492 
March 30, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
INTS FOR 
MATEURS. 
PLANTS FOR BORDERS AND ROCKERIES. 
The weather has not been at all propitious for gar¬ 
dening in the open, and those who dislike damp soil 
will have been deterred from gardening. Presently, 
however, the necessary work will have to be brought 
up to time, and the planting of hardy herbaceous 
and alpine plants is a subject that demands imme¬ 
diate attention so that they may get established 
before summer advances with the possibility of dry 
times. Plants that are well established pass through 
those trying times much more easily than those 
which are newly planted and have had little time to 
take hold of the soil. Lovers of hardy plants are 
always picking up something new with which to 
enrich their collections, and the more enthusiastic 
will attend to the wants of their favourites no 
matter what the weather may be. The condition of 
the soil is the chief thing to take into consideration ; 
but although the weather has been very unsettled 
and wet for a long time past, there are intervening 
days, windy they may be, when the soil becomes 
sufficiently dry to be perfectly workable, especially 
on borders and rockeries where there is no necessity 
for much treading in order to fill up what vacancies 
there may be with the new comers. Some fresh 
soil should be given where the new additions are to 
be planted, and the soil should be well loosened or 
dug up, unless this has been previously accom¬ 
plished. 
Arabis albida flore pleno.—The typical form of 
this plant is a popular favourite in many gardens, 
large and small. A. albida variegata is almost as 
well known and proves useful for the edging of 
flower beds as its foliage is bright and cheerful all 
the summer long after the flowers are gone. This 
applies more particularly to the open country, as in 
London and other large towns, the filthy deposit 
from the atmosphere in winter is very detrimental to 
the soft and hairy leaves which catch and hold the 
filth that falls upon them. The green form is more 
vigorous, and that holds good for the double form 
(A. albida flore pleno) which is yet comparatively 
new but is finding its way into many gardens all over 
the country. The double white flowers are produced 
in succession over a considerable period of time. 
This plant is admirably adapted for rockeries, falling 
over the ledges and making an attractive display. 
It is of the easiest culture and will thrive in the open 
borders of any garden where the soil is fairly 
passable 
Alyssum saxatile.—Sweet Alyssum is a favourite 
in many gardens, particularly where summer bedding 
is carried out, but it is scarcely so hardy as A saxa¬ 
tile away from dry and sandy places near the sea 
shore. The profusion of bright yellow flowers pro¬ 
duced by it are very conspicuous from various points 
of view ; and while it may be planted in beds or 
borders, it never locks more at home than on the 
rockery where its toots are kept dry in winter. The 
gray foliage also shows that it is a rock plant. 
Fresh stock may be obtained by taking cuttings and 
rooting them in sandy soil in a cold frame during 
summer. An easier and quicker method, if large 
quantities are required is to save seeds, which are 
produced in abundance, and sow them in boxes as 
soon as ripe. By placing the boxes in a cold frame 
the plants will make rapid progress and require to be 
pricked out into nursery beds during September or 
October. If the autumn is fairly mild and open the 
seedlings will make nice plants for putting into their 
permanent positions in spring. This may even be 
done in autumn if the ground is available. The 
new double variety A. saxatile flore pleno is more 
handsome and more durable than the type, the 
flowers being bright yellow and perfectly double. 
Aubrietias.—A collection of spring flowering 
plants can never be complete nor even well repre¬ 
sented without some of the beautiful varieties of 
Aubrietia now available. One of the most hand¬ 
some of the newer kinds is A. deltoidea Leichtlini, 
often simply named V Leichtlini. The flowers are 
of a rich rose, so bright that a sheet of it becomes 
conspicuous as far as the eye can see it. There are 
larger flowered varieties in cultivation, but the bright 
colour of this one more than compensates for any 
deficiency in that respect, The best way to keep it 
true to colour is to divide and replant the old speci¬ 
mens. Some of them come true from seeds, but 
many of the seedlings are inferior. 
