Manual of Gardening Part 53

Late in the fall, after frosts and before freezing, the corms are to be dug, cleaned, and dried in the sun and air for a few hours and then stored away in boxes about 2-1/2 inches deep in a cool, dark, and dry place. The tops should be left on, at least till completely shriveled.

The varieties are perpetuated and multiplied by the little corms that appear about the base of the large new corm which is formed each year.

These small corms may be taken off in the spring and sown thickly in drills. Many of them will make flowering plants by the second season.

They are treated like the large corms, in the fall.

Gladioli are easily grown from seed also, but this method cannot be depended on to perpetuate desirable varieties, which can be reproduced only by the cormels. Some of the best flowers may be cross-pollinated, or allowed to form seed in the usual manner; the seed sown thickly in drills, and shaded till the plantlets appear, then carefully cultivated, will afford a crop of small corms in the fall. These may be stored for the winter, like the other young corms, and, like them, many will flower the second season, affording a great variety and quite likely some new and striking kinds. Those that do not flower should be reserved for further trial. They often prove finer than those first to flower.

Early-flowering varieties of gladioli may be forced for late winter or spring bloom.

For bouquets, cut the spike when the lower flowers open; keep in fresh water, cut off the end of the stem frequently, and the other flowers will expand.

GLOXINIA.--Choice greenhouse tuberous-rooted, spring and summer-blooming perennials, sometimes seen in window-gardens, but really not adapted to them, although some skillful house-gardeners grow them successfully.

Gloxinias must have a uniform moist and warm atmosphere and protection from the sun. They will not stand abuse or varying conditions.

Propagated often by leaf-cuttings, which should give flowering plants in one year. From the leaf, inserted half its length in the soil (or sometimes only the petiole inserted) a tuber arises. This tuber, after resting until midwinter or later, is planted, and flowering plants soon arise.

Gloxinias also grow readily from seeds, which may be germinated in a temperature of about 70. Flowering plants may be had in August if seeds are sown in late winter, say in early February. This is the usual method. After the bloom is past, the tuber is partially dried off and kept dormant till the following season. It will usually show signs of activity in February or March, when it may be shaken out of the old earth and a little water may then be applied and the amount increased till the plant is in bloom. The same tubers may be bloomed several times.

Success in the growing of gloxinias is largely a matter of proper watering. Keep the dormant tuber just dry enough to prevent shriveling, never trying to force it ahead of its time. Avoid wetting the leaves.

Protect from direct sunlight. Protect from draughts on the plants.

GREVILLEA.--The "she oak," very graceful greenhouse plant, suitable also for house culture. The plants grow freely from seed, and until they become too large are as decorative as ferns. Grevilleas are really trees, and are valuable in greenhouses and rooms only in their young state. They withstand much abuse. They are now very popular as jardiniere subjects. Seeds sown in spring will give handsome plants by the next winter. Discard the plants as soon as they become ragged.

HOLLYHOCKS.--These old garden favorites have been neglected of late years, primarily because the hollyhock rust has been so prevalent, destroying the plants or making them unsightly.

Their culture is very simple. The seed is usually sown in July or August, and the plants set where wanted the following spring. They will bloom the same year in which they are transplanted--the year following the seed-sowing. New plants should be set every two years, as the old crowns are likely to rot or die after the first flowering, or at least to become weak.

HYACINTHS (see _Bulbs_) are popular spring-flowering bulbs.

Hyacinths are hardy, but they are often used as window or greenhouse plants. They are easy to grow and very satisfactory (Fig. 262).

For winter flowering, the bulbs should be procured early in the fall, potted in October in soil composed of loam, leafmold, and sand. If ordinary flower-pots are used, put in the bottom a few pieces of broken pots, charcoal, or small stones for drainage; then fill the pot with dirt, so that when the bulb is planted, the top will be on a level with the rim of the pot. Fill in around the bulb with soil, leaving just the tip showing. These pots of bulbs should be placed in a cold pit, cellar or on the shady side of a building. In all cases, plunge the pot in some cool material (as cinders). Before the weather becomes cold enough to freeze a crust on the ground, the pots should have a protection of straw or leaves to keep the bulbs from severe freezing. In about six to eight weeks the bulbs should have made roots enough to grow the plant, and the pots may be placed in a cool room for a short time. When the plants have started into growth, they may be placed in a warmer situation. Watering should be carefully attended to from this time, and when the plant is in bloom, the pot may be set in a saucer or other shallow dish containing water. After flowering, the bulbs may be ripened by gradually withholding water until the leaves die. They may then be planted out in the border, where they will bloom each spring for a number of years, but will never prove satisfactory for forcing again.

