566. Culture Of Half-Hardy Annuals
Description
This section is from the book "The Villa Gardener", by J. C. Loudon. Also available from Amazon: The Villa Gardener.
566. Culture Of Half-Hardy Annuals
"The seeds may be sown either in plunged pots, or in a bed of earth on a slight hot-bed, in February or March; and after they have come up they may be pricked out into plunged pots, or into the earth covering another slight hot-bed, where they may remain till the beginning of May, when they should be transplanted into the beds or borders in the open garden where they are finally to remain. In moat oases, however, it is not worth while to prick out the plants in a second hot-bed; and sometimes they may be sown in pots, and thinned out to two or three plants in a pot; and when they have grown two or three inches high, the ball of earth, and the plants in it, may be turned out into the open border. This mode is well adapted for strong clayey soils, because when plants from a hotbed are transplanted into such soils, they commonly receive a severe check; whereas when they are turned out with balls, provided the soil round them is settled by a good watering, they receive no check whatever. The soil in which half-hardy annuals are raised, should be light and rich, because it is only in such a soil that the tender seedlings will grow vigorously, and produce numerous fibrous roots, without which they would produce but little effect when turned out into the open garden." - (Ladies' Companion to the Flower-Garden, fifth edit, p. 8.)
557. List of half-hardy annuals, which should be raised on a hotbed in March, and planted out in May. Those which are not marked with a star may be sown in the open ground in April or May, but when thus treated they do not flower till autumn.
Name, | Country. | Colour. | 8ize. |
*Ageratum mexicanum | Mexico | Blue | Tall. |
*Amaranthus tricolor | East Indies | Leaves variegated | Moderate. |
Argemone Barclayana | Mexico | Orange | Moderate. |
----------sulphurea | Mexico | Pale Yellow | Moderate. |
*Aster sinensis var. (China otter) | China | Red and Blue | Tall. |
- -------------nana | Hybrid | White and Purple | Dwarf. |
---------tenellus | Cape of Good Hope | Blue | Dwarf. |
*Balsamina hortensis | East Indies | Various | Moderate. |
*Braohycome iberidifolia | Swan Elver | Blue | Dwarf. |
----------------------alba | White | Dwarf. | |
Cacalia sonchifolia | East Indies | Scarlet | Moderate. |
*Calandriiiia grandiflora | Chili | Purple | Moderate. |
---------spedoaa | California | Bed | Dwarf. |
*---------discolor | Chili | Purple | Moderate. |
Calendula piuvialis | Cape of Good Hope | White and Purple | Moderate. |
---------hybrida | Cape of Good Hope | White | Moderate. |
Campanula Lorei, and varieties | S. of Europe | Purple | Dwarf. |
•Celosia cristata (Cock's-comb) | China | Bed | Moderate. |
---------------------nana | Dwarf. | ||
•Celsia, or Alonsoa, urticaefolla. C. cretica, and C. orientalis | • | ||
Name. | Country. | Colour. | Size. |
•Clintonia pulchelia | California | Blue | Dwarf |
Dianthus sinensis var. flore-pleno (Chinese Pink) | China | Bed | Dwarf. |
•Didiscus caeuleus | New Holland | Blue | Tall |
Helichrysum bracteatum | New Holland | Yellow | Tall. |
--------macranthum | Swan River | Pink | Tall |
*Heliophila trifida | Cape of Good Hope | Blue | Dwarf. |
Hibiscus africanus (Bladder Ketmia) | Africa | Yellow | Tall. |
Ionopddium acaule | Portugal | Lilac | Dwarf |
Ipomoea coccinea | Carolina | Scarlet | Tall. |
•Kaulfuesia amelloides | Cape of Good Hope | Blue | Dwarf |
Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet Pea) | Sicily | Various colours | Tall. |
Loasa lateritia | Tucuman | Bed | Tan. |
---------ambrodiefolia | Lima | Yellow | Tall. |
•Lobelia gracilis | New S. Wales | Blue | Dwarf. |
*-----------------alba | White | Dwarf. | |
*--------heterophylla | Swan River | Blue | Moderate. |
*--------ramosa | Swan River | Blue | Moderate. |
Lotus jacobaeus | Cape Verd | Dark Brown | Dwarf |
Lupinus mutabilis | Peru | Blue and Yellow | Tall. |
--------Cruckshanksil | Peru | Blue and Yellow | Tall. |
•Matthiola annua (Tan-week Stock) | White, Purple | Moderate, | |
Varieties | Bed, etc etc | ||
Nigella hispanica (Love in a mist) | South of Europe. | Blue | Tall. |
*Nolana atriplicifolia | Peru | Blue and White | Dwarf. |
---------prostrate | Peru | Pale Blue | Dwarf |
*Phlox Drummondii | Texas | Pink | Moderate. |
Polygonum orientale (Garden Persicaria) | East Indies | Pink | Tall. |
•Rhodanthe Mangiesii | Swan River | Pale Rose | Dwarf |
•Salpiglossis sinuata | Peru | Various colours | Moderate, |
Scabiosa atropurpurea (Sweet Scabious) | Purple | Tall. | |
•Schisanthus pinnatus | Chili | White and Red | Tall. |
•---------retusus | Chili | Yellow and Bed | Tall. |
Schizopetalon Walkeri | California | White | Dwarf |
•Senecio elegans fl pleno (Purple Ragwort or Jacobaa) | Cape of Good Hope | Purple | Tan. |
Tropaeolum peregrinum (Canary-bird flower | Peru | Yellow | Tall. |
Viscaria oculata | Algiers | Pink | Tall. |
Zinnia elegans coccinea, and other kinds | Mexico | Scarlet | Tall. |
It will be observed that some of these, such as the balsam, the cock's-comb, the globe amaranth, and the Amaranthus tricolor, are usually called tender annuals, and they should always be kept in pots, though the pots may be set in the open air while the plants are in flower.
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