HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 8

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

By J. Gebbik. , PEONIES. These splendid flowering plants are at the present time an attractive feature in our mixed borders. Their gorgeous bub delicate coloured blooms standing up among the dark rich foliage make them very conspicuous. There are two sections of these plants, one being herbaceous and. the other tree or shrubby. The former are natives of many parts of Europe and Asia, the others are natives of China and Japan. Both sections are very/ desirable to cultivate. - The delicate fragrance of the herbaceous varieties -is as delightful as the soft colours and tints of their huge flowers, and large clumps are at this season far more beautiful than anything with which they are associated. A rich loamy Boil or clay, if well enriched with manure, sui,ts them best. They .can be left undisturbed for years, and'producc v the largest; flowers -the second or third year after removal. When plants become too large to get their necessary food, they should be divided and transplanted during autumn. ■When coming into bloom, good supplies of liquid manure and water will be of great beneflt. The tree peonies arc a magnificent class of hardy flowering ilirubs of branching

growth and free habit, forming splendid objects in the garden or shrubbery. The flowers are of immense size — 9in to 12in in width, of the finest shades of white, rose, salmon, crimson, purple, &c. , striped and splashed in the most charming manner. These plants have fanciful names in Japan, such as "White-haired man,"' " Port of the rising sun,'' " Gods at play," | " Seat of .love," "Mirror of the far east,"and '' Seyeih Gods of .happiness (these are the English equivalents for the^ Japanese).* They are of easy cultivation, and succeed under nearly any treatment.' However, a rich, soil, with 'occasional applications of . manure water when coming into bloom, is recommended. CANNA VARIEGATA. ,As a rule cannas do not " come true from seed ; but this variegated form is an exception. The seeds of this novelty were offered for the first time in the old country last spring. A packet containing eight seeds came my way, and these were sown in a pot and plunged in a brisk hotbed, with liie mult that six of the seeds grew, and are now liice plants, four of them being beautifully variegated. The leaves are light green, splashed, lined and barred with, red and yellow, and margined with crimson, which, colour appears throughout the whole surfacs. The pla.nt is so decidedly striking as to arrest attention the moment it is seen. It appears to be easily grown, is of dwarfspreading habit, and will be a useful plant for decorative purposes. It is a native of the Solomon Islands. HEUCHERA ALBA. This is a pretty whito flowering perennial of recent introduction, recommended as an j excellent plant for furnishing cut flowers. < It is of a neat, bushy habit, with light ; green leaves. The graceful flower spikes, ] 15in to 20in in height, ava' excellent for : bouquets. The plants here were raised from seeds, which, grow -readily. Public Gardens, Oamaru.