The open-ground culture of hyacinths is the same as for tulips and other Holland bulbs.

The hyacinth is the most popular of the Dutch bulbs for growing in vases of water. The narcissus may be grown in water, and do just as well, but it is not as attractive in gla.s.ses as the hyacinth. Gla.s.ses for hyacinths may be had of florists who deal in supplies, and in various shapes and colors. The usual form is tall and narrow, with a cup-like mouth to receive the bulb. They are filled with water, so that it will just reach the base of the bulb when placed in position in the cup or shoulder above. The vessels of dark-colored gla.s.s are preferable to those of clear gla.s.s, as roots prefer darkness. When the gla.s.ses have been filled, they are set away in a cool, dark place, where roots will form, as in potted bulbs. Results are usually secured earlier in water than in soil. To keep the water sweet, a few lumps of charcoal may be put in the gla.s.s. As the water evaporates, add fresh; add enough so that it runs over, and thereby renews that in the gla.s.s. Do not disturb the roots by taking out the bulb.

IRIS includes many handsome perennials, of which the blue flag is familiar to every old-fashioned garden. They are favorites everywhere, for their brilliant spring and summer bloom; and they are easy to grow.

Most irises thrive best in a rather moist soil, and some of them may be colonized in the water in margins of ponds.

Gardeners usually divide them into two sections--the tuberous-rooted or rhizomatous, and the bulbous. A third division--the fibrous-rooted--is sometimes made.

The common and most serviceable species belong to the tuberous-rooted section. Here is the beautiful and varied j.a.panese iris, _Iris loevigata_ (or _I. Koempferi_), which is among the most deserving of all hardy perennials. Most of these irises need no special care. They are propagated by division of the rootstocks. Plant the pieces one foot apart if a ma.s.s effect is desired. When the plants begin to fail, dig them up, divide the roots, discard the old parts, and grow a new stock, as before. The j.a.panese iris needs much water and a very rich soil.

Readily grown from seeds, giving bloom the second year. _I Susiana,_ of this section, is one of the oddest of irises, but it is not quite hardy in the North.

Of the bulbous section, most species are not hardy far North. The bulbs should be taken up and replanted every two or three years. The Persian and Spanish irises belong here. The bulbs give rise to but a single stem.

LILY.--Under this name are included bulbous plants of many kinds, not all of them being true lilies. It has been said of this family of plants that it has no "poor relations," each of them being perfect in itself. Many of the choicest kinds are comparatively unknown, although easy to cultivate. In fact, all of the lilies may be grown with comparative ease in regions where the given species are hardy.

A light, fertile, well-drained soil, mellow to the depth of at least one foot, a handful of sand under each bulb if the soil is inclined to be stiff, and planting so that the crown of the bulb will be at least 4 inches below the surface, are the general requirements. One exception to the depth of planting is _Lilium auratum,_ or golden-banded lily. This should be planted deeper--from 8 to 12 inches below the surface--as the new bulbs form over the old one and soon bring the bulbs to the surface if they are not planted deep. Deep working of the ground is always desirable; 18 inches, or even 2 feet, will be none too deep. _L.

candidum_ and _L. testaceum_ should be planted in August or September, if possible; but usually lilies are planted in October and November.

For all lilies it is safer to provide good winter protection in the form of a mulch of leaves or manure, and extending beyond the borders of the planting. This should be 5 inches to a foot deep, according to the lat.i.tude or locality.

While most lilies profit by partial shade (except _L. candidum_), they should never be planted near or under trees. The shade or protection of tall-growing herbaceous plants is sufficient. In fact, the best results, both as to growth and effect, may be secured by planting amongst low shrubbery or border plants.

