, as they are 
sure to expand in the process of drying. To dry them, lay them on papers 
in an airy warm place, safe from dust , and store them when dry in dry 
closets or drawers where dust is as nearly as possible unknown. The grasses 
may be dried by simply laying them between folds of blotting-paper, or 
placing them between the pages of large heavy books. Remember, “ practice 
makes perfect ”; the beginner is sure to spoil a few • never mind, there will be 
many good ones to make amends. 
As to mounting, the grasses must be used in their natural state ; but it 
is best to mount the flowers on wires. This is a nice proceeding; but ladies 
generally acquire the art in haste. The finest steel wire is the best adapted 
to the purpose, and it is attached to the flower at the base by merely thrusting 
it into the centre; but the wire should have a few twists to make a sort of 
base to catch the flower, or rather, for the base of the flower to rest on. 
As to modes of grouping, that must be a matter of taste and practice. The 
illustration represents a wreath formed of helichrysums and grasses, and filled 
in with green moss, the solid foundation, or ring of the wreath, being formed 
of the wires on which the flowers are placed, twisted and twisted into a 
sort of rope, with the moss thickly entangled between them. 
The best everlasting flowers for this purpose are the following :— 
Helichrysums of all kinds ; more especially H. atrosanguineum nanum and 
H. Borossorum rex. All are half-hardy annuals, to be raised on gentle heat 
and planted out in May, or sown in the open ground in April. As they are 
so useful, it would be well to try all the sorts the seedsmen can supply. 
Acroclinium roseum should be sown in pots and pans in April, and placed 
in a cold frame, or sown in the open border at the end of April 
Rhodanthe Mangiest ', R. atrosanguineum , R. maculata and R. Major are 
half-hardy annuals requiring similar treatment to acrocliniums. Helipterum 
Sandfordi and H. corymbiferum require careful culture. Sow, if possible, 
in a temperature of 65 deg., in February, and treat like lobelia. These are 
the least likely to succeed if sown in the open border in this country. They 
are so beautiful that they well repay a little extra care. Polycolymnia Stuarti 
