784 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 8, 1901. 
for Iftnateilrs. 
The Rose season is past, and now the attention of 
garden-lovers seems to be divided between the Lily 
family and the Carnations. It is with a few hints 
on the former family that I intend to occupy my 
space this week. Lilies as a speciality are exceed¬ 
ingly difficult to grow, but those which I intend to 
select are not in the least difficult, neither are they 
botanically, strickly Lilies, but they belong to the 
Lily family, and to the amateur, and very often to 
the professional, they are known as Lilies, so I will 
keep the same name here. 
Day Lilies.—These are now looking at the best on 
the herbaceous borders, where the bold outlines of 
the strap-like foliage and the trusses of yellow and 
orange flowers make a picture not easily effaced 
from the mind. They are quite easy to manage, 
and as little trouble as any plant in the garden, 
because when once planted it is not wise to disturb 
then for several years. Like all other plants which 
have to remain in the ground for several years 
without disturbance, they require a well prepared 
soil to grow in. Autumn, just as the leaves die down, 
is the best time to shift them. As they resent fresh 
manure in the soil, and it is necessary that they 
shi uld be in well manured or rich ground, it 
would be a good plan for those who intend to plant 
this handsome flower to prepare the soil for its 
reception now. By doing so, it will be in a better 
condition for them in the autumn. The blooms do 
not last long, but they keep up a succession for some 
time. The proper name of the genus is Hemero- 
callis, a name which was chosen through this 
feature, as it is taken from the Greek, meaning the 
" Beauty of a Day.” The best species is a Japanese 
one, bearing the name of H. aurantiaca major. The 
foliage is ample, covered with a kind of bloom, and 
the flowers, which are large and open, are of a deep 
rich apricot colour. 
Plantain Lilies.—The Funkia family is another 
which is very easy to grow, and one that gives very 
good results. For grouping near to streams, at the 
base of rockeries or on the edge of borders, they are 
most useful, especially the variety of Funkia ovata, 
known as marginata, which has its leaves edged 
with a broad band of white, which gives a very 
ornamental appearance to the plant. Like the Day 
Lily, the Plantain Lilies do not require disturbing 
for several years. To produce the luxuriant masses 
of foliage which so characterises the species, the 
plants must have a deep, rich soil to root in and 
never suffer for want of moisture. The fertility of 
the soil may be kept up for a long time by mulching 
with well decayed manure during the winter. They 
propagate easily by division. If they are to be 
divided, the best time to select is early spring, and 
in doing so be careful not to injure the roots more 
than necessary. Funkia ovata is about the easiest 
species for outdoor culture. The flowers which are 
produced from May until late in July vary from pure 
white to bluish-lilac, and are borne high above the 
foliage in graceful racemes. 
African Lily.—This handsome plaDt which bears 
the name of Agapanthus umbellatus is well known 
by its great umbels of bright blue flowers. There 
are few places in Great Britain where it is quite 
hardy, but the protection of a slightly heated bouse 
in the winter is all that is required. It is an ideal 
plant for making a specimen by the side of a door¬ 
way or at the base of steps. As it requires protection 
in winter, it is best grown in pots or tubs. When 
potting, they should be given a rich, firm soil and a 
good sized pot. It is surprising to see what length of 
time they will remain in a pot without showing signs of 
starvation, especially if helped with copious applica¬ 
tions of weak manure water during the summer acd 
autumn. They are moisture loving plants, and 
when the pots are full of roots and the weather is 
hot and dry, they will require water three times a 
day. There are several variegated forms, but they 
are very seldom seen. 
Star of Bethlehem. —The common small varieties 
of this hardy genus have been known in cottage 
gardens for generations, but somehow such beautiful 
types as Ornithogalum arabicum do not seem to be 
known to the majority of people. This magnificent 
species is making a grand display in several big 
gardens at the lime of writing, and seeing how 
cheaply the bulbs may be procured and. the ease 
with which they may be cultivated, they ought to be 
in every garden worthy ot a name. The flowers are 
borne on scapes of 2 ft. long, and are quite 2 in. 
across. The colour is a creamy white, with con¬ 
spicuous yellow anthers and a shining black ovary 
in the centre. They grow freely in any good garden 
soil, and are easily increased by offsets. The species 
mentioned is not quite so hardy as many of the 
others, so to keep the bulbs safe during winter they 
should be covered with dry leaves or litter.— Hortus. 
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. 
To Increase Cerastiums.— F. : The Cerastiums 
are easy to propagate and readily increase 
either by division, cuttings or seeds, ff they are 
divided, the early autumn or in the spring are the 
most suitable times. Cuttings strike easily during 
the summer in a cool border. Seeds should be 
sown as soon as they are ripe and placed in cold 
frames. Almost without exception, they delight in 
an open sunny position. They are not very particu¬ 
lar as to what soil they grow in, and will flourish in 
an ordinary herbaceous border. 
Arenaria balearica. — Thomas : The plant which 
you have seen covering the face of rocks in the rock 
gardens is, we should judge by your description, the 
unique little plant known under the above name. It 
delights in covering the surface of a moist rock in a 
shady but airy position. Long exposure in the 
direct sunlight quickly parches it up. The best way 
to increase your stock is to fill some shallow boxes 
with fine soil and peg down pieces of the plant on it, 
covering them at intervals with soil. If kept cool 
and shady, they will very soon take root, and in the 
following spring can be transferred to the iockery. 
