292 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 27, 1907. 
Address: The Editor, The Gardening 
World, 37 and 38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
The Editor invites enquiries, which may 
cover any branch of gardening. Questions 
should be as brief as -possible and written on 
one side of the paper only; a separate sheet 
of paper should be used for each question. 
Replies cannot be sent by post. 
Garden Plans .—Gardeners who would make 
the best use of this column are invited to 
prepare and forward to us a rough outline 
drawing or plan of their gardens, indicating 
the position of beds and lawns, the charac- 
STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 
1761. Scented Cyclamen. 
Would you kindly inform me whether it 
is usual for Cyclamen -to have a strong 
scent like Lily of the Valley. I have a quan¬ 
tity of -plants, and oif this number two of 
them have this strong smell like the flowexs 
mentioned, and the rest are scentless. (L., 
Abingdon, Berks.) 
It is usual to find individual plants 
amongst the cultivated races of the present 
day having this agreeable odour, which may 
be detected at various times, but chiefly when 
the flowers are in perfection and while the 
sun is shining during the -day. Imported 
specimens of the wild form are also sweetly 
scented, and possibly amongst them the 
greater number would possess this agreeable 
odour. Why they do not all have it is diffi¬ 
cult to say, except that it has been bred 
out of them, as in the case of many modern 
Roses an-d Carnations. Not sufficient of the 
wild plants are seen in this country to deter¬ 
mine whether the scent is common to all of 
them or only to individuals. It has long 
been known, however, that some of the cul¬ 
tivated ones have been scented. 
FRAMES. 
1762. Saxifragas from Seed. 
Will you please tell me if the silvery or 
encrusted Saxifragas are difficult to grow 
from seed without any heat? When is the 
best time to sow the seed, and which are the 
easier kinds to grow? (A.C.D., Kent.) 
Possibly all of the encrusted Saxifragas 
could readily be raised from seed if you get 
good seed. We have raised some of those 
which we should consider the most difficult 
to rear, and found -that it was only a ques¬ 
tion of proper treatment and patience, be¬ 
cause they grow slowly during the early 
stages. We sowed the seed of S. medium as 
soon as it was ripe in a light sandy compost, 
and stood the pots in a cold frame facing the 
north. The -tiny seedlings soon came up, and 
during the course of late summer and early 
autumn formed little rosettes of evergreen 
leaves. These pots should be plunged in 
ashes in the same frames and kept 
there till spring, when the seedlings 
may be transplanted into other pots or 
into shallow boxes to give them a 
little more space. If the seeds only come up 
thinly they may even be allowed to grow a 
little longer in the seed pots. Your prin¬ 
cipal object should be to water them with the 
rosed watering pot in order to just keep them 
evenly moist and not to give any more until 
it becomes necessary. By standing the pots 
ter and height of the fence or wall; posi¬ 
tion of vegetable garden, orchard, etc. The 
north side of the garden and any over¬ 
shadowing buildings should be denoted. It 
should also be stated whether the garden is 
■flat or on a declivity, and all large trees 
should be marked. Particulars of the na¬ 
ture of the soil will also help us to give 
satisfactory replies. When such plans art 
received they will be carefully filed, with the 
name and address of the sender, and will be 
consulted by the Editor whenever an enquiry 
is sent. 
in a slightly shaded part of the frame it 
will prevent the sun from rapidly drying up 
the soil about the short roots. Another dan¬ 
ger is that the soil may get covered with 
lichens during the small state of the plants. 
Every endeavoui should be made to root out 
any weeds while yet in a small state to avoid 
pulling out the plants when weeds get large. 
If you have seed you can commence by sow¬ 
ing about the beginning of April in cold 
frames, and this will give you a longer sea¬ 
son to get strength into the plants before 
winter. Some of the more easy species to 
raise are S. Cotyledon, S. Aizoon, S. lingu- 
lata, S.l. lantoscana, S. cochlearis, and S. 
Hostii. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
1763. Treatment of Veratrum nigrum. 
Kindly inform me how to treat Veratrum 
nigrum, w-hat kind of soil to put them in, 
also best position and -time of setting. I 
have the bulbs, but am doubtful as to treat¬ 
ment. (Newsham, Lancs.) 
The plant you mention is a hardy herba¬ 
ceous perennial, and may be treated exactly 
as you would a Veronica or tall growing 
Phlox. The leaves are of large size and 
constitute one of the chief attractions of the 
plant, and to keep these leaves in good 
health the soil should remain fairly moist 
during the summer. Sometimes it is planted 
in the vicinity of walls, but we think the 
heat absorbed and given off by the walls is 
detrimental to the foliage, causing it to as¬ 
sume a withered and brown appearance much 
earlier than it ought to do. We offer these 
hints so that you may select a part of the 
garden where the soil has been well culti¬ 
vated, manured and will keep moist during 
the heat of summer. The tubers should have 
been planted in March, so that you should 
now lose no time. It would be well, perhaps, 
during the first year at least to place a mulch 
on the top of the ground around the plant 
about the beginning of June. This will keep 
the roots moist, which must necessarily be 
short after planting them so late. If you 
have shelter of any kind to break the force 
of the east and north winds it will be all 
the better for the preservation of the foliage. 
