Garden Notes - Dahlia to Eschscholtizia

Dahlia
(Small Decorative)
Variety: Baby Royal

Half-hardy tuberous rooted perennial. Height: 3 feet. Blooms August to October. Color: pink shaded with apricot, with yellow base to the petals. The flowers are small. Excellent for garden decoration or cut bloom. Immediately this variety appeared it secured universal favor. Dahlias like a soil well enriched with manure, and should have plenty of water during the growing season. They are increased by division of the roots or cuttings in the warm greenhouse. Small plants are obtainable in pots ready for planting out at the end of May. Stake immediately after planting. A dusting of bone flour over the soil, to be washed in by the rains, improves the quality of the flowers.
 

Delphinium
Variety: Mrs. Townley Parker

Hardy perennial. Height: 5 feet. Blooms July. Color: sky blue, white eye. Most colorful and stately plant for the back of the mixed flower border. Can be raised from seed. Sow in lines in the nursery bed; transplant when large enough to handle, six inches apart, with a foot between the rows, and set out in autumn where they are to bloom. Also increased by cuttings detached from the parent plant in autumn. Needs staking and tying early to avoid breakage. Likes a deep well-cultivated soil and plenty of manure, with a generous dusting of lime before planting. Allow three feet of space to each plant.
 

Dianthus
Variety: New Blue

Hardy perennial. Height: 9 inches. Blooms July to September. This is a new variety found in Japan growing in mountain crevices. It has distinctive flowers of bright lavender blue with deep green foliage. Sow the seeds in seed pans of light sandy soil and cover with a sheet of glass. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant separately into small pots. Grow on in the cold frame and transplant where they are to bloom in September. They prefer a well-drained limy soil; can be grown in a dry wall, in pockets in the rock garden or as an edging to the mixed flower border. All this family like a sunny position, and can be allowed to grow for a number of years without disturbance.
 

Dimorphotheca
(Star of the Veldt)
Variety: Aurantiaca Hybrids

Half-hardy annual. Height: 1 foot. Native of South Africa. A very showy bedding plant. The colors are remarkably pure, in delicate shadings or primrose, apricot, butt and salmon. They are easily raised from seeds sown under glass in heat, and planted out at the end of May. Prefer a light soil in a sunny position. Can be used in the rock-garden to continue the show through the summer. An excellent plant for the cool greenhouse, remains closed on rainy or dull days. It is possible to sow them outdoors in April between early flowering bulbs to bloom later in the summer.
 

Eschescholtzia
(Californian Poppy)
Variety: Fireglow

Hardy annual. Height: 1 foot. There are many varieties, but this is one of the most vivid of recent years. Its name aptly describes its color. Blooms July to September. It will thrive in poor soils, even on sandy banks, but must have a place in the sun. Very hardy and can be grown by sowing in the autumn or spring as desired. Useful for cut bloom or for garden decoration. Sow the seeds where they are to bloom, and thin out, leaving strong seedlings six inches apart. Like all poppies, they do not transplant easily. The best time for cutting is when the little cap that develops on the flower is half off.