86 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 10, 1S91. 
THE HERBACEOUS BORDER. 
Perennial Asters for October. 
By the end of October the best of the perennial 
Asters will have completed their mission. A few 
may hold out during the early part of November, 
but such stragglers are generally so much destroyed 
by storms of wind and rain that they are anything 
but ornamental. With a continuance of mild 
weather through October the border may be kept 
gay with a sprinkling of Asters to tone down the 
plethora of Sunflowers, Rudbeckias, Coreopsis, 
Golden Rods, and other yellow Composites which 
are at present too dominant in gardens and parks 
everywhere. Every year finds the Asters or 
Michaelmas Daisies being more and more grown for 
market purposes, and if the public find them useful 
for decorative purposes the owners of private estates 
and their families would also enjoy them, provided 
their gardeners would secure the choice and really 
ornamental sorts. They are not only fit occupants 
for garden borders but serve greatly to brighten up 
shrubbery borders, especially along the sides of 
drives leading to the mansion or through the 
grounds. 
Aster Nov.-e-Angli.e pulchellus. — The species 
may be recognised by its robust habit and linear- 
lanceolate, hairy leaves clasping the stem and 
auricled at the base. The variety pulchellus is a 
great favourite with many growers on account of its 
large blue flowers shaded with purple. They are 
produced over a period of many weeks and in flat 
headed corymbs. The variety A. N.-A. roseus has 
smaller bright rose flower heads, produced in a 
narrowly pyramidal raceme or panicle. 
A. Novi-Belgii grandiflorus.— Notwithstand¬ 
ing the varietal name of this sort the flower heads 
are smaller than those of several other forms of the 
species, and measure from i in. to ijin. across. They 
are blue shaded with purple, with numerous over¬ 
lapping rays, and are produced in great profusion 
upon a dense habited bush about 4 ft. high. 
A. l.eyis. — The plant to which this name is now 
given is quite different from that which has been 
known in gardens for many years as A. laevis, and 
now named A. Novi-Belgii densus. The leaves are 
arrow-shaped, elongated, auricled at the base, and of 
a deep glaucous green. Thestems grow 3 ft. to 4 ft. 
in height, and are thinly but gracefully branched to¬ 
wards the top, bearing beautiful pale blue flowers 
about an inch in diameter. The bracts surrounding 
the head form a neat, densely imbricated top-shaped 
mass, as in A. turbinellus, but rather shorter, 
A. paniculatus, Grant's var. — The stems of 
this species grow about 3J ft. in height, and are pur¬ 
ple, while the long lower branches of the panicle 
give it a somewhat pyramidal outline. The flower 
heads are of medium size and lilac, with a pale 
j-ellow disc deepening to purple, and are produced in 
great profusion. The small lanceolate leaves are of 
a deep green. 
A. amethystinus.— This seems as much a favourite 
with growers as some of the varieties of A. Novi-Belgii 
and A. Novae-Angliae. The flower heads are of 
medium size, Huish-purple, and produced in great 
profusion on the ends of the branches. The short 
flowering branches are often produced on one side of 
the main stems. The latter together with the linear- 
lanceolate leaves are very hairy, and the plant 
on that account is often grown under the name of A. 
pilosus. 
A. diffusus horizontalis. — Of the various forms 
of A. diffusus, that under notice is the most orna¬ 
mental, generally growing about 18 in. high, or 2 ft. 
in wet seasons like the present. The flowers are of 
small size, but profusely produced on short, horizon¬ 
tal branches ; they are white with a purple disc when 
at their best. 
A. Drummondi. — In general appearance this resem¬ 
bles a greatly magnified form of A. cordifolius about 
4 ft. to 6 ft. high, with cordate leaves and a pyramid¬ 
ally branched panicle of white flowers with a pale 
yellow disc, becoming deep purple. 
A. multiflorus. — The stems of this species are 
about 3 ft. high, rather diffuse and not particularly 
elegant, but the quantity of flowers they produce is 
more than compensation for the defect. The leaves 
are linear, the upper ones being very small and densely 
covering the stems The flower heads are small, 
\yhite, neat and prttty 
A. vimineus.— In this case the stems are more 
elegantly branched, twiggy and very floriferous. 
The leaves are lanceolate, and on the upper part of 
the stems they are very small and numerous. The 
flower heads are similar to those of the last, but 
differently arranged or disposed. 
