June 28, 1913. 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
477 
POT PLANTS FOR THE 
GARDEN. 
From early seed sowings it is easy to 
obtain fine specimen plants for pot culti¬ 
vation in the summer garden, and not 
only Is immense interest to be gained thus, 
but the whole appearance of the pleasure 
grounds will be vastly improved. The 
wild, or natural garden, or the vicinity 
<,f a semi-wild water garden, should not 
he artificially decorated in this manner, 
hut the lawns and broad walks on large 
estates, the tiled patlis, verandah edges, 
step sides, and corners of small floral 
parterres, more or less formal as they are 
sure to be, are not injured in character by 
rows of pot plants. 
A new idea that added much to the at¬ 
tractiveness of a moderate-sized \dlla gar¬ 
den last year w'as the sinking of pot sub¬ 
jects in gravel, wherever space could be 
spared; a w ide walk was avenued by 
stately delphiniums, between each tw^o a 
foliage plant appearing, such as Kochiaj. 
tricophylla, the giant Eragrostis maxima, 
the Aliyssinian grass that reaches a height 
of three feet; Lavatera arborea variegata, 
the mallow wdtli cream and grey-green 
leaves; and Zea gracillima variegata, Z. 
japonica variegata, and Z. japonica gigan- 
tea quadricolor. A less broad path w'as 
made into a walk offering perfume and 
lK‘auty by the row of sunk j^ots of sweet 
peas, while another, in shade, gained in 
value as a lounging spot by reason of the 
lines of different tobacco plants. By keep¬ 
ing the pot surfaces an inch below that 
of the paths the plants gain the benefit of 
receiving more water than rain conveys 
to their neighbours in beds and borders, or, 
if drought arrives, filling the pots to the 
rim twice a week will safeguard the roots 
that are hidden from fierce sunheat by 
the protecting gravel. 
In addition to the plants mentioned 
there are hundreds of others that can be 
sown, for either sinking or standing in 
the ornamental environs of our dwellings. 
Siinflow^ers of tall annual species succeed 
>f given manure in the compost; hollyhocks 
r^uire large pots, but when grown in 
them, and from the best seed, the colours, 
^)arately even, are extraordinarily beaii- 
trfiil. embracing apricot, blush, peach, 
deep mauve, salmon, and purple, as well 
as all the familiar pinks and crimsons, 
toimney campanulas may be shown all the 
summer in the open, and housed during 
^ inter, to either blossom under glass or 
another year out of doors, 
^ lie the popular Canterbury bell yields 
a most denser colour masses, so numerous 
are its blooms. It is worth noting that 
iis plant, like many others, attains matu- 
nty sooner under pot culture than if trans- 
I antcHl in the seedling stage into boxes, and 
en given more root room in soil. 
half-hardy subjects 
finl p- found. The 
«in1 7 panormitanus, with its colos- 
.^ai leaves and six-feet stems of blue, is 
not sufficiently known; K. sanguineus is 
ha«^c+ ^S^^ta-purple; B. Cambodgensis 
black, and all these give 
English garden. For a 
P^ant Rheum 
eian^ shoukl be chosen. Many of the 
anrl poppies, if sowui in the pots 
size three, as the 
hand«n^ demand, would form surprisingly 
anvtZf to bear 
^I^-ioTi Papaver somniferum 
height heliotrope, three feet in 
tor pot plants, sunk or 
hecomft^K ^ ^ encircle shrubs that have 
bare at the lower stem, or trees 
that have growui unsightly for any reason. 
Then owmers of small gardens, who natu¬ 
rally desire to locate beauty in every .spot, 
may outline greenhouse w'alls, ^gainst 
w'hich borders are seldom permitted. Ad¬ 
mirable fuchsias can be raised from seed 
early, and grown on under glass, to adorn 
shady sides ; or shadowned nooks anyw'here, 
by ferneries, rockeries, glades, arbours, or 
walls, may be charmingly embellished by 
gravel formed by the junction of walks; 
if the pots are sunk the effect will be that 
of a round or square IxhI as soon as the 
leaves have spread over the gravel. The 
best method is to lay the surface gravel 
very loosely to hide the soil m the pots. 
To prevent a group of plants in pots from 
danger of being Idown over is easy. A 
strip of green-painted wire netting should 
be fastened round them, and a couple of 
STATICE SUWOBOWI ALBA. 
An eleg-ant plant with branching spikes of small, pure white flowers. A.M., R.H.S., 
June 17. Mr. R. C. Notcutt, Woodbridge. (See page 473.) 
lines or groups of white and coloured fox¬ 
gloves. The biennial Mulleins, Verbascum 
olympicum, and V. phlomoides, wdth their 
grand silvery leaves and yellow spikes, can 
also be recommended for shade. 
Groups of different pot plants can often 
lower stem, or trees be found room for in the centre spaces of 
short stakes driven into the path and wdred 
to this wdll effectually secure the whole. 
Tubs are, of course, as useful as pots, 
and more pleasing to the eye if painted 
brown, grey, or a really dull green, with 
which no leaf colour is likely to clash. 
M. H. 
