William Curtis

“ Miller, who, with all his imperfections, has contributed more to the advancement of practical gardening than any individual whatever, our gardens, but more especially our green-houses, have received some of their highest ornaments from the introduction of a great number of most beautiful Heaths: the present plant, though a native of the Alps and mountainous parts of Germany, is of modern introduction here, what renders it particularly acceptable, is its hardiness and early flowering ”

“ Like most other alpine plants, it loves a pure air, a situation moderately moist, and a soil unmanured: as the beauty of its flowers is apt to be destroyed by severe frosts, it should be covered during the winter with a hand-glass, or if it be treated in the manner recommended for the round-leav'd Cyclamen, it may be had to flower in still greater perfection. ”

“ Though it cannot boast the agreeable scent of many of its congeners, it eclipses most of them in the brilliancy of its colours; there are few flowers indeed which can boast that richness and variety found among the most improved varieties of this species ”

“ The fragrant Jonquil is a native of Spain, flowers in the open ground, about the latter-end of April, or beginning of May, and will thrive in almost any soil or situation, but prefers, as most bulbs do, a fresh loamy earth; indeed such a soil is favourable to the growth of most plants, as being exempt from a variety of subterraneous insects, which are apt to infest ground which has been long cultivated. ”

“ Of this genus there are only two species, both natives of South-America, the elata, so called from its being a much taller plant than the demissa, is a very beautiful, and not uncommon stove or green-house plant; it is impossible, by any colours we have, to do justice to the brilliancy of its flowers. ”

“ It is propagated by sowing the seeds in the spring, either upon a gentle hot-bed, or on a warm border of light earth: when the plants are come up about two inches high, they should be transplanted either into pots, or into a bed of fresh earth, at about four or five inches distance every way, where they may remain until they have obtained strength enough to plant out for good, which should be either in pots filled with good fresh earth, or in a warm situated border, in which, if the winter is not too severe, they will abide very well, provided they are in a dry soil. ”

“ The name of herbacea, which Linnæus has given to this plant, is not very characteristic, but it should be observed, that Linnæus in this, as in many other instances, has only adopted the name of some older botanist; and it should also be remembered, that in genera, where the species are very numerous, it is no easy matter to give names to all of them that shall be perfectly expressive. ”

“ Being an annual it requires to be raised yearly from seed; when once introduced on a warm dry border it will continue to sow itself, and grow very luxuriantly, flowering from June to the commencement of winter ”

“ According to Miller, this plant delights in a loamy soil, and in an eastern position where it may have only the morning sun: the single sorts are easily raised from seed; the double, increased by parting the roots, which ought to be done in March when they are in bloom; they should not be divided into very small heads: these plants, if often removed and parted, are apt to die, but left undisturbed for many years, they will thrive exceedingly, and become very large roots. ”

“ This charming shrub, which is almost perpetually in blossom, and admirably adapted for nosegays, is a native of the south of France, and a constant ornament to our green-houses.
Linnæus has observed, that the flowers, which in the day time are remarkably fragrant, in the night are almost without scent. ”

“ It grows naturally at Malabar, and in several parts of India, yet has been long inured to our climate, so as to thrive and flower extremely well, but never produces any fruit in England. It is easily propagated by laying down the branches, which will take root in one year, and may then be cut from the old plant, and planted where they are designed to remain: it may also be propagated by cuttings, which should be planted early in the autumn, and guarded against the effects of severe frosts. ”

“ These young plants should not be transplanted till the leaves are decayed, then they may be carefully taken up and planted in a shady border, where the soil is loose and moist, at about eight inches distance from each other, which will be room enough for them to grow one year, by which time they will be strong enough to produce flowers, so may then be transplanted into some shady borders in the flower-garden, where they will appear very ornamental during the continuance of their flowers. ”

“ No plant is more easily propagated by cuttings; these Miller recommends to be laid by in a dry place for a fortnight, or three weeks, then to be planted in pots, filled with a mixture of loam and lime rubbish, having some stones laid in the bottom of the pot to drain off the moisture, and afterwards plunged into a gentle hot-bed of Tanners bark, to facilitate their rooting, giving them once a week a gentle watering: this business to be done the beginning of July.
It is seldom that this plant perfects its seeds in this country: Miller relates that it has borne fruit in Chelsea gardens. ”

“ Mignonette grows naturally in Egypt, it was unknown to the older Botanists; Miller says he received the seeds of it from Dr. Adrian Van Royen, Professor of Botany at Leyden, so that it is rather a modern inhabitant of our gardens.
The luxury of the pleasure-garden is greatly heightened by the delightful odour which this plant diffuses; and as it is most readily cultivated in pots, its fragrance may be conveyed to the parlour of the recluse, or the chamber of the valetudinarian ”

“ May be propagated by sowing their seeds upon a bed of light earth, where they are to remain (for they seldom succeed well if transplanted) ; therefore, in order to have them intermixed among other annual flowers in the borders of the Flower Garden, the seeds should be sown in patches at proper distances: and when the plants come up, they must be thinned where they grow too close, leaving but three or four of them in each patch, observing also to keep them clear from weeds, which is all the culture they require. In July they will produce their flowers, and their seeds will ripen in August. ”

