If  2 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  25,  1897. 
HALF-HARDY  ANNUALS. 
I  want  to  jut  in  a  plea  for  theae  (although  the  past  two  or  three 
seasons  have  been  rather  rough  on  them),  because  I  think  in  the  present 
system  of  gardening  they  are  invaluable.  When  bedding  out  was  the 
rage  there  was  no  place  for  them.  “  Geraniums,”  Calceolarias,  Lobelias, 
and  Ageratums  occupied  every  available  space,  and  it  was  only  in  the 
kitchen  garden  that  a  place  could  be  found  for  even  such  things  as 
Sweet  Peas  and  Mignonette  ;  but  now  since  the  public  have  come  to  a 
better  mind,  and  our  borders  are  filled  with  herbaceous  plants  and  bulbs, 
there  is  not  only  room  for  them,  but  they  are  absolutely  necessary,  and 
things  which  were  formerly  only  tolerated  are  now  treated  with  some 
degree  of  respect,  and  due  honour  given  to  them.  I  say  they  are  neces¬ 
sary  for  this  reason,  that  when  the  early  spring  flowering  bulbs  which 
have  been  interspersed  through  the  borders  are  passed  there  is  much 
vacant  space  round  the  herbaceous  plants  which  are  coming  on,  and  we 
want  something  to  occupy  these  spaces. 
Of  late  years  the  dwarf  Gladioli-flowering  Cannas  have  come  very 
much  into  evidence  and  are  to  be  found  in  most  gardens,  their  foliage 
and  flowers  being  equally  effective.  Still,  one  must  only  use  them  in 
moderation,  and  leave  space  for  the  half-hardy  annuals  for  which  I 
plead.  It  may  seem  absurd  to  mention  amongst  these  such  old  and 
common  things  as  Mignonette  and  Sweet  Pea,  but  I  have  been  to  garden 
after  garden  and  neither  of  these  sweetly  perfumed  flowers  was  to  be 
seen.  Indeed,  one  of  the  strongest  reasons  for  the  exclusion  of  the 
bedding-out  system  was  that  there  was  no  perfume  whatever  in  the 
garden,  for  none  of  the  flowers  that  I  have  mentioned  had  sny  per- 
c*  ptible  odour,  while  the  carpet  garden  with  its  pickled  Cabbages, 
Akernantheras,  and  Houseleekshad  not  a  vestige  of  sweet  scent, and  I  have 
found  when  neighbours  came  in  to  see  me  a  bunch  of  Mignonette  was  a 
great  treat  to  them  ;  and  beside  this  there  is  another  great  advantage  in 
half-hardy  annuals — they  are  delightful  for  cutting.  The  lightness  and 
elegance  of  form  of  many  of  them,  and  their  brilliant  and  chaste  colouring, 
is  the  delight  of  all  those  who  arrange  flowers  and  have  to  do  so  at  a 
moderate  expense.  • 
Considerable  improvement  may  be  made,  I  think,  in  the  manner  of 
growing  these.  They  are  apt  to  be  overcrowded,  and  if  more  attention 
were  paid  to  thinning  out  much  more  satisfactory  results  would  be 
attained  ;  but  it  is  very  hard  to  persuade  people  that  three  or  four  plants 
well  grown  would  be  more  effective  than  a  couple  of  dozen  crowded 
together.  There  is  another  point  on  which  I  feel  more  strongly  every 
year — the  superiority  of  single  flowers  over  double  ones.  There  was  a 
time  when  I  was  very  much  attracted  by  the  splendid  Asters  which 
Truflaut,  Betteridge,  and  other  growers  have  managed  to  raise  ;  but  even 
these  are  not  very  available  as  cut  flowers  for  decoration,  and  therefore 
in  my  limited  space  I  rely  less  on  them  every  year.  There  is  one  double 
flower  beside  the  Rose  which  I  could  not  very  well  dispense  with — the 
double  Zinnia.  Not  only  has  it  such  very  brilliant  colours,  but  it  has 
the  advantage  of  supporting  itself  without  any  need  of  stakes  ;  but  the 
same  objection  applies  to  it  as  to  the  other  double  flowers —  t  is  too 
stiff  for  tasteful  decoration. 
