12 
‘se mistakes. ‘he red hotises can have 
pienty of white or cream flowers, lemon, 
geld, iavender, blue, and even scarlet ora 
aesper cardinal shade. 
Sometimes an artist gardener has found. 
ail his work spoilt by the objects placed 
fuside the windows, the outsidey ef which 
the thas carefully made lovely. I have seen 
zz house of dull grey color brightened up 
splendidly by a magnificent window box 
show of pale gold, scarlet, and cream; but 
#he inhabitants of that stately residence 
thad put a jardiniere in each of the lower 
wvandows which was filled with magenta and 
white striped Petunias and deep pink 
Stocks and Asters. 
It occasionally happens that a house ts 
smgly because its windows are too long and 
marrow; if so, it is often pessible to set 
wp boxes that are rather longer than the 
sls, or at least jut out well beyond the 
easements. If climbers are grown at the 
Yoxes’ ends, trained either over hoops, up 
pillars of bamboo cane, or up the wall it- 
self, the ugliness will be entively cured. 
When windows look too broad for a small 
thouse, the boxes can he rather too short for 
Hho sills, and have some tall plants at each 
cond. 
Fer a cottage or rustic style of house of 
any size, boxes covered. with natural wood. 
‘wr stained to represent dark wood, or made 
wi deal set all over with fir cones and well 
svarnished, ave most artistic. The ordinary 
willa may have tiled boxes so long’as garish, 
splors are not chosen. Plain white tiled 
Yoxes look well against a red brick build- 
gag; plain wooden hoxes painted dull, or 
Wrownish dark green, ave also quite suit- 
able. } 
The grey, cream, or white painted houses 
are not dificult to suit with window boxes ; 
dhere ig nothing claiming rustic treatment 
aboub them, and varied effects are admis 
sible. Orange tiled boxes, holding white 
flowers and crimson variegated foliage 
plants, are pleasing by grey walls ; cream 
avalis will show off turquoise blue tiled 
oxes filled with amber and brown flowers, 
‘uch as French Marigolds, or pale yellow 
‘ones with white; even scarlet window 
Soxes can be safely used against white 
avalls, and their filling should consist of 
deep green foliage plants and pale laven- 
der flowers. 
Wor white and cream houses, pink boxes 
awitl do well with mauve or lilac flowers 
and crimson foliage plants, such as Coleuses 
ar Beet; while lemon and white Iceland 
Poppies will be successful against either. 
The plants that droop over the boxes 
are the cause of many failures that we 
avitness; unless they are luxuriant they 
look very miserable, and seldem make an 
even line of color. A. light festooning of 
alzooping greenery is often a great improve- 
sment to an arrangement that is otherwise 
stiff, and the Kenilworth Ivy. Linaria Cym- 
Salavia, is quite the best plant to make 
mse of. 
Al color and no foliage is an effect to be 
avoided ; even if white flowers predominate 
pyer gay ones, green is wanted. Tt is a 
anistake to let bare soil be visible; there 
ure so many dwarf plants that can be 
Aoucht or raised from seed that a carpet 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
of green, brown, gold, grey.. white. or any 
color is easily obtainable beneath the other 
flowers. Pyrethrum aureum kept cut, 
Sedums of several sorts, Mesembryanthe- 
mums, Pinks, Lobelias, Nemophilas, Sweet 
Alyssum, Aubretias, Cerastiuim, and Cam- 
panulas, are a few of the suitable subjects. 
Light growing annual grasses haye a 
charming appearance among flowers in 
sunny window boxes—dwarf Cornflowers 
or Iceland Poppies, and Briza gracilis or 
Agrostis nebulosa, for example. 
AZALEAS IN SUMMER. 
When the gorgeous Indian Azaleas have 
yielded their crop of flowers further inte- 
rest. in the plants is frequently lost, and 
they are relegated to some obscure corner 
of the greenhouse until the season of 
blooming again comes round. Should they 
then fail to flower with expected abun- 
dance, the owner expresses astonishment, 
and straightway enlists in the ranks of the 
apparently increasing army which is peren- 
nially enquiring in the gardening press, 
“Why do my Azaleas fail to bloom?” 
Now, instead of so treating the poor, 
long-suffering Azaleas; instead of swelling 
the ranks of this undesirable army, why 
not treat the plants more rationally this 
year? They do not ask for much in re- 
turn for their wealth of blossom; why nob 
concede their modest demands? Why not 
carefully remove the faded flowers and 
seed pods, examine the perhaps choked 
drainage, and top-dress or repot the plants 
as the state of their growth and size of pot 
dictate ? 
