370 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[March 13. 
drawback in most of the little gardens in a neighbour¬ 
hood is, that one reflects too much the character of the 
other, whilst, in many cases, too many things are at¬ 
tempted to warrant very perfect success in any. Had 
; we any influence in forming the tastes of such a neigh- 
! bourhood, we should implant a strong love for gardening 
pursuits, because convinced we should be opening one 
pathway to happiness; but that done, we should leave, 
nay encourage, every household to carry out their own 
ideas of the beautiful and the desirable. We should 
thus obtain beauty in diversity instead of sameness, for 
we should trust to this love of gardening to break down 
the stiffness of our national character, and to create the 
desire of rendering our gardens not only pleasing to 
ourselves, but a source of interest and instruction to 
others. By growing only a few things, they would be 
well grown, and when at the zenith of their beauty, we 
would have every neighbour to visit and see them, and 
then we would see all their splendid things in turn. 
What a fund of rational enjoyment, of neighbourly 
feeling, of increased admiration of vegetable beauty, 
would thus be created ! 
These thoughts have been suggested by the heading 
of our article to-day, owing to inquiries about annuals 
that could be raised for a greenhouse with the assist¬ 
ance of a hotbed. Some of the most splendid things, 
for instance Balsams, which, when well-grown, are truly 
gorgeous, have been set aside for novelties, such as the 
Achimenes, which, though beautiful, we do not consider 
equal in splendour to the old Balsam. Now supposing 
that in two small greenhouses one was to contain Bal¬ 
sams in summer chiefly, and the other Achimenes 
chiefly, both families ought to be better managed than 
if a general mixture was grown. In treating of the 
annuals suitable for this purpose, we hardly know 
where to begin or where to end, as many that were at 
one time kept in the greenhouse, have been found to do 
equally well in the open garden after June. I shall 
merely instance a few of the most striking, with an out¬ 
line of their culture, premising that the seeds of all may 
be sown in March. 
Balsamina hortensis (Garden Balsam). — These as 
soon as three inches in height, should be potted off into 
small pots, and plunged again in the hotbed; the tem¬ 
perature ranging from 60° to 80° at bottom, and from 
50° to 70° top-heat, with abundance of air. Similar 
treatment should be given, never allowing the roots to 
get matted until they are in eight or twelve-inch pots, 
but shifting them regularly. In these latter pots allow 
them to bloom. Use light sandy loam enriched with 
leaf-mould at first; towards the last shifting, use equal 
] portions of rotten dung, free from worms, and sweet 
fibry loam, and towards the last plenty of manure-water. 
: By this means the plants will get to a great size, and be 
nearly as wide as they are high, if plenty of room and 
! air have been given to them. Another mode where 
i room is limited, and fine bloom is more thought of than 
; size of plants, is to stunt the plants from want of room 
after they have been put into four or five-inch pots 
until they show flower, then choose the best, and dis- 
' card the others. From the plants kept, pick out every 
flower-bud, pot and encourage by every possible means, 
giving no check to encourage flowering until the plant 
is about as large as you wish it to be. Again, some 
people instead of having a stocky slirubby-like plant, 
would prefer those with scarcely any branches, but a 
1 tall straight stem, and that furnished from top to bottom 
with large flowers, and thus they certainly look very 
! beautiful. To secure this, keep the plants rather thick, 
and after the second or third shifting, keep the glass 
lights rather close, but admit plenty of air beneath the 
frame. To keep a succession for the house, sow in the 
middle of April. There are several other Balsaminas, 
such as latifolia, with blush reddish flowers, that makes 
a very pretty flowering plant, but its flowers are single. 
The double ones should be kept in a frame or pit until 
they are in bloom. 
Brachycome iberhlifolia. A low growing blue and 
white aster-like plant, requires to be well drained, and 
grown in light sandy soil; is rather tender for the flower- 
garden, unless in good situations. 
Browallia elata. A Figwort, allied to Salpiglossis, but 
very different in habit; and with small blue and white 
flowers, produced in dense abundance. The growth is 
compact and shrubby. Treatment similar to the Balsam ; 
but after it is once up and potted, it neither requires so 
much trouble as respects temperature or air. 
Ganna indioa and other Indian-shots, with scarlet, 
orange, and red flowers. Though properly speaking 
perennials, yet they are so far annuals as to flower well 
in the greenhouse if sown early in March in such a hot¬ 
bed, and returned to it after one or two pottings. Rich 
fibry loam. 
Galandrinia grandijtora, purple, and discolor, rose- 
coloured; are rather tender to be treated as half' hardy 
annuals. Rich sandy soil, with a little lime rubbish ; 
and after being potted a time or two, may be removed 
from the frame to a light open place in the greenhouse. 
They must be well drained; for being like all the Pur¬ 
slanes, succulent, any redundancy of water soon rots them. 
Cclosia crista,ta —Cockscomb. Of this there are num¬ 
bers of shades of yellow, red, and crimson; the latter 
being the most admired. This requires even more heat 
and attention than the Balsam, and that attention must 
be bestowed until the comb is full grown. With the 
exception of keeping the atmosphere warmer and moister, 
similar treatment to the Balsam may be given, especially 
when large plants are desired. When large well-shaped 
combs are wanted, on extremely dwarf plants, the plants 
are stunted, after being potted in very small pots, until 
the combs show; all the best broad ones are kept, and 
the loose and pointed ones rejected. The roots if at 
all matted are gently disentangled, as another shift is 
given ; and then everything is done to encourage growth 
by heat and moisture, rich open soil, and frequent shift- 
ings; the growth by these means being thrown into the 
comb. Those who are very particular as respects dicarf- 
ness, cut off the small comb with a few leaves, and strike 
it in a small pot, in a strong bottom heat, under a bell- 
glass. 
Cleorne speciosissima, a pretty rose-coloured thing. 
Treatment similiar to Browallia. 
Gomplirena globosa, Globe Amaranth. Splendid things, : 
with their red and white balls of flowers; require 
similar treatment to the Cockscomb; must have the 
assistance of the bed until several times shifted, and 
instead of dung, they like a little peat blended with the 
sandy loam. 
Ipomcca rubra cccrulea. There are many others of these 
Convolvulus plants, such as Bona nox, Quamoclit, &c.; , 
but the one named is queen of all for beauty. Pot it in ; 
loam and peat when a few inches high. Let it have 
its last shifting, adding a little leaf-mould, sand, and I 
charcoal, in June; remove it to the greenhouse shortly l 
after, and either train it round a trellis, or allow it to ' 
run rampant up the rafters. 
Lobelia gracilis, grandiflora, ramosa, &c.; all pretty 
blue things growing a few inches in height; but answer¬ 
ing equally well for flower-gardens. 
Maurandya Barclayana, purple; Hendersoni, pink, &c.; ; 
good for trellises or rafters. Seedlings do not do much 
good out of doors. 
Mesembryantliemum tricolor, glabrum, &c.; pretty dwarf 
things, which will also do on sheltered places out of 
doors. Should be placed on the front shelf. 
Mimosa sensitiva. The Sensitive Plant should receive 
as much heat, &c., as the Cockscomb until it is some 
size; sandy loam and peat. 
