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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE ,  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER,  -  -April  16,  1903.- 
Thymes  for  Rockeries. 
We  are  favoured  by  an  illustration  of  Thyme  on  a  rockery 
from  that  excellent  little  book,  “One  and  All  Gardening”  (2d.), 
and  in  planting,  the  effect  is  greatest  when  large  sheets  of  the 
Thymes  are  massed  around  the  stones  and  rocks,  covering  all  the 
ground,  T.  serpyllum  by  a  pathway,  where  its  creeping  shoots  line 
the  chinks  betw(>en  the  stoneis,  and  where  the  pedestrian  oft  has 
to  tread  on  it,  is  of  the  greatest  use  to  the  ornamental  gardener. 
The  two  culinary  Thymes  are  vulgaris  and  citriodorus.  The 
golden  form  of  the  latter,  and  the  silveiy  Thyme  (Fraser’s  Silver) 
are  both  very  beautiful,  and  charmingly  odorous  little  creepers, 
to  lose  which  from  our  gardens  would  be  grievous  indeed.  They 
deserve  to  be  grown  by  the  square  yard. 
Some  Hardwooded  Plants. 
At  Kew  at  the  i^resent  time  there  are  a  number  of  very  fine 
Australian  plants  at  their  best  in  flower.  One  of  these — a  little 
'known  species: — is  Goodia  latifoha.  If  one  can  imagine  a  shrubby 
form  of  our  pretty  wild  Lotus  corniculatus,  growing  3ft  high, 
with  woody  stems,  the  picture  of  this  shrub  will  be  characterised. 
Amongst  the  Grevilleas  there  are  punicea,  with  bright  crimson 
flower  clusters ;  G.  linearis,  with  nearly  white  heads  of  bloom  ; 
and  the  following  among.st  other  subjects:  Bauera  rubioides, 
one  of  the  smartest  “hard  woods”  there  is,  having  rose-mauve 
open  bells ;  Crowea  angustifolia,  with  deep  pink  star-like  flowers 
the  size  of  a  sixpence,  and  borne  each  in  the  axil  of  a  linear  leaf 
on  slender  shoots;  Chorizema  cordatum  flavum,  a  little  grown 
variety  with  orange-yellow  flowers,  and  C.  illicifolium.  The 
Eutaxia  myrtifolia  resembles  Aotus  gracillima,  but  is  freer  flower¬ 
ing — that  is,  the  small  Pea-like  orange  and  crimson  coloured 
flowers  are  borne  thickly  on  branching  slender  shoots  and  well 
interspersed  with  sharp  green  leaves.  The  Acacias  and  Erio- 
stemons  fiu’ther  add  to  the  bright  display. 
Pinguicula  caudata  superba. 
The  exhibition  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Bennet-Poe  of  his  fine  magneta 
tinted  Pinguicula,  serves  to  call  attention  to  the  merits  of  the 
type,  which  is  a  highly  ornamental  plant  when  in  flower  during 
autinnn.  Two  jmars  ago  I  saw  it  in  very  fine  character  at  Mr. 
James  Cypher’s,  Queen’s  Road  Nurseries,  Cheltenham.  There 
were  a  number  of  plants  in  3.Un  sized  pots,  grown  in  a  compost 
of  peat,  sand,  and  sphagnum  moss,  in  about  equal  parts.  They 
were  carrying  good  heads  of  bloom,  and  were  in  a  house  with 
cool  Orchids,  the  temperature  at  from  45deg  to  SOdeg  at  night 
during  winter  ;  and  they  are  treated  to  plenty  of  moisture  in 
the  atmosphere  during  winter  and  summer.  After  the  plants 
have  gone  out  of  bloom  they  are  rested  for  a  time,  at  which 
season  they  require  but  little  water.  When  the  time  comes  for 
growth,  more  moisture  is  given  them,  and  as  they  grow  then  is 
the  time  to  divide.  Propagation  can  also  be  made  from  leaves 
similar  to  the  method  adopted  in  the  case  of  Gloxinias ;  and  it 
is  found  that  in  both  cases  the  young  growths  do  well  in  the 
compost  recommended  above.  Seed  is  also  prpduced,  and  so 
seedlings  can  be  raised,  and  it  is  probable  Mr.  Bennett-Poe’s  fine 
variety  superba  originated  in  this  way. — R.  Dean. 
Lilium  giganteum, 
If  giant  Lilies  are  desired  in  flower  every  summer,  then  we 
must  have  at  least  a  dozen  plants,  of  different  ages,  to  make  sure 
of  results,  for,  after  flowering,  the  large  bulb  is  exhau.sted,  and 
several  years  elapse  before  the  small  ones,  often  found  about 
the  roots,  gain  sufficient  strength  to  i^roduce  flowering  stems. 
