380 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 5, 1891. 
many of those used in the spring time would be valuable additions 
to the summer bedders. Take for instance the grand strains of 
Pansies now cultivated ; these form some of the most attractive 
summer beds when, as during the past season, the weather is 
suitable foi them. Again we have no summer bedding plant of 
such a warm, pleasing pink colour as Silene pendula. These with 
white Silenes, Wallflowers in variety, Myosotises, Primroses, 
Polyanthus, Daisies, Arabis, Saponaria calabrica, Anemones, 
Hyacinths, Tulips, and Crocuses supply a charming variety, 
capable of producing a bright, attractive display during April and 
May, or still earlier in the season, when Snowdrops and Aconites 
are in flower. 
Preparing the Beds. 
After having definitely settled with what plants the various 
beds are to be filled, the preparation of the soil will require some 
consideration, as the whole of them will not need the same treat¬ 
ment. Some of those used for spring bedding have a tendency to 
grow unduly strong, which not only destroys the balance, but also 
defers the flowering period. Again, others are greatly benefited 
by a deep rich soil, this being especially the case with Pansies. 
The beds devoted to these should receive a dressing of soot, this to 
be covered with 2 or 3 inches of thoroughly well-decayed manure 
and leaf soil mixed. The ground should be deeply dug, taking 
care to effectually incorporate the manure with the natural soil as 
the work proceeds. Those beds set apart for Primroses, Poly¬ 
anthuses, Forget me-nots, Daisies, and all bulbous plants are 
prepared in the same way, as to bring out the flowers in good 
condition they require liberal treatment. On the other hand, 
Silenes and Wallflowers, if the soil is not heavy and is in good 
working condition, will be more satisfactory if no manure is given, 
neither do the beds for these require to be deeply dug. The soil 
should be forked to a depth of 2 or 3 inches, and when slightly dry 
on the surface, planted at once. Before digging flower beds the 
s )il should always be thrown away from the edges with a spade. 
As the digging proceeds the outline of the bed can then be correctly 
maintained without placing the soil too near the edgings. As soon 
as the soil is dry enough after having been dug each bed should be 
neatly raked over, and is then ready for planting. 
As a rule, far less pains are taken to arrange plants effectively 
for spring bedding than is the case with those used for the summer 
displays, consequently those who give the matter special attention 
are able to produce delightful and varied combinations. In many 
flower gardens there are numbers of small or only moderate-sized 
beds, and a few very large ones. In such cases there is a fine 
chance to display artistic ability in the method adopted with the 
bedding arrangements. The great aim should be to produce 
plenty of variety, at the same time bearing in mind that the 
arrangement as a whole should be well balanced and in harmony, 
yet each section of it should, as far as possible, contain some 
special feature. The small beds can be planted in distinct colours, 
with or without edgings, as taste may dictate or circumstances 
render necessary ; but where there are numbers of small beds 
formed into groups, I prefer to have them without edgings, 
especially in cases where the beds are marked out with Box or 
Yew. It is then a much more simple matter to arrange the colours 
satisfactorily, and small beds, or pairs of beds, planted with one 
distinct colour are exceedingly effective. By following that 
system it allows a greater variety of plants to be mixed together 
in the larger beds without causing the arrangements, as a whole, 
to appear too much of a mixture. Let the system followed there¬ 
fore be—small beds of one colour, large beds of mixed colours. 
Where several groups of beds exist, and bulbs are truly used, 
devote one group entirely to bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Crocuses, Snowdrops and Scillas. Covent Garden Blood Red, 
Sutton’s Har inger, and Belvoir Castle Dwarf Yellow are three fine 
Wallflowers for a large central bed ; the first-named variety edged 
avith a broad band of the latter, and surrounded by an outer row 
of Myosotis dissitiflora has a fine effect. 
Small beds arranged alternately with Pansy Countess of Hope- 
tewn (white) and Mrs. Grainger (bronze), or Pansy Archie Grant 
instead of the latter, are particularly striking. Blue King, edged 
with Yellow King, which is of a beautiful bright yellow colour, 
rreates a brilliant and attractive show. Other fine varieties 
of Pansies are Lord Beacon3field, Haynes’s No. 2, Holyrood (dark 
blue), and Countess of Kintore. These can all be effectively used 
as taste may suggest. 
