THE FLOWER GARDEN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19057, 9 July 1924, Page 3

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

HARDY HERBACIOUS PLANTS. Gypsophylla Paniculata. —This wcilknown dainty flower deserves to >.e popular. It is very useful for cutting and floral work. It is very hardy mrl will grow almost anywhere. Once it is established it should be cut back or shifted. There is also a double species of this which is very beautiful if not quite as dainty as the single variety. Gypsophylla Rcpens. —This is a trailing rock plant. One of the hardiest grown. Its flowers are white, as are the two preceding. Gypsophylla Repens Rosea is a red of pink variety of the above and is hardy and very beautiful, but not seen so often as the white variety. Heuchera.—This is a very pretty little plant for a border. It has not sufficient colour to be planted by itself fine indeed. It must be divided and but in a mixed border it looks very replanted every second year after it has finished flowering. Helleborus Nigra (The “Christmas Rose” of the Old World). —This is a very showy and useful plant, is comin? into bloom now. It likes strong land and must be in a moist spot. It does not matter if it does not get the sun as long as the ground is moist. It is fond of manures and should be loft undisturbed six years before it is lifted and divided. The most common colour used to be white, but all shades are being introduced, some of which uro very pretty indeed. It grows freely from seed; but the seeds are very slow to germinate, sometimes taking about six months.

Humea Elegans.—An Australian native plant with elegant plumes of flowers, very prettily coloured in shales of red and bronze, lasts a long time cut and is very effective for house decoratjon. It is a biennial. The first year it grows to a good-sized plant; the second year the plumes appear, after which the plant dies. Iris. —The Iris family is a very large one containing a varied assortment. Some of these are easy to grow while others are very difficult indeed. W e will deal with hardy varieties. Iris Pumela.—A dwarf species w’th a great assortment of colours. It very useful for making an edging for a bed. They like a warm dry place and are fond of stimulants. Its roots should be on top of the ground and it should be lifted and divided at least every second year, after it has finish?-! flowering. Iris Stylosa.—This is a winter flow ering variety. It likes a dry locality, but not sandy. It must be well-drained. When planting give it plenty of manure. It will jierhaps not flower very much the first year but the second year it should make t very fine dis play. Divide and transplant about every three years. There are two or thr93 shades of blue and a white. These are all easy to grow. Iris Tingitana.—This winter-flower-ing Iris is sometimes very disappointi’-ig. It grows and multiplies well, but does not flower very freely. It should he lifted every year (as soon as the fol age has died down). Select the largest

bulbs and lay them out in the open where the sun can get at them or else under glass. The small bulbs should be replanted as soon as possible, but the larger ones should be left until about October Plant in a warm dry locality.