Cardamine pratensis flore pleno.—As the wild 
plant delights in wet meadows it follows that most 
satisfaction will be got from the double one if planted 
in a fairly moist position in the garden, not neces¬ 
sarily wet or marshy, but sufficiently moist all the 
year round to develop a healthy growth. Under 
such circumstances the beautiful variety under 
notice produces a wealth of flowers during April, 
May and June in different parts of the country. The 
flowers vary in the depth of their lilac colour, and 
are best or darkest during the earlier stages of their 
flowering. Double varieties spring up from seeds in 
the wild state, so that it is possible for finer varieties 
to be picked up. The Cuckoo Flower, as it is called, 
may be propagated by division of the pieces in 
autumn or early spring ; but there is a more uncom¬ 
mon method of multiplying the plant. If it is 
covered with a bellglass or handlight so as to 
retain moisture about it, small plants are developed 
upon the leaves, and if the latter are pegged down 
upon the soil the little plants soon become 
established. 
Dwarf Campanulas. — Every rockery should 
possess a number of the species and varieties of Cam¬ 
panula for the sake of the profusion of brightly 
coloured flowers which they bear, and the ease with 
which they may be managed. Indeed they require 
very little management at all when once established, 
except to keep them from encroaching upon their 
neighbours, or to keep the latter from spreading 
over the dwarfer Bellflowers. Weeding is another 
item that has to be reckoned with. One of the most 
common of the dwarf Campanulas is C. pumila alba 
about 4 in. to 6 in. high, with pure white flowers. 
The blue variety of the same species is not nearly so 
common. An admirable companion for this species 
is C. pulla, about 3 in. high, and bearing a solitary 
drooping dark purple flower. It is less conspicuous 
than the white one just mentioned when viewed from 
a distance, but on the rockery is exceedingly pretty 
whether seen by itself or in contrast with the white. 
Another handsome Campanula is C. turbinata, about 
4 in. or 5 in. high, when obtained true, with large 
blue flowers rising singly from the dwarf tuft of 
leaves. All the three may be planted in select posi¬ 
tions upon the rockery and fully exposed to the sun- 
The Bellflowers dislike much shading. 
Heuchera sanguinea grandiflora. — It seems 
strange that some experience difficulty in growing 
this fine hardy plant, or even the ordinary form of 
it. Friable and fairly rich well drained soil should 
meet its requirements, and under such conditions it 
appears perfectly happy in various parts of the 
country. During a dry summer it should not be 
allowed to get dried up for want of moisture, as at 
that time all the Heucheras delight in a plentiful 
supply, or at least should not te allowed to 
flag in a dusty soil. The flowers of the variety 
under notice are much larger than the type, 
and of a rich crimson scarlet. If the ordinary form 
is well grown and the large variety badly grown 
there might be little apparent difference between 
them, but it pays to grow both of them well. A 
good friable loam might be liberally enriched with 
well rotted hotbed manure or leaf soil, either of 
which would serve to retain the moisture during the 
drier periods of summer. A border alongside of a 
path would generally prove more suitable for it than 
a rockery unless the roots could be sheltered and 
partly shaded by stones on the north side of the 
rockery. Several of the species seem to be fond of 
stones close by or over their roots. 
Phlox subulata nivea.—There are two white 
flowered varieties of this dwaif Phlox, that just 
mentioned being very uncommon in collections. The 
flowers are wholly white, whereas those of the better 
known P. subulata Nelsoni have five violet or purple 
spots round the eye. Both are, however, very choice 
and desirable additions to rockery p'aots, and 
will thrive on fairly dry spots fully exposed to the 
sun. They may be increased by dividing the pieces, 
but it is much more profitable to take half ripened 
cuttings during July and insert them firmly in pots of 
very sandy soil. The pots may be stood in hand 
lights or in a cold frame kept close for a time, and 
shaded during the heat of the day. When rooted 
they should be po.ted off singly, and when re-estab¬ 
lished placed in an open frame where they may be 
allowed to finish their growth and ripen off. If pro¬ 
tected in cold frames during the winter they make 
nice plants for the rockery where they may be 
planted about the end of March or the beginning of 
April, according to the weather.— J. 
