Talks about Flowers Part 2

New Double Fringed Petunia for 1881, is President Garfield, which originated with Mr. C. E. Allen, and is thus described in his catalogue: "Color, light purple veined with deep purple magenta, edged with a broad band of an exquisite shade of green. Very novel in its appearance and a new color in double petunias; flower very large and deeply fringed.

Plants strong and vigorous; one of the finest sorts ever offered." For a Petunia so unique as this, with its broad band of green, and now offered for the first time; its price, 75 cents, is low.

Pansies.

"Open your eyes, my Pansies sweet, Open your eyes for me, Driving away with face so true, The chilling wind and wintry hue, That lingers so drearily.

"Open your eyes, my Pansies sweet, Open your eyes for me.

Where did you get that purple hue?

Did a cloudlet smile as you came through?

Did a little sunbeam bold Kiss on your lips that tint of gold?

Tell me the mystery.

"In your eyes a story I read-- A story of constancy.

After the storms and winter's wind, Softly you come with influence kind; Then as I bend with listening ear, Your cheerful voice I plainly hear, Preaching a sermon to me.

"So, whisper to me, my Pansies sweet-- Tell me in rustlings low, Of that beautiful land where fadeless flowers Brightly bloom in immortal bowers, And no blighting wind doth blow.

"Tell of the care that is over all-- That gives you your garments gay; Whose loving hand clothes the floweret small That grows in the field, or by the garden wall, Whose life is only a day.

"Yes, tell of the love, my Pansies sweet, Of the love that knows no end; That through earth's winter safely keeps Watch over his children, and never sleeps; The love that paints the violet blue, And quenches your thirst with drops of dew, The weary heart's faithful friend."

A Talk About Pansies.

"Pray you love, remember, There's Pansies--that's for thought."

_Shakespeare._

I find my Pansies are coming up finely. My bed of Pansies last year from "choicest mixed seed" sown in April, began to bloom in June, and afforded me so much pleasure with their varied beauty, that I resolved this year to have a great many of them. I see, now that the snow has melted from the bed, that the plants have wintered well. I had all of the colors shown in the chromo plate of my catalogue, excepting _Emperor William_, dark blue. I think that somebody else must have got him, for my packet of seed was divided and sub-divided. _King of the Blacks_ was rightly named, a mere dot of yellow in the center, and _Pure White_ was in striking contrast, while _Pure Yellow_ was golden, and _Odier_ was splendid with its dark center banded with yellow and scarlet. Then there was copper-colored and striped, and such rich purples with a dot of yellow. How lovely they were! They were not very large at first, but in August after a rain, I had superb specimens. They were bedded beneath a fruit tree, where they were sheltered from the noonday glare. They thrive best in a moist, partially shaded situation. The blossoms ought to be picked as they fade, for if left to seed the strength is taken from the plants and the blossoms are smaller.

This season I have sown musical Pansies. "Musical Pansies! what are they? What sort of music do they make? Will it be of the Bra.s.s Band order, or that of the hand-organ style?"

No, no! Not that coa.r.s.e, harsh, loud sort at all. If you could hear their low, sweet notes, you would be enraptured. But this cannot be. I call them musical, because named for the great composers, Mozart, Handel, Schiller, Goethe, Beethoven, Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Schumann.

They are the "New German Pansies," of which types are given in oil colors, in the catalogue of B. F. Bliss & Sons, and represent the most beautiful strains I have ever seen. They are no fancy sketch, but drawn as true to life in color and size as it was possible to make them, if we will accept the testimony of Dr. Thurber in the _American Agriculturist_. He says, that "no doubt many who have seen the colored plate published by Messrs. B. F. Bliss & Sons, have supposed that the artist had exercised his imagination both as to size and the strange combinations of colors. So far from this being the case, the flowers are, if anything, rather below the real size, and as to colors, it would be impossible to conceive of any artificial colors more brilliant, or more strongly contrasted, than they are in flowers, produced by this remarkable strain of seeds."

In my childhood I knew nothing of the Pansy. The little Heartsease or Ladies' Delight, as it was then called, was alone cultivated. Mr. Vick tells us how it grew to be the fine flower now so highly prized. About sixty years ago, a very young English lady living on the banks of the Thames, had a little flower garden of her own, and one bed she filled with Pansies, selecting from her father's grounds the finest she could obtain. The gardener, seeing her interest and success, became ambitious to try his hand, and grew plants from the finest specimens. These attracted the attention of professional florists, and speedily the Pansy became a popular flower. Every country gives it a pet name--Heartsease, Fringed Violet, Trinity Flower, b.u.t.terfly flower, and Johnny-jump-up, while the French call it _Pensee_, from which our name of Pansy is probably derived. It means to remember or keep in mind. A floral work published in 1732, ill.u.s.trates it with a colored plate, which shows it to have been then small like the Ladies' Delight.

MODE OF CULTURE.

For summer blooming plants sow seed in the house, in March or April.

