600 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 20, 1899. 
Hints for ||mateurs. 
Hardy Plants —We propose to make mention this 
week of some hardy plants, mostly perennials, and 
by way of direction or explanation we say that a 
" selection " has been made, although we do not for 
a moment infer that either the most beautiful or the 
finer species or varieties of border flowering plants 
have been chosen ; indeed, rather the opposite. But 
for the matter of that it would be a task to make a 
list for everyone's appreciation. The names are 
arranged alphabetically, and the notes will indicate 
a varied use for an equally varied description of 
plants. 
Achillea Millefolium rosea, for an enduring and 
persistent bloomer, with blooms, too, which are very 
sweet in their depth of rose tint, few summer flowers 
are better. It reaches 2 ft. in height, is verdured 
with pale dissected foliage, bears the rosy corymbs 
at the apex of the shoots which spring erect from 
the ground. It flowers from June till autumn. 
Light, deep soils and a sunny position are agreeable 
to its development. 
Alyssum saxatile compactum.—To see beds of 
this brilliant mustard-yellow flowered plant bloom¬ 
ing under the attracting rays of the sun, which in¬ 
crease the blaze, is to go off with a wish to have 
something of the same in our own gardens. CuttiDgs 
are easily rooted under handlights, or seeds germi¬ 
nate well either in sandy, open borders or in pans, 
indoors. The foliage is narrow, about 4 in. long, and 
grey. The flowers come in massive yellow clusters, 
spreading all over the plant which is only half a foot 
high. It is suitable for rock gardens or dry banks, 
where many other plants would fail. 
Arabis alpina is another hardy type of a plant 
which can be used for vases, rocky slopes, dry banks, 
and sandy borders. The snowy flowers have a 
minimising effect in colour, as have many other 
white flowers when used in masses. Bees feed very 
eagerly from the blossoms of this plant. 
Asters.—We here refer to the tall growing, herba¬ 
ceous perennials which are among the hardiest of our 
hardy plants. They stand through frost, rain, and 
snow when it comes to us early in the season. A. 
Novae-Angliae and A. paniculatus may be taken as 
representatives of this class, all of which grow a few 
feet tall and bear “ bunches ” of lavender or blue or 
purplish Daisy-like flowers. They are also called 
Michaelmas Daises. Plant them in the back rows 
of herbaceous borders or among rough grass in the 
fringes to shelter-belts. 
Bocconia cordata.—Of this plant I need not say 
much, for I believe nearly everybody uses it. It 
finds pleasant enough quarters in almost any soil, 
though probably the dark brown loams supply us our 
best plants. For picturesque effect on the borders of 
a lawn, or in some spot that only a big, massive, yet 
graceful plant could suitably be used for embellishing, 
the plant I name would be the plant to employ. 
The beady-like flowers remind one of the pale pinky 
fruits of the common Barberry. The leathery dark 
green foliage resembles somewhat the British Oak 
leaf. 
Galtha palustris flore pleno may be taken note 
of for the fact of its early flowering properties, and 
the brightness of them too, and also for the fact of 
its suitability on marshy land. It never goes higher 
than about 18 in., at which height the double yellow 
blooms are borne from the green stems. It is very 
suitable for cutting. 
Campanulas I shall leave for discussion at 
another time. 
Centranthus ruber is very showy at a distance 
and very serviceable for cut flowers by those who 
want flowers but have not space for the growth of 
of finer forms of flowering plants. This plant blooms 
from midsummer till late in summer, grows to 2 ft. 
high, and the closely growing stems bears crimson 
flower trusses. 
Doronicum caucasicum may be taken as a type 
of these fine plants of the Compositae order. I 
have chosen D. caucasicum because of its, to my 
mind, more general adaptibility to a variety of 
conditions. About 2 ft. will hold it for height and it 
grows compactly. The blooms open exactly from 
the straight stalks, while below, the mass of green 
foliage makes a cushion above the ground. Moist 
soils answer it and shade is no deterrent. 