A. trinervis.— With this one exception, which is a 
Himalayan species, all the above-mentioned kinds are 
North American. The leaves are elliptic, deeply 
cut, and quite different in aspect from those already 
given. The stems are erect and corymbosely branched 
at the top with relatively large pale blue flowers, 
slightly flushed'with purple. 
- *>'■- 
CAPE BULBS. 
In dealing with the subject set down for me, viz., 
Cape Bulbs, I shall follow the text and speak on bulbs 
proper, such as we find more especially among the 
showy but all too little known Cape Amaryllids, 
passing by the Gladioli, Freesias, and other Irids, 
and also confine myself to the cultural side of the 
question, and to remarks calculated to bring about a 
better knowledge of these bulbs as garden plants; 
and I hope to be able to make an original statement 
or two with a view to that end. 
First, then, to plunge into the subject at once, I 
will say that with proper planting the whole of the 
South African Crinums, and many of the other 
strong-growing Cape bulbs, are perfectly hardy in 
the open garden in any part of the British Isles, and 
what noble garden plants they make is well ex¬ 
emplified by the scores of stately flower spikes on 
the Crinum Powelli in the raiser’s garden, as well as 
in the gardens of the President of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society at Burford Lodge, where, too, a row 
of Crinum Moorei (also known as C. Makojmnum, 
C. Colensoi, and C. Mackenii) annually produce an 
abundance of delicate pink flowers. Crinum longi- 
folium is an old plant in our open gardens, and I 
have proved C. campanulatum, C. scabrum, and 
others to be equally hardy. I therefore advise all who 
have spare bulbs of these plants in their greenhouses, 
or who can get fresh imported bulbs, to try some in 
the open ground ; but in order to succeed deep plant¬ 
ing, and, if possible, in places w'here the bulbs are 
not likely to be disturbed, is necessary. When I say 
deep planting, I mean that short-necked bulbs should 
be planted so that the top of the neck is from 6 in. to 
9 in. below the surface of the soil, and C. Powelli 
and C. Moorei, of which the bulb and neck together 
are from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in length, should have trenches 
opened for them sufficiently deep to allow of the tops 
of the neck being well below the surface. The object 
of deep planting is evident, for by its means when 
hard frosts come it is longer getting down to the 
bulbs, and what is of still greater importance, when 
the thaw comes the return of warmth to the bulbs is 
gradual. I would advise anyone who contemplates 
trying these-showy bulbs outdoors to set apart for 
them-a narrow border at the foot of a wall, or in 
front of a plant house, and in such a situation the 
Crinums and other bulbs may be planted close to 
the wall, so that they need not interfere with other 
things planted on the border, nor be disturbed them¬ 
selves. So planted and left alone these bulbs grow 
to a great size, and form huge masses producing a 
wealth of bloom every year. From such a situation 
the late Sigismund Rucker, of West Hill, Wands¬ 
worth, essayed to get for me a bulb of each of two 
varieties of what is now known as C. Moorei, but 
which at the time I speak of—some twenty years ago 
—was growing in his open garden. The bulbs were 
in a dense mass, and were so firmly rooted that the 
root crowns were broken in lifting them, although 
every care was taken. 
Experiments in “Plant Protector.” 
Nearly four years ago I set up a range of “ Plant 
Protector,” as this kind of span-roof cold frame 
with glass-slab sides is called. No trouble was taken 
to make the different parts fit well, and the bulbs 
stored in it winter and summer were practically out¬ 
doors. Indeed, the effect in it of last winter, result¬ 
ing in the death of Amaryllis Belladonna (one of our 
prettiest of hardy bulbs), Crinum Moorei, and 
several others, which passed the winter in perfect 
health in the open ground, proves to me that the test 
was actually more severe than it would have been 
had all the bulbs been planted out. But, grown in 
pots, I had the advantage of having them always 
under observation. It is well, perhaps, that I did 
pot relate my experience before the past severe 
and protracted winter or I should undoubtedly have 
pronounced many things to be perfectly hardy which 
the experience of the year just past will not allow 
me to do, as the death-roll among those which had 
hitherto escaped has been very heavy. 