Cigar boxes are very suitable for seed sowing. Put in a layer of coa.r.s.e sand for drainage, then one of horse manure for bottom heat. Fill with rich, mellow earth sifted and mixed with one-third silver sand, or finely pulverized leaf mold. Have it moist but not drenched. With a narrow strip of board, make tiny furrows about one and a half inches apart, and in these carefully drop the seed one by one an inch distant.

Cover slightly, and press the soil firmly, then lay a piece of old soft flannel folded once or twice, and wrung lightly out of warm water, carefully over the soil, which will keep it damp. Cover with gla.s.s, and keep in a warm place. In a few days see if the covering is dry, if so damp it again, and watch for the seedlings. When they appear, remove the flannel, but still keep on the gla.s.s, not, however, so close as to exclude all air. Gradually inure them to the sunlight, and as soon as they have made four or five leaves, it is best to transplant every other one, so that they may have room to grow. Great care is needful with tender seedlings to keep them from damping off. If too wet, they will do this, or if kept too shady. Good judgment is essential for success. As the weather becomes warm, expose them at first an hour or two, to the outdoor air, and thus prepare them for early bedding out. Being hardy plants, living out of doors during the winter, with slight protection at the North, they will bear transplanting sooner than many other seedlings. A rich moist soil, and somewhat cool and shaded situation, are best adapted for their growth. For winter flowers, sow seed the last of August, or first of September, in a frame or boxes kept in a shady place.

ASTERS.

These must be included among the essential annuals for the garden. They are one of the chief attractions of the border in the autumn, when many flowers have pa.s.sed their prime. This plant, like the Petunia, has in skillful hands and by hybridization, developed from a very inferior flower to one of great beauty and numerous cla.s.ses, which embrace a great many varieties. They are represented by _Dwarfs_ and by _Giants_, ranging intermediately from five or six inches in height to two feet.

_Dwarf Bouquet_ presents a ma.s.s of flowers with scarcely a leaf, while _Tall Chrysanthemum_ grows to the height of two feet, and the _New Victoria_, _Giant Emperor_, _Truffant's Perfection_ and the _New Washington_ bear immense flowers of great beauty. The last named bears the largest flowers of any variety; sometimes they measure more than five inches across. The _New Rose_ is of a strong habit, and the petals of its large blossoms are finely imbricated. _Truffant's Fiery Scarlet_ and _Dwarf Fiery Scarlet_, are a novelty in color among Asters.

_Goliath_ is of a bushy form, and its flowers are very large. Fine colors. _Victoria_ is a dwarf; snow-white, very double. The _Crown Asters_ have white centers surrounded with various bright colors, and are very pretty. The _Quilled Asters_ are quite distinct in character, the petals consisting of tubes or quills with outer blossom petals slightly reflexed. _Newest Shakespeare_ and _Diamond_ and _Meteor_ are novelties of recent introduction, and come in numerous colors. We grew them last year and deem them admirable.

The native country of this plant is China, hence it has been called frequently China Aster. It had originally only a few rows of petals and a large disk. It was first discovered about a century and a half ago, by a missionary, and sent to Europe. It was first cultivated in France, and the French florists have done the most toward perfecting the flat-petaled Aster, and this style of flower is known as the French Aster. On the other hand the Germans have sought to produce fine flowers with tubular petals, and the quilled are therefore called German Asters.

Within a few years, however, the Germans have rivaled the French in originating superior varieties of the flat-petaled style.

When first cultivated in France it was called _Reine Marguerite_, meaning Queen Daisy; afterward in England it was called _China Aster_, which means China Star.

Asters require a rich, deep soil. Twelve inches apart is a very good distance for the large varieties, the dwarf can be set about six inches, or even less will do. The tall kinds need to be staked, or they are liable to be blown down, or prostrated by heavy rains. Do not tie one string around the entire plant, but use several, and confine a few branches with each, so that, while having sufficient support, they may retain their natural position.

BALSAMS.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Have been sowing my Balsams to-day in a box, so as to have nice seedlings to bed out in six weeks from now. My Balsams last year were superior to any I had seen, but Mr. J. L. Childs, who rather prides himself on his plants, has sent me several packages for trial. He says: "My stock of Balsams is undoubtedly the finest in the world; all who saw them flowering the past season were astonished at their size and magnificence. The new variety (Child's Camellia Flowered Perfection), is indeed a great acquisition; its flowers are of gigantic size, and so double and perfect that they resemble small Camellias; it is also a very free bloomer. I have counted five and six hundred perfect flowers upon a plant at the same time." That is a wonderful yield, truly; I cannot expect so many, but half that number would satisfy me. The Camellia Flowered Perfection comes in nine colors; pink, scarlet, striped white and purple, mottled, white and delicate pink, magenta spotted with white, crimson spotted with white, purple spotted with white, pure white, and rose-flowered perfection, lavender color, buds when half open, resemble a rosebud.