Enigeron caucasicus is another member of the 
order Compositae, attaining to over a foot high and 
in most respects taking after the habits of the above 
Doronicum. The flowers are rosy-purple and freely 
borne. 
Eryngium giganteum we include because it is 
beautiful and also because it adds distinctness of 
variety. It is a tall plant, growing to 2 ft. or 3 ft., and 
sending out strong branching shoots which each 
throw out a bloom at their apex. The flower heads 
are large, blue, and specially attractive by reason of 
their developed fringe of bracts. The foliage also is 
very ornamental. A wide border in deep rich soil is 
the spot for these plants which are propagated by 
seeds. 
Harpalium rigidum is one of our best late 
summer flowering herbaceous perennials. Given 
space and a good soil it will go far enough afield, 
which may be a recommending quality to some, and 
the opposite to others. It grows a few feet high and 
throws up large yellow composite flowers, very useful 
for cutting. Division of the roots in spring-time is 
the easiest means for increasing it, and a position 
well back in the borders will answer for a pleasing 
effect. 
Hesperis matronalis is a sweet old-fashioned 
plant. It is the prototype of the Cardamine pratensis 
so abundant in our damp meadows, only the Hesperis 
is a plant of 2 feet in height, while the other is only 
6 in. to 12 in. high. Propagate from seeds or 
cuttings. 
Heuchera sanguinea may be found by some folks 
to be a rather ticklish plant to deal with, owing to 
its habit of damping or dying back. Where it does 
not succeed out-doors it is worthy of pot-culture. 
All the Heucheras are increased by division of the 
crown in spring. They like a deep, free, good soil, 
well drained. H. sanguinea grows to 15 or 18 inches 
high, and throws out long racemes of coral-red 
flowers. The foliage is rounded, profuse and deep 
green. Stems grow as offsets. This is really a fine 
plant. 
The German Irises should and are grown exten¬ 
sively, which is certainly laudable. The English 
and Spanish Irises are among the high-class flowers 
of the hardy plant gardens, and need no care, com¬ 
paratively, with the great wealth of fine blooms they 
give in return. All succeed A 1. in sunny warm 
borders with annual top-dressing and triennial lifting 
or transplanting, or, indeed, planting in the same 
quarters after enriching the soil and separating the 
plants. 
Lychnis chalcedonica awards us with crimson 
flowers from June to August, succeeding capitally on 
sunny slopes in rich soil. It gets to ft. in height 
and to all appearance the flower heads may be taken 
for a crimson Phlox Drummondi. 
Monarda didyma is a plant to which old associa¬ 
tions and memories are woven, for it, with some 
others, has been petted and grown by our old grand- 
dames in their scented gardens of long ago. There 
is absolutely no difficulty in cultivating it, though 
after a long spell on the same piece of ground it 
becomes enfeebled. The scarlet-red whorls are 
attractive from quite a distance, and the foliage is 
very odorous. 
Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum calycinum) might 
far oftener be used in gardens, for it may be planted 
out permanently in shrubbery borders or used in 
beds as an edging to dwarf shrubs. It does not 
reach more than 6 in. or 8 in. in height, and throws 
forth a wonderful show of deep yellow flowers whose 
centres are interesting, because of the many stamens. 
But we have got through a fair list now and, with¬ 
out commenting on others, we will but add the 
names of some very lovely and recommendable 
plants whose needs and general likeness we may 
some time again chat about. These are :—Saxi- 
fragas, Tritomas, Pyrethrums, Phloxes, various 
kinds of “ Everlasting ” flowers, Asperula odorata, 
Chelone barbata, Sanguisorbas, Solidagos, &c. 
