7o4 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 16, 1905. 
i 
LACHENALIAS. < 2 * J* USEFUL and decorative bulbs for spring flowering. 
'Natives of South Africa, the above-men¬ 
tioned. subjects are fast being recognised as 
one of our most useful and decorative bulbs 
for spring flowering in the conservatory and 
greenhouse, and a good batch of them is sure 
to attract attention on account of their bright 
colours and curiously-shaped flowers. They 
are commonly called the “ South African 
Cowslip,” and the shape of the individual 
flower very much resembles our own Cowslip 
of the fields. The flowers are borne pendu¬ 
lous on stems about 6in. or 8in. long, which 
are very prettily mottled in some varieties. 
To have them in flower early in the spring 
the bulbs should now be potted up into 5-in. 
pots, placing about six or seven bulbs in each. 
The pots should be clean and well-drained, 
and some rough turf placed over the crocks to 
allow the water to pass through easily. A 
compost of two parts fibrous loam, one part 
sandy peat, and one part leaf soil, with some 
clean silver sand, will grow them well. The 
soil should be thoroughly well mixed, and not 
used too wet or dry. Fill the pot about half 
full, and place the bulbs equally on this, with 
a sprinkling of sand under them, and then fill 
up and press firmly, leaving just the apex of 
the bulbs showing through the soil. A light 
sprinkling of sand on the surface will give 
them a more finished appearance. Place the 
pets in a cold frame, choosing, if possible, a 
light and dry position, and allow them plenty 
of air. It is better to defer watering for a 
day or so, and then give them a good soaking 
with a rose can. After this water sparingly 
until growth becomes active, and as soon as 
there is danger of frost remove the plants to a 
shelf in a cool, airy greenhouse, where the 
plants can get what sunshine there is. 
The temperature during the winter should 
not exceed 45deg., and only use enough fire 
heat to expel frost, as they resent forcing, 
especially in the early stages of their growth. 
After Christmas the plants will, with the 
lengthening clays, begin to grow vigorously, 
and every effort should be made to build up 
strong foliage. As soon as the pots become 
filled with roots, a little weak manure water 
applied about twice a week will be found very 
beneficial, occasionally using a weak mixture 
of soot water or some good fertiliser as a 
change-. 
If the plants, be desired to flower early, they 
may be given a slightly warmer temperature, 
•say 50deg. or 55deg., and they will soon throw 
up strong flower spikes. Continue judicious 
feeding until they flower, when it is advisable 
to give only clear water. They are most use¬ 
ful as an edging for a conservatory or green¬ 
house stage when placed in front of taller 
growing plants, and are also ideal for room 
decoration. When they have finished flower¬ 
ing, the spikes should be cut off, and the 
plants fed carefully to induce the bulbs to 
swell and mature. Water should be gradu¬ 
ally withheld as the foliage ripens off, and 
when it has finally ripened off keep the plants 
dry, and place them in full sunlight. This is 
most important, as Lachenalias, more so than 
any other bulbs, will not flower satisfactorily 
unless the bulbs- are thoroughly sound and 
well matured. 
Propagation is attained by offsets, and these 
should be potted off separately and given the 
same treatment as the flowering bulbs, when 
they will flower the next season. There- are 
many varieties, but one of the best, I might 
say, is L. Nelsoni. Leiteola maculata and 
tricolor are also excellent. 
R. Thatches . 
Wistow Gardens, Leicester. 
AN AMATEUR S GREENHOUSE. ^ an interesting first attempt. 
A carpenter friend of the writer’s, who 
rather prided himself on his achievements in 
his front garden and kale-yard, thought, 
during scarcity of work last winter, that he 
would erect himself a greenhouse. On asking 
my advice on the proposed plans, he added a 
little propagating pit, the heating being done 
in spare time by a plumber brother, boiler 
and piping being bought secondhand. The 
whole affair cost little, and was finished in 
February, when he told me he could only 
spend 5s. on a summer display. I, however, 
advised him to- lay out his- money to- the best 
advantage, giving him a list of annuals suit¬ 
able for a summer display, and the result 
obtained exceeded my most sanguine expecta¬ 
tions, every plant being the picture of health 
and skill, while the extreme care and atten¬ 
tion which he must have devoted was to him a 
labour of love, and worthy to- be copied by 
other readers of the “ G. W.” I may say that 
he ha-s been a constant reader for the past 
three years-, and says he sometimes wearies 
for the next issue. For the benefit of amateur 
readers who have a love for their greenhouse 
and its contents, I will give a list of my 
friend’s stock of seeds at the 1st March :—One 
lia-cket Cockscombs, at 6d. ; one packet 
Celocia plumosa-, 6d. ; one packet Schizanthus 
prim-atus, 2d. ; one packet Schizanthus retusus, 
2d. ; one- packet Castor Oil plant, 2d. ; one 
packet Nico-tiana Sanderae, Is. ; one packet 
Statice Suworowi, 2d. ; one packet Statice 
superba, 2d. ; one packet Nasturtium Tom 
Thumb, bd. ; one packet Mignonette Machet, 
6 d. ; one packet Clarkia- pulchella, 2d. ; one 
packet Godetia Albemarle, 2d. ; one packet 
Gypso-phila elegans, 2d. ; one packet Rho- 
danthe manglesii, 2d. ; one packet Lobelia 
speciosa, 6d. ; total, 5s. 