This  grand  Lily  seeds  freely,  and,  whenever  a  chance  of  obtaining 
it  is  secured,  should  be  freely  sown.  Some  seed  collected  everj' 
year  and  sown  fresh  would,  with  care,  give  rise  to  a  magnificent 
series  of  plants.  The  young  plants  must  be  carefully  looked 
after,  the  ground  weeded  and  watered  during  dry  weather.  The 
specimen  of  this  Himalayan  Lily  figured  here  (grown  in  Scotland) 
reached  8ft  in  height,  but  in  warmer  England  and  better  posi¬ 
tions  the  stems  are  taller  than  this.  In  Julj"  the  stems,  graced 
with  numerous  polished  leaves,  bore  a  dozen  large  flowers,  5in 
across  and  7in  in  length,  fragrant,  white  streaked  with  purple 
inside.  After  the  flowers,  the  upright  large  seed  vessels  are 
conspicuous,  but  the  .seeds  here  did  not  ripen  until  December, 
and  will  take  about  six  years  to  produce  large  bulbs. — D.  S.  F. 
[From  “  One  and  All  Gardening  ”  (2d.),  the  courtesy  of  the 
editor  of  which  we  have  to  acknowledge  for  the  use  of  the 
illustration.] 
Habrothamnus  Newell!. 
This  beautiful  hybrid,  without  doubt,  is  the  best  and  most 
desirable  of  the  family,  and  yet  it  is  not  cultivated  to  the  extent 
its  merits  deserve.  I  am  induced  to  draw  attention  to  it  from  the 
fact  of  recently  having  noticed  a  fine  and  healthy  plant  of  it 
trained  over  a  doorway  leading  from  the  conservatory  to  the 
drawing-room,  at  The  Grove,  Harborne,  the  charming  suburban 
residence  of  the  Right  Hon.  William  Kenrick,  and  where  its 
numerous  trusses  of  bright  rosy-scarlet  afforded  a  striking  and 
pleasing  contrast  in  harmony  with  the  wealth  of  bloom  presented 
by  such  as  Indian  and  Ghent  Azaleas,  Cinerarias,  Cyclamens, 
Hippeastrums,  Clivias,  Richardias,  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  &c.,  in¬ 
cluding  also  several  good  specimens  of  Dendrobium  nobile  and 
D.  n.  grandiflorum.  Mr.  W.  Eades,  the  energetic  and  pains¬ 
taking  chief  of  the  garden  portion  of  the  estabhshment,  however, 
would  appreciate  it  still  more,  were  it  not  so  susceptible  to  the 
attacks  of  “  green  fly,”  this  necessitating  frequent  syringings 
with  an  insecticide.  The  plant  in  question  supplanted  a  few 
years  ago  one  of  its  compeers,  viz.,  the  older  known  H.  fasciculatus 
or  H.  elegans — one  of  the  two  here  named.— W.  G. 
The  Auricula  in  April. 
In  all  ease.s  where 
a  collection  of  varieties 
is  grown  in  pots  under 
glass,  however  small 
and  select  it  may  be, 
a  large  amount  of  in¬ 
terest  centres  about 
the  plants  just  now, 
for  they  are  steadily 
coming  into  bloom. 
We  are  having  a  time 
of  continued  rough, 
cold  winds,  and  it  is 
neoe.ssary  care  be  taken 
these  do  not  play 
directly  on  the  expand¬ 
ing  pips,  as  it  may 
bring  upon  them  a 
kind  of  paralysis.  In 
such  weather  as  that 
we  are  now  experienc¬ 
ing  the  plants  dry 
rapidly,  and  especially 
so  if  they  are  at  all 
root-bound,  and  close 
attention  is  necessary 
in  the  matter  of  water¬ 
ing.  Green  and  brown 
fly  are  putting  in  ap- 
peai'anoe  ;  and,  as  the 
plants  cannot  be  fumi¬ 
gated  without  some 
risk  just  as  they  are 
coming  into  bloom,  it 
is  well  to  employ  a 
camel’s-hair  brush  with 
which  to  whisk  the  in¬ 
truders  into  space. 
Cleanliness  and  free 
ventilation  is  all-im¬ 
portant  if  the  plants 
are  to  bo  kept  in  good 
condition.  Happy  is  the 
cultivator  who  has  a 
house  in  which  to  grow 
his  i^lants,  as  he  can 
then  be  constantly 
among  his  pets  despite 
Liiium  giganteum. 