Another class of plants of much value for spring bedding are 
thj Silenes. The pink varieties supply a pleasing shade of colour 
so much wanted to relieve the blues, purples, and yellows, which 
predominate in plants used for spring. A good combination for a 
large oblong bed is to plant Silene pendula alba as a groundwork, 
then at intervals of 2 feet mark out small circles, to be filled with 
Silene peniula (pink), the whole bed being edged with a band of 
Myosotis or blue Pansy. In another case the blue Forget-me-not 
might be used as a groundwork, and Belvoir Castle Wallflower as 
dot plants at intervals of 18 inches, the bed being edged with the 
dwarf white Silene or yellow Pansy. Many other admirable 
combinations might be enumerated, but I have simply given a few 
illustrations of different methods of planting for the benefit of 
those who require information. 
Hints on Planting and After Management. 
The distance at which the plants should be set apart must be 
regulated, not alone by the knowledge of the size they usually 
attain, but also by the size of the plants. The great point is to 
have the beds well filled, as no kind of vegetation makes much 
progress during the winter months, and by the time the plants 
begin to flower the soil in the beds ought to be quite covered. 
Silenes and Saponaria calabrica if planted from 6 to 9 inches apart, 
according to the size ©f the plants, will form a compact mass in 
flower. In the case of Myosotis, although at planting time the 
plants should be larger than Silenes, the same distance apart will 
answer well, because they will not spread so much as the Silenes. 
Those who are fortunate enough to have strong roots of Pansies, 
which were rooted about thirteen months ago, should place them 
from 10 to 15 inches apart ; but where the cuttings were only 
inserted in July last close planting may be resorted to, from 6 to 
9 inches being about the right distance. Wallflowers grow but 
little from the present till the flowering time, and should therefore 
be planted so that they just stand clear of each other. I have 
often noticed the scanty way in which beds of these finely scented 
flowers are planted, in the belief that they will fill their allotted 
space by the time they are in flower ; the hope has generally been 
a vain one. Where Arabis alpina is used, as it sometimes is for 
want of a better, place the plants quite closely together. Daisies 
can be arranged so that only stand just clear of each other. 
Crocuses and Snowdrops can scarcely be planted too thickly —i .e., 
in cases where the bulbs have to be taken up annually. Tulips 
should be planted in rows 9 inches apart, 5 or 6 inches asunder in the 
rows, and 2 inches deep. Hyacinths require a little more room. 
After the beds have been planted with bulbs the soil should be 
mulched with an inch of sifted leaf soil or cocoa-nut fibre. During 
the spring months, whenever the weather is favourable and the soil 
dry enough, the opportunity should be taken to work the Dutch 
hoe among the plants, to loosen the soil, and thus allow the warmth 
of the sun to penetrate ; this has a wonderful effect in bringing 
about that desirable result—viz., early flowering in spring bedding 
plants.—H. Dunkin. 
THE SNOWDROP. 
The flowering period of this old fashioned bulbous plant is 
looked forward to with eager expectation, as it reminds us that 
winter is past and spring is near at hand. The Snowdrop is 
perhaps the most accommodating bulb that can be grown. It is at 
home in the dryest and most exposed positions ; it does equally 
well in moist places that would prove disastrous to most bulbs ; in 
fact, it flourishes in the most shaded and secluded spots, where 
many plants would only linger for a time and eventually die. The 
Snowdrop will succeed in moist places, but on this point do not mis¬ 
understand me, for there are positions that are too moist even for 
the Snowdrop. It thrives luxuriantly in the fen lands of Lincoln¬ 
shire, but in wet positions when grown on tenacious soils, and 
the season proves very wet, the bulbs are liable to decay in the 
ground. 
When once planted it would do perhaps for generations in the 
same place, but under natural methods of planting the time comes 
when the bulbs are so crowded that they have not room to develope 
properly, in fact they increase so rapidly that they almost lift 
themselves out of the ground. The bulbs decrease iu size as 
well as the flowers, and I have known them fail solely through the 
crowded condition of their bulbs. Although they do well for an 
almost unlimited time they are greatly improved by lifting and 
replanting occasionally. Some people have a remote idea of the 
size the bulbs of the Snowdrop are capable of attaining when 
planted singly in good soil. I have seen them as large as a Filbert. 
To define the position in which Snowdrops should be planted or in 
which they look best is very difficult. I like to see them planted 
amongst grass under the shade of tree3, where the foliage can be 
left to die naturally. They are effective amongst moss-covered 
stones or with a small growing Ivy near the margin of walks, even 
solitary bunches in shrubbery and other borders have a particular 
charm when no attempt has been made to plant them in a formal 
manner. There are positions in every garden in which they are 
capable of adding to its beauty, and often they are most admired 
in some out-of-the-way corner where summer flowers are never to 
be found. 
