NEMESIA FOR EARLY FLOWERING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 602, 2 March 1929, Page 28

NEMESIA FOR EARLY FLOWERING

During tire Inst few years the Nemesia liave becom extremely popular among the home gardeners. As spring bedding plants they are equal to none, for being easy to grow and not too particular as to soil they are among the first things put out by those who have not too much time to spare for the garden. But, besides being among the very best plants for the spring garden, they are unsurpassed as pot plants for the bush-house or green-house. During the last few years great strides have been made in impioting the various strains of Nemesias, and the colour range to be now obtained is very extensive indeed. White, lemon, yellow, crimson, brown, real blue, mauve, and a host of intermediate shades are now to be obtained. The plants are among the dwarf inhabitants of the garden, seldom reaching a height of more than 12in, and so are most useful for bedding, in clumps in the mixed border, or as an edging. For winter blooms, select a warm, sheltered position, and sow the seeds at the end of January or February in a seed bed or box in a partiallyshaded locality. When large enough to handle, the seedlings can be pricked out into other boxes where they may remain till the time comes to put them out. If at the time of transplanting it is found that the seedlings have become leggy, the tops may be picked out, and the tops inserted in some damp sand will soon root, and thus give a further supply of plants. The plants succeed best in a light, rich soil, in which a good supply of lime has been previously worked. For enriching a very sandy soil nothing is better than cow manure., while on a heavy soil stable manure is found to be best. If the soil is inclined to be at all heavy and sticky, you will find that the addition of a fair dressing of sand will help it very much indeed. Seleete a warm, sunny spot for winter flowering in the garden, and one which is well sheltered from wind. If possible, get the plants into their permanent quarters as soon as possible, as toward the end of the autumn the soil becomes extremely cold, bulbs.