“ Grows spontaneously in the south of France, about Montpelier; also, in Spain, Italy, Sicily, and elsewhere in the south of Europe: is one of the most common annuals cultivated in our gardens. It begins flowering in July, and continues to blossom till the frost sets in. ”

“ The usual and best practice is to make a green-house plant of this species, though it has been known to remain in the open ground, during a mild winter, unhurt.
It continues to have a succession of blossoms during the greatest part of the summer, and may be propagated either by seed or parting its roots. ”

“ Gardeners, in former days, not having that profusion of plants to attend to and cultivate, which we can at present boast, appear to have been more solicitous in increasing generally the varieties of the several species ”

“ A native of Virginia, Maryland, and Pensylvania, has a perennial root, is hardy, and will thrive in almost any soil or situation; may be increased by parting its roots in autumn.
Our plant is the picta of Miller, and the versicolor of Miller is, we believe, the sibirica of Linnæus. ”

“ Grows wild in many parts of Italy and Germany, and is sometimes found with white flowers; if the season be mild, or the plants sheltered from the inclemency of the weather, this species will flower as early as February, or much earlier by artificial heat. ”

“ This species of Iris, inferior to few in point of beauty, is a native of the hilly pastures of Hungary, and flowers in our gardens in the month of May, and beginning of June. It is a hardy perennial, requires no particular treatment, and may be easily propagated by parting its roots in Autumn. ”

“ The whole plant with us is in general hairy, hence it does not well accord with Linnæus's description. It is propagated by seeds, which should be sown on the flower-borders in the spring, where the plants are to remain: they require no other care than to be thinned and weeded. ”

“ The flowers have the taste of water-cress, with a degree of sweetness, which that plant does not possess, more particularly resident in the spur of the calyx or nectary; hence are sometimes used in salads, and hence the plant acquires its name of Nasturtium. ”

“ No other care is necessary in the cultivation of this species than sowing the seeds in the spring, in little patches, on the borders where they are to remain, thinning them if they prove too numerous. ”

“ If these plants be kept in a very moderate stove in winter, and in summer placed in an airy glass-case where they may enjoy much free air, but screened from wet and cold, they will thrive and flower very well; for although they will live in the open air in summer, and may be kept through the winter in a good green-house; yet these plants will not flower so well as those managed in the other way. They must have little water given them, especially in winter. ”

“ The present plant is a native of Peru, and is said by Linnæus to have been first brought into Europe in the year 1684; it is certainly one of the greatest ornaments the Flower-Garden can boast: it varies in colour, and is also found in the Nurseries with double flowers. ”

“ Being an annual, it requires to be raised yearly from seed, which must be sown on a hot-bed in the spring, and the plants brought forward on another, otherwise they will not perfect their seeds in this country. ”

“ As it grows naturally in woods and shady places, it will thrive best in a mixture of bog-earth and loam placed in a north border; if planted in the open border, it will require to be covered with a hand-glass during winter, and in the spring, when in bloom ”

“ Miller very justly observes, it will always be prudent to shelter two or three plants under a common hot-bed frame in winter, to preserve the kind, because in very severe winters, those in the open air are sometimes killed. ”

“ A native of Africa, as are most of our shewy Geraniums, is not so tender as many others, and may be propagated very readily from cuttings
A leaf, having its foot-stalk inserted into the disk or middle part of it, or near it, is called by Linnæus, peltatum, hence the Latin trivial name of this plant. ”

“ To have these plants early, they should be raised with other tender annuals; they usually begin to flower in July, and continue blossoming till the approach of winter: the stalks require to be supported, for if left to themselves they trail on the ground, overspread, and destroy the neighbouring plants. ”

“ Though its blossoms are not so large as those of the other species, yet when the roots are planted in a cluster, they make a very pretty show, and have this advantage, that they flower somewhat earlier than any of the others. ”

“ THE MOST APPROVED METHODS OF CULTURE.
A WORK
Intended for the Use of such Ladies, Gentlemen, and Gardeners, as
wish to become scientifically acquainted with the Plants they cultivate.
By WILLIAM CURTIS,
Author of the Flora Londinensis.
VOL. I.
"A Garden is the purest of human Pleasures." ”

“ Mr. Miller, in the Sixth Edition of the Abridgment of his Gardener's Dictionary, mentions only four Primulas, exclusive of the Auricula, the two first of which are named erroneously, and of the two last not a syllable is said either as to their place of growth or culture. ”

“ This species has usually been called Convolvulus minor by gardeners, by way of distinguishing it from the Convolvulus purpureus, to which they have given the name of major. It is a very pretty annual; a native of Spain, Portugal, and Sicily, and very commonly cultivated in gardens. ”

“ When these plants are removed, they should be planted either against some wall, pale, or other fence, where the flexible branches may be supported. These plants should be permitted to grow rude in the summer, otherwise there will be no flowers; but after the summer is past, the luxuriant shoots should be pruned off, and the others must be nailed to the support. ”

“ The encouragement given to this work, great beyond the Author's warmest expectations, demands his most grateful acknowledgements, and will excite him to persevere in his humble endeavours to render Botany a lasting source of rational amusement ”