136 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 23, 1899. 
INTS* FOR fflMATEURS. 
A Selection of Shrubs for Planting. —Even in the 
smallest patch of garden, such as the plots of a few 
square yards, which preserve the dignity of our minor 
villas, and allow the owners to speak conscientiously 
of “ our garden,” an additional value can be given 
and increased pleasure got from them by the judi¬ 
cious use of well chosen shrubs. I would never re¬ 
commend the natural or free method of arranging 
these when close to dwellings. By this I mean that 
formal lines and formality, strict and severe, appear 
much more tasteful, and altogether in keeping with 
the surroundings. The lines of the house and the walls 
surrounding the front garden should be the guides. 
Now about the selection of what to plant. Veronicas 
of the taller and hardy shrubby sorts are all more or 
less suitable. V. Traversii is perfectly hardy, even 
far North, and their growth being moderate they do 
not become ungainly until after some years. Silver 
Box and the Golden variety are evergreens of a 
cheerful sort, bushy and easy to manage. Small 
plants of Golden Queen Holly are always in request. 
Retinospora plumosa and the yellow variety R. p. 
aurea may be included. R. squarrosa, likewise 
JuDiperus chinensis aurea, Taxus japonica, or other 
species and varieties of Yew trees, of which there is 
quite a number, are all neat and very ornamental. 
Cupressus lawsoniana erecta-viridis, Thuya occiden- 
talis, and T. orientalis, the American and Chinese 
Arbor-Vitaes; Berberis Aquifolium, Thuyopsis 
dolobra'a, small Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Heaths, 
Euonymuses, and dwarf growing, flowering or foliage 
shrubs, with variety in their form and colour, may 
all be used. The arrangements of them must largely 
depend on the form of the gardens, also on the taste 
or skill of ihose to whom they belong. The con¬ 
ventional way is to have tall, tapering plants 
jutting up in the background, and those of bushy, 
fluffy, or pendulous habit beside them, but more to 
the f.ont. They should be fairly close together, for 
effect must be attained from the start, else the 
amateur’s delight in his little garden will be damped 
for quite a while. Hedges of Yew or Holly, when 
well grown and trimmed, are always a handsome 
blind and shelter against public gaze and against 
winds. Privet grows very quickly, but is very com¬ 
mon. Ivy trained to a trellis is quite efficient, and 
ought to become more popular. 
Planting Bulbs. —I am aware of having given 
hints upon potting up bulbs, but I may be pardoned 
for referring to the outdoor planting of such as 
Tulips, Snowdrops, Narcissi, Hyacinths, &c. After 
the borders have been freed from the summer bed¬ 
ding plants it will be well to give a good barrow load 
of manure to every 4 sq. yds. Dig this in 1 ft. deep, 
mike the border even upon the surface, then plant 
the bulbs. If the system of arrangement is to be in 
lines, mark off the distances with a measuring rod, 
placing in pins at eiiher end of the bed or border. 
Stretch a line along in touch with these pins, making 
it tight. With a trowel make seats for the bulbs, 
placing the larger bulbs about 4 in. deep ; make 
them firm, and cover them over. A surface carpet¬ 
ing of any close growing plant, such as Antennaria 
tomentosa, may be put lightly into the surface. The 
bulbs will grow above this, and in springtime it looks 
well. Or plants of Jonquil Campernelle may be put 
in along with the bulbs, so as to add grace and give 
relieving effect; especially does this apply to 
Hyacinth beds. 
Sweet Peas. —Some may wonder what anyone 
has to say upon Sweet Peas almost at the end of 
autumn. But, as many already know, and, of course, 
act on their knowledge, Sweet Peas are quite hardy, 
and can be got at least a fortnight or three weeks 
earlier from a November sowing than those sown in 
March or April. Amateurs may or may not wish 
early flowering Sweet Peas. For those who would 
care to make the trial let them select the most shel¬ 
tered spot or border close by a wall or hedge. Take 
out a trench and line it with dung. Cover the dung 
over with soil, leaving only 2 in. depth from the top, 
then sow the Peas, and cover them over. When 
they have advanced to a height of 4 in., earth them 
up. They may also be staked, but only give them 
scant support, because they require all the light 
possible. In early springtime, when growth starts 
afresh, give the lines another earthing up. Half a 
dozen good varieties are Salopian, crimson and 
orange-scatlet; Calypso, crimson and purple, deeper 
wings; Lady Grisel Hamilton, pale lavender; Sadie 
Burpee, pure white; Lady Marie Currie, oraDge- 
pick and lilac ; and Black Knight, deep maroon. 
