446 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Hybrid and Other . . 
Aquilegias. 
Some Sorts 
To Grow. 
These graceful spring flowers can be 
easily raised from seed sown as soon as it 
is ripe in pans or boxes. The seedlings 
must be kept shaded and moist, and when 
large enough to handle, pricked out into 
an old garden frame or a bed prepared 
in a shaded part of the garden, where 
they Gan remain until early in August, 
when, taking advantage of a cloudy day, 
they should be planted in their permanent 
position in the flower border where it is 
advisable to protect them from the heat 
of the sun for a few days. 
Aquilegias growing in a garden are 
always cross-fertilised, so, unless the 
flowers when in bloom were covered with 
gauze to prevent insects reaching the 
blossoms, it is best to procure seed from 
a thoroughly reliable seedsman. Packets 
of hybrid Aquilegia seed can be bought 
for a very small sum, and if properly 
treated will yield a quantity of beautiful 
flowers. Seeds of the many different 
species can also be purchased at a trifling 
cost. Some are even more beautiful 
than the hybrid Aquilegias, but unfor¬ 
tunately they are also more delicate, and 
should therefore be planted in the rock 
garden, where it is probable they will re¬ 
ceive more attention and where it is 
easier to give them the surroundings they 
like. These are, briefly, sheltered spots 
in half shady or northerly positions in 
rich, deep, sandy or gritty soil, which 
must never become dry and yet must be 
thoroughly well drained. Even then the 
majority of them are not true perennials, 
and it is advisable to raise fresh seedlings 
every year. Aquilegia chrysantha is an 
exception, for it will thrive well where 
many others perish. A native of Cali¬ 
fornia, the flowers are primrose yellow 
in colour, delicately shaped, and with 
long spurs. It is" a most vigorous 
grower, for its blossoms are often over 
4 ft. high. There are some fine hybrid 
forms of this variety. 
Some other beautiful species are 
Aquilegia alpina superba, growing one 
to two feet high, with large blue flowers 
having white centres and short spurs. It 
requires a sheltered, but not a shady 
position. Aquilegia caerulea, from the 
Rocky Mountains, is an exquisite blue 
and white flower, two or three inches in 
diameter with long spurs, the height be¬ 
ing from 12 to 15 inches. Aquilegia 
californica grows three feet high and has 
red and orange flowers. . Aquilegia 
glandulosa is very difficult to grow as a 
perennial in England, but is well worth 
raising from seed every year. It has ex¬ 
quisite blue and white blossoms, with 
long graceful spurs, and grows about 12 
inches high. It comes from Siberia, and 
moist soil containing peat and silver sand 
suits it best. Aquilegia Skinneri grows 
two feet high, and has yellow petals and 
long, orange coloured spurs. 
Aquilegias can also be propagated by 
division of the roots, which is best done 
just as the plants are starting into growth 
in the early spring; on no account should 
this be attempted while they are dor¬ 
mant. 
A. C. D. 
-HH- 
Hippeastrum Mrs. Carl Jay. 
The above is a variety of the old H. 
reticulatum which bears five to seven 
flowers on a scape, and these flowers are 
beautifully netted with pink on the lower 
half and rose on the upper half. The 
leaves have a yellow line running 
through them. Award of Merit to Mrs. 
Carl Jay, Blandon Hall, Bexley (gar¬ 
dener Mr. W. E. Humphreys), who 
showed it at the R.H.S. on June 11th. 
Amphicome Emodi. 
In habit this plant is not unlike Incar- 
villea Delavayi, but the foliage is more 
refined and consists of four to six pairs 
of leaflets. The flowers are produced in 
a raceme on the top of stems 12 in. high 
and measure somewhat over 1% in. 
across the blade. They are pink with an 
orange throat. Award of Merit to 
Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons, Ltd., on 
June 25th by the R.H.S. 
- Q. W. - 
Prize Competitions. 
