Adonis are hardy annuals and perennials with the yellow anemone-like flowers and deli¬cate feathery foliage of the perennial adonis being familiar in many rock gardens and in the forefront of sunny borders. Of the annuals only one species, Adonis aestivalis, which has blood-red flowers, is worthy of attention.
The perennial species delight in a rich loamy soil, but they must also be assured of thorough drainage. They are natural sun lovers and are always at their best in an open position, but can also be planted without fear in partial shade. Oc¬tober is the best time to plant, if possible in fairly large wide-spreading masses. An annual mulch of well decayed manure will be greatly appreciated and will help to maintain soil fertility. Adonis festivalis is also best suited by an open sunny position and a moderately rich, well-firmed soil. If the seedlings are rigorously thinned and spent blooms are regularly removed during the summer months, it will bloom prodigiously.
The perennials may be in¬creased by means of seeds sown in a shady outdoor border in March. As soon as they are large enough to handle the seedlings can be pricked out 3 inches apart each way in a nursery bed, and in autumn they can be planted out in their flowering quarters. The roots can also be divided in October. The annual species should be sown in shallow drills 8 inches apart in the open border where they are to bloom. For early flowering a sowing can also be made in September.
The Aethionemas are perennial rock plants popularly known as Candy Mustards or Lebanon Candytufts, are low - growing evergreen plants with almost woody shoots. They make excel¬lent specimens for the rock garden or for plant¬ing in crevices in dry walls.
A warm sunny place suits the Aethionemas best, and they should be planted in well-drained rather light soil. A compost of three parts loam and one part each peat moss litter, sharp sand, and limestone chippings suits them well. Young plants should al¬ways be purchased in small pots, as they do not transplant readily from the open ground. They can then be planted at almost any time of the year, though spring is undoubtedly the best season. The only pruning that is necessary is to cut off the faded flower spikes, unless seed is required for propaga¬tion, in which case one or two spikes may be allowed to remain.
To propagate, seed, if fresh, germinates very readily. It should be sown in March in well-drained pans filled with sandy compost, germination being effected in a cold frame. Alternatively, seed may be sown about a month later in a finely prepared bed of sandy-soil outdoors. Cuttings a couple of inches in length prepared from firm young growth and trimmed just below a joint will soon form roots if inserted in a cold frame filled with sandy soil. July and August are suitable months for obtaining cuttings. Another method is to root rather younger cuttings in pure sand in a frame with gentle bottom heat, in which case it will be necessary to water freely until rooting takes place.