Some may prefer, however, to get packets of good 
mixed kinds. 
Agapanthus umbellatus. —The Blue African Lily 
is surely known and loved by every grower of plants. 
Very few plants produce so brilliant an umbel of 
flowers, or can be relied upon to give so continu¬ 
ously a yearly return. Old plants in large pots or 
tubs simply get no care whatever in many of the 
large gardens, yet nothing perverts them, they are 
irrepressible. The best plan for obtaining one or 
two plants would be to get a friend to give or sell 
you a rooted offset. Nurserymen would sell fresh 
young plants for a few shillings a-piece, which they 
fully merit and return. Strong turfy loam, leaf 
mould, decayed manure, and sand, with the greater 
preponderance of the first compound, answers for a 
compost. The plants only require a cool house 
temperature for growth, but when they have become 
established in their pots a liberal supply of water 
must be accorded them during summer. In winter, 
they can even be stored away with impunity. Clear 
liquid manure can be given them at the time the 
flower spikes are developing. 
Acalypha hispida (Sanderi). — This plant is 
simple enough to grow as a bush plant, and flowers 
almost under any conditions. As a tall standard, how¬ 
ever, it is a distinct success, and probably more orna¬ 
mental in this form than in any other. The young 
plants are grown on the single stem system, the 
lower shoots being cut off according as others deve¬ 
lop from the apex. These lateral shoots should not 
be taken away close up to the growing point, else 
growth may be maimed; one or two should always 
be left. But at whatever height it has been decided 
to terminate upward growth, the leading shoot 
should be stopped. The lateral shoots below the 
apex may then be allowed to grow outward on all 
sides, but these, too, will require to be stopped in 
due course. A well trained plant of this kind, when 
in flower, with the long hairy tails hanging perpen¬ 
dicularly, is very pretty. 
DaYallias —Among basket Ferns, the Davallias 
(Hare or Squirrel's foot Ferns) are a graceful and 
beautiful class. Propagation may be effected from 
spore 5 , or better and speedier, from taking parts of 
the rooted rhizomes and pegging them down upon a 
peaty or fibry loam compost. They will do first- 
rate in an intermediate house, but being natives, 
more or less, of tropical parts of the globe, the heat 
of a stove is more to their liking. Generous treat 
ment all along should be given to them. After a 
plant has been rooted and pegged securely to a 
basket or a piece of bark, it ought to have a moist 
atmosphere and a temperature of 65° Fahr. at the 
lowest, in which to grow. The supply of water must 
be adequate, and with old established plants manure 
may be added to it. The soil in which to pot them 
should be fibrous, containing charcoal, crocks, some 
peat, and a liberal portion of good fibrous loam and 
sand. D. affinis, D. bullata, D. fijiensis, D. pallida, 
and others are all very fine species. 
Present Work.— Make everything secure for the 
severer weather which we might expect at any time. 
Look over cuttings in frames. Remove plants from 
and prepare beds and borders for autumn planting. 
Go on with walk repairs, fruit and ornamental tree 
planting, renewing of grounds and returviug of 
lawns. Lay Box, or other edging. Prepare the 
houses for winter by washing the glass, Expose 
Peaches and Vines in houses where they are free 
from crops, so that the wood may ripen. Pot up 
advancing stock and keep everything clean. — 
Beacon. 
—-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone 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. 