This done, stand the plants in a position 
in the greenhouse where they will not be 
overlooked when the water can is on its 
rounds, and where they will fully share in 
the refreshing dew which the syringe dis- 
penses thrice daily. ’ 
To mature the growth, stand the plants 
in a fully exposed cold frame, laying a mat 
or other light shading material on the 
glass if the sun is very hot and the leaves 
are very close to the frame top. This 
shading is only necessary for a few days, 
after which full exposure should be given, 
with the frame lights opened to their ful- 
lest extent. 
An alternative to frame treatment in 
summer is to plunge the pots in ashes ina 
sunny spot outdoors. Let the ashes reach. 
to the rim of the pot, and see that some 
are put beneath as well as round it. Water- 
ing now will not be a heavy task, but must 
be carefully and thoroughly attended to, as 
must early morning and evening syringings 
of the foliage, especially noting that the 
undersides of the leaves get well wetted. 
a 
S 
HARDY FLOWERS. 
CENTAUREA MONTANA GRANDIFLORA.— 
Most of us know the old typical blue and 
purple Centaurea montana, as well as the 
white and red: forms which have so much 
value for cutting. The one can hp grown 
almost anywhere~-in sun or in shade, in 
rich soil or poor soil, flourishing conten- 
tedly nearly everywhere, and giving a long 
succession of flowers if the older ones are 
cut ere they fade. Now this old form bids 
January 5, 1905 
fair to be superseded by the new varicty 
called C. m. grandiflora, which has larger 7 
flowers of perhaps greater value for cutting, 
the plant being also a little more vigor- 
ous. This plant is so easily propagated 
by division. that it is alveady offered at a 
moderate price, and in time, if a demand 
for it springs up, it ought to be plentiful. 
KUPHORBIA PILOSA MAJOR.—The Euphor- 
bias, or Milkworts, are never particulacly 
popular plants, but it must be remembered 
that there is among them. a certain pro- 
portion of good hardy plants. Some are 
only greenish, others are a greenish-yellow, 
while others, again, are of a wonderfully 
bright yellow, a few, in addition, being 
tinged with red. A certain number are 
good rockery plants, and there are others, 
again, which may be used with advantage 
either for the border or rockery. Among 
these one may give a good place to KH. 
pilosa major, which is to be met with fre- 
quently among collections of hardy flowers 
exhibited at shows by nurserymen, but is 
seldom seen in the garden of the amateur. 
It has rather succulent-looking, glaucous 
green foliage, and a number of yellow 
flower heads on stems of | foot or 14 feet 
high. These are afterwards touched with 
red, which adds to the general effect. It 
is easily grown in any soil, and seems to be 
of a better color when grown in sun than 
in shade. Tt is increased by seeds or by 
division. 
Hevucupra prisowes FLampeau.—There 
appears to be no end to the production of 
new Heucheras. Endeavours ought to be 
made to try to secure with the freedom of 
flowering of H. brizoides the bright colox- 
ing of H. sanguinea, which is so disappoint- 
ing in many gardens. Some of the newer 
Heucheras ave wanting in brightness, but 
among the best is H. b. Flambeau, which 
J flowered here last year for the first time. 
Tt has nice dark foliage, and makes a pretty 
plant in the garden ati any time while in 
growth. Its flowers, in good spikes, are 
of a bright rose, tinted with violet, and 
are on stems 2 feet or more in height. T 
have come to the conclusion that these 
Heucheras like a better soil and a moister 
position than they often receive when 
planted on a rockery. In a good border 
they will attain dimensions and a vigor un- 
approachable in a poor and dry soil. 
Muteeprum Piumieri.—Mulgedium or 
Lactuca Plumieri is one of the bold and 
effective hardy plants which are hardly 
suitable for the flower border, but may welk 
find a place in the wild garden, or in some 
corner where its effective appearance and 
bold character would be of service. Tt owes 
much of its value to its leaves; while on a 
tall stalk, well raised above its basal leaves, 
ib produces heads of pretty blue flowers. 
Tn general appearance it reminds one 
somewhat of the Thistles, and, in conse- 
quence, it has acquired the name of tha 
Blue Thistle. It is closely allied, however, 
to the Lettuce, and is considered by many 
good botanists that it if more appropriar 
tely named Lactuca Plumieri than Mulge- 
dium. It is a hardy plant which can be 
readily cultivated in any soil. but it is in 
aegood, heavy one that it really attains its 
ee 
