Flowers and Flower-Gardens eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 407 pages of information about Flowers and Flower-Gardens.

Flowers and Flower-Gardens eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 407 pages of information about Flowers and Flower-Gardens.

The Blue bottle O. cyanus, Azeez, flowers in December and January, of pink and blue.

The Sweet Sultan, C. moschata, Shah pusund is known by its fragrant and delicate lilac blossoms in January and February.

The BALSAM, Impatiens, Gulmu’hudee, doopatee is not cultivated, or encouraged as it should be in India, where some of the varieties are indigenous.  A very rich soil should be used.

Dr. R. Wight observes, that Balsams of the colder Hymalayas, like those of Europe, split from the base, rolling the segment towards the apex, whilst those of the hotter regions do the reverse.

All annuals require the same, or nearly the same treatment, of which the following may be considered a fair sketch.

Propagation.—­These plants are all raised from seed put in the earth generally on the close of the rains, although some plants, such as nasturtium, sweet pea, scabious, wall-flower, and stock, are better to be sown in pots about June or July, and then put out into the border as soon as the rains cease.  The seed must be sown in patches, rings, or small beds according to taste, the ground being previously stirred, and made quite fine, the earth sifted over them to a depth proportioned to the size of the seed, and then gently pressed down, so as closely to embrace every part of the seed.  When the plants are an inch high they must be thinned out to a distance of two, three, five, seven, or more inches apart, according to their kind, whether spreading, or upright, having reference also to their size; the plants thinned out, if carefully taken up, may generally be transplanted to fill up any parts of the border where the seed may have failed.

Culture.  Weeding and occasionally stirring the soil, and sticking such as require support, is all the cultivation necessary for annuals.  If it be desired to save seed, some of the earliest and most perfect blossoms should be preserved for this purpose, so as to secure the best possible seed for the ensuing year, not leaving it to chance to gather seed from such plants as may remain after the flowers have been taken, as is generally the case with native gardeners, if left to themselves.

* * * * *

FLOWERS THAT GROW UNDER THE SHADE OF TREES.

It is of some value to know what these are, but at the same time it must be observed that no plant will grow under trees of the fir tribe, and it would be a great risk to place any under the Deodar—­with all others also it must not be expected that any trees having their foliage so low as to affect the circulation of air under their branches, can do otherwise than destroy the plants placed beneath them.

Those which may be so planted are;—­Wood Anemone.—­Common Arum.—­Deadly Nightshade—­Indian ditto.—­Chinese Clematis—­Upright ditto—­Woody Strawberry—­Woody Geranium.—­Green Hellebore.—­Hairy St. John’s Wort.—­Dog’s Violet.—­Imperial Fritillaria—­The common Oxalis, and some other bulbs.—­Common Hound’s Tongue.—­Common Antirrhinum.—­Common Balsam.—­To these may be added many of the orchidaceous plants.

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Flowers and Flower-Gardens from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.