First, then, as to the Cyrtanthi, the species experi¬ 
mented on being:—1, Anoiganthus (Cyrtanthus) 
breviflorus, yellow, Eastern Provinces of the Cape, 
alt. 5,000 ft. 2, Cyrtanthus Huttoni, red and yellow, 
Eastern Provinces, alt. 4,000-5,000 ft. 3, C. Ma- 
cowanii, dark scarlet, Eastern Provinces, alt. 4,000- 
5,000 ft. 4, C. Tuckii, yellow and blood-red, Eastern 
Provinces, alt. 4,000-5,000 ft. 5, C. Collinus, red 
6, C. spiralis, red. 7, C. pallidus, pale red. 8, C. 
angustifolius, red to orange. 9, C. Mackenii, white. 
10, C. lutescens, yellow. The above are of the 
Monella type. Gastronema Section : 11, Cyrtanthus 
sanguineus, dark scarlet. 12, C. helictus, white. 13, 
C. uniflorus, v r hite. 
Of the first four, viz., Anoiganthus breviflorus, 
Cyrtanthus Huttoni, C. Macowani, and C. Tuckii, 
all from high elevations, I can safely say that they are 
as hardy for the open garden as any plant needs be, 
for, with me, they have the past winter been frozen 
—to use a common expression—“as hard as a 
brick ” for w-eeks together ; and not only were they 
uninjured, but by their subsequent growth proved 
that such treatment was good for them. 
For example, Cyrtanthus Tuckii is in a vigorous 
condition, which is all the more w-orthy of remark as 
the other only bulb or two (beside the three which 
w r ere wintered with it as described, and which are in 
good health) in cultivation have been grown in heat 
and are in a very poor condition ; also bulbs of 
Anoiganthus breviflorus and Nerine angustifolia, 
which were not even potted, have done well. Of the 
remainder of the Monella section of Cyrtanthus, I 
am not so certain of their hardiness ; that is to say, 
I believe most of them w-ould live planted as recom¬ 
mended outdoors, but whether they would thrive 
well enough to flower I have not yet settled to my 
own satisfaction, and therefore recommend cautious 
experiments with them outdoors. The hardiness of 
the Cyrtanthus obliquus, too, is still an open question. 
Of the Gastronema section the tale is short and sad. 
All of them lived in my frame other winters, but all 
have died this year. 
Nerine. 
My experiments with a view to test the hardiness 
of the genus Nerine have revealed some very interesting 
facts, although at a lamentable loss on the stock 
generally. Some two hundred and fifty plants in pots 
were experimented on, comprising most of the known 
species and a great many of my own hybrids, in 
quantities of from six to twenty of each. The result 
has been directly opposed to what I should have 
thought would have been the case—that is to 
say, all the soft pale or bright green shiny-leaved 
species, viz., N. flexuosa, N. undulata, N. angusti¬ 
folia, N. humilis, and all the hybrids in which either 
of them had made one of the parents, passed the 
winter, frozen hard for weeks together, in perfect 
health, while the larger-bulbed N. curvifolia, and 
indeed all the others, although they survived the 
first and longest run of severe w'eather, succumbed to 
the second cold period. 
In bringing about this result, I find again that the 
question of altitude in the native habitat gives us the 
key to the relative hardiness of these bulbs in the 
same manner as with the Cyrtanthi. Nerine flexu¬ 
osa is from 4,000 to 5,000 ft., N. angustifolia from a 
still greater height, and all the others mentioned as 
passing the winter well, are upland plants. Of the 
hardiest is my beautiful winter-flowering N. Man- 
selli, wdiich has broad bright green leaves like an 
Agapanthus, and, when strong, a 3 ft. scape of rose- 
pink or light crimson flowers. It was obtained by 
intercrossing N. flexuosa and a fine form of N. curvi¬ 
folia, and on both occasions of my raising it I only 
succeeded in getting some four or five to grow. 
N. erubescens x flexuosa and undulata, N. excellens 
X flexuosa and humilis major, and crosses between 
N. flexuosa and N. pudica also came through the 
winter well; not one variety in which N. flexuosa 
was one of the parents died. But it must be under¬ 
stood that I merely set down the result of my 
experiments, and make the suggestions I have made 
as to the fitness of some Cape bulbs for outdoor 
culture rather as a basis on which others may work, 
and an inducement for them to continue carefully 
experiments in the open ground, than to advise the in¬ 
discriminate planting of these beautiful bulbs ; a pro- 