Correspondence. 
Questions ashed 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. 
Method of Writing on Zinc Labels.—T. B. IV. : 
The method usually recommended by dealers is to 
write the name on the bare zinc with a pen, using 
the specially prepared ‘‘indelible ink.” The labels 
employed are usually small so as to be as unobtru¬ 
sive as possible ; and if inserted close to the plants 
to which they belong or even behind the same they 
are practically concealed from view. This necessi¬ 
tates pulling out the label every time it is desired 
to ascertain the name of the plant; and if the face 
of the label is smeared over with mud, it will have 
to be wiped clean and wetted to enable you to read 
the name. Even this some people will do without a 
grumble. Another method of dealing with zinc 
labels is to paint them with white lead, as In the 
case of ordinary wooden labels, and to write upon 
them with a soft pencil while still wet. This will make 
the labels and names more conspicuous, and might 
please you better. Try both ways and see which 
you like best. 
Underground Watering or Irrigation .—Eastern 
The system you speak ot has not been much em¬ 
ployed in this country, so far as we know. The 
plan is to lay pipes of some sort, generally of iron, 
perforated in places, at a certain depth below the 
surface of the ground to be planted and where much 
watering would be necessary in dry weather, particu¬ 
larly during the earlier stages of growth. The water 
is then introduced to the pipas by pouring it into a 
cistern above ground. The advantages are that the 
pipes distribute the water through the soil in the 
neighbourhood of the roots, and the moisture rises 
towards the surface by capillary attraction. The 
baking of the surface is also obviated, the bad 
effects of which are seen where much water has to be 
spread on the ground by means of the hose or 
watering pot. 
Fishbone Thistle for Bedding.— A. G. IV. \ The 
plants are biennial and have to be raised from seeds 
annually to get fine foliage, as they run to seed the 
second year and spoil the beauty of the leaves. 
You should sow the seeds at once in pots of sandy 
soil and leaf mould in a warm greenhouse or hotbed 
of manure. As soon as the seedlings have made 
one rough leaf they may be pricked off into boxes of 
soil, using rougher material with less decayed leaves 
in the bottom. They will root into this and lift 
with balls of soil at planting time, about the begin¬ 
ning of June. The plants must be gradually pre¬ 
pared for this by gradually hardening them off by 
giving more air as the weather becomes warmer. 
For some days before putting them in the beds stand 
the boxes out of doors in a sheltered place. 
Gladiolus The Bride in Pots.— R. Napier : You 
will be very late with this early flowering variety 
now, but if time is no object it need not matter. 
Use a compost of good, fibrous loam, a little leaf 
mould and some well decayed cow manure broken 
fine. Drain the pots well, using 32 size, as a con¬ 
siderable amount of water will be necessary during 
the growing period. About five bulbs should be 
quite sufficient for a pot if you like large flowers. 
When the pots are getting filled with roots, give 
weak liquid manure twice or thrice a week. The 
pots may be kept in frames till the growth is well 
advanced. As soon as the spikes commence to 
open their flowers transfer the plants to the green¬ 
house. 
Sweet Peas in Pots.— G. Gilbert: They respond 
readily to pot culture, and you may use pots of 
various sizes according to your requirements. Very 
large ones would be unsightly and unnecessary, pro 
nided you attend well to their requirements in the w ay 
of watering and stimulating with weak liquid manure, 
both while growing and while flowering. Small pots 
will serve to restrict the height of the plants, which 
need not necessarily be tall for conservatory or simi¬ 
lar methods of decoration. Never allow the plants 
