126 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 22, 1908. 
is to get the plant to grow in the situa¬ 
tion where it has been inserted and fix 
its roots upon the moisture-holding 
stone. Jt then seems to grow for many 
years without increasing much, but hold¬ 
ing its own and always having a few 
rosettes sufficiently large to bloom in 
summer. These crustaceous Rockfoils 
have precisely the same habit as the 
Houseleeks, and might be used in the 
same way in wall gardening.- 
- *++ -- 
plower Vases 
For the Garden. 
Of all the ornaments used to embellish 
a garden there are none that have so 
pleasing an effect, especially in summer, 
as rustic baskets and vases. They are 
interesting objects as ornaments to gar¬ 
dens of every kind, in many cases serving 
to hide a bad corner that otherwise would 
be exposed. The vases should be placed 
near the house or on the pillars of a 
low wall, on the terrace walks, or at the 
top and bottom of the terrace, or one on 
each side of the entrance, and many other 
places about the garden or pleasure 
grounds so as to enhance the scene. 
They are quite proper and in taste if not 
too numerous, or too large in proportion 
to the size of the garden. Vases can 
also be had in all the different sizes of 
various kinds and forms, from those in 
marble down to the humble stone, and 
may be had from the different manufac¬ 
turers ready for use. The beauty of hav¬ 
ing a few vases in one’s garden is that 
we can have a change of flowers or col¬ 
ours several times during the season. 
The way to obtain this is to have a num¬ 
ber of plants in pots in the reserve gar¬ 
den. The vases must have proper drain¬ 
age to let the superabundant moisture 
escape freely, otherwise the effect will be 
disappointing. The object of drainage is, 
first, to relieve the soil of water that other¬ 
wise would become stagnant and sour and 
thus harmful to plant life, and, second, 
to prevent choking, because .soil choked 
with water excludes air, and air, which 
follows water as it retreats downwards, 
is not only essential to plant life, but 
sweetens the soil, and if proper care is 
given to the drainage rainy weather will 
have a beneficial effect on the plants in 
the vases, just as it will to those in the 
beds or borders. Another important 
factor is to have a suitable compost, and 
that should consist of loam and leaf 
mould in equal parts, adding sufficient 
sand to make the whole open. 
Many will ask, “ How r can I keep the 
vases gay?” Well, the following may 
be recommended:— Tuberous Begonias, 
edged with white Lobelia ; Geranium 
Henry Jacoby, edged with Musk; yellow 
Calceolarias, with blue Lobelia; Lobelia 
cardinalis, with a groundwork of dwarf 
Alyssum (Snow Carpet); and dwarf pink 
Antirrhinum, with Ageratum Fuchsias of 
a drooping habit in the centre of the vase 
look well, and Nasturtium to hang over 
the edges. The above-mentioned plants 
will provide a gay effect over a long 
period. 
J. W. Forsyth, 
Border Carnations. 
After the severe frost at the beginning 
of the year some of the Carnations in 
open beds may have been killed. 
Usually some deaths occur owing to a 
variety of causes, such as disease and the 
effect of the Carnation grub during 
autumn. Now is a good time to make up 
the blanks. In town gardens and others, 
where the soil is heavy, the beds intended 
for them should now be prepared by fork¬ 
ing over the soil, levelling, and treading 
it in readiness to plant out the layers 
early next month. 
Show Carnations and Picotees. 
During the prevalence of mild weather, 
especially when the wind is in the south¬ 
west, the plants in cold frames will be 
much benefited by full exposure to the air 
by drawing off the sashes at least during 
the day. Some of the plants will require 
watering, otherwise the young roots may 
get crippled. A general watering is not, 
however, desirable. Preparations should 
now be made for giving the plants the 
final shift into the flowering pots. A 
good compost consists of three parts of 
good fibrous loam that has been stacked 
twelve months to become mellow and one 
part each of leaf mould, well-rotted cow 
manure and sand. Some use. pounded 
oyster shells, which is a good thing, as it 
supplies loam, besides keeping the pots 
perfectly porous. In the south the pot¬ 
ting may be accomplished at the end of 
th’is month, but nowhere should it be 
much deferred beyond the middle of 
March. 
Tree Carnations. 
With the improving light and longer 
days, cuttings will now root much more 
easily than they did in January. Damp¬ 
ing will now be much less prevalent. Be¬ 
fore inserting the cuttings see that they 
are not infested with aphides. A good 
preventive, even if none are detected, is 
to dip the cuttings in a strong solution oi 
soft soap or Gishurst Compound. The 
cuttings may be laid down for a while sc 
long as they do not get sufficiently dry 
to cause the foliage to flag. They could 
then be washed in clean water and firmly 
inserted in light, sandy soil. Any earliei 
batch of cuttings now rooted should be 
potted off singly and kept in a tempera¬ 
ture of 50 degres by night. 
Marguerite Carnations. 
Those who did not sow in January shoulc 
no longer delay in making provision foi 
an early batch. Sow in pots or seed pan: 
in light, sandy soil and leaf mould, plac¬ 
ing them in a temperature of 50 degree: 
to 60 degrees. Here the seedlings will 
soon come up and may be placed on : 
shelf near the glass. When they have 
made a pair of leaves, transfer them tc 
boxes in. apart each way, and wher 
they have made 2 in. or 3 in. of growth 
they can be potted up singly', returned tc 
the same house, and when established 
transferred to a cold frame. 
American Carnations. 
These will require precisely the same 
treatment or attention as Tree Carna 
tions, namely, the potting off of rootec 
cuttings and inserting successive batche: 
of choice varieties. Where Carnation: 
are cherished in winter, the cultivatoi 
cannot ignore such varieties as Enchant 
ress, White Perfection, Lady Bountiful 
Mrs. T. W. Lawson, Nelson Fisher, anc 
the Crimson Harlowarden. Where pos 
sible, the scarlet sport of the latter-namec 
Andrew Carnegie should be secured. I 
is not yet very plentiful, but should soor 
reach our shores. 
J. D. F. W. 
Plants 
For Home 
Decoration 
Many people find it difficult to make a 
selection of suitable plants for home de¬ 
coration, and a few hints on this subject 
may prove useful. Mention will be made 
of suitable plants to obtain and directions 
given as to their culture. 
One of the most popular of these is 
Aspidistra lurida, or, as it is often called, 
the Parlour Palm. This is very easy to 
manage, and does not require potting too 
often, as, if it is allowed to become pot- 
bound, it will, in course of time, become 
variegated. 
Aralia Sieboldii, with its thick Fig-like 
leaves, is another excellent plant, and 
will be found easy to grow. 
Rex Begonia has a lovely variegated 
leaf, and is one of the best of ornamenta 
plants for the home. 
Easily-grown Palms are Kentia fos- 
teriana, Latania borbonica, Cocos wed 
deliana, and Geonoma gracilis. Man) 
people fail with Palms by not keep 
ing them in a fairly warm room in wintei 
and by over-watering, but they will b« 
found easy subjects to grow 7 if a little cart 
is given to culture. Ficus elastica, or. 
as it is sometimes called, the India Rub 
ber plant, is splendid for the window. 
The compost suitable for each of the 
above-mentioned plants should consist oi 
three parts loam, two parts leaf mould ; 
and one part peat and sand. Sponge all 
the leaves at least once a week, as dusi 
will check the proper development, of 
plant life. 
Ferns next come in for our considera¬ 
tion. Maidenhair (Adiantum cuneatum)/ 
is the most popular, and only requires to 