1764. Planting Lilies. 
I have had two Lilium auratum and four 
Tiger Lilies given me. Will you kindly tell 
me if I might put them in the open ground 
and if not the best way to treat them (I 
have no greenhouse), and the time for plant¬ 
ing them. (N.E.C., Kent.) 
You should get a quantity of peat and mix 
it with the soil where you intend planting 
the Lilies, for that is the best method < 
dealing with them unless you particular 
wanted them in pots. Select a positic 
where the young stems will be sheltered ar 
partly shaded from the direct rays of tl 
sun, but not overhung by branches. The 
like plenty of light, though not direct sui 
shine, which would make the soil very h 
and dry about the roots. Small shrubs mal 
a very good shelter amongst which to pla: 
Lilies. They should have been planted : 
March, and must now be late, so that no tin 
should be lost in getting them in the soil. 
17 65. Evergreen for a Grave. 
Would you kindly tell me a nice evergree 
plant for a grave. I want something th 
will look nice in the winter. I do not wai 
a Rhododendron. (Donnelly, Lancashire 
An Irish Yew would be very .appropria: 
because it is upright, grows slowly, an 
would not inconvenience you for many yea: 
to come. If that is too sombre you migl 
get Euonymus japonicus or the golden vari 
gated one, E.j. aureus. A fourth type 
Olearia Haastii, -having small dark gre< 
leaves about the size of Box, and producir 
a profusion of starry-white flowers in sui 
mer. It is, indeed, the New Zealand Dai: 
Bush, and would have a brightening effe 
in summer and remain evergreen in winte 
1766. Sunless North Garden. 
I have a small front garden facing nort 
It has the sun only about half an hour dai 
in the morning. The soil is sticky ar 
damp. Could I grow anything which wouj 
not require much attention. A neighbor 
tells me things grow very slowly ther 
(A. G. Wythes, Kent.) 
Some perennial plants which usually gi 
satisfaction in such a place are Saxifrzs 
umbrosa, Doronicum plantagineum, Ir 
germanica, I. pallida, I. florentina, ar 
their varieties. The Evening Primro 
(Oenothera biennis) would, no doubt, gi' 
satisfaction and sow itself. If you won 
prefer shrubs, then we would recommer 
Golden Privet, Holly, Box, Aucuba japonii 
and Hypericum calycinum. Several of tl 
Ferns succeed admirably under those cond 
tio-ns if they are open to -the rainfall ar 
not overhung too much by bushes of ar 
kind. They are Lastrea Filix mas, L. diL 
ta-ta, Polys-tichum angulare, P. aculeatur. 
the Lady Fern, Scolopendriums and Pol 
podies. 
1767. Flowers for Certain Beds. 
I attach a plan of my garden, and sha 
be glad if you will advise me how to pla; 
to the best advantage. I want to gro 
flowers (as many sweet smelling ones as po 
sible) to have blooms all the year if possibl- 
Also, a few Scarlet Runners, Peas, Radishe 
Turnips, Beetroot, Red and Black Currant 
Gooseberries, Rhubarb and Cabbage Lettvc< 
I can obtain plenty of road sweepings (9 
per cent, manure). I want to make new bed 
at places marked 1 and 2 in blue crayor 
Neither place has been used before. I wai 
a climber, such as Sweet Pea, on No. 
and plants not taller than 2ft. on No. . 
(A. G. Wythes, Kent.) 
Looking at the plan of your garden, v; 
should say that the Red and Black Currant.- 
Gooseberries and Rhubarb could be plaite 
in the south bed, as that looks towards tl: 
north. Before planting anything in tha 
bed, however, you should trench it at lea: 
2ft. deep, because you cannot disturb it afte 
planting the bushes. Then on the east sid 
of the garden, which faces west, you ca 
sow Scarlet Runners, Peas, Radish, Turnij 
Beetroot and Cabbage Lettuce. This groun 
should also be trenched if you have tinn 
but it would answer the purpose if deepl 
dug for -the first crop, and you could trenc 
in the autumn or winter. In the new be 
No. 1 you can plant Rose Gloire de Dijo 
or Reve -d’Or against the wall of the housr 
Sweet Peas may be sown in the border, bi 
we cannot hold out great hope of succe:. 
so late in the season. They should ha\ 
