HORTICULTURE.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 18, 16 July 1920, Page 13

HORTICULTURE.

Ii>. the past it was the pfactice to grow a much greater variety of annuals than is usual now as grbwers have got more into tln way of speciaiismg and thus take greater interest in having good collections o'~ a fiw kinds rather than a great many kinds. The result of this is that many things quiie common in the past are rarely seen now and even the catalogues of the large seed firms are found to contain fewer kinds, but more and improved varieties of the popular kinds such as stock Asters, Phlox, Drummondi, Sweet Peas, etc. Even Mignonette, once seen in every gardn seems now but little grown, and such things as Nemophila, Candytuft, etc., are rarely seen. Asters. — These ar,e divided now into quite a number of sections of shades and colours almost without number, both double and single. The giant single varieties give great satisfaction as they are easily grown and useful for cutting, as well as giving extremely beautiful shades and tints of colour, and also on account of thgir brancliing habit give a comparatively long season of blhom. The Comet and Ostrich plume varieties are. especially graceful and attractive on account of their large loose wavy blooms and are good growers. The Chry san t hemuin fiowered varieties are also excellent both in form and colour and grow well ; and many other sections such as Yictoria, Anemone. flowered etc., will he found in seed lists. As a drawf garden annual, Phlox Drummondi reings supreme, easily grown, almost every colour, and continuing in bloom for a very long period. The best effect is obtained by keeping the colours separate, and growing in good clumps although on account of its trailing habit it is extremely useful for filling up between .taller growing plants. Salpiglossis is rather tall growing and thus is hetter in fairly good shelter, but the up-to-date varieties with their large velvety, richly pencilled and veined flowers are supurb, the colours inclu ding ricH deep purples and blues, and erimsons, as well as both dark and pale yellows. The seed may be sown outside and with fairly rick soil it will tlirive with very Ijttle trouble given to it. Bartonia Aurea is a fine dwarf with large open flowci's of a rich golden yellow, in profusion, and with a long season of bloom. Sow outside and let it look after itself. Brachycome or Swan River Daisy — blue, white and rose. The blue is especially worth growing, and with its feathers* green foliage makes a lovely clump six to nine inches high with a mass of brig'lt blue flowers like small Cinerarias, and o iitiuues a long time in bloom. Sow where it is to grow. Eschscholtzias have been greatly improved and some of the new varieties are worthy of any garden, especially the orang,e and crimson shades, the bnght crimson being especially striking. Dimorphsteca, with its many coloured bybrids, is an especially showy annual with large Margueriie like flowers in dense masses abopt a fo'ot high. Sow outside and simply let it grow. Dianthus (or Japanese^pinks), deserve to be grown more than they are as they are easy to grow, useful fi^r cutting, and g've cahrming and brilliant effects. There are many shades of colour from pure white lo scarlet. Godetia. — This is an extremely showy hardy annual of great variety botli in t orrn and colour, and varying in height from the little edging varieties of six inches to the ta'll border varieties up to three feet with flowers, white, pink, crimson fnd mcttled. Sow outside where it is to bloom.