632 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June]2, 1900. 
if I NTS FOR ||MATEURS. 
Alpine and Rockery Plants.—Pulmonaria arvern- 
ense with its tasselled head of dark blue and purple 
flowers makes a capital show in the rougher parts 
of the rockery at the present time. It does not 
seem to be in the least fastidious, and blossoms 
grandly all in its own happpy solitude. But we can 
hardly say solitude, for near by it, and all around, 
there are other plants equally gay and sparkling. 
There is the little Arenaria balearica which creeps 
over every patch of surface and makes dry grey 
stones glisten with thousands of snow white " stars," 
shining from a green and even setting. This little 
spreading plant only requires to get a start made 
and if left alone it soon will carpet all the barer 
spots. 
Epimedium musschianum.—This is certainly a 
pretty species of Epimedium. It has the usual form 
of leaf borne by these plants, that is, a drooping 
hastate leaf, often coloured with soft pink, or other 
hue. The flowers in this case are white and pendent, 
making the plant worthy of the complimentIt 
is a sweet little thing.” 
Phlox subulata, and the others which are now 
glowing in their rich warm colours, could hardly be 
spared from cur English flower gardens or rockeries. 
Like so many others of our small growing spring 
plants, the proper way to arrange them effectively 
is to grow them in sheets. Where the ground slopes 
abruptly, there they may be planted. If a plant is 
placed here and there in a pocket where the roots 
shall te sure of nourishment, the stems (which be¬ 
come half shrubby) spread out and downward, and 
from all along the length of them, the pink flowers 
burst out each year. P. amoena, P. divaricata, P- 
setacea and P. lilacina are some of the gayer species 
now wiih us. 
Saxifraga Aizoon notata.—This incrusted Saxi- 
fraga sends up tall and pretty stalks bearing clo ely 
set flowers. The blossoms are pure white, and 
to see a nice plant high on a rockery, is a lovely 
sight indeed. It ought to have a well drained soil. 
Daphne Cneorum.—All who do not possess this. 
charming dwarf alpine, should obtain at least one 
specimen to add to the rockery during the autumn of 
this year. It grows in rather close tults and when * 
it obtains suitable quarters, the dwarf stems shower 
forth clusters of rosy-pink flowers at this time of 
year. There are some newer forms of existing var¬ 
ieties, with deeper coloured flowers, but whether 
these are real gains remains to be proven. It likes 
a peaty soil, which must be both deep and moist. 
Aubrietia deltoidea variety William Ingram.— 
I do not know whether this is a pet whose intro¬ 
duction was due to the late Mr. Ingram, of Belvoir 
Castle, or not. I should think he had something to 
do with it. But no matter who first gave us it, we 
have secured a very handsome variety. The plant 
seems altogether of stronger growth than the par¬ 
ent type (although this is as hardy as a Scotch Fir); 
and one thing is indisputable, the flowers are larger 
and semi-double, but they are much paler in colour, 
a point which we cannot say is in its favour. It 
begins to flower at a slightly later period than A. 
deltoidea. 
Gentiana verna, I believe, was noticed by me in 
a previous ramble. It likes a sunny spot, in a 
porous, yet fertile soil. 
Symphytum caucasicum.—For the rougher parts 
of the garden, we have in the above an extremely 
suitable plant. It bears quantities of rosy and blue 
flowers which resemble the Pulmonarias, belonging 
of course, to the same natural order. It grows over 
a foot in height and can succeed where many another 
plant would not. 
Geranium rivulare is a pretty plant with fringed 
palmate leaves and terminal clusters of pure white 
flowers. The plant grows about ij ft. high, and is 
bushy and floriferous. 
Geum chiloense.—Here we strike a new colour, 
or not new, but rarer shade, and certainly not often 
seen in the garden at this time. It is a strong grow¬ 
ing plant with dark green, lobed leaves, and very 
brilliant brick-red-orange flowers. The flowers are 
inserted on erect stalks, the usual shape of the 
flowers being well known. 
Lathyrus luteus Yar. aureus—This is not a 
common rockery plant, though it is eminently 
suited for a position in this sphere of the garden. 
