54 ° 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 22, 1908. 
Annuals 
for Pot Culture. 
Much as annuals are used for the em¬ 
bellishment of the flower borders, beds, 
etc., there is also another way in which 
they may be enjoyed, and that is to grow 
them in pots for conservatory and room 
decoration. More especially does this 
apply to the amateur who, perhaps, has a 
small unheated greenhouse in which an¬ 
nuals would grow and flower splendidly 
so long as frost was excluded. By grow¬ 
ing them under glass the outside flowering 
season may be prolonged, and some varie¬ 
ties may be had in flower during the dull 
winter days. 
Varieties which are desirable for sum¬ 
mer and autumn use include the follow¬ 
ing: — Alonsoa Warscewiczii, branching 
and other types of Larkspur, Delphinium 
Queen of the Blues, Nicotiana afhnis and 
its hybrid forms, Mignonette of various 
kinds", Ten Week Stocks, Salpiglossis, 
Nemesia strumosa Suttoni, Schizanthus, 
Lobelia tenuior, and L. tenuior alba, 
Chrysanthemum Morning Star, and Mar¬ 
guerite Carnations. These may all be 
sown in pans of light soil in March and 
April, and placed on a gentle hotbed to 
germinate. 
Watch them carefully, and if any re¬ 
quire water steep them to the rims in 
tepid water until the soil is thoroughly 
soaked. As the young seedlings appear 
remove the pans to a cold frame, and 
when large enough to handle prick them 
off singly into small pots. Water care¬ 
fully and keep them as sturdy as possible 
by admitting plenty of light and air. 
When the plants are well rooted re-pot 
them into five or six inch pots, using a 
fairly rich soil. Most of those mentioned 
may be flowered in these pots, but if 
larger specimens are desired re-pot again, 
using 7 or 8 inch pots. The smaller¬ 
growing varieties, such as Mignon¬ 
ette, Delphinium Queen of the Blues, 
Nemesias and Lobelia tenuior may be 
grown three plants in a pot, when they 
will make more show than when grown 
singly. The taller varieties should be 
neatly staked to prevent them getting 
broken, always endeavouring to hide the 
stake as much as possible. 
A few varieties of annuals are useful 
for winter flowering, such as the annual 
Scabious, which does well if sown in July 
and brought along gently during the 
autumn. There are many lovely shades 
of colour, and they are also very sweet- 
scented. Mignonette may be sown in 
August and September for early spring 
flowering in the pots in which it is in¬ 
tended to bloom them, allowing from 
three to five plants in each pot. Keep 
close to the glass all the winter and water 
sparingly. Top-dress the plants in the 
New Year, and afterwards feed with liquid 
manure twice a week, and fine heads will 
result. Winter-flowering Stocks are also 
invaluable, and should be treated the 
same as advised for Scabious. 
Nicotianas may also be grown and, if 
given liberal treatment, make fine plants. 
The cooler days of autumn and winter 
are much more suited to this plant than 
when the sun has so much heat, when 
the flowers close during the day. I have 
no doubt there are many more annuals 
suitable for both summer and winter cul¬ 
ture in pots, and anyone having room 
would find it very interesting to experi¬ 
ment in this direction. I am convinced 
there are no plants which give such re¬ 
turns for a small outlay as annuals, if 
properly grown and good seed is obtained 
in the first place. 
R. Thatcher. 
Market Harborough. 
-- 
Sweet Pea Constance Oliver. 
The flowers of this variety are much 
waved, bright pink with a paler base to 
the standard. Award of Merit by the 
National Sweet Pea Society, which tried 
the variety, at Reading. The raiser was 
Mr. W. Lumley, Dawn Nurseries, Den- 
villes, Havant. 
Sweet Pea Mrs. Andrew Ireland. 
The flowers of this variety are of a rosy 
pink on the standard, while the wings are 
beautifully veined with pink, on a creamy 
ground. First-class Certificate by the 
National Sweet Pea Society after trial at 
Reading. The raisers were Messrs. Dobbie 
and Co., Marks Tey, Essex. 
