HOUSE AND GARDEN 
292 
November, 
1914 
Lavender and 
heliotrope, while 
both perennials, 
are not sufficient¬ 
ly hardy to be 
grown in the 
North out of 
doors throughout 
the year. And, as 
heliotrope resents 
transplanting 
more perhaps 
than almost any 
other plant, ex¬ 
tensive use of this 
is not practicable 
unless one is will¬ 
ing to sacrifice the 
plants annually, 
treating them as 
merely annuals. 
They are so easily 
propagated by 
cuttings and so 
easily raised from 
seed that there is 
really no extrava- 
gance in doing 
this if one has space in which to raise the young plants and make 
them ready to go out in the garden when the out of doors is ready 
and warm enough for them. 
For summer-blooming plants cuttings should be made indoors 
in January — or seed should be 
sown then if this method is 
chosen. Two or three old plants 
will furnish a goodly number of 
“slips” for new ones, the tender 
ends of the shoots being the part 
selected by florists for this pur¬ 
pose. They root them in pure 
sand, and they usually “strike”— 
that is, take root—in about ten 
days. They must be put into pots 
when the roots are not more than 
half an inch long, for if they are 
allowed to grow larger the diffi¬ 
culties of handling and trans¬ 
planting are great. Paper pots 
may be used, filled with a light, 
rich earth; and it is better to put 
them directly into the pot they 
will occupy until they go out of 
doors than it is to use a small- 
size pot and transplant twice. A 
five-inch pot will be large enough 
to carry them up to the planting- 
out time, when it may be stripped 
ofif and the plants set into the 
ground without disturbing the 
loots in the least. 
There are the violet-blue 
shades, a light and dark, and white, to be had in this plant — and 
it is therefore available for combination in color, as well as for 
its scent. All are fragrant; plant in masses, before a taller-grow¬ 
ing species. Banked against one of the tall phloxes of the same 
color tone — “Mine. Paul Dutrie” is a pink-lilac shade, very soft 
and unusual and 
lovely when 
massed with care 
in the selection of 
the surrounding 
colors—the helio¬ 
trope variety 
“Chieftain” is de¬ 
lightful, the gen¬ 
eral mass of color 
being cool and re- 
freshing. No 
scarlets nor ma¬ 
gentas should 
come within see- 
i n g distance of 
.this delicate mo¬ 
tif, however, else 
it will be instantly 
overridden and 
m a d e common¬ 
place. 
Heliotropes 
must never be al¬ 
lowed to suffer 
for water a n d Following the hyacinths come the lilacs which fill in, to- 
tliey suffer for it gether with iris, the interval of May 
much sooner than 
most other plants. Good drainage they must have—but always 
plenty of water — so that they go on growing all the time without 
check. 
Lavender is essentially a garden plant, tender though it is. It 
comes readily from seed, al¬ 
though not true to variety al¬ 
ways ; therefore, it is better to 
purchase from a reliable dealer a 
few plants of it, Lavendula vera 
being the true shrub lavender of 
old-time association. It does not 
root as readily as heliotrope, yet 
there is no reason why propaga¬ 
tion should not be undertaken, 
for it is by no means difficult. 
Cuttings must be made of the 
season’s growth, with a “heel” 
of older wood attached, if the 
straightest plants are to be ob¬ 
tained. They can be taken either 
now or in the spring quite early 
— now, of course, if the plants 
are to bloom out of doors next 
summer — and set in moist soil in 
flats or boxes, and kept shaded 
until rooted. Move them into 
pots, the same as the heliotrope, 
and set them outdoors when all 
chance of frost is gone. 
Plants may be left out during 
the winter if they are protected 
the same as tender roses would 
be. Their preference is for a 
light and open soil, well drained; and, where they grow wild in 
Spain, Italy and Southern France, they choose dry and hilly 
land — “wastes,” one writer says. Dry, calcareous soil that is 
stony suits them if they have full sun and plenty of air in circula- 
(Continued on page 314) 
Heliotrope should be allowed plenty of water. It is easily 
propagated from both cuttings and seeds 
Only iris in abundance provide appreciable scent. Where space is limited it 
were not wise to count on their contribution to the succession of scents 