Sweet  Peas. — As  I  have  already  said,  this  in  our  bedding-out  days 
used  to  be  banished  from  our  gardens,  but  now  we  see  them  on  every 
side.  Thanks  to  Mr.  Eckford,  we  have  the  most  varied  hues  now 
amongst  them,  from  pure  white  to  deepest  crimson,  including  also  sky 
blue,  dark  blue,  rich  purple,  blue  and  purple  striped,  pink,  carmine  and 
white,  brilliant  scarlet,  delicate  rose,  primrose  yellow,  and  scarlet 
striped  ;  nor  has  this  great  variety  of  colour  been  gained,  as  in  the  case 
of  some  flowers,  at  ihe  expense  of  their  delicious  perfume,  which  has  so 
well  earned  for  them  the  Dame  of  Sweet.  So  that  one  is  not  surprised 
to  learn  that  in  America,  where  the  love  of  garden  flowers  is  so  much 
associated  with  those  that  are  suitable  for  house  decoration,  hundreds  of 
acres  of  them  are  cultivated.  They  may  either  be  sown  in  pots  or  in 
the  open  ground.  They  should  be  carefully  thinned  out  so  as  to  leave 
plenty  of  room  for  growing,  and  if  the  seed  pods  are  picked  off  as  soon 
as  formed  the  blossoming  time  will  be  greatly  prolonged.  I  do  not 
think  very  much  of  that  curious  little  dwarf  which  has  come  to  us  from 
America,  Cupid,  as  it  does  not  seem  to  flower  very  freely,  and  many 
ptrtons  express  their  disappointment  at  it.  It  is  curious,  and  that  is  all 
one  can  say  for  it. 
Zinnia  Haageana.—  One  can  hardly  praise  too  early  the  bright 
orange  coloured  Zinnia.  It  grows  about  a  foot  high,  and  comes  in 
admirably  to  fill  up  the  spaces  made  when  some  of  our  dwarf  growing 
spring  bulbs  have  died  down,  and  its  brightness  makes  it  most  desirable 
for  cutting. 
COSMEA  BIPINNATA. — I  had  heard  much  of  this  annual,  and  tried  it 
for  the  first  time  last  year,  and  I  am  afraid  the  season  was  an  unfavour¬ 
able  one  for  it,  aR  I  was  disappointed  with  it.  The  plants  grew  well  and 
the  foliage  is  effective  ;  the  flowers,  too,  are  handsome  and  varied  in 
colour.  They  a*e  borne  on  stout  footstalks,  and  remind  one  somewhat 
of  single  Dahlias  ;  their  colour  is  white  and  heliotrope,  though  I  find  it 
described  in  some  catalogues  as  rose  and  white.  It  is  somewhat  late 
flowering,  and  the  heavy  drenching  rams  of  September  caused  the  plants 
to  grow  so  much  into  leaf  that  the  flowers  were  somewhat  sparingly 
produced.  I  am  told  that  this  is  not  its  character,  and  that  in  a  more 
genial  season  it  flowers  very  freely,  and  I  shall  hope  to  try  it  again  ;  the 
foliage  is  especially  handsome.  It  is  a  native  of  Mexico,  and  sometimes 
called  Cosmos  bipinnatus. 
Nicotiana  AFFINIS.— This  is  a  delightfully  sweet-scented  flower, 
vigorous  in  habit  and  very  floriferous  ;  the  flowers  are  white,  and  open 
towards  evening  and  continue  in  flower  all  night,  and  those  who  like 
when  they  go  out  into  their  gardens  in  the  evening  to  be  surrounded  by 
sweet  perfumes  ought  not  to  neglect  this  plant.  It  is  one  also  that  is 
admirably  adapted  for  pot  culture. 
Salpiglossis. — It  is  hardly  possible  to  speak  too  highly  of  the 
beauty  of  this  half-hardy  annual  with  its  gorgeous  and  unique  colouring. 
Many  of  the  flowers  have  quite  the  appearance  of  eDamel,  and  hardly 
any  of  them  are  self-coloured,  but  are  veined.  Thus  orange,  salmon, 
cerise,  violet,  and  other  striking  tints  are  seen  in  unusual  combinations, 
and  the  efEect  is  very  grand.  They  cannot  be  said  to  be  very  sweet 
scented. 
Leptosyne  MABITIMA.  —  This  is  sometimes  known  as  Coreopsis 
maritima,  and  is  a  showy  Californian  annual,  half-hardy  in  this  country  ; 
the  flowers  are  of  a  bright  yellow  colour,  somewhat  like  a  yellow 
Marguerite,  and  as  they  are  borne  on  long  stout  footstalks  they  are 
valuable  for  cutting;  as  a  plant  it  is  also  showy  in  the  garden. 
Nehesia  Stp.umosa  Suttoni. — This  is  a  very  beautiful  half-hardy 
annual,  very  variable  in  colour,  including  shades  of  yellow,  bright  orange, 
crimson,  rose,  and  white;  it  is  very  free  flowering,  and  continues  in 
bloom  for  a  very  long  time.  Like  most  flowers  of  this  class,  it  succeeds 
best  when  sown  early  in  the  year,  then  pricked  out  into  boxes,  from 
thence  into  the  border.  It  is  frequently  used  for  beds,  and  from  its 
long  continuous  flowering  is  valuable  for  such  purposes. 
Marguerite  Carnations. — A  very  charming  and  sweet-scented 
annual.  It  is  not  only  valuable  for  the  borders,  but  also  for  pot  culture, 
flowering  freely  during  the  autumn  and  winter  months.  The  flowers 
have  the  old  clove  perfume,  and  a  pleasant  odour  is  diffused  through 
the  house  where  they  are  grown.  There  are  both  siDgle  and  double  of 
various  colours. 