CENERAL CONDITIONS. —Competitors must 
write on one side of the paper only. Regular 
paid contributors to THE GARDENING 
WORLD or other gardening journals are de¬ 
barred from entering, but occasional con¬ 
tributors may compete. The name and ad¬ 
dress of the competitor must appear on each 
article serrt for competition. The Editor’s 
decision is final, and he reserves the right 
to reproduce, in any way,! any article 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, such 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 article must not exceed a column, but 
value rather than length will be considered in 
making *-’ae award. Mark envelopes “ Com¬ 
petition,” and post not later than the Monday 
folk wing date of issue. Entries received later 
thin Tuesday (first post) will be left over until 
t> ie 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 sub¬ 
ject. 
RESULTS OF 
LAST WEEK’S 
COMPETITIONS. 
Some of the best papers in this competition 
are too long, and we desire leadirs to keep 
within a column. 
The prize in the Readers’ Competition was 
awarded to “S.H.S.” for the article on 
“ Herb iceous Calceolarias for Amateurs,” 
page 434. 
In the Prize Letter Competition a prize 
was awarded to “ C.O ” for the article on 
“ Rehmannia angulata ” ; and another to 
“Frank Starling” for the article on “Budding 
Roses,” page 430. 
J ul y 6, 1907. 
Effective-- 
Bedding. 
A Round Bed . 
With the bedding season here aga a 
hint on making an effective display, in 
not be out of place, as it is surprmg 
what a round bed, for instance, witlthe 
aid of a few of the ordinary becnc 
plants, can be transformed into. 
Supposing the bed has been marret 
and prepared some weeks beforelod 
and is about 14 feet across. We will ar j 
in the centre and plant a standard I c h- 
sia, about \V 2 ft. high, then four starnd 
Ivy Geraniums; two Md. Crozy ancwo 
Mrs. Hawley would do. Then a rii oi 
rather tall white Geraniums would .me 
next, followed with a ring of the vew- 
bedding Calceolaria; next a rin; 0; 
Henry Jacoby Geraniums, and em; 
eight Campanulas, intermixed, the cm- 
ney Campanula pyramidalis, four iue 
and four white alternately. Then a n? 
of Crystal Palace Gem; next would me 
a ring of Coleus Verschaffeltii, vich 
should be kept pinched, so that it wild 
not flower and hide the Crystal Pace 
Gem. A ring of Eulalia japonicize- 
brina, followed by another of Lotia. 
and edged round with Alyssum marieium 
would complete the bed. 
The bed, if carried out somewhat ter 
the above-mentioned style, would be 
found to look very nice, and one of w ch 
the amateur or professional might ;ei 
proud. Of course, if all the plants i:n- 
tioned were not at hand, something n - 
lar could be substituted, but the urn 
thing is to have a good blend and i-s 
of colour, which would last througi.n 
the summer months. 
If the bed were in a shady pla< it 
would matter little, as the plants wild 
do in a shady position. 
The Campanula pyramidalis pit; 
used in this bed should be just throng 
up for bloom, and they would be fend 
to look beautiful with their ground ik 
and other plants used in combinatic 
Albert R. Gom 
-- 
National Rose Societ. 
A Letter to the Editor. 
Sir,—The spring and early sumer 
have proved so favourable for Rosesbi- 
year, that our Exhibition in the Ral 
Botanic Gardens on Thursday, July:b, 
promises to be the finest the Societyia; 
ever held. 
I am sending you these few linesoi 
the benefit of your readers, as it is ch 
a rare occurrence for Rose plants to 
through May and June, as they have <nc 
this year, without their growth, and >n- 
sequently their flowers, receiving a i>rt 
or less serious check from adverse weaifi 
conditions. 
The result is that Roses are corng 
more regularly formed and more lc-l> 
and true in colour than I ever remenei 
to have seen them at this time of )pr. 
Edward Mawley, 
Hon. Secretar 
June 22nd, 1907. 
