Flowering Plants

Clivia

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Clivia minima is a greenhouse evergreen which was first introduced to Great Britain in 1823 from South Africa. Formerly it was called Imantophyllum, but in around 1866, when a new classification was introduced, it was re-named Clivia, after Charlotte, Duchess of Northumberland, nee G i v e , who is said to have been the first to flower the plant in England. It has the common names Kaffir or Caffre lily and Natal lily, which no doubt were used when it bore its former name, but the use of these has died out now: that it has such a simple generic name.

It has very fleshy roots and strap-like leaves of which when it is growing well, it will produce four to six new ones during the growing season. It flowers in the spring.

Clivias are not difficult to raise from seed, and once you have a plant propagation of further plants can be carrried out by means of offshoots, which frequently form on flowering size plants. The only drawback to raising your plants from seed is that you will have to wait three or four years before you see it flower. On the other hand flowering-size plants are expensive. In my ignorance of the length of time it takes the plant to flower, I bought a packet of seeds in 1956 for three shillings. It contained three seeds which I sowed on 9 April 1956, and all three germinated. It was four years before the first plant flowered, but the tremendous pleasure it gave me was worth all the time I had waited. I still have three clivias which have been propagated from time to time from these original plants. It is necessary to discard plants after a number of years, because they would require very large pots or tubs and take up too much room in the greenhouse.

CULTIVATION SMITHIANTHA

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The time to start the tubers into growth is late winter or early spring, but the point to bear in mind is that a temperature of 6 5 ° F (18°C) is initially required, and when the shoots appear a minimum temperature of 55°F (13°C) is needed for growth to continue. Tubers started in late winter will usually bloom in late summer and early autumn. Tubers started in spring will bloom in autumn. If you do not have the facilities to maintain a minimum temperature of 5 5 ° F (I3°C) during early spring it is better to delay potting until mid-spring so that the shoots do not appear until the weather is warmer.

Make sure the compost is moist but not wet and do not water until absolutely necessary, as too much moisture at this stage before any appreciable root growth has occurred can result in tuber rotting. Place the pots in a temperature of 6 5 ° F ( 1 8 ° C ) until shoots appear, after which the plants can be moved to a slightly cooler place. A temperature of 6 0 °F (15°C) is ideal.

The tuber should be placed on its side in the compost about in (13 mm) below the surface, using JI potting compost No.2 or compost E6. Pot four tubers in a 5 or 6-in (12.5 or 15-cm) half-pot, which is quite adequate for the root run, and gives a better balance of pot to flower.

Apart from watering as required, the plants do not require any further attention until they have flowered. When grown in a greenhouse they should be given light shading in the late spring and summer months. When the plants have finished flowering, they should be allowed to dry off gradually until the leaves begin to wither away, at which stage withhold water altogether, and allow the compost in the pots to become completely dry. The pots can be stored under the bench in the greenhouse (providing you can maintain a minimum temperature of 4 5 ° F / 7 °C on average), laying each pot on its side.

The tubers will not come to any harm with an occasional short spell at 4 0 ° F (4°C) if the pots are bone dry, but should not be kept in temperatures below 4 5 ° F (7°C) for weeks on end. At the end of the winter knock the soil out of the pots and carefully sort out the tubers, which should then be started into growth as already described.

CULTIVATION PRIMULA

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Primulas are grown from seed sown in well-drained pots using JI seed compost or a soilless sowing compost. The seeds are very fine and should be sown on the surface, after which tap the pots lightly on a solid surface, so that the seeds settle into the compost. Do not shade the seed pans but leave exposed to the light, but not direct sunlight, covering with a sheet of glass or a plastic bag.

As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle they should be pricked out into boxes, if you are growing a fair number, or alternatively into 3-in (7.5-cm) pots, using JI No.2 or equivalent. At this stage it is most important to ensure that the seedlings are planted at the correct height, i.e. the crown of the plant should be level with the surface of the soil. If the crown is below the surface the plant will rot, and if above the surface it will not stand upright. The crown is the junction of the leaves with the stem. When the small pots are well-rooted, pot into 4-in (10-cm) or 4'/2-in (11-cm) pots, or if you have pricked out into boxes, transfer first of all to З'/г-in (8.5-cm) and later to 4'/2-in (11-cm) pots. For this final potting use JI No.2 or compost E6.

