iL THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. September 1, 1904 — 
always be satisfactory if done by white or 
pale lemon flowering plants, or plenty of 
green and white, green and yellow, yellow, 
or coppery foliaged subjects. 
One charming border stretch can be made 
by white Foxgloves and Chrysanthemum 
uliginosum against a golden shrub or two 
in the background, aclump of Lilium ecan- 
didum, a group or more of deep and pale 
blue Delphiniums, then one of deep indigo 
purple Delphiniums, a mass of dwarf aad 
taller gold and bronze esrly Chrysanthe- 
mums, and some dwarf deep lilac Michael- 
mas Daisies; plenty of blue Hepaticas, 
double and single Daffodils, Irises of vari- 
ous kinds, Campanula Carpathica alba, 
Veronica. spicata, T'randeacantia ‘Virginica, 
and Gentianella, Primroses and Bluebells, 
around. generously large masses of Aquile- 
egias, white, yellow, and blue and white. 
Some plants of Centaurea montana, Heli- 
anthus giganteus, Golden Rod, and yellow 
aud also deep blue Lupins will further im- 
prove the collection. 
White flowers may separate these from 
the next stretch of border, in which quan- 
tities of Enotheras may be the chief feature, 
It is as well, in a long border, to allow each 
of the principal plants a chance to show all 
different varieties, and the beauty they 
themselves can yield when massed. If the 
Enotheras are well represented visitors to 
the garden will recognise admiringly what 
are the merits of Evening Primroses, so 
many of which are lovely also by daylight. 
A few shrubs of Vaccinium Pennsylvanicum 
will make a perfect background here; they _ 
will be espescially welcome when red 
tinted in autumn, and their bluish berries 
will please also. Another suitable touch of 
warm autumn color can be provided by an 
Ampelopsis grown up a wall, pillar, or dead 
tree. A Clematis Jackmanii should be 
similarly grown, so that its rich purple . 
blossoms may hang upon the pale yellow 
Enotheras. ; 
Columbines, Anemone Pulsatilla, A. 
Hepatica lilacina, Campanula glomerata, 
Eupatorium purpureum, Erigeron Alpinum 
grandiflorum, KE. Stenactis speciosus. E. 
macranthus, purple Delphiniums, Dahlias 
of mauve and purple shades, also Holly- 
hocks, German Irises, Aubrietias, Gerani- 
ums Pratense and Ibericum, Fritillarias, and 
Pansies are a few of the sorts suitable for 
giving mauve and violet shades in the same 
stretch. 
Lhe yellow flowering herbaceous plants 
are so numerous that a choice could be 
made without any difficulty. but the effect: 
will be prettier if only pale yellow ones are 
allowed just there—none that will ‘ kill” 
the Hnotheras, Primroses, Oxlips, Alyssum 
saxatile. Lysimachia vulgaris, Hypericums, 
Daffodils, Lilium monadelphum, Centaurea 
macrocephala, lemon Sunflowers, Holly- 
hocks, and Dahlias, Spanish Iris, Ere- 
murus aurantiacus, Doronicum plantegin- 
eum excelsum, Carnation Germania, lemon 
Iceland Poppies, Darwin Tulips, and Wall- 
flowers, Chrysanthomums of early flowering 
sorts, such as Lemon Queen, Canari, and 
Precocite, yellow bedding Pansies and 
Viola Ardwell Gem will be found excellent, 
while a young Laburnum tree or two will 
improve the background. 
‘he next stretch of the border, a con- 
necting one, can be made up of white Nar- 
cissi, Chrysanthemum maximum for the 
ebief feature, which will keep on blooming 
from early summer uatil winter in all pro- 
bability, white Brompton Stocks and Chry- 
santhemums Queen of the Harlies and 
Madame Desgranges, with a few small and 
large flowering white Michaelmas Daisies, 
aud plenty of hardy ferns and other vivid 
green foliage plauts—_M. Hawrnorne. 
BEAUTIFUL CAPE BULBS. 
‘ WaArTSonrAs. 
Up to the present time Watsonias have 
not been so generally grown as their 
peculiar stateliness and beauty warrant, 
therefore if any readers wish to grow a 
class of bulbs that will at once give them 
pleasure and place them above the rank 
and file of growers they should certainly 
grow Watsonias. 
These natives of Southern Africa reach a 
height of from 2 to 3-feet when in bloom, 
their .flower stems heing usually well 
branched, and thus~able to produce the 
greatest possible effect from a minimum of 
rootstock. Unfortunately, however, their 
culture cannot be recommended as hardy 
subjects, notwithstanding the fact that some 
people have been fairly successful in treat- 
ing them as such. 