The flowers are conspicuous enough. They are like 
what a yellow-flowered Vetch would be, but tbe 
habit is not that of a climbing plant. The stems 
are moderately stout, they grow closely, and bear a 
thick herbage of pinnate leaves, which are of a con¬ 
siderable size A roomy pocket or other position 
has to be accorded to so strong and robust a plant. 
Trillium grandiflorum.—This grand Liliaceous 
plant is not really suitable for rockeries. It is more 
a plant for the shady parts of a water scene, a lake 
or stream, as instances. It bears (and I suppose 
enjoys!) such names as American Wood Lily, 
Indian Shamrock, Three-leaved Nightshade, and 
Wake-Robin. There are spots in the rock garden, 
however, in which fine clumps can be flowered. 
These occur in the hollows between two abutting 
prominences or mounds, parts which should be 
intentionally planned for the sake of such plants as do 
like moist and somewhat shady places. 
Chaerophyllum roseum.—This little umbelli¬ 
ferous plant is a cheery gem, with spreading heads 
of a rosy colour. The leaves are very much 
dissected, and the general habit of the plant is 
slender and graceful. An open sunny spot should be 
chosen for it. 
Cardamine digitata is a hardy and sweetly pretty 
little subject from the Arctic regions. Placed 
around the base of an old tree stump, it grows 
profusely and flowers brilliantly. The entire plant 
is not more than a tew inches high or broad, bearing 
oval green leaves and axillary clusters of pretty 
fringed pink blossoms. 
Houstonia caerulea var. alba.—A small white 
flower—a starry flower, with a clear yellow centre, 
and how charming a plant it is ! It grows in close 
tufts, the small white flowers springing from leaves 
which are scarcely large enough to see. It requires 
careful handliog, and though it is so sweet, it may 
not succeed equally well with everybody. 
Iris cristata is dwarf, has bright blue flowers, 
and enjoys a free, gritty soil. I. lacustris is dwarfer 
and smaller still, and its blue flowers are not quite 
so effective as those of I. cristata. I. pumila is much 
larger in all respects, than either of these. It is now 
just going out of flower in the dry rockery. Its 
variegated variety may be once more brought to 
mind. Few plants are so lovely, and scarcely any, 
excel the I. p. variegata as a pretty hardy foliage 
plant. 
Alyssum saxatile citrinum—Just a word in 
favour of this citron-coloured Alyssum, whose 
graces are so much admired at this time. It seems 
to be even more “ pliable ’’ or adaptable for cover¬ 
ing exparses of the ground than the variety A. s. 
compacta. Its habit and general aspect are finer 
than that of the one just mentioned. A rich, 1 ght 
soil, and a sunny exposure, especially where it can 
grow pendently, should be chosen for it. 
Present Work.—Bedding-out is now in full swing. 
Where bulbs have occupied the beds, these may 
now be lifted to be heeled into long lines in warm 
borders so that they may fully mature and ripen 
off. The beds may then be manured if need be, and 
deeply dug over. All plants for bedding out should 
receive lull air during the day and only a slight 
reduction of ventilation should be given on chilly 
nights. The success of the plants when put out, 
greatly depends on the degree of hardiness they have 
previously attained to. 
There is little to do in the greenhouse. Carnations 
are in bloom, and so with Cinerarias, Calceolarias, 
Fuchsias, and Campanulas. Two very pretty little 
members of the latter genus, and which are now 
flowering in pans at the edge of the stage, are Cam¬ 
panula garganica and its variety hirsuta. C.g. 
hirsuta is the better of the two. The flowers are 
star shaped, light blue in colour, and are sent up in 
great profusion all over the surfaces of the stems. 
The leaves are pretty,being somewhat kidney-shaped 
and nicely toothed around the edges. The sweet 
little Cape Aster or Blue Marguerite, Agathea coe- 
lestis still flowers, or at least, the new batches still 
continue the show. I delight in the scented Pelar¬ 
goniums, especially when they are profusely flowered. 
The flowers are quaint and pretty. In the kitchen 
garden, hoeing thinning, planting out, staking and 
making succession sowings of Peas, Beans, and 
small salads should be attended to. 