The sowing and potting culture already described applies to all six of the primulas with which we are concerned, but the growth requirements differ slightly, and at this stage it is necessary to differentiate. P. nialamides, P. kewensis and P. sinensis are best sown from early to late spring; P. obconica from late winter to mid-spring; and polyanthus and primroses late spring to early summer. All the primulas should be kept in a frame throughout the summer, and shaded from direct sunlight. At the beginning of autumn remove from the frame into the cool section of the greenhouse at first, until the weather becomes colder, then move P. obconica, P. kewensis and P. malacoides into the warmer section, where an average temperature of 45°F (7°C) is maintained. A drop to 4 0 - 4 2 ° F ( 4 - 5 ° C ) on very cold nights will not damage the plants. On the other hand P. sinensis requires a higher temperature, about 5 0 - 5 5 ° F ( 1 0 - 13°C). Polyanthus and primrose plants are kept in the cool section throughout the winter, as they are both hardy plants and will in fact stand frost.

Primulas are very useful plants for house decoration because not only are they attractive and colourful, but they flower from late winter to spring, a period during which flowering pot plants are not easy to find.

P. obconica will flower for months, but unfortunately has the disadvantage that it causes a skin rash to people who are allergic to the chemical secreted in the hairs on the underside of its leaves, and if you are one of these people always wear gloves when handling the plant.

A l l these primulas are treated as annuals and the greenhouse varieties are scrapped after flowering, but the polyanthus and primrose can be planted in the garden where they should bloom for years.

CULTIVATION LANTANA

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The best way to start with lantanas is to buy a plant, which will usually have been raised from a cutting taken the previous year. If the plant consists mainly of new green growth it will have been a summer cutting, but if the growth is woody it will be a cutting from the previous spring.

If necessary shorten the shoots back to two pairs of leaves, assuming that your purchase has been made in spring, to give the plant a good shape and to make it bushy. Lantanas have a tendency to make straggly growth, and any weak growths are better removed altogether. The pruning of the plant is most important if you wish to produce a well-balanced attractive flowering plant, and if it is done in late spring you will be rewarded with more prolific flowering in summer.

Lantanas are propagated by cuttings which are taken in the spring or autumn. They are taken in the usual way by cutting immediately below a node about 3 - 4 in ( 7 . 5 - 10 cm) from the growing tip. Remove all the leaves except the top pair and root in a suitable cutting compost using a hormone rooting powder to ensure success. Cover with a plastic dome or a polythene bag for about two weeks, and when it can be seen that the cuttings have made some top growth they should be potted in 3'/2-in (9-cm) pots in compost E6 or JI No.2.

CULTIVATION OF KALANCHOE

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Kalanchoes are grown from seed and can be raised quite easily; and should you wish to retain a particular plant it is possible to take cuttings, which are not particularly difficult to root. Sow seed in spring in any type of sowing compost, covering the seed very lightly, in a temperature of 6 0 - 6 5 ° F ( 1 5 - 18°C) and enclose in a plastic bag or cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass, and remove these coverings at the first signs of germination. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, pot in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots; they are slow-growing plants and this size of pot will probably suffice until the end of the summer or even the following spring. Dwarf varieties never require more than a З'/г-in (9-cm) pot and will grow for two years in this size, after which it is usually better to discard them.

Cuttings can be taken during the summer months. If left in the cutting medium for six to seven weeks, they should be well rooted and ready for potting in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots.

For cuttings, select strong shoots about 2 in (5 cm) long, and cut below a node. Remove all the leaves except the top five, and, after dipping in a hormone rooting powder, insert about Чг in (13 mm) deep in a cutting compost. Keep the cuttings enclosed inside a plastic dome or a plastic bag for about three weeks and then expose them to the air for another three or four weeks before potting.

Kalanchoes tend to grow a single stem, and to obtain bushy plants it is necessary to stop the growth by removing the tip of the stem. This should not be done until the cuttings have made at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of growth. Side shoots will appear in due course, and when these have made sufficient growth remove the growing points of these as well. If you only wish to grow a few kalanchoes it is probably better to buy the plants and propagate your requirements by cuttings, which are very easily raised, rather than grow them from seed, particularly as it takes about eighteen months to grow a good flowering plant.

Kalanchoes require a minimum temperature of 45°F (7°C) during the winter but they w i l l not thrive if kept at this temperature. To make satisfactory growth they require a temperature of 6 0 - 6 5 ° F ( 1 5 - 18°C); consequently they need to be kept in a propagator in the greenhouse if they are to flower satisfactorily during the winter months. Once they have been brought into flower they can be put in a cooler temperature to retard growth and prolong the flowering period.

