The Lady's Country Companion; Or, How to Enjoy a Country Life RationallyLoudon, Mrs. (Jane)
General
The Lady's Country Companion; Or, How to Enjoy a Country Life Rationally
Loudon, Mrs. (Jane)
Cooking; Country life; Home economics
I will now tell you how I would plant the beds. As this is the
beginning of May, and as I wish your garden to look well immediately,
I would advise you to get a few pots of Californian and other annuals,
usually raised in pots, from the nurseryman at the neighbouring town,
and to plant them, putting three potfuls in each bed, but no more.
In No. 1. put Phlóx Drummóndi, the flowers of which are crimson of
various shades, and let the stems be pegged down, so as to spread over
the bed. No. 2. may be Lasthènia califórnica, the flowers of which
are yellow, and the stems generally procumbent; but they may be pegged
down to keep them in their proper places, that is, to spread completely
and regularly over the bed. No. 3. should be Nemóphila insígnis, the
flowers of which are of a beautiful blue, and which will not require
pegging down. No. 4. may be Erýsimum Perofskiànum, the flowers of which
are of a bright orange, but the stems must be pegged down, or they
will grow tall and straggling. No. 5. may be Nolàna atriplicifòlia,
the flowers of which are blue, and resemble those of a convolvulus;
this is a procumbent plant, and will not require pegging. No. 6. may
be Nemóphila atomària, which has white flowers, and is a dwarf plant.
No. 7. may be Leptosìphon densiflòrus, a dwarf plant, with pale purple
flowers. No. 8. may be Gília bícolor, a dwarf plant, with nearly white
flowers. No. 9. may be Clintònia pulchélla, a beautiful little plant
with blue flowers. No. 10. may be Gília trícolor, a dwarf plant,
the flowers of which are white and very dark purple. No. 11. may be
Leptosìphon androsàceus, a dwarf plant, with pale lilac flowers: and
No. 12. Schizopétalon Wálkeri, the flowers of which are white, and the
stems must be pegged down. These are all annuals, which if properly
treated by pegging down, and not planted too close, will produce a mass
of flowers in each bed only just above the surface, and will have a
very pretty effect from the windows. Most of them like a poor clayey
soil best, and they will only require turning out of the pots without
breaking the ball, into the places prepared for them.
If you think there are too many white beds, you can substitute
Sanvitàlia procúmbens, the flowers of which are yellow, for No. 8.,
but the seeds must have been sown the previous autumn to bring it
forward, as otherwise it will not flower till late in the summer;
and Bartònia aúrea, the flowers of which are of a golden yellow, may
be planted instead of No. 12. Cladánthus arábicus, formerly called
Ànthemis arábica, which has yellow flowers, may be planted in No. 8.,
if Sanvitàlia cannot be obtained.
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