The Gardening World, April 18, 1908. 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“ Take thy trees, thy plants, 
They are thy colours.”— Mason. 
co-vr^/vr^. 
Alphol” : Manure and Insecticide... 268 
unateurs Letter to Amateurs . 257 
iulb Planter, Barr’s Special (illus.) 269 
tarnations: Work for April . 265 
ompetition Awards . 258 
tompetition, Prize Letter . 266 
libber, Bulb and Potato (illus.) ... 263 
Inquire Within . 270 
lower Garden, The (illus.) . 267- 
ruit Garden, The (illus.) . 267 
eraniums, Bedding . 258 
reenhouse, The Amateur’s . 268 
lobbies, Limited . 266 
toe, A New Pattern (illus.) . 259 
ose, Dermatine Garden .,. 263 
lsecticides, Two New . 262 
:ias for the Greenhouse . 258 
itchen Garden, The (illus.) . 267 
imp, An Automatic Oil-Feeding ... 259 
ower (Lawn), Patent Chain Auto- 
matum (illus.) . 266 
owers, Petrol Motor Lawn (illus.) 264 
rchids for Amateurs .. 268 
:g, The Screw (illus) . 263 
ans, Useful Garden (illus) 
261, 263, 265, and 269 
opagator, The “ Success” Hot Air - 
'illus.) ......:. 262 
tiler. The “Grand” Garden (illus.) 269 
Her, The New “Solidend” Garden 
illus.). 260 
• ade, The “Ideal” (illus.) . 259 
1 aporite” . 266 
’ irk of the Week . 267 
- +++ - 
( D keep us in the year to come, 
1 :ween the times of Palm and Yew, 
( Lilac and Chrysanthemum. 
( i send our happiest wishes true.. 
' i build our broken towers anew ; 
I ween the times of Palm and Yew, 
C Lilac and Chrysanthemum. 
C 1 keep us all the seasons through, 
A 1 give us rain and sunshine too, 
A 1 every cloud its bit of blue, 
B ween the times of Palm and Yew, 
C Lilac and Chrysanthemum. 
G send each singing-bird his mate : 
A lovers all a happy fate; 
A ose to every r sprig of rue, 
E h blade of grass its drop of dew, 
B veen the times of Palm and Yew, 
0 |-ilac and Chrysanthemum. 
Nora Hopper, in the “Westminster 
Gazette.” 
Decorative Paeony Flowered Dahlias. 
I think all keen gardeners should re¬ 
gard flower shows as a means of gaining 
valuable hints and instruction not to be 
obtained elsewhere. I am wondering 
what was the impression made the last 
season or two by the novelties in the Dah¬ 
lia world, as seen, for instance, at the 
Show of the National Dahlia Society. I 
refer more especially' to the varieties 
known as Decorative Paeony Flowered 
Dahlias. Some of them are almost, if 
not wholly, single, but a good many sizes 
larger than the old single Dahlias, others 
are more or less double ; some, such as the 
magnificent Souvenir de Gustave, are 
quite double, but altogether distinct from 
the well-known “Show Dahlias.” Some 
of these decorative Dahlias are not much 
less than a foot across. _ The one I have 
mentioned is quite one of the best, with 
brilliant red blooms. Gloire de Baarn, 
the softest lilac shade, is wonderfully 
beautiful, and Queen Emma is some¬ 
thing like it. Queen Wilhelmina seems 
like a glorified single Dahlia, and is 
white. Due Henri is distinctly good, and 
of a bright red, and Germania is also red. 
King Leopold is a pleasing and clear yel¬ 
low, while Kaiserin Augusta Victoria is 
paler in tone. I have seen most of these 
growing, as well as on the show table, and 
for large gardens they should prove of 
great decorative value. It has been said 
by someone that they rival the Sunflower 
in size—and we all know how a few -well- 
placed, well-grown annual Sunflowers add 
character an-d distinctiveness to all but 
very small gardens. The general culti¬ 
vation of these Dahlias does not differ from 
other varieties, and they will not be ready 
for sending out from the nurseries to be 
put direct into the beds or borders for the 
present. But the ground may at any 
time be prepared for them; good stable 
manure not of too strawy a nature 
should be dug in, and deep digging 
should be the rule. It is as well not to 
grow Dahlias year after y'ear on the same 
bed or border. . 
The Helianthemums, or Sun Roses. 
In some sunny English lane, and al¬ 
ways on the sunny side of the bank, y r ou 
may' find the wild yellow Sun Rose, at 
least I know one such lane where it may 
be found, but among the garden varieties 
are many colours, and very beautiful col¬ 
ours, because the shades are curiously 
soft and wonderfully varied, soft rose col¬ 
our, and terra-cotta, pink, red, yellow 
and creamy white. And these plants re¬ 
spond to the simplest cultivation. Seed 
may be sown at the present time, and 
when large enough the seedlings should 
be transplanted to some spare sunny bor¬ 
der, to be removed to their flowering 
quarters in the autumn. But they should 
always be given a warm, sunny' aspect, 
and, where possible, a soil that inclines 
to lightness. They are evergreen, which 
means that they make charming miniature 
shrubs for the rock garden, for they are 
of a hard, woody nature. Among the few 
double varieties I note a fine novelty, 
Helianthemum amabile album fl. pi., and 
the numerous white rosette-like flowers 
should make a capital companion plant 
to the older red H. amabile fl. pi. The 
individual flowers are shortlived, but 
while the flowering period lasts the plants 
are well covered with blossom, and some 
varieties will flower a second, if not a 
third time, if cut back immediately after 
the first flowering. I find that a long 
cold winter tries them rather, and in 
spring, w'here planted in very exposed 
positions, there may be a good deal of 
dead wood to cut out, but they generally 
make this up quickly, and the lesson 
would seem to be—plant in as warm and 
sheltered a position as possible. 
Aspidistras. 
This is the best month in the year in 
which to transplant these universal 
favourites. I suppose for those who have 
no conservatory or glass in any form, 
there is no other plant that will flourish 
so well year after year in the dwelling- 
house. Plants needing repotting should 
be turned out of their present pots very 
carefully and divided into several por¬ 
tions where an increased number is desir¬ 
able. The old soil should be shaken 
from them, and they should be replaced 
in clean (inside and outside), well-crocked 
pots. A mixture of loam, leaf mould, 
and the well-rotted material from- a y'ear- 
ofd hot-bed, together .with sonre silyer 
sand, makes a capital compost. If no in¬ 
crease in the number of- plants be desire- 
able, the repotting should merely be to a 
larger sized pot. I have known specimens 
with well over fifty leaves and in the 
healthiest condition. Of course these 
plants are long enduring, and do their 
best under starvation rations, but a well- 
nourished, well-grown specimen with long 
healthy' leaves is, I think, what we should 
aim at. 
Distinct and Characteristic Plants. 
I think that all keen amateurs should 
be at pains to introduce into their gardens 
as many as possible of those plants that 
are curious, or quaint, and uncommon, 
those that have acquired a rare and un¬ 
usual habit of growth; or -which, in a 
word, stand out in some particular from 
the general run of garden subjects. How 
interesting, for example, is a collection of 
Sempervivums! This would, of course, 
include S. arachnoideum, with the ap¬ 
pearance of delicate cobweb tracery' at the 
points of the leaves. S. calcaratum is an¬ 
other distinct variety, having deep green 
leaves tipped with black. Other interest¬ 
ing and fine varieties are S. boutignia- 
num, S. triste, and S. petriflorum. I 
have seen the apex of a raised rockwork 
edging planted with such a collection, 
which proved an endless source of interest 
and enjoyment to its owner. The plants 
