SILENE

Catchfly. Hardy annual



Not one of the hardy annuals has established a better claim to be sown

in autumn than the Silenes. Alone, they make a very attractive display,

and they can be used with especial effect in beds planted with

Daffodils, Hyacinths, and Tulips. While the Daffodils are in full beauty

the Silenes clothe the ground with a carpet of green, and after the

foliage of the bulbs has been cut off or pinned down the Silenes furnish

a fresh display of floral beauty in advance of the summer bedders.



Silenes do not thrive on heavy damp soils, but the difficulty can be

surmounted by keeping the plants in pans or boxes under a cold frame

until growing weather sets in. The plants do very well in loam, and best

of all in a dry sandy soil. The spring sowing should be made in March or



April; the autumn sowing in August or early in September.