The fruit-houses, with such as Vines just at the 
thinning stage, require critical watching. Do not let 
them suffer for want of thinning ; nothing is worse. 
Keep the border, paihs and stages of the house well 
damped down. Remember, however, that the 
foliage should be quite dry at least once a day. Do 
not be afraid to ventilate on warm days. The tem¬ 
perature for peachery or vinery in full growth, should 
be 55° night, up to 65° day ; for Figs, a little higher. 
— 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. 
Tomato leaves curled —Beginner : A temperature 
of 6o° at night is about io° too high, and 70° during 
the day will certainly harm the young leaves, 
especially if water at any time should be lacking. 
Let the night temperature fall to 50° or thereabouts, 
with 1 in. of ventilation whenever the weather is 
mild outside. As the summer advances, more may 
be given at night. Then begin to increase the 
ventilation as the temperature rises during the day 
time, and let 6o° be the maximum day temperature, 
unless, of course, it is higher than this in the open 
air. 
Azaleas pot-bound.— E. R. S.: Now that the 
plants are passing out of flower and as you say, 
are strongly pot-bound, the present would be an 
advisable time for repotting. Most likely you will 
require to break the pots they are now growing in. 
A very small shift only should be given. The 
compost may consist of two parts peat, two of good 
loam, one of sharp coarse sand, and some charcoal. 
Crock well, and ram the soil firmly. 
Cannas.— W. T .: It is safer in your Carlisle 
district, or indeed in any latitude north from 
Lincoln or Chester, to defer the planting of Cannas 
in open air beds, till about the 10th of June South¬ 
ward, gardeners are now planting them out. Deeply 
prepared beds and well enriched soil are necessary. 
“ Kill-’m Right."— A. B., Newcastle-on-Tyne: The 
Kill-’m-Right insecticide mentioned by our corres¬ 
pondent Beacon in his “ Hints ” on page 6co, is a 
powder sold in tins, by The Stott Co., Deansgate, 
Manchester. It used to be largely advertised and 
used liberally in gardens in the north, to our own 
knowledge. You might write to the firm for a 
sample ; or possibly your local sundriesman could 
procure the stuff for you. 
Leaves Crimpled. — IV. T. :—The Beech trees, 
some Maples, and tender leaved fruit trees have 
suffered from the keen cutting winds which have 
been blowing lately in tbe London district. Possibly 
your trees have been likewise affected. The warm 
weather which lasted only a day or two, brought 
growth rapidly onward, and when the change came 
one could almost see the leaves cringing and curling 
up their edges. Northern gardeners have been better 
favoured this year than southern ones. 
Plants for Edge of Stream.— M. Laird : Solomon's 
Seal has a splendid effect by the edge of water; 
Spiraea palmata a geo fly sized plant; S. venustais 
also worthy, so is S. japonica in places which are 
sheltered; and S. Ulmariafol. var., may likewise be 
selected from the Spiraea family. Bamboos are 
never better placed than when near water, scenes. 
B. palmata is a large and also very hardy variety. 
Bulrushes should be liberally planted, and Saxifragas 
of sorts, Primroses, notably P. sikkimensis, Arabis, 
Woodruff,and Forget-me-Nots. Rodgersia podophylla 
takes us among the taller plants, as Gunnera scabra, 
G. maculata. Ranunculuses and Caltbas, together 
with Eulalia zebrina give additional forms and 
colours. Such dwarf and busby shrubs as Veronicas, 
Choisya ternata, Japanese Maples, Staphyleas, 
Olearia Haastii and O. Gunnii, Weigelas, Corylus 
Avellana, Berberis japonica, and Viburnums are 
others. 
Blue Agapanthus.— Willie: Place the plant in a 
sunny corner and attend to it with water. The Blue 
African Lily does exceedingly well out of doors 
during summer. 
Garden Prunings and Cleanings.— Wm. Stuart : 
Wheel away the weeds, and never allow either them 
or diseased crops to decompose if the material is 
a'Grwards for use as a dressing. Prunings and lawn 
