12 
GROUP OF BOUVARDIAS. 
Bouvardias, which bear exceedingly 
pretty and graceful flowers, should now 
be producing abundantly, and the more 
frequently the flowers are cut the more 
the plants will produce. They should be 
supplied with liquid manure occasionally, 
if they do not seem to thrive luxuriantly. 
Carnations should be flowering freely 
during the month, They should be 
carefully staked, three or four small 
sticks to each plant, or else supported by 
wire netting. Reduce the number of 
buds, leaving only one, two, or three, 
according to the strength of the stems. 
Carnations soon exhaust the soil, and 
when this happens they become weakly 
and a prey to insects and disease. Renew 
the soil at their roots periodically, and 
give them manure water particularly at 
this period. 
Balsams, Zinnias, Amaranths, and 
other autumn flowering annuals can still 
be planted out, choosing a cool, showery 
day for the purpose. Zinnias can be 
made most effective use of in the 
borders. 
Sow Canna; also Calceolarias, Cine- 
-rarias, Cyclamen, Primulas, &., may be 
sown now for early flowering. 
‘THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
December 1, 1908 
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DOUBLE CHRYSANTHEMUM—NEWEST HYBRIDS 
Peg down Verbenas, Heliotropes, and 
Petunias to induce a spreading habit. 
They are not half as effective if allowed 
to grow tall and spindly. 
Regularly remove decayed flowers of 
such plants as throw up asuccession. The. 
bandages round buds or late grafts will 
by this time require loosening, and re- 
tying if they are not firmly united. 
Now is a good time to plant Nympheas 
or water lilies. These really superb plants 
are not difficult to grow. The cottager 
may grow them in his small garden, or 
even in his backyard. The chief requisite 
is water, and this need be only one or two 
feet in depth, a little rich soil, and, in the 
absence of pond or lake, a tub, or even a 
large flower-pot with its drainage hole 
corked up will do very well. The situa- 
tion must be open and sunny, yet shel- 
teredfrom high winds. A free circulation 
of airis necessary. For tub-work those 
of moderate growth should be chosen, the 
stronger growers forponds, &c. Running 
water is not so good for these plants as a 
pool with an outlet or an overflow. If 
the soil of the pond in which the plants = 
are to be placed is poor, it must be en- 
riched by the addition of some compost, 
say, two-thirds of turfy loam and one- 
third of decayed cow-manure. The plants 
should be fixed in an old basket, or tub, or 
pot, in good soil, as just mentioned, and 
well secured. A few stones or crooked 
sticks may be sometimes used to steady and 
hold in position the basket or tub. 
Although the culture of Nympheas is so 
simple, it mnst not be thought that, once 
planted, there they are to remain for ever 
undisturbed or uncar-d for. The plants 
in a few years time, especially the more 
vigorous growers, become so crowded, and 
proluce so much foliage, that the leaves 
grow right out of the water,and so com- 
pletely hide what flowers are produced. 
It is only when all the leaves are floating 
that the true beauty of the plants can be 
appreciated, Some of the hybrids are 
worth cultivating for their handsome fol- 
iage, their leaves being beautifully 
marbled and spotted, and the flowers of 
all are handsome, of all sizes and nearly 
all colors, white, yellow, blue, rose, peach, 
salmon, flesh, purple, and red, to the 
deepest crimson. 
BLUE WATER LILY. 
(Nympheea coerulea.) 