Miscellaneous.—Bedding operations will in the 
South be under way by next week. The season, 
however,is a backward one,both in the North and the 
South. It is well, under the present conditions, not 
to be in too great a hurry with this work. Those 
who use the weed-killers on courts or paths may 
do so at this period, and the "Acme” Weed-killer 
applied now will check for ever the career of those 
persistent forms of vegetation termed “ weeds.”— 
Beacon. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Methods of Seed Sowing :—Sermon : Broad-casting 
is a method generally disparaged as being slovenly. 
As a method for securing " much in little space ” it 
is often adopted. The method is handy too when 
the seeds or young plants need to be netted, and 
when sown broadcast in beds protection can very 
readily be given. Much care, however, is needed 
both in sowing and after treatment to prevent the 
plants from becoming " drawn ” and in weeding or 
in resisting damage from slugs. Broad-casting 
exposes the seedlings to harm from want of free air 
circulation, and from the benefit on all sides of sun. 
Drill sowing is the only proper method for tap-rooted 
crops and by sowing thus we but need to thin out to 
the proper distances apart when the seedlings are an 
inch or so high. It allows of hoeing and of soot- 
dressiDgs being given which certainly are advantages. 
Dibbling is not often practised, but it is in every way 
a very economical method. The ground being pre¬ 
pared and drills marked off, one only needs to drop 
in a few seeds at suitable distances to ensure a handy 
crop. For Potatos this plan is very frequently 
adopted. 
Ferns — A.K.: Four very good Ferns for house- 
decoration would be Pteris cretica, P. tremula, P. 
serrulata cristata, and Adiantum cuneatum. They 
four are in no way troublesome bearing drought or 
soakings with very little harm to all appearances. 
You should have had them potted early in the year 
but if they really need to be potted, then give a com¬ 
post of two parts loam, one part of leaf soil with 
some dried cow manure and a dash of coarse sand. 
Be very careful in watering not to give much till a 
new start has been made. It is well to have 
the pots raised on little blocks of wood if they are 
to stand in saucers. Keep them just a little 
shaded. 
Boronias.— S. : No doubt your plants have been 
subjected to a high temperature, hence the attenuated 
shoots. We advise you to cut them well back say 
to 4 in. from the pot and to harden them until you 
can place them out of doors in July. Take them to 
a greenhouse in September and before they 
start new growth in February, give them a shift. 
Lilium auratum.—S.: These do well in beds or 
borders, lasting generally a year or two in good 
condition.—They require periodically to be lifted and 
young bulbs to be put into fresh soil. Lilium 
Harrisii throws up sometimes one or two flowering 
shoots in one year but L. auratum does not. The 
broadened flower-shoots with so many buds which 
you mention must have been one of those fasciated 
forms common to L. auratum. We have seen as 
many as 177 blooms on one shoot. 
Covering a Wall.— Verdure : If you have failed to 
get Ivy to succeed then scarcely anything else you 
plant out will do any good. Probably the Ivy might 
have been starved or parched from the fact that the 
roots were paved round. Ivies form a very fine 
covering when they do well, and they need not have 
a very rich foothold either. However, the best plan 
in your circumstances would be to secure wire 
netting, and fix it a couple of inches from the wall. 
This may be done by putting bolts of wood, or small 
pegs even, into the wall, and then to fasten the 
netting to these. Pack in turfy loam or rich soil of 
free and rather lumpy nature. After this has settled 
and has been moistened, you can plant in young 
Nasturtiums, blue and white Lobelia, Sedum 
Sieboldii, Canary Creeper, and anything else of this 
sort that suggests itself to you. If you have not 
much sunlight we would advise you not to use your 
watering-can quite so lavishly. The soil would be 
apt to become soured, and leavy growth of a sappy 
nature would come in place of firmer shoots and 
flowers under the drier culture. Numerous varieties 
of the Vites tribe (Ampelopsis) would also do if you 
planted them in deep boxes, and placed these close 
against the wall. 
Apple Tcee. — J. S. : It is unfortunate that your 
tree should not flower. We suspect that there is too. 
