Xovomber 25, 1905. 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“As for our love of gardens it is the last refuge of art in the minds and 
souls of many Englishmen.” — Sir Arthur Helps. 
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AN AMATEUR'S LETTER 
TO AMATEURS. 
By the Author of “ The Garden Decorative ,” 
etc., etc. 
XVI. 
How to Make the Garden Interesting.— 
On the 11th I wrote of certain distinctive features 
such as the rock garden—interesting in itself 
as a characteristic feature, and also as a means 
of growing plants that had especial interest— 
and, secondly, I considered the interest that 
belongs to the study and cultivation of some 
typical family that might be especially suitable 
for gardens where the ccnditions were such 
that a general selection of the usual perennial 
and other plants could not be successfully 
grown. For the somewhat shady garden the 
Primulas and Oenotheras were mentioned, and 
it is of these latter that I must write more fully 
to-day. 
Evening Primroses.— Bold, large-flowered 
plants have a great decorative value in the 
garden, whether it be a large one or a small. 
Many of the Oenotheras have these large and 
striking blossoms, and they are, moreover, 
borne in a grand profusion ; and it should be 
remembered that many of the Evening Prim¬ 
roses, in spite of their name, expand their 
blossoms during the day as well as during the 
evening and night. There is a marvellous 
variety of growth, habit, and height among 
these plants, so that a collection of Oenotheras 
has nothing of monotony and sameness about 
it. Where these plants are grown to perfection 
there should be blossom in luxuriant profusion 
for months. I cannot recommend a position 
where no sun reaches them, but they will 
succeed with less than the majority of border 
plants. Some few varieties seem to do better 
in a raised bed or border if the soil is cold clay, 
but others I find seem to flourish no matter 
how heavy the soil may be. Of the tali grow¬ 
ing varieties the familiar Oe. biennis is of 
biennial habit; the form grandiflora should be 
chosen as it is a vast improvement on the older 
strains. A companion plant of equal height 
(some 4 ft.) may be found in the annual Oe. 
salicifolia. The slender stems and tall habit 
make this one of our most striking annuals, 
that deserves to be grown far more frequently 
than at present. The plant may almost be said 
to be clad in yellow flowers. But a little 
dwarfer is the tine Oe. odorata, also of annual 
growth and yellow flowered ; but perhaps after 
all, the most valuable varieties are the per- 
‘ ennial Oe. fruticosa Youngii and Oe. Fraseri, 
for they continue in flower over a long period, 
are day-flowering, and of clean, bright yellow 
colour. For the heights of the plants the 
flowers are bold and large, and very freely 
borne. It does not seem to matter how cold 
and heavy is the soil where these are growm, 
and they can be largely increased from offsets. 
I have seen a dull overhung town garden made 
really beautiful by these plants and that in 
quite ordinary garden soil. While we have 
subjects such as these there is surely no excuse 
for having gardens unplanted and neglected. 
These perennial varieties are more successful 
in partial shade from deciduous trees than are 
the annual varieties. 
Range of Colour among Evening Prim¬ 
roses. —There is a larger range of colour among 
the Oenotheras than many novices imagine; 
for instance, even among the many striking 
plants in the gardens at Kew the white-flowered 
Oe. speciosa holds its own as a conspicuous and 
beautiful plant ; and besides the white-flowered 
varieties, there is * the daintily pretty Oe. 
speciosa rosea, not a novelty, but sufficiently 
unfamiliar to be a somewhat rare plant in the 
ordinary English garden. One of the typical 
evening-flowered varieties is that which seems 
to be known indiscriminately as Oe. margin ata 
and Oe. caespitosa ; it bears very large white 
flowers on dwarf plants, and is one of those 
varieties that flourish best on well-drained soil 
or on the raised border. Much the same con¬ 
ditions of growth suit Oe. missouriensis, which 
is one of the most effective of all trailing plants 
with its immense yellow flowers. This species 
is sometimes known as Oe. macrocarpa. Other 
varieties that are wonderfully decorative are 
Oe. Drummondii nana, half hardy, but flowers 
the same season from seed sown in the early 
year and raised under glass. Oe. venusta and 
Oe. linearis are other good things. I hope I 
have said enough to make anyone hiving a 
neglected and unfavourable border at least 
contemplate planting it with a collection of 
Oenotheras. I can at least say they will find 
that such a border will be both interesting and 
beautiful. 
Preparing the Ground.— Before planting, 
the ground should be deeply dug, and some 
well rotten stable manure should, if possible, 
be added, and if the soil is very heavy it may 
be as well to add some sharp sand in those 
portions that are to be occupied by the trailing 
varieties, and large stones and bits of rocks may 
be placed among them with advantage. They 
will naturally be given the front and more 
open positions the border affords. Some 
varieties, such as Oe. bracliycarpa, Oe. caes¬ 
pitosa, and some few others, commence to 
flower in June, but there is a fine succession if 
a careful selection be made, and many of them 
are not at the height of their beauty until 
August, when they continue on well through 
the autumn; indeed, Oe. speciosa is often 
among the last flowers in the garden. This 
season of late summer flowering and the fine 
succession make the Oenotheras invaluable as 
border flowers. There are yet many varieties 
I have left unnamed that should be included 
where a more complete collection is contem¬ 
plated. The Oenotheras may well be grown in 
a border that is largely given over to spring- 
flowering bulbs. Many of the varieties arte, 
moreover, highly to be recommended for the 
cooler positions in the rock garden. There is 
often a difficulty in finding flowering plants for 
a northern slope—or, indeed,' for the rock 
garden generally—that produce large, showy 
blossoms such as these during the late summer 
and autumn. 
A Cultural Hint. —Where Oenotheras are 
planted during the late autumn special atten¬ 
tion should be bestowed upon them in winter 
after sharp spells of frost. Plants of a 
“ rosette ” habit are very easily loosened by its 
action and need the soil to be drawn up closely 
round about them so soon as the thaw sets in ; 
in fact, this attention should be given to many 
newly-planted subjects, as it is often a cause of 
failure. F. M. Wells. 
—-♦-— 
Women Gardeners in Germany. —At 
present there is a strong movement in Ger 
many in favour of establishing horticultural 
schools for women. Germany imports vast 
quantities of fruit, and a few years since a 
prominent expert in pomology declared that 
German fruit culture would he sound, if only 
the women would take it in their hands. 
The Board oe Agriculture on Slugs and 
Snails. —A leaflet recently issued by the 
Board of Agriculture states that “during the 
last four years there has been a great increase 
in the number of slugs all over Great Britain, 
so much so that whole fields of Cabbage, 
Wheat, and other plants have been destroyed. 
In gardens they have been even worse, and it 
has frequently been impossible to grow a crop 
of early Peas or Beans. Young Potato 
sprouts and flowering plants of all kinds have 
suffered in a similar way." The Board recom¬ 
mends a number of methods for lessening the 
pests. 
