The San Francisco call., 1896-07-05

u
variety, the best named, for they are
cheap enough, and they should always be
bought from a reliable scotsman, who is
in the business to stay, not those Eastern
fellows, who send flower advertisements
out here. I speak from experience, and
most emphatically advise everybody to
buy seeds from the reliable seedsmen
right here IN San Francisco, and not
mixed seeds. either. Pansies grow so we'll
here that with good variety of seeds anna
teurs can get excellent results.
1.-The cineraria. This flower does bet
ter here than anywhere l know out
doors. There is less frost in San Fran
cisco than elsewhere in California, and
that gives this generous bloomer a chance
to i've in the garden. In other places it is
q house plant, but here it comes in when
flowers are scarce-about Christmas-and
il is in bloom now. 1t seeds itself from
under the old plants, but it must have
shade, as the sun is not good for the cin-
eraria. No special varieties are needed, as
they all give such grand display of color
"a very fragrant flower that luxuriates
here is the pink. 1t does as we'll as In the
country. l can give that lesson of the
Devisadero- street cottage, where there are
great bushes of pinks in all colors-from
white to dark red. 1t is better to grow
them every year from young plants. To
get finer bloom. of course, you must al
low fewer flowers to a plant. They ought
to be grown from cuttings, not from seed.
Root them in sandy soil, in a shady place.
Everybody ought to have a row of
violets, everybody. l don't care how
small the garden. even if it be only box
in the window. Violets ought to be trans
planted every year, throwing the old roots
away and planting the young shoots after
blossoming and before growth commences,
that is about March. depending on the
season.
"Take the bulbous roots-tulips, hya-
cinths, anemones and ranunculus; they
do splendidly here. They ought to be
planted about November l IN light, rich
soil, the top of the bulb three inches be-
low the surface and with an inch of sand
below 70 keep it from the manure. Anem-
ones should not be covered more than one
inch.
"a beautiful bed can be had by planting
hyacinths and then carpeting the whole
with pansies. The hyacinths shoot up
and the pansies cover the ground. Pansies
can be grown from seed about August,
under glass, though they will come up in
sheltered place. They should be watered
regularly, planted out when an inch high
in soft soil. about an inch apart, and
afterward put into their permanent quar-
ters and thrown away every fall.
"The hydrangea, perennial always in
flower, is another plant that luxuriates in
this atmosphere. One or two plants in
shady corner is quite enough for a small
garden. They don't need much sun, and
grow without spading, only little manure
Deing needed about them in spring, and
they are very easily raised from cuttings.
"Fuchsias. Where can you grow them
like here? OF course, they have to be
kept out of the wind, for they must be
shaded if the flowers are to be good. ALL
varieties do well here from the old CASTLE.
I've seen old Venus de Medici here grow
ing six feet in q season. This is their
home along the coast.
''Asters. marigolds and the marguerites.
Where can you see finer specimens of these
flowers than in San Francisco? They are
grown without trouble in any soil.
"Dahlias do very well also, and are
easily grown. You cannot kill them. This
includes the hollyhocks. All the gerani-
ums thrive in San Francisco, and are very
effective in small gardens.
1.-THE pelargonlum also, but it won't
stand water from overhead. 1t does not
like cold water every night, neither does
the geranium. They prefer dry, warm
situation. Any old woman can grow them
from cuttings. Ferns grow splendidIy in
| the shade. There are three ferns in the
park rockery that would be worth $500
each in the East.
There is nothing prettier than that
pink flower to be seen all over the park
and out on Strawberry Hill. 1t grows in
the poorest soil with very little water, and
nothing can surpass it, the number OF its
flowers. You can plant it any time of the
year-stick in little piece where you
want it to grow, on dry, barren hillside,
sand or loan. Its name is the only thing
against -Mesenbryanthemum.
with some trailing plants-the clematis
and passion vine for walls-you have fair
list for a garden in San Francisco. If
more attention were given the gardens.
the appearance of the City would be much
improved"
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