Mo-st of the packets we-re so-wn at intervals 
for succession, and a week or two- ago-, when I 
made a- visit, the greenhouse so impressed rue 
that I rbsolve-d to let the readers of the 
“ G. W,” into the secret of a cheap floral dis¬ 
play* 
I might mention that my friend had pro¬ 
cured a dozen Tomato plants, and was grow¬ 
ing them in old butter or margarine tubs, 
nicely painted and regirded with wire. These 
made a fine background against the back wall, 
being healthy and well fruited ; in front of 
these a Castor Oil plant and Celocia, then a 
general mixture of the other plants named, 
edged with Lobelia and Nasturtium, in from 
4in. to 6in. pots, made a mass of colour. The 
front staging was occupied by Begonias, which 
had done service in an outside- border the 
previous year, the border being now filled 
with some choice- herbaceous plants. A num¬ 
ber of Chrysanthemums are looking well for 
winter flowering. 
Y. Z. 
THE WILD GARDEN. * # & what to grow in it. 
It is not at all difficult in gardens of even 
moderate dimensions to set apart a portion 
as a wild garden—that is, colonies and groups 
of plants in soils and situations suitable for 
their requirements, without the restrictions 
Which accompany formal designs o-f shape and 
colour, and distinct from a collection where 
the greatest number of species- is the chief 
consideration, or any existing phase of garden 
decoration. 
Some people consider cur own native plants 
the proper occupants of this garden, and the 
idea has much to recommend it, provided 
garden scenery is the objective ; but there is 
the chance that the desire to have a collection 
may get the upper hand, and what might 
have been a beauty spot become only a mono¬ 
tonous continuation of labelled plants, which 
is certainly out of place. Indiscriminate 
jumbling together of tall and dwarf, spreading 
and compact plants must also be guarded 
against, being as much a failure here as any¬ 
where else. It is a mistake that can easily be 
made, the situation and style of garden rather- 
favouring it. If a mixture of colours is 
wanted hi a certain clump o-f, say, Crocus 
vernus, use varieties of that -species only ; a 
yellow Crocus in this individual colony would 
be out of place, from the fact that it do-es not 
occur in nature, and it is the natural garden 
we are advocating. Relatively speaking, it 
may be said to be the wild garden cultivated ; 
at the same time, no plant ought to have a 
place in it that is not robust enough to thrive 
without attention. 
Bulbs are, perhaps, the most -satisfactory 
subjects o-f any, and the experienced hand 
uses them in quantity. The winter Aconite 
(Eranthis hyemalis) peeping through the moss 
that has been browned by the winter frosts is 
a welcome and cheering sight, to be followed 
soon after by the spotless Snowdrop. In 
quick succession we have the Crocus, Daffodil, 
Chionodoxa, Grape Hyacinth, and Scilla. 
All these have the best effect if planted under 
the shadow of a large tree. A few may be 
planted immediately beneath the tree, the 
greatest number on the line of light and 
shade, gradually lessening as they recede into 
the open. If a hollow is to be planted, its 
lowest point looks best if planted thicker ; the 
same rule holds go-od in planting a slope. A 
crowbar is the best tool for planting these 
bulbs, and can be used for slitting up the 
turf for a number, or punching holes- for one 
or two, filling up with sandy soil after the 
bulbs are inserted. 
Other bulbs that flower in the spring are 
Cyclamen Coum, Erythronium Dens-canis, 
Leucojum vernum, and Triteleja uniflora. 
The Lily of the Valley must not be forgotten 
as being a native ; it is easily materialised, 
and may be taken farther into the shade than 
the bulbs. The same holds good with Tril¬ 
lium grandiflo-rum (the American Wood Lily), 
Anemone nemorosa, and A. sylvestris. Our 
own native Scilla nutans is a beautiful plant, 
but once it makes headway will soon over¬ 
come everything else, with the exception, per¬ 
haps, of Garlic, so that in this style of garden, 
for effect it is best left alone. H. Aknold. 
(To he continued.) 
