The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-06-16
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AMATEUR GARDENING-SUMMER
BEDDING PLANTS.


they are to adoru, the way will be clear
ed for the discussion of the other tribes
Of flowers on which the beauty of the
Summer garden SO much depends, and
which arc best known as {" bedding
plants" The term is not many years
old-not found, we believe in Miller,
Abercrombie, or the other authors on
gardening, of the last century and as
all words have a group of historical
ideas gathered around them, SO these
tell q tale of horticultural progress. 1t
was a fine conception to make English
gardens gay during five o. six months
with cxotics; or to scatter among the
beds and borders the various beauties
which had before been confined to the
green house; yet this has been done with
in the memory of the present generation.
The plan was wonderfully developed, and
extended right notions of gardening
beauty, and has put into the possession
of all classes what was once confined to
a very few. Our forefathers, of the
lower and middle classes, were satisfied
if they had a geranium or two, in pots,
in their parlor or kitchen window but
now, for a very small sum indeed, they
may have %geraniums, verbenas, petunias,
fuchias, &c &C., in the open air, during
the warm weather. We have seen ad-
vertisements of Gardening for the
Million" offering bedding plants at a
shilling a dozen; and last Spring we saw
scarlet geraniums, in pots, cried about
the streets of London, at one penny each.
We presume all our amateur readers
patronize bedding plants. There are
two methods in which they are obtained:
by yearly purchase from nurseries, or by
propagation from last years stock. As
there will be plenty of time to write
about the choice of sorts, and other par
ticulars, for the benefit of purchasers,
We propose now to throw out a few prac-
ztical hints for those who are propogators,
and are in the possession of the plants
they raised in the Autumn, and have
protected during Winter. These are
now objects of great interest, and re-
quire some management to do them full
justice. While the cold weather lasted,
the only source of anxiety was preserva-
ton; but now that all danger from frost
Is past, other little troubles present
themselves. Things in small pots dry
rapidly, and if the amateur leaves home
for a day, there is risk of his pets being
parched up. Then the plants outgrow
the pots, become struggling, produce
flowers sometimes long before they are
wanted to do SO. The question there,
fore is an important one what is the
best way of treating the bedding stock
at this season of the year?
First of all, every cutting should have
a pot to itself, if there are pots and space
enough to allow of it. In large estab.
ments, hundreds of cuttings must often
be kept in the cutting pans, and can only
be separated when the time for planting
arrives; but this is far from being desir-
able As a rue, every plant to be turn.
ed out into the garden should grow by
itself, and be subjected to a course Of
training which contemplates two objects
the bushy and robust growth of the
plant, and its early blooming when bed.
ded out. Proceed, therefore, to shorten
the shoots which are now becoming long
by uippiDg out the heart of each, tho
consequence of which will be, the for
nation of side branches. There arr
few plants which do not require TIL.
operation but we may illustrate its eff
fects by reference to scarlet geranisns
verbenas and calceoarias. All of thGs.
are now growing rapidly, and their fen
dency is to follow their leader, and t.
become spindly. But a pinch at th'
extremities causes side shoots to be pro
duced, and thus to secure a compac
bushy growth to the plant.
Further, to report, is necessary ii
come cases, but not in others. Wher,
thumb pots have been used for verbenas
they will require a shift; so also viii
calceolarias, which form roots very rapid
~. Fuchias and scarlet geraniums will
bear being cramped up. But in pro
portion as pots as there is room for il
frames should be plunged up to the rim
in the soil, so that they may not easil,
become dry and by this plan, waterin.
twice a week will do better than twice
day otherwise. Where the stock j
large, and pots wanted the plants ma,
be turned out into such frames, and lie
there till May, when they can be trans
ferred to their destination by a trowel
Indeed, frames are not absolutely neces
sary for the adoption of this plan. w
are going, this week to turn out som
hundreds of the harder stock into she.
tered border, and to cover at night wit
mats thrown over hurdles, which rest o
flower beds by the four corners It wi
be at once seen that economy, both {
time and space, can be thus secured, an
the hints may be carried out in man
ways, provided the principles We hav
indicated are kept in view.