PRACTICAL PARAGRAPHS ON POPULAR PLANTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20086, 30 April 1927, Page 3

PRACTICAL PARAGRAPHS ON POPULAR PLANTS.

Under the above heading our bright and attractive gardening contemporary, TTm Garden, gives a “series of practical, paragraphs on popular planta which are intended mainly for the help of beginners and amateurs. Some of them are known by their old-fashioned names, and have long been loved both for their beauty in the borders and for their worth as flowers for cutting. All are easy plants to grow, and will give long and useful service in the garden.” We republish below a few short articles on popular flowers taken from The Garden's issue of February 26: BRYNGIUM (SEA HOLLY). These are among the hardiest of herbaceous plants for border planting, and valued owing to their thistle-like flowers or bracts, which are of metallic colourings, some steely blue. They last for a considerable time after they have been cut. On this account they are serviceable along with other ” everlastings ’’ for winter decora tiou. Tho requirements of eryngiums are fow, and may be summed up in pood ordinary soil, which should be well drained, and a sunny position. Heavy wet soils are fatal to the plants. Favourites as back row plants, and growing 2ft to 3ft in height, they ought to be given sufficient room clear of other things. Iho stems arc as beautiful as the bracts, having an attractive. glistening appearance. Eryngiums can be increased fay root cuttings taken in spring and planted in a cold frame or pans of light, sandy soil, or from seeds sown in spring, but* as tho plant has a propensity for self-sowing, the question of sowing seeds is not often considered. GALEGA (GOAT'S RUE). The galoga is a herbaceous hardy perennial. often met with in town and suburban gardens, bearing freely numerous pea-shaped flowers in blue and lavender and white, from amid a wealth of fine foliage. It is a plant, which invariably does well in the hands of an amateur, and will thrive in any ordinary garden soil helped with manure occasionally. It loves a sunny posit’on, and grows into a very shapely plant in a border—suitable for a back row. It ranges from 3ft to 4ft in height, and should be given that room between its neighbours. Propagation is by division of roots in the autumn, or spring; from cutting* of the young shoots taken when 3in or 4in long, and inserted around pots of sandy soil placed in a cold frame, or from seed sown nut of- doors in light soil. The "alega grows rapidly, and should be split up every two or three years. CODETTA. An annual which has come to bo looked upon a* almost indispensable in a number of gardens in connection with summer arrangements. They have a wide range of colour, and yield both double and single flowers; some are dwarf, about 9in in height, and are being appreciated more

•very year for bedding purposes, Otheri are from 2ft to 2ft in height, and are good for planting on tho front of the shrubbery border or at th« back of mixed borders. Seed may be sown in beat in pans of light soil, but this is not absolutely necessary unless plants are wanted to bloom early, TTiey can also be sown in a warm, welldrained border, (ENOTHBRA (EVENING PRIMROSE). The oenotheras are represented by perennial, biennial, and annual forms, and though they are commonly considered as evening bloomers, some of them yield theii flowers by day. Among tho perennial sortj there are both white and yellow, some ol quite a dwarf habit (6in) others rising tc 2ft, useful for the rock garden and borders, A moderately rich soil, inclined to be sandy and well drained, suits them. In cold, heavy sods they often die off ip winter. Seed sowing should take place in spring in the open ground, or cuttings can be taken in late autumn, planted in pots oi sandy loam and wintered in a cold frame. Annual sorts should be sown out of doors in spring in a border having a warm and sunny position. Fragrance, rather delicate, is one of the characteristics of tho evening primrose. AUBRIBITA. A very great favourite for the rock garden for planting in niches on stone walls dr for use as an edging plant is the aubnetia. It is found everywhere, as it accommodates itself to most soils so long as they are well drained. It does not like a heavy soil, but thrives best in a medium or sandy One. Few rock plants in their flowering season bring a greater wealth of blossoms or are so vivid in colour. Growing only about 3in or 4in in height, they are useful for filling crevices between garden paths Fro pagation is of the simplest, either from seed, which can bo sown m the open ground or in pans in sandy soil. in spring, from cuttings taken near a particle of the old stem and dibbled firmly in the ground; or by division of plants. Both the Utter operations can take place in summer. It is important that until roots have formed shade should .be >»ff°r,iedclothing a stone wall it is best to adopt sowing rather than attempt cuttings, and if a little of the compost is made ready and a few of the seeds scattered about it and then forced into the crevices more success follows this plan than to attempt cuttings, which sometimes get dried up through lack ot moisture in elevated positions. If the soil is very dry, it will be an advantage to damp it before pressing it in the wall spaces. Started. or. these lines little difficulty is experienced in clothing a wall with aubnetiaa.