Lily-of-the-Valley flourishes in the shade and also where there is a
little (but not too much) sunlight. It thrives beneath shade trees
and near a wall. _Room for development it must have_; otherwise it
becomes crowded to such an extent that the plants deteriorate and
fail to bloom. The Lily-of-the-Valley should be planted in September
or October. Prepare the soil by deep digging and mix in a plentiful
supply of decayed manure. Leaf-soil and road sweepings may be added to
heavy soil. Plant crowns about three inches apart to allow room for
future development. Bury the crowns just below the surface and make
them moderately firm. When all are planted mulch with rolled manure and
leaf-soil in equal parts, covering the bed to a depth of two inches.
LONG PURPLES. This Arum, being a plant of the woods, does well in the
rock-garden. The best plan is to remove a Jack-in-the-Pulpit from the
woods with some of its native soil and transplant it in the garden. It
grows in shade and sun alike.
MARIGOLD. For marigolds choose a light, dry, _poor_ soil and a sunny
spot. Sow seed any time from February to June. Seeds sown in the spring
will produce flowers in June. Sow in drills ten inches apart and water
moderately. Thin the seedlings and remove into rows ten inches apart.
In rich soil the plant grows too large and fails to blossom well. H. H.
Thomas in "The Complete Gardener" says:
"The ordinary reader understands Marigold to refer to the French,
African and Pot Marigolds. The botanical name _Calendula_ is said to
imply that the plant keeps pace with the calendar. In other words that
it is nearly always in bloom. And really this is not very far from the
truth. Once introduce the Pot Marigold into your garden and you will
rarely be without flowers. It is hardy and seeds itself very freely.
Seed may be sown out of doors where the plants are to bloom, choosing
for preference poor ground, otherwise the plants will grow freely
enough, but blooms will be scarce."
The French marigold is deep yellow, orange, or pale yellow striped or
marked with brown, and crinkled. It grows from twelve to fifteen inches
high. "The Gentleman's Labyrinth" gives quaint instructions for the
growth of the Marigold:
"The seeds of this flower are commonly bestowed in a husbandly and
well-dressed earth, but this rather done by the counsel of the skilful
in the increase of the Moon, whereby the flowers may grow the bigger
and broader. But to procure the flowers to grow the doubler, bigger and
broader the owner ought to remove the plants and set them in new beds,
lying in sunny places herein considering at those times of removing
that the Moon be increasing so nigh as you can. These, after certain
leaves spring up, if they be often removed and clipped by the course
of the Moon, yield a better, broader and fairer flower, and they yield
always more flowers in the harvest than in the spring time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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