Flowers And Flower-Gardens Part 32

The _Broad-leaved Amaryllis_, A: latifolia, is a native of India with pinkish white flowers about the same period of the year.

The _Belladonna Lily_. A: belladonna is of moderately high stem, supporting a pink flower of the same singular form as the Jacoboean lily, in May and June.

_Propagation_--is by offsets of the bulb, which most kinds throw out very freely, sometimes to the extent of ten, or a dozen in the season.

_Soil, &c._--For the choice kinds is the same as is required for the narcissus, and water should on no account be given over the leaves or upper part of the bulb.

The common kinds look well in ma.s.ses, and a good form of planting them is in a series of raised circles, so as for the whole to form a round bed.

The DOG'S TOOTH VIOLET, Erythronium, is a pretty flowering bulb and a great favorite with florists in Europe.

The _Common Dog's tooth Violet_, E. dens canis, is ordinarily found of reddish purple, there is also a white variety, but it is rare, neither of them grow above three or four inches in height, and flower in March or April.

The _Indian Dog's tooth Violet_, E. indic.u.m, _junglee kanda_, is found in the hills, and flowers at about the same time, with a pink blossom.

The SUPERB GLORIOSA, Gloriosa superba, _Kareearee, eeskooee langula_, is a very beautiful species of climbing bulb, a native of this country, and on that account neglected, although highly esteemed as a stove plant in England; the leaves bear tendrils at the points, and the flower, which is pendulous, when first expanded, throws its petals nearly erect of yellowish green, which gradually changes to yellow at the base and bright scarlet at the point; the pistil which shoots from the seed vessel horizontally possesses the singular property of making an entire circuit between sun-rise and sun-set each day that the flower continues, which is generally for some time, receiving impregnation from every author as it visits them in succession. It blooms in the latter part of the rains.

_Propagation_ is in India sometimes from seed, but in Europe it is confined to division of the offsets.

_Soil, &c._--Most garden soils will suit this plant, but it affords the handsomest, and richest colored flowers in fresh loam mixed with peat or leaf mould, without dung. It should not have too much water when first commencing its growth, and it requires the support of a trellis over which it will bear training to a considerable extent, growing to the height of from five to six feet.

MANY OTHER BULBS, there is no doubt, might be successfully grown in India where every thing is favorable to their growth, and so much facility presents itself for procuring them from the Cape of Good Hope; the natural _habitat_ of so many varieties of the handsomest species, nearly all of them flowering between the end of the cold weather and the close of the rains.

Some of these being hardy, thrive in the open ground with but little care or trouble, others requiring very great attention, protection from exposure, and shelter from the heat of the sun, and the intensity of its rays; which should therefore have a particular portion of the plant-shed a.s.signed to them, such being inhabitants of the green house in colder climates, and the reason of a.s.signing them such separated part of the chief house, or what is better perhaps, a small house to themselves, is that in culture, treatment, and other respects they do not a.s.sociate with plants of a different character.

One great obstacle which the more extensive culture of bulbs has had to contend against, may be found in that impatience that refuses to give attention to what requires from three to five years to perfect, generally speaking people in India prefer therefore to cultivate such plants only as afford an immediate result, especially with relation to the ornamental cla.s.ses.

_Propagation_.--The bulb after the formation of the first floral core is instigated by nature to continue its species, as immediately the flower fades the portion of bulb that gave it birth dies, for which purpose it each year forms embryo bulbs on each side of the blossoming one, and which although continued in the same external coat, are each perfect and complete plants in themselves, rising from the crown of the root fibres: in some kinds this is more distinctly exhibited by being as it were, altogether outside and distinct from, the main, or original bulb. These being separated for what are called offsets, and should be taken off only when the parent bulb has been taken up and hardened, or the young plant will suffer.

Some species of bulbous rooted plants produce seeds, but this method of reproduction, can seldom be resorted to in this country, and certainly not to obtain new kinds, as the seeds require to be sown as soon as ripe.

_Soil, Culture, &c_.--For the delicate and rare bulbs, it is advisable to have pots purposely made of some fifteen inches in height with a diameter of about seven or eight inches at the top, tapering down to five, with a hole at the bottom as in ordinary flower pots, and for this to stand in, another pot should be made without any hole, of a height of about four inches, sufficient size to leave the s.p.a.ce of about an inch all round between the outer side of the plant pot and the inner side of the smaller pot or saucer.

This will allow the plant pot to be filled with crocks, pebbles, or stone chippings to the height of five inches, or about an inch higher than the level of the water in the saucer, above which may be placed eight inches in depth of soil and one inch on the top of that, pebbles or small broken brick. By this arrangement, the saucer being kept filled, or partly filled, as the plant may require, with water, the fibres of the root obtain a sufficiency of moisture for the maintenance and advancement of the plant without chance of injury to the bulb or stem, by applying water to the upper earth which is also in this prevented from becoming too much saturated. Light rich sandy loam, with a portion of sufficiently decomposed leaf mould, is the best soil for the early stages of growing bulbs.

So soon as the leaves change color and wither, then all moisture must be withheld, but as the repose obtained by this means is not sufficient to secure health to the plant, and ensure its giving strong blossoms, something more is required to effect this purpose. This being rendered the more necessary because in those that form offsets by the sides of the old bulbs, they would otherwise become crowded and degenerate, the same occurring also with those forming under the old ones, which will get down so deep that they cease to appear.

