JULY 1, 1902. 
that the preparation of the soil is of first 
importance to successful gardening. We 
shall deal especially with this in another 
article, but here it ‘may be mentioned that 
care should be taken to see that the soil is 
well drained. If not, the ground will become 
soured and soddened with water, especially 
during the winter rains. Seedlings are very 
tender little things, and in planting them out 
three essential elements should be  ob- 
served. First, the preparation of the soil, 
upon which their life depends, and future 
gratification of the gardener. The ground 
should be well manured ; well dug, with the 
top soil in a fine tilth; and well drained. 
The man who will not dig with the blade of 
his spade completely hidden up to the 
shoulder does not deserve the pleasure of 
getting pretty flowers, and the chances are 
that he will not be so rewarded. Second 
they should be protected from frosts, slugs, 
and snails, which are their common enemies, 
and against which they cannot protect them- 
selves. A piece of newspaper is generally 
handy, and this put over the little 
plot will protect it from frost. Many 
are the devices recommended to kill slugs. 
We recommend the sole of a boot, or the 
garden trowel, as the most effectual. Third, 
watering. Do not wash them half out of the 
ground with the spout of a watercan. Usea 
fine spray nozzle or rose. When planting be 
careful to observe the size and strength of 
the little plants. Plant the larger and stronger 
growths in the centre of the plot and grade 
the smaller ones off to the edges of the circle, 
or whatever shape the plot may be designed. 
In this way the plants will grow better, and 
when in full bloom a much prettier effect will 
be given than if the seedings are planted in a 
promiscuous fashion. 
ANNUALS. 
Annuals are more or less roughly divided 
into two classes. Hardy and _half-hardy. 
Hardy annuals are those that survive all 
weathers right through the winter. Half- 
hardy annuals cannot endure the cold, and 
must not be sown until the warmth of spring. 
Here is a list of the most popular 
HARDY ANNUALS AND 
PERENNIALS, 
a number of which are already planted out, 
but the operation can still go on through 
July -— 
Anemone Marguerite 
Antirrhinum Mignonette 
Ageratum Mimulus 
Alyssum Nemophila 
Candytuft Phlox 
Clarkia Pansy 
Chrysanthemum Poppy 
Cornflower Ranunculus 
Calliopsis Sweet Williams 
Carnation Stock 
Dianthus Saponaria 
Godetia Scabiosa 
_ Gaillardia Statice 
Helichrysum Sweet Pea 
Leptosyme Verbena 
Lobelia Wallflower 
Lupin . Whitlavia 
Larkspur 
ANEMONES (tuberous and herbaceous) 
are always favoured by gardeners, whether at 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
3 
the cottage or the mansion. They like a shady 
moist spot in the garden, with a light, rich, 
well drained loam. There is a charming 
variety of colours, very easily grown. The 
Bride bears well a pure white flower, Fulgens 
is a striking scarlet, Pulsatilla a pure white, 
while Sulphurea is a delicate sulphur tint, and 
a hundred others are available. Some of the 
Japanese varieties are pretty as well as 
peculiar, but the price, although cheap to 
some, is a little above the average cottage 
gardener. It would be interesting to know 
how this plant derived its name from the 
Latin of windflower. 
ANTIRRHINUMS (Snout-like or Snap- 
dragon) are also perennial, but best treated 
as annuals, as the young plants give greater 
satisfaction. Some of the dwarf varieties are 
pretty for clustering or bordering. 
AGERATUM.—Reputed to be one of 
the favourites of the late Queen of England, 
is a most useful plant for groups, or for the 
border. The flowers are white, lavender, 
yellow, and rose coloured without intermediate 
shades, but variegated. The habit of some isa 
dwarfed growth, and dense enough to make 
good edging. 
ALYSSUM (Rage flower, supposed to allay 
anger) commonly spoken of as “Sweet 
Alyssum,” is another of the little dwarfs with 
a radiant white bloom in the sun. So much 
so, in fact, that a group of white trusses in 
full vigour will tax the eyesight considerably 
on a strong sunny day. Few things in the 
garden are prettier than little plot designs of 
pure white. A yellow variety is also attrac- 
tive, and can be made charming in border 
lines with the white. Two lines of white 
with a yellow centre line, or vice versa. In 
plots the same ideas can be worked out with 
a white edging to a yellow crown, and the 
process followed in any artistic design that 
may be painted roughly on paper in the 
two colours. 