- Q. W. -- 
Prize Competitions. 
GENERAL CONDITIONS:— Competitors most 
write on one side 0f the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journala are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may oompete. Tire name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article sent for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,t any artiole or photo¬ 
graph sent for competition. The conditions 
applying to each competition should be care¬ 
fully read. 
WEEKLY 
PRIZES. 
A PRIZE OF TEN SHILLINGS will be given 
for the best paragraph or short article on any 
gardening subject, suoh as hints of practical 
interest to gardeners, notes on the propaga¬ 
tion or cultivation of flowers, fruits or vege¬ 
tables, eradication of pests, etc. The para¬ 
graph or artiole must not ezoeed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered In 
making the award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
following date, of issue. Entries reoeived later 
than Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
the following week. 
Two prizes of 2s. 6d. will be awarded each 
week for the two best letters, not exceeding 
150 words, on any interesting gardening snb- 
jeot. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire readers to keep 
within a column. 
A prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “ Henry Page ” for the article 
on “Herbaceous Paeonies,” page 526. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ J. W. Watson,” for the 
article on “Two GoodErigerons” ; and another 
to “ H. Arnold ” for the article on “ The Blue 
Hydrangea,” page 533. 
Beardless 
Flag Irises 
for the Flower Border. 
It is a source of constant surprise to me 
that some of the stronger growing beard¬ 
less Flag Irises are not more often seen in 
flower borders, or even among Rose 
bushes. At the present moment (July 
qth) a charming picture is made in my 
garden by old-established clumps of Iris 
Monspur, Dorothy Forster, planted 
against some Aimee Vibert Roses that are 
trained up poles, the soft blue of the 
Irises forming a charming contrast to the 
white Roses and red coloured Rose buds. 
Although said to do best in rich loam, 
the Irises are very easily grown in any 
soil that has been deeply dug and en 
riched with well rotted manure—prefer¬ 
ably cow dung. They are best planted in 
early autumn and spring; if planted in 
spring a little attention in keeping them 
well watered will be required, for it must 
be remembered that the ideal situation 
for them is where they are moderately dry 
in winter but have plenty of moisture in 
spring and summer. A mulch of well 
rotted manure in early spring will be 
found very beneficial. 
Iris Monnieri, Iris Monspur, and Iris 
orientalis are the three best species for 
borders, and flower together in June and 
July, and are therefore valuable for con¬ 
tinuing the Iris season after the Spanish 
and English Irises are over, and are love¬ 
ly massed together. Monnieri is a fine 
golden yellow, growing 3 ft. high. Mon¬ 
spur are handsome hybrids, raised by the 
late Sir Michael Forster from Monnieri x 
spuria, and are strong growers, produc¬ 
ing quantities of blossoms; there are 
several varieties, all equally good, in 
(various shades of violet-blue, growing 
about 4 ft. high. Orientalis also grows 
4 ft. high, the standards of the handsome 
flowers being white, and the falls white 
and yellow. Snowflake is a very fine 
free-flowering form, with pure white 
flowers with a golden blotch. 
Iris sibirica, flowering in May and June, 
grows 3 ft. high, and has several varieties 
with blue and white colourings; the best 
are sibirica orientalis, with violet blue 
flowers, and very charming crimson 
spathes in the bud stage, and sibirica 
orientalis Snow Queen a fine white form. 
Iris aurea, which blossoms during June 
and July, is a Himalayan species, grow¬ 
ing 4 ft. high, and has large golden 
yellow flowers. 
Iris spuria, also blossoming in June 
and July, has flowers of lilac blue, about 
3 ft. high. Alba is a dwarf white form, 
and there is also a dwarf blue variety, 
and a tall growing form having variegated 
foliage and lilac flowers. 
A. C. D. 
-- 
Sweet Pea Paradise Ivory. 
The standards and wings of this variety 
are wavy and of pale cream or buff colour, 
sometimes suffused with blush. Award ot; 
Merit by the National Sweet Pea Society 
after trial at Reading. The introducer 
was Miss H. Hemus, Holdfast Hall, 
U pton-on-Severn. 