I shall sow some of the seeds in June, for autumn blooming, and shall try more fully than last year the pruning method. This is done by removing all of the branches, and then the main stock will grow two or three feet in height, and be a perfect wreath of blossoms. Another method is to remove the leader and let two or three branches remain. The flowers are larger, and the plant handsomer than when allowed to grow at its own sweet will. They do best in a light, rich soil, and a liberal supply of liquid manure will greatly advance their growth. A writer in the _Gardener's Chronicle_ says: "Considering the very effective display that these plants make when a.s.sociated with stately foliage plants in sub-tropical beds, I think they are worthy of more extended cultivation.

There are few plants better adapted for the above purpose than the Balsam, being easily raised from seed, and as is well known, they are rapid growers if they are planted in a rich soil. Several samples of these plants with us are now three feet through and over two feet high, and they work admirably with such things as Castor Oils, Cannas, and the beautifully striped j.a.ponica. The plants referred to were planted out early in June, and I am so pleased with their behaviour in the sub-tropical garden, that I intend to grow them largely another year."

I know of no reason why the Balsam might not with good cultivation thrive as well here as in England. Let us try our "level best," and see what we can do.

A Talk About Geraniums.

My interest in this cla.s.s of plants was specially awakened four years ago by the successful cultivation of a dozen or more new varieties which I was induced to send for by the reception of the catalogue of the "Innisfallen Green houses," containing a more attractive list of geraniums, and at lower prices than I had ever seen. I secured a Club by a little effort, and thus obtained so many fine extras, that it was a very agreeable surprise. I have since learned that very many others have had a similar surprise.

The next spring I had a much larger a.s.sortment, and last year the greatest variety I ever saw. I am sure that I had sixty kinds in bloom at once. Although very small plants, as they always are when many are ordered by mail, they throve wonderfully, and with one exception, were all in flower in a few weeks, and kept on blooming till after removal in the autumn.

My method of treatment is the following: On opening the boxes I find them packed in damp moss, many closely tied together. I take off the oiled paper, loosen the moss packed around them, and put them in a shallow pan, in which is sufficient tepid water to cover the roots.

After an hour or two I set them in three and four inch pots, first putting a bit of crock over the hole in the bottom of the pot, so as to keep the roots from going astray, then some of the coa.r.s.e siftings of soil, or small bits of coal for drainage. As geraniums are not at all fastidious about soil, I take whatever is available, mix a small quant.i.ty of sand with it to make it friable, enriching with old manure.

I nearly fill the pot, and then make a hole in the center, set in the plant, press the earth firmly around it, fill to the top and press down again, water, and set the pot in a cool and shady place for several days, then bring to the light for a few hours, gradually accustoming them to the sunshine, until they become fully established in their new quarters. When the weather is sufficiently warm, I plunge the pots in the border for the summer, covering the pots entirely. I choose a cloudy day if possible; if otherwise, I do the work late in the afternoon, so that the intense sunshine may not at the first beat upon them. I prefer ma.s.sing these new plants by themselves, as the effect is more pleasing than when intermixed with other kinds. The geranium bed is the most attractive one of my garden. It is always full of bloom, and the varied hues commingled are very attractive. I remove all decayed leaves, and the trusses as soon as the flowers have faded. Frequently there will be a few decayed pips marring the beauty of a fine truss, and these I carefully remove. All of my large stock geraniums which have been wintered two years, I set by themselves, and they furnish an abundance of flowers for bouquets, and cuttings for new plants. Where one has a plenty of garden room, they need not mind having several choice geraniums of a kind. Slips will root well during the summer months, if set in the earth near the parent stock, where they are shaded from the direct rays of the sun. Care must be had to set the cuttings well down in the soil, and firm the earth compactly around them. In this way one can obtain with little care nice plants for the winter window garden, which will be more shapely than those which have become very branchy.

Geraniums are ill growing plants unless pruned and trained with skill.

But they are so easily cultured, adapting themselves to most any situation whether of shade or sunshine, are so hardy, and bloom so freely, that we can but admire them though they yield no fragrant flowers. There are many varieties of scented leaved geraniums, and these mixed with the odorless blossoms are almost an equivalent. Then the beautiful "Golden Bronzed Zoned" geraniums, and the "Silver Margined"

and "Tricolored," are so beautiful in foliage, while _Happy Thought_, with its creamy yellow leaf margined with green; _Distinction_, with deep green leaves zoned with black; Mrs. Pollock with bronze red zone belted with bright crimson margined with golden yellow, are exceedingly ornamental. Beside these there are many perhaps equally attractive, not often named in the general collection. _Freak of Nature_, first sent out last year, is an improvement on Happy Thought the center of pure white narrowly margined with light green; flowers light scarlet; habit very dwarf and spreading. It originated with Mr. Gray of England, and was awarded three first cla.s.s certificates.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BISHOP WOOD GERANIUM.]

Of the numerous cla.s.ses into which geraniums are divided, few only are given usually by florists. There are the Ornamental Foliage of which we have cited a few examples, and the Golden Tricolors, Silver Tricolors, Golden Bronze, Nosegay and Lilliputian Zonale; Double and single Geraniums.

We will specify a few varieties worthy of special note, as we can testify by personal observation. Bishop Wood, Madam Baltet, C. H.