Coelogyne cristata — Hortus: A moderately cool 
house with a temperature in winter of 50° Fahr., at 
the least, will suit this Orchid. The winter is i s 
resting period, too, so that only sufficient water is 
required to keep the bulbs from shrivelling. Like 
most other Orchids the drainage must be perfect, 
therefore plenty cf crocks, charcoal, and the like 
must be used. It does best in pots or pans, which 
are suspended from the roof. A compost suitable to 
its needs would be equal parts of peat and fibrous 
chopped sphagnum, with the addition of some turfy 
loam and leaf mould. The roots are rather im¬ 
patient of disturbance, and after the plants are 
established and are doing well, their only need, as 
a rule, is an annual topdressing. Good pseudo-bulbs 
never fail to bloom if they receive proper treat¬ 
ment. 
Spring Bedding. — W.D.: You are in time yet. 
Hints will appear on this subject shortly. In the 
meantime, get manure or ought else ready and think 
out whether you could not effect any improvement 
or change of design. 
Good forcing Strawberries —H. M.: A good old 
gardener, and one specially well up in fruits, would 
have none but Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury for his 
earliest forcing batches. La Gross Sucree was his 
second favourite, and following this, Royal Sove¬ 
reign. This latter is well regarded with very many 
growers because it forces easily, but others again 
complain that the fruits are hardly worth the eating. 
Try a few of the first and last named as a test of 
their general merits. 
Plants Rooting into Soil — Jos. Steele : Many 
plants whose roots completely fill the pots are pot- 
bound, in fact, will certainly roct through the holes 
in the bottom of the pots and penetrate into the 
ground. To prevent this, which is as often as not 
harmful and undesirable, pieces of slate or wood 
should be placed beneath the pots. Where plants are 
in this condition loosen the roots, and by degrees cut 
them through. Somegrowerswouldcut themstraight 
off at once, and where the after treatment of keeping 
them co:l and in shade, probably giving them just a 
little more warmth, is carried out, no harm will 
attend them. At this season of the year it would he 
safe to do so. 
Creepers for a Wall. — A. Alexander, Stow : Warm 
walls are generally far more to be preferred to northi 
or east walls for growirg the best samples off 
climbers. A south position should alw ays be plinnedi 
for in northen gardens when planting such as Wistaria:, 
sinensis, the Crimson Rambler Rose, and others of a 
kind likely to be suitable, such as the Ayrshire andl 
Banksian Roses, Magnolia grandiflora, and Ceano- 
thus azureus, and some of the Vitis tribe, notably 
V. Coignetiae, may also be included. For other 
aspects use Ivies of sorts, Pyrus japonica, Ampelop- 
sis Veitchii, A. V. purpurea, and Clematis in varie¬ 
ties. Many plants, not really climbers, can be 
effectively used. 
Heliotropes — R. Jobson.E. : For winter flowering 
we ourselves are very fond of these plants. The 
colour and their delicious fragrance are both excep¬ 
tional, or at least along with Violets (which may 
also be grown in pots) they form a very much de¬ 
sired and scarce colour and kind of flowering plant. 
All you can do now is to make sure of having nice 
plants for next season. Take cuttings in early 
spring and grow them on slowly and' 
steadily all summer. Keep the plants bushy and 
stout, two essentials to the production of beautiful 
and good flowering plants. They may be grown in 
warm houses. We have had borders in a long warm 
corridor planted with Heliotropes, and these supplied! 
us all the year round. We kept them growing irr. 
rotation. One lot would be in flower while another 
was comiDg into flower, and a third just breaking, 
after having been cut back. 
Repairing Walls. — J. Stirling-. So loDg as good 
weather continues, mild and not frosty, you could 
safely undertake the " pointing-up ” of your walls. 
We presume you will employ masons. All that gar¬ 
den walls need if seen to in season—"a stitch in 
time,” you know—is to have some of the old mortar 
pricked out from between and around the stones. 
New mortar is then pitched in, and the whole wait 
smoothly finished off. To tone down the glare of w hile 
which vivifies after the lime dries, wash the surface 
with a cement solution. It would be well if many 
other garden walls were patched up a bit. 
Forcing Lily of the Yalley— Secure good 
crowns; place them in boxes or pots among a com- 
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