Most kinds are the better for remaining undisturbed for a number of years; but if they are to be taken up and divided, or moved to other quarters, they should not be allowed to become dry. The small bulbs, or offsets, may be planted in the border, and if protected, will grow to flowering size in two or three years. In taking up bulbs for division it is best to do so soon after the tops die after blooming. At least this should be done early in the fall, not later than October, giving the plants a chance to become established before freezing weather.

As pot-plants some kinds of lilies are very satisfactory, especially those that may be forced into bloom through the winter. The best kinds for this purpose are _L. Harrisii_ (Easter lily), _L. longiflorum,_ and _L. candidum._ Others may be forced with success, but these are the ones most generally used. The winter culture for forcing is practically the same as for hyacinths in pots.

Some of the best kinds of lilies are mentioned below:--

_L. candidum_ (Annunciation lily). White; 3 to 4 feet high; it makes an autumn growth, and should, therefore, be planted in August; set the bulbs from 4 to 6 inches deep.

_L. speciosum_ (_L. lancifolium_), var. _proec.o.x._ White, tinged with pink; bears several flowers on a stem about 3 feet high.

_L. speciosum,_ var. _rubrum._ Rose color, spotted with red.

_L. Brownii._ Flowers white inside, chocolate-colored outside; the stems grow about 3 feet high, bearing from 2 to 4 tubular flowers; not difficult to manage with good protection and drainage; the bulbs are impatient of being kept long out of the ground; after planting, they should not be disturbed as long as they flower well.

_L. maculatum (L. Hansoni)_. Dark yellow; stems 3-4 feet high, each producing 6 to 12 flowers.

_L. testaceum (L. excelsum, L. Isabellinum)_. Rich buff color, with delicate spots; plants about 3 to 5 feet high, with 3 to a dozen flowers on a stem; plant the bulbs in September.

_L. longiflorum._ White; large tubular flowers, 2 to 8 on a stem; height, about 2-1/2 feet.

_L. Batemanniae_ (a form of _L. elegans_). Apricot yellow; 6 to 12 flowers on stems 3 to 4 feet high.

_L. auratum_ (j.a.panese gold-banded lily). Immense white flowers banded with yellow and dotted with red or purple, from 3 to 12 on a stem; height, 3 to 4 feet; the bulbs need thorough protection, good drainage, and should be planted 10 or 12 inches deep (Fig. 258).

_L. tigrinum_ (Tiger lily). An old favorite, with many drooping bright red spotted flowers; var. _splendens_ is specially good; 3 to 5 ft.

_L. tenuifolium._ Rich scarlet flowers nodding in a raceme or panicle; 1-1/2 to 2 ft.

_L. Maximowiczii (L. Leichtlinii)_. Flowers clear yellow, with small, dark spots, 10 to 12 on a stem; height, 4 feet.

_L. monadelphum._ Yellow tubular-shaped flowers in cl.u.s.ters of 6 to a dozen or more; stems 2-1/2 feet tall.

_L. elegans (L. Thunbergianum_), var. _Alice Wilson._ Lemon-yellow; stems 2 feet high, bearing 2 to 8 flowers.

_L. elegans,_ var. _fulgens atrosanguineum._ Dark crimson; height, 1 foot.

LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY.--A perfectly hardy little perennial, bearing racemes of small, white, bell-shaped flowers in early spring; and also much forced by florists.

For ordinary cultivation, sods or mats of roots may be dug from any place in which the plant is colonized. Usually it thrives best in partial shade; and the leaves make an attractive mat on the north side of a building, or other shady place, in which gra.s.s will not grow. The plants will take care of themselves year after year. Better results may be expected from good commercial roots. The "pips" may be planted any time from November on, from 3 to 6 inches apart.

For forcing indoors, imported roots or "pips" are used, as the plants are grown for this particular purpose in parts of Europe. These roots may be planted in pots, and treated as recommended for winter-flowering bulbs. Florists force them in greater heat, however, often giving them a bottom heat of 80 or 90; but skill and experience are required in order to attain uniformly good results in this case.

MIGNONETTE.--Probably no flower is more generally grown for its fragrance than the mignonette. It is a half-hardy annual, thriving either in the open or under gla.s.s.