CHORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 10

CHORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Bi J. Gebbie.

JANUARY FLOWERS. j January corresponding to July in the Old j Country, where winter reigns 6upreme, ie with us a month of flowers, and a walk round the garden during the cool hours of the day admiring Nature in its gayest attire is a pleasure instructive and interesting. Among the leading floral gems are holly- j hocks, tall and stately, with large roeette- | like flowers, forming an imposing background. Both the double and single varieties of many shades, from pure white to almost black, are unsurpassed for the centres of large beds or as a background to other plants in wide borders. Delphiniums, with tall spikes of brilliant flowers in all shades of blues, are stately-growing plants, averag- ! ing five or six feet in height, but in the garden, where I am making these notes several, specimens are seven and eight feet high. ' The perennial phloxes are not at their best. Why these beautiful -plants have never become popular is hard to say. They are not difficult to cultivate, and remain for a long time in flower. The trusses of bloom are large and magnificent, varying in colour from pure white to pink, lilac, crimson, purple, and striped. Some are tall and others dwarf in habit, varying also in season, of blooming, some being early and j others late. Chelone barbata, an old inhabitant of our gardens, having been intro- [ duced from Mexico in 1794, has a. profusion of scarlet tubular flowers. The plant is dwarf, but sends up numerous slender spikes about three feet , high, and when covered with bloom are very pretty objects. Hybrid varieties have lately been' obtained showing 1 a variety of different shades. The various colours of nicotiana i sandarea. are particularly bright and pleasing. During the brighter hours of the day i the blooms remain closed, but_ about 3 p.m. they begin to open, and during the evening diffuse a pleasant fragrance. White crimson and purgle are growing together, forming a- pleasing contrast. Tne dry i weather suits these plants, checking overluxuriant growth and inducing a greater abundance of bloom. A clump of Achillea grandiflora proves itself to be a good hardy border perennial, with pure white double flowers, produced in sprays, and unsurpassed for all sorts of cut-flower work. Salvia patens' in a neighbouring border is one of the finest blue flowering plants in existence. In its native country (Mexico) it grows to a height of 10 feet, but with us two feet 'c its maximum 1 height. There are not many bulbous plants in bloom this month. Lilium pardalinum has been flowering profusely, but is about pact, and Lilium Bumboldti is just opening its blooms, while chimps of Lilium testaceum are at their best. Watsonias, which I have never found satisfactory subjects to deal with, are flowering freely, the dry season suiting them. They | are beautiful bulbous plants, but I fancy that they require a drier climate than ours j to induce them to flower freely. Large I clumps of Scabioza Caucasica are very attractive. Thie is a handsome hardy perennial, its flowers being very useful *fcr cutting and lasting well in water. The flower 3 are of a soft lilao blue shade, ani the plant grows about two feet high, forming a spreading tuft, and thriving in any ordinary garden soil. Pentstemons are another claee of plant which, like the perennial phlox, a/re neglected. They are grand border plants, and for massing in beds they have few rivals. There is among them a wonderful variety of colours, from pure white through the different shades of rose, lilac, crimson, and purple, with beautifully pencilled throats. From a packet of seeds many choice varietiee may be obtained. For wonderful variety and brilliancy of colour verbenas have few equals, and wherever grown f<re favourites. They commence to bloom in December, and continue until winter and during the autumn months. Northing is more attractive than a bed of ver-' benasj Another olasa of attractive border plants are gaillardias, flowering profusely from now on. They create a show \n the borders, end where cut flowers are in .demand they are very useful. Of annuals the ever popular sweet, pea heads the list, and it Is to be seen in almost every garden. To ensure a longf blooming period seeding should be prevented, so out the blooms with ■ a lavish hand { ' they are the best of all j for out -flower work. For fragrance and usefulness the stock comes next to the eweet pea in popularity, and where a igood strain ] of seed Is procured the large doubla are of > great beauty and deliciously scented. A ] j variety called. Beauty of Nice is particularly fine, being a strong grower, with bold [ foliage and taJUI main fiflwer spikes. The ,

plant eends out numbers of side shooti covered with fragrant flowers of large size, remarkable for their beauty of form and delicate shade of rosy pink. These were sown in September, and are now commencing to bloom. If sown in. February, when other biennial stocks should be sown, they will bloom during winter and spring. ROSES. The flush of the rose season is past, but i many varieties are yet putting forth '» few flowers. White Maman Coeh'et was last season the- best all-round rose that I saw for garden decoration, and this season it_ has been equally good in many soik and situations. Lady Ashtown is one of the best o! newer roses, good for exhibition or garden deooration. It is vigorous in growth, very free flowering, and the blooms are of an attractive shade of pink. Frau Karl Druschki is the best white rose of its class. Its snow-white flowers of the finest form arc always admired, its only fault being it is scentless. Hugh Dickspn is another of the new varieties of vigorous growth with flowers of large size, sweetly scented, and brilliant crimson in colour, and it is almost & perpetual bloomer. STARS OF BETHLEHEM. These plants, known botanically as Ornithogalums, are chiefly natives of South Africa ; but some are - found in Western Asia, while a few are indigenous to England. There are a number of species. The -" commonest, and, perhaps, the, best of the family is O. ar&bieum. This has hyacinthlike bulbs', which increase rapidly in »uit&b\& sandy soil. The sweet-scented' white flowers, with black eyes, are borne on stems usually about 3ft in height. The flowers have the outline of a ,broad-petalledi Poet's Narcissus, are splendid for cutting, keeping well in water. The plants are useful for pot-culture. x The true Star of Bethlehem is generally supposed to be O. umbellatum. It is found wild in many parts of England and Scotland, and is very abundant in Palestine, having star-like flowers. It has been named the "Star of Betnlehem." It is also supposed to be the Dove's Dung of Scripture (in II Kings, eh. 6) ; and its bulbs, which are wholesome and nutritious when cooked, are eaten to this day in Palestine. - 0. pyrenaicum produces in the summer strong spikes ~of pale straw-yellow .flowers. It is abundant in parts of the West of England, where, in the springtime, its young shoots are collected and taken to the mar- ■ kept for sale as a substitute for asparagus. ' O. uarbonense is a striking plant, which may be recommended for the plant border. It has rolled leaves lft long and sfcems-2ft high, bearing 30 to 35 white star-likte flowers ~lin aoross. O. arouatum is a very robust plant sft high. The flowers are on stout stems, forming a giant pyramid of many hundreds of white blooms, each as large as a florin. A splendid border plant of sturdy growth. O. aureum is a dainty plant from South Africa", having gold and purple flowers, and is somewhat rare. O. nutans is a wellknown plant with silvery-white blossom. Is a very- aggressive subject, and not recommended for general' cultivation. O. monta- j num is a miniature Star of-Bethlehem, hay- ' ing flowers less than 6in in height. Pyra- .' midalis may be considered a robust form of O. narbonense. All members of the genus are easy "of cultivation. Ornithogalums are closely to the Scillas. "■ j