ZONAL PELARGONIUM SORGERANIUMS

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P. hortorum

By 1860 hybridists were producing hybrids which could be said to be the forerunners of the modern geranium. A race of double flowers was produced in 1864 by the famous breeder Victor Lemoine, in his nursery at Nancy, which was the result of a sport. By 1869 Lemoine was listing 70 varieties of doubleflowered geraniums. In 1871 a considerable cash prize was offered for the first double white, which gives some idea of the interest and the demand for geranium varieties. The most famous of all was raised by Monsieur Crampel at his geranium nursery at Nancy. Realising he had raised a plant of considerable commercial value, he commenced propagating a large stock from cuttings, without allowing any of the plants to bloom, thus keeping secret the beauty of this new variety and reducing the possibility of theft. When he had filled several greenhouses and was ready to market the plant, it was allowed to bloom and introduced to the public in 1903. The plants were sold at over £1 each. At the time the red-flowered ' H e n r y Jacoby' was the most popular variety and Covent Garden was, as often, rather conservative, with the result that it was a few years before 'Paul СгатреГ took pride of place, but eventually by 1910 it was recognised as the finest geranium in the world and has remained popular even to this day, despite the many superior cultivars which have since been raised.

CINERARIA part 2

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Seed sown in spring, as described, should produce plants which have been potted into their final pots by mid-summer and these will bloom from the beginning of autumn onw-ards. Plants from the same sowing do not all bloom at the same time, and if you grow, say, a dozen plants from a spring sowing, they will probably cover a period of about three months, i.e. from the end of the summer until early winter. Seed can be sown any time between mid-spring and early summer inclusive; consequently, by sowing at different times, plants can be had in flower throughout the autumn and winter months.

Cinerarias can be grown in soilless compost, but in my experience they grow better in compost E6. Having large leaves, they require frequent watering in hot sunny weather and should always be shaded from direct sunlight. Even so, the leaves will nearly always flag during the heat of the day despite the compost being well watered, but in the cool of the evening they will recover and will be none the worse. It is, however, better to grow the plants outside in the summer, as soon as all danger of frost has passed. Any situation where the light is good, but out of the direct rays of the sun, is suitable. Before the end of the summer the plants should be taken indoors or preferably into a greenhouse.

As the plants make considerable growth in their growing period, feeding should commence after the plants have been in their final pots for some four or five weeks.

Cinerarias tend to attract greenfly and whitefiy in the summer months so, from time to time, inspect the undersides of the leaves and spray with a suitable insecticide if it is necessary. After the plants have finished flowering they should be discarded as they do not make satisfactory flowering plants in the second year.

FUCHSIA - part 2

2009-12-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

It would seem that James Lee was informed by one of his customers that they had seen a very pretty and unusual plant in the window of a cottage in Wapping. His curiosity aroused, he went to see for himself and when he saw the plant he quickly realised the commercial value, and was consequently keen to acquire it. The woman who owned it was, however, reluctant to part with it because it had a sentimental value for her, having been brought home to her from South America by her sailor son (some versions of this story say it was her husband). However, terms were agreed; here again versions vary, as some say James Lee gave her all the money in his pocket, about eight guineas, and others that he came back the next day and kept increasing his offer until she finally accepted a price of eighty guineas, but this latter version would appear less likely. One thing is certain and that is that she would not part with it until he agreed to let her have the first two cuttings. By 1790 James Lee had raised 300 plants from the original fuchsia, and these he sold for one guinea each. It is not recorded which species it was.

The first known record of a hybrid was in 1832, being a cross between F. coccinea and F. magellanica, after which many hybrids were raised. Towards the end of the nineteenth century there were 1,500 or so named varieties, but, like many plants, hundreds of these were lost during the two world wars, and nowadays it is doubtful if a third of these old varieties still exist, despite the fact that varieties have kept turning up, from many amateur growers, which have been passed on from one grower to another. As with all groups of popular plants, such as pelargoniums and chrysanthemums, many new varieties have been bred during the past thirty years, and the modern hybrids are usually superior to the old ones. There are two main groups of fuchsias: hardy fuchsias, which are grown as permanent bushes in the garden, and greenhouse fuchsias which are grown in pots and need protection in the colder months, as they are not frost-hardy. As we are only dealing with greenhouse and house plants, it is the cultivation of

the latter group which is described.

CHRISTMAS CACTUS

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Originally this species was known as Epiphyllum truncatum, and in the nineteenth-century gardening books it was always referred to by this name. Later the name was changed to Zygocactus truncatus, commonly known as the Christmas cactus, because it will flower naturally at Christmas (in the northern hemispere), given the right conditions. According to modern classification the species is