CANDYTUFT (Iberis, from Iberia, the 
early name of Spain), universally grown in all 
gardens, is one of the most useful bloomers 
for bouquets and wreaths. In fact white 
flowers are amongst the best marketable to 
the florist for all purposes. Iberis umbellata 
and I. Gibraltarica are the two most popularly 
known varieties. The former grows to an 
umbrella-shaped truss of bloom, whilst the 
latter takes a cone shape, some of the spikes 
growing to six inches in length. 
CLARKIA is an American introduction, 
named after Captain Clark, and the dwarfs 
hold a deservedly popular estimation as a 
border flower. The colours most sought 
after are the elegans variety in rose, white, 
purple and salmon, and the pulchella in 
purple, crimson, and white. The Marginata 
(rose, edged with white) and three varieties of 
Rhomboides (pink) are also pretty. They 
are hardy growers, indifferent to peculiarities 
of soil or situation. 
CORNFLOWER. — Centaurea, cyanus. 
The name is derived from the classics, 
Ovid having declared to heal by it™a wound 
in one of the centaurs, who weredwarhorse 
breakers in Thessaly. This flower was ex- 
ceedingly popular some years ago, and is 
reputed to have been the favourite of the 
Emperor Frederick of Germany, and ascribed 
as the national flower of that country 
Whether this is.so or not it deserves to find 
greater popularity as a spring bloomer in 
Australian gardens. ‘The varieties are very 
numerous, some of them having pretty silvery 
foliage. The colours are red, purple, yellow, 
white, blue, with variations of tint. Very 
easy to cultivate, and largely“used for decora- 
tive and bouquet purposes. 
Calliopsis. 
CALLIOPSIS, or COREOPSIS.° The 
latter name is derived from the appearance 
of the seed to that of a bug. ‘This possibly 
accounts for some aesthetic gardeners prefer- 
ring the first name. ‘They are treated as 
annuals or perennials. Calliopsis_bicolors, 
tinctoria, Atkinsoni, and others are true 
annuals, bearing red and yellow flowers. 
Coreopsis grondiflora’is a perennial, bear- 
ing large pure yellow flowers on 
long stems. The colours are limited 
to yellows, browns, and shades of red. 
A Jamaica white (coreopsis alba) is rare. 
The plant is one of the grandest of the spring, 
and its graceful growth and lasting vitality 
through the severest heat of summer gives 
it a place to beautify every garden. 
CARNATIONS and PINKS (Dianthus 
caryophyllus)—The nameis derived from Deus, 
god; anthos, a flower (the flower of the gods). ~ 
Botanically the flowers differ but little, but 
specialists in floriculture have standards of 
value from the colours of the petals, and 
many are the discussions that arise in Carna- 
tion societies upon the qualities and position 
of the markings. The distinction be- 
tween a Pink and a Carnation given 
by Johnson is that there is in the 
Pink a colour at the base of every petal, and 
perhaps one-third of the distance along it, 
forming an eye, or centre, of colour, which 
never occurs in the Carnation or Picotee. 
The general division of Carnations are sub- 
divided by shades of colours and markings, 
and the names are legion, They can easily 
be cultivated from seeds, cuttings, or layer- 
ings. We shall deal specially in another 
place with these charming flowers, suffice it 
to say here that no garden is complete with- 
out them. They love sandy soil, and are 
partial to salt, hence the sea coast regions in 
all countries produce the best flowers, espe- 
cially in winter. 
GODETIA (named after Godet, some 
say after the poet Goethe) and Céno- 
thera (roots supposed to be an incentive 
to wine imbibing), of the same order, are 
very showy plants for massing, the gay reds 
and crimsons being very effective. Some 
good effects may also be obtained by mixing 
the shades of purple and white. They are 