How to Grow the Common Rose of Sharon.— 
Curtis : It is best grown in a sunny posi.ion, as it 
hails from the Mediterranean district. A good 
place for it is on the sunny side of the house and 
close to the wall. It resents being shaded to any 
great extent by other plants, likes plenty of root 
room, and a soil that is inclined to be sandy or 
chalky. It strikes readily from cuttiogs, which 
should be of half ripened wood and struck under a 
hand light. Seeds germinate freely if sown as s:on 
as ripe and soon produce good plants. We under¬ 
stand you refer to Hypericum calycinum. 
WiBtarias. — S. E.: We do not advise you to 
place much hope in your cuttings, as they very 
seldom strike. The best way to get a young plant 
is to layer one. of the long trailing shoots in the 
same manner in which Carnations are layered. It 
is rather late now to think about doing this, but still 
you may succeed if it is done at once and not severed 
from the parent plant until growth is about to com¬ 
mence in the spring. 
To Make Kerrias Flower.— Rex . You have been 
too sparing with your knife, a fault which often has 
to be found with amateurs. As soon as the plants 
have passed out of flower, much of the old wood 
should be cut out to allow the young wood room to 
develop and ripen properly. If you take cuttings 
you should choose a sandy soil as they grow best in 
that. They are often propagated by division of the 
roots, but this necessitates pulling them about a lot. 
No place suits the double variety better than when 
trained on a sunny wall. 
Layering Carnations.— Vtv: Yes; you should 
now get this done without delay, and with the 
present showery weather they will soon take root if 
attended to carefully. 
When to Plant Chionodoxas —Hughs : The best 
time to plant them is in the autumn. They do not 
require protection in the winter, beiDg perfectly 
hardy. They make such a bright cheery show early 
in the year that they ought to be grown more 
extensively, especially as their bulbs can be obtained 
at such a small cost. Flowers outdoois are very 
scarce at that time of the year, and like the welcome 
Snowdrop, it comes into bloom as soon as the 
weather will permit, and is often covered with snow. 
Indeed, its name denotes this, as it is from two 
Greek words meaning " Glory of the Snow.” There 
are several varieties, and like its cousin the Blue¬ 
bell, the colours are mostly of a pretty shade of blue. 
The bulbs should be planted about 3 in. deep, and if 
possible in a light soil. You will find that they do 
well planted in the grass. 
Price of Tuberose Bulbs.— Symonds : For good 
bulbs you ought not to pay less than 2s. 6d. to 3s. 
per dozen. Of course you can get them cheaper, 
but the quality and quantity of bloom is not so 
good. If you get a good bulb catalogue, which any 
of the big growers will be pleased to send to you on 
receipt of a post card, you will find all the prices of 
the bulbs you want, ranging from id. to nearly £100; 
also directions as to their requirements. 
When to Plant the Scarlet Windflower.—S P.: 
Anemone fulgens is best transplanted early in Sep¬ 
tember, taking care that it does not get dry after¬ 
wards, and that the roots do not remain exposed to 
the air too long. 
When to Divide the Dog’s Tooth Yiolet.— Tame: 
The proper time to divide this plant is either in the 
early autumn or in the spring. Whenever it is done 
it requires very careful handling or the plants will 
go off. Most of them delight in a moist shady 
situation. 
Outdoor Chrysanthemums Weak.— C .: Perhaps 
they are starving through being in poor soil, or 
perhaps they have not been properly watered during 
the dry weather. Try watering them with liquid 
manure or sprinkle a few spoonfuls of nitrate of 
soda round the roots and water it in carefully, acd 
if they are crowded by other plants give them all 
the air possible. 
When to Pot the Umbrella Plant.— Greenhouse: 
This plaDt may be potted at any time during the 
spring or summer, and i( potted on now it will make 
some good growth for the winter It must be boroe 
in mind that although the Cyperus is a moisiure- 
loviDg plant it will not grow in a water logged soil; 
therefore when potting it use plenty of sand in the 
compost to make sure that it keeps open. 
When to strike Offsets of Pandanus Yeltchi.- • 
Q .: They will root at almost any time of the year if 
they are given a little heat. If they are not required 
they should be rubbed off as soon as they appear, as 
they spoil the shape of the plant—that is if it is to 
ba restricted to a small specimen. It makes a very 
handsome specimen plant, and we have seen plants 
in which two or three men could hide, and growing 
in pots too. 
Abutilons .—Sida : There are many handsome 
species and varieties of this genus, but none of them 
are sufficiently hardy to stand the rigours of our 
winter climate. They root easily if cuttings are 
taken off in the spring and placed in a gentle heat. 
They are very desirable plants for conservatory 
work, and with good treatment they bloom all the 
year round. With a little scheming they may be 
induced to grow on a roof, and it is when grown in 
such a position that their flowers are seen to the 
bast advantage. A handsome variety, whose colour 
is defined in the name, is Golden fleece. The 
varieties raised from Abutilon Darwini, a species 
with orange-coloured flowers with veins of a deeper 
colour, are very numerous, and all worth growing. 
They are very much subjected to attacks of red- 
spider and therefore should not be grown where the 
syringe cannnot be used freely. 
Linums.— F.K. : The best time to take Linum 
cuttings is during this month. Well ripened shoots 
should be selected and struck in pots of sandy soil, 
and placed under bell glass in cool and shady 
places. They come well from seeds, which may 
either be sown in the autumn or in the spring. 
To grow Hardy Impatiens.— S.P .: The hardy 
species of Impatiens as a rule will grow almost 
anvwhere and will reproduce themselves from seed 
with as much vigour as if they were free growing 
