Flowering Almond is a very early-flowering bush, excellent for shrub-borders. It is usually grafted on plum stock, and one must take care to keep down the plum sprouts which sometimes spring from the root.
Aloe. Succulent tropical plants, sometimes seen in window gardens. Of easy culture. See that the pots have perfect drainage. Make a soil of sandy loam, with one-third or one-fourth part of broken brick. Pot firmly. Water whenever needed, but the soil and drainage should be such that the earth does not remain soggy or become sour. Aloes thrive year after year without repotting. Usually propagated by cuttings. A. variegata is the commonest species.
Alonsoa. Tender annual. Not very well known, but a bright plant for second-row border or a low bedding plant. Planted against shrubbery or other protection after danger of frost is over, it lightens up a dark corner. 2-3 ft. Plant 10-15 in. apart, in a warm place protected from wind.
Alströmeria. The Alströmerias belong to the amaryllis family, being tuberous-rooted plants, having leafy stems and terminating in a cluster of from 10 to 50 small lily-shaped flowers of rich colors. Most of the kinds should be given pot culture, as they are easily grown and are not hardy in the open in the north. The culture is nearly that of the amaryllis,—a good, fibrous loam with a little sand, potting the tubers in early spring or late fall. Start the plants slowly, giving only water enough to cause root growth; but after growth has become established, a quantity of water may be given. After flowering they may be treated as are amaryllis or agapanthus. The plants grow 1-2½ ft. high. The flowers often have odd colors.
Althæa. [See Hollyhock.]
Sweet Alyssum
Alyssum, Sweet. A low-growing, hardy, white-flowered, very fragrant annual which is much used for edgings, window boxes, and the like. It is of the easiest culture in any soil, but thrives best in a garden loam of moderate fertility. Seeds may be sown as early as the ground can be well prepared in spring. The plant will begin to bloom when 2 or 3 inches high, and continue to bloom, as it grows, until after the first hard frosts. It makes a mat 1 to 2 ft. across. If immediate effects are not desired, the plants should be thinned out or transplanted to stand half a foot apart. It rarely stands more than a foot high. In the fall, plants may be cut back and put into pots or boxes, and they will bloom in the window. Better results in winter blooming are secured by starting seeds in boxes in August, September or October. There are certain hardy perennial yellow-flowered Alyssums which are useful for prominent edgings and for rockwork.
Prince’s Feather