A good plan to adopt is planting the 
bulbs in a pit or frame having a sunny 
aspect, and providing them with a mixture 
of sandy loam and peat in proportion of 2 
parts of the former to 1 of the latter. Here 
they can be given all the shelter they need 
and may also be fully exposed. Some pro- 
tection in the way of mats or dry bracken 
will be advisable during severe frosts, but 
as at that time the bulbs will be at rest and 
the soil dry it will not really be necessary 
to provide artificial heat, — 
Grown in pots, Watsonias are great 
favorites with those who have taken up 
their culture with any degree of earnest- 
ness, and this method is specially com- 
mended. Let us commence with the dry 
bulbs. Few are to be given away, so a 
little of the coin of the realm must be ex- 
pended. They are procurable during the 
winter and early spring, and are best potted 
when received. According to the size of the 
bulbs put three or five of them in a 6-inch 
pot in sandy loam and leaf soil, to which 
may be added a little well-decayed and dry 
manure, but the latter must not be present 
in larger proportion than 1 part iu 4 parts 
of the whole compost. A shelf in a cool 
greenhouse will suit admirably as a home 
for the plants right on to the time when the 
spikes begin to extend, when it may seem 
‘desirable to put the most forward in a 
slightly warmer place with the object of 
hastening the flowering. 
_ Until growth commences little water is 
needed, indeed, the less water given the 
better, and to that end the compost ought to 
be nicely moist at potting time, though by 
no means wet or sticky. Give water freely 
when growth is vigorous, as then the roots 
are in a condition to make use of it. Fur- 
ther, when the flower stems are steadily 
lengthening weak liquid manure given at 
every second or third watering will add 
materially to tha number, size, and sub- 
stance of the flowers. 
After the blooms have faded the leaves 
will soon begin to turn yellow, and this 
must be taken as a sign that the functions 
of the plants are ceasing for the season, 
and water must be given in regularly de- 
creasing quantities, eventually withdrawing 
it altogether for the winter. Now a word 
as to propagation. This is a most interest- 
ing part of Watsonia culture, and may take 
the form of simple removal of offsets while 
the bulbs are at rest, or may be accom- 
plished by seed sowing. If the latter 
method is adopted it will be necessary to 
use shallow pans of light, rich soil, cover- 
ing the seeds an eighth of an inch, and 
place them in a temperature of from 55° te 
65°. During their babyhood the seedlings 
need a little more care than dves the older 
stock. 
TULIPS. 
In these sober days, when the tulip, the 
queen-of spring flowers, is to be bought and 
sold as cheaply as 3/ per 100, it may seem: 
hard to realise (says ‘Amateur Garden- 
ing”) that time was wheo a single bulb 
would fetch as much as £250 to £500. Yet 
it is too true that in the days of old, stolid 
and phlegmatic Dutchmen absolutely lost 
their heads and their wealth in bulb buying 
and collecting. It was in the year 1634 
when our brother Dutchmen became mad 
on tulips. This craze took hold of alk 
classes, rich aud poor, learned and igno- 
rant; though, of course, tbe rich were able 
to collect the largest and best selections, 
Only, in due time, to-find themselves ruined, 
when the bulbs once more fell to their nor- 
mal onion price value. As everybody was 
crazy in the eagerness to purchase tulips 
the price rose enormously. Diamonds aud 
precious stones were regarded as trash in 
comparison with a few good bulbs. ‘Those 
were the halcyon days of growers and bulb 
merchants. Many made their fortunes, 
though some came a cropper with the 
buyers in the inevitable crash which was 
not long in ensuing. As much as £10,000 
is accredited to have been given for a col- 
lection of 40 roots. The craze dropped as 
quickly as it rose, and when the fictitious 
prices began to drop Holland was plunged 
into a state of financial difficulty ever 
worse than that which prevailed in Eng— 
land at the bursting of the South Sea 
Bubble, or of that of France during the 
evolution. << 
THE WEST SUBURBAN H. AND FE. 
SOCIETY. 
A well-attended meeting of the commit- 
tee of the above Society was held in the 
Institute on Wednesday, August 24. A 
large amount otf bnsiness was vransacted iu 
connection with the forthcoming Show, to 
be held in the Thebarton Town Hall on 
October 18th. The secretary reported the 
receipt of several donations; also a letter 
from Lady Way accepting the invitetion to 
open the exhibition. The report of the 
sub-committee revising the prize list was 
adopted with a few open classes added. 
This was ordered to be printed without 
delay. ‘he committee is a strong one and 
are working hard to make the Show a suc- 
cess. The Town Hall has been engaged, 
and all arrangements are well in hand. 
wits & 
ae 