The time to take up the bulb is when the flower-stem and leaves have commenced decay; taking dry weather for the purpose, if the bulbs are hardy, or if in pots having reduced the moisture as above shown, but it must be left to individual experience to discover how long the different varieties should remain out of the ground, some requiring one month's rest, and others enduring three or four, with advantage; more than that is likely to be injurious. When out of the ground, during the first part of the period they are so kept, it should be, say for a fortnight at least, in any room where no glare exists, with free circulation of air, after which the off-sets may be removed, and the whole exposed to dry on a table in the verandah, or any other place that is open to the air, but protected from the sunshine, which would destroy them.

Little peculiarity of after treatment is requisite, except perhaps that the bulbs which are to flower in the season should have a rather larger proportion of leaf mould in the compost, and that if handsome flowers are required, it will be well to examine the bulb every week at least by gently taking the mould from around them, and removing all off-sets that appear on the old bulb. For the securing strength to the plant also, it will be well to pinch off the flower so soon as it shews symptoms of decay.

The wire worm is a great enemy to bulbs, and whenever it appears they should be taken up, cleaned, and re-planted. It is hardly necessary to say that all other vermin and insects must be watched, and immediately removed.

THE BIENNIAL BORDER PLANTS.

It is only necessary to mention a few of these, as the curious in floriculture will always make their own selection, the following will therefore suffice.--

The SPEEDWELL-LEAVED HEDGE HYSSOP, Gratiola veronicifolia, _Bhoomee, sooel chumnee_, seldom cultivated, though deserving to be so, has a small blue flower.

The SIMPLE-STALKED LOBELIA, Lobelia simplex, introduced from the Cape, yields a pretty blue flower.

The EVENING PRIMROSE, Oenothera mutabilis, a pretty white flower that blossoms in the evening, its petals becoming pink by morning.

The FLAX-LEAVED PIMPERNEL, Anagallis linifolia, a rare plant, giving a blue flower in the rains; introduced from Portugal.

The BROWALLIA, of two lauds, both pretty and interesting plants; originally from South America.

The _Spreading Browallia_, B. demissa is the smallest of these, and blossoms in single flowers of bright blue, at the beginning of the cold weather.

The _Upright Browallia_, B. alata, gives bloom in groups, of a bright blue; there is also a white variety, both growing to the height of nearly two feet.

The SMALL-FLOWERED TURNSOLE, Heliotropium parviflorum, _B'hoo roodee_, differs from the rest of this family which are mostly perennials; it yields groups of white flowers, which are fragrant.

The FLAX-LEAVED CANDYTUFT, Iberis linifolia, with its purple blossoms, is very rare, but it has been sometimes grown with, success.

The STOCK, Mathiola, is a very popular plant, and deserves more extensive cultivation in this country.

The _Great Sea Stock_, M sinuata, is rare and somewhat difficult to bring into bloom, it possesses some fragrance and its violet colored groups of flowers have rather a handsome appearance about May.

The _Ten weeks' Stock_, M annua, is also a pleasing flower about the same time. In England this is an annual, but here it is not found to bloom freely until the second year, its color is scarlet, and it has some fragrance.

The _Purple Gilly flower_, M incana, is a pretty flower of purple color, and fragrant. There are some varieties of it such as the _Double_, multiplex, the _Brompton_, coccinea, and the _White_, alba, varying in color and blossoming in April.

The STARWORT, Aster, is a hardy flowering plant not very attractive, except as it yields blossoms at all seasons, if the foot stalks are cut off as soon as the flower has faded, there are very numerous varieties of this plant which is, in Europe a perennial, but it is preferable to treat it here as only biennial, otherwise it degenerates.

The _Bushy Starwort_, A dumosus, is a free blossoming plant in the rains, with white flowers.

The _Silky leaved Starwort_, A. sericeus, is Indigenous in the hills, putting forth its blue blossoms during the rains.

The _Hairy Starwort_, A pilosus, is of very pale blue, and may, with care, be made to blossom throughout the year.

The _Chinese Starwort,_ A chinensis, is of dark purple and very prolific of blossoms at all times.

The BEAUTIFUL JUSTICIA, J speciosa, although, described by Roxburgh as a perennial, degenerates very much after the second year, it affords bright carmine colored flowers at the end of the cold weather.

The COMMON MARVEL OF PERU, Mirabilis Jalapa _Gul abas, krushna kelee_, is vulgarly called the Four o'clock from its blossoms expanding in the afternoon. There are several varieties distinguished only by difference of color, lilac, red, yellow, orange, and white, which hybridize naturally, and may easily be obliged to do so artificially, if any particular shades are desired.

The HAIRY INDIGO, Indigofera hirsuta, yields an ornamental flower with abundance of purple blossoms.

The HIBISCUS This cla.s.s numbers many ornamental plants, the blossoms of which all maintain the same character of having a darkened spot at the base of each petal.

The _Althaea frutex_, H syriacus, _Gurhul,_ yields a handsome purple flower in the latter part of the rains, there are also a white, and a red variety.

The _Stinging Hibiscus_ H pruriens, has a yellow flower at the same season.

The _Hemp leaved Hibiscus_, H cannabinus, _Anbaree_, is much the same as the last.