120 THE FLORIST. 
BEDDING PLANTS. 
In the hope that it may be interesting to your readers who belong to 
the large and influential class of amateur florists, I send you a few hints, 
which I think I may venture to say will, if carried out, produce pleasing 
results. In growing plants for bedding out, I must, in the first place, 
advocate the plan of having but one in a pot, for, by the practice of 
cramming quantities together in pots, pans, or boxes, not only is the 
plant stinted of light, which is of course all-important, but also by the 
pressure of surrounding plants it is confined to a smaller space than it 
would occupy if it were grown separately in a pot of large 60-size, 
which is the one I use. A plant which has thus had the full advantage 
of both light and air will, when planted out, appear in bloom almost 
immediately, whilst the others would not bloom for a, month or more; 
and thus we lose that beautiful time of year, early summer. A few 
less plants might be obtained by this system, but the quality will amply 
repay the loss; for the flower garden of which I have the care, which is 
of moderate size, say about an eighth of an acre, I find that the quantity 
of plants which I have annexed to each variety is amply sufficient ; 
I will also try to give a few useful hints as to the positions in which 
the plants can be best used. Let us commence with scarlet and fancy 
Geraniums of the bedding varieties :— 
Tom Thumb, 300 plants.—At this time of the year, or even a month 
before, fine trusses may be cut from this variety, which will make a fine 
addition to other cut flowers. 
General Pelissier, 30 plants.—A fine variety, not well adapted to 
bedding purposes, but unrivalled in pot culture. Blooms earlier than 
Tom Thumb ; hable to great variation in colour; beautiful horseshoe 
foliage. 
There is, in addition to the above, Christiana; beautiful rosy pink, 
free bloomer, large and bold truss, pleasing habit. 
Lady Middleton, a light pink, good habit, free bloomer. 
Lord John Russell, an improvement on the above, habit very free ; 
altogether a fine variety. : 
snzzie, rich salmon, free bloomer, large truss, foliage horseshoe ; best 
adapted for pots. 
Cerise Unique, similar to Lady Middleton ; equally good in pots or 
bedded out; fine horseshoe foliage. 
Rose Queen, Reidii, Miss Emily Field, Bishopstowe, Richmond 
Gem, Blazer, and Tom Thumb’s Bride, all good habits and free 
bloomers, but more adapted for growth in pots. Of these latter 
varieties, I should like to grow more than I do, but I use about 60 
plants altogether. | 
Variegated varieties, in all 60 plants.—Foliage as a rule very beau-— 
tiful, but none very free bloomers; very useful for edging round flower 
beds ; may also be cultivated in pots, in which they bloom more freely. 
I prefer the following :—Flower of the Day, Jane, Brilliant, Annie, 
Burning Bush, Countess of Warwick. Lady Plymouth, when used as 
edging, must be planted thickly. A fine example was seen last year at 
Mr. Turner’s Royal Nursery, Slough. 