Fairy  Rose  is  a  remarkable  race  of  very  small  dwarf-growing 
Roses  ;  they  are  sometimes  called  perennial,  but  may  be  treated  ae 
annuals.  They  flower  within  two  months  after  the  seed  is  sown,  and 
are  equally  useful  for  the  open  bordt-r  or  for  pot  culture.  They  may  be 
used  for  the  edging  of  beds  of  dwarf  Roses  ;  each  flower  continues  a  long 
time  in  bloom,  and  is  sweet  scented.  They  may  also  be  used  for  filling 
up  any  spaces  on  the  rockery  where  early  spring-flowering  bulbs  have 
been  grown. 
Layia  elegans. — A  Californian  annual,  bright  yellow  edged  with 
white.  There  is  also  a  pure  white  variety  of  it  called  alba  which  is  very 
effective.  About  1  foot  in  height,  very  useful  for  cutting,  and  remains 
in  bloom  a  long  time. 
PORTULACAS. — This  is  an  old  and  well-known  annual,  and  not  nearly 
so  much  grown  as  it  ought  to  be.  It  is  one  of  those  plants  which  a  poor 
soil  suits ;  indeed  I  have  seen  when  grown  at  the  edge  of  a  border  scatter 
its  seed  on  the  gravel  walks,  which  the  following  year  is  made  gay  with 
its  striking  flowers,  which  vary  from  white  to  rose  and  magenta.  It  is 
essentially  a  sun  lover,  and  will  not  open  in  dull  and  cloudy  weather, 
but  everyone  who  sees  it  in  proper  condition  is  at  once  taken  with  its 
brilliancy.  It  only  grows  to  about  6  or  9  inches  in  height. — D  ,  Deal. 
ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY’S  COMMITTEES’ 
AWARDS. 
When  first  I  looked  over  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  report 
for  the  past  year,  and  specially  as  an  interested  member  of  one  of  the 
Committees,  which  in  one  important  paragraph  are,  to  some  extent, 
obviouslv  reprimanded  for  their  somewhat  lax  liberality  in  the  granting 
of  certificates,  medals,  and  other  awards,  I  did  not  notice  the  very 
important  part  the  Council  itself  had  played  in  the  granting  of  those 
awards.  There  were  held  during  the  past  year  nineteen  meetings  at  the 
Drill  Hall,  and  six  at  Chiswick — a  total  of  twenty-five  ;  and  be  it 
primarily  understood  that  at  all  these  gatherings  everything  sent  for 
show  or  for  growth  is  so  sent  especially  to  secure  an  award  of  some  sort 
if  possible.  Added  to  these  there  were  the  two  huge  national  exhibitions 
of  flowers  at  the  Temple,  and  of  fruit  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  so  that 
altogether  there  were  twenty-seven  occasions  for  the  making  of  awards, 
and  be  it  again  remembered  not  by  oneCommittee,forsowideistheground 
covered  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  that  no  less  than  five  separate 
Committees,  comprising  some  150  persons,  have  power  to  make  awards. 
The  total  of  awards  of  every  description  made  by  these  bodies,  or  by  sets 
of  judges  selected  from  them,  was  873,  made  at  twenty-seven  shows  or 
meetings. 
Now  the  Council  of  the  R.H.S.  as  a  Council,  and  this  is  the 
reprimanding  body,  went  to  the  great  provincial  shows  of  York  and' 
Chester  last  year,  and  they  made  awards  of  thirteen  descriptions  at 
these  two  shows,  the  total  being  seventy-five.  With  respect  to  these 
awards,  the  Committees  as  auch  had  absolutely  nothing  to  do.  But 
look  at  the  singular  disproportion  1  Were  the  Council’s  liberality  on 
these  two  occasions  to  be  followed  by  the  Committees  generally  we 
should  see  the  year’s  awards  total  up  a  long  way  higher  than  was  the 
case  last  year.  That  being  so,  would  it  not  be  well  for  the  Council, 
before  it  attempts  to  advise  the  Committees  again,  to  show  these  bodies  a 
good  example  in  forbearance  by  granting  awards  at  these  provincial 
shows  with  less  liberal  hand  ?  It  is  not  precept,  but  example  that  is 
so  needful  in  such  cases. 
After  all  is  there  the  slightest  probability  that  any  checks  will  be 
put  on  the  present,  perhaps  too  free,  granting  of  awards  ?  I  fear  not.  I' 
have  long  comended  that  in  many  directions  it  is  now  time  that  higher 
standards  of  excellence  were  set  up,  and  I  think  generally,  though  not  in 
every  case,  those  standards  are  more  exacting  so  far  as  certificates  are  con¬ 
cerned.  That  it  is  so  in  the  case  of  the  Fruit  Committee  is  evident,  because 
that  body  granted  six  only  last  year.  The  award  of  merit  is  the  honour 
