THE CHRISTMAS ROSE

Evening Star, Issue 21784, 28 July 1934, Page 23

THE CHRISTMAS ROSE

The Christmas lose is a native of Austria. This fine old plant does not always receive the cores in. gardens to which it is certainly entitled, and this, to a large extent, accounts for the poor examples so frequently met with. The preparation for . a bed of Christmas roses should be - as complete as one prepared for a bed of asparagus, J 1; should -be well drained, trenched 2lt deep, and well pulverised into the soil. As work proceeds a liberal quantity of well-seasoned farmyard manure and lime should ho added, the site itself in partial shade. If the soil is of a. sandy nature, so much the better, but on such soils a mulch of litter should he placed among the plants during sunn trier,

These plants seed very freely, bul unless the seed is required it should be promptly removed, thus relieving the plants of. unnecessary strain. On heavy soil these hellebores enjoy more squshitte ilj«» would he good for them on light soils, and tins should be borne in 'mind at planting time- The volume of flowers and their length of stem nil] depend upon the treatment they received during' their growing season. The leaves are thiclf and fleshy, and en : hapee the beauty of the flowers ly their dark, shining appearance. All the hellebores seem to dislike root disturbance, and sulk for a long time after have been divided, however carefully the operation may have |>eeh conducted. All they ask is a deep rich; cool soil in a cool corner, and to be left well alone When planted, and they will thrive arid give a’ display of blossom when there is so little flower in the’ garden. There are now many beautiful shades of pink] mauve, wine, snow white, and white varieties mottled with green and other shades. Their chief charm, lies in the centre of the flowers, which have a great many stamens. ' Many of the coloured varieties;, too, have spots of a contrasting shade on the petals; The flowers last a long time and arc particularly valued for all kinds of floral work. Some snow white species which are very low growing produce, blooms of greater substance, particularly hcUeborus niger maximus, whose waxy blossoms are tinged with pink.--Manawat'i ‘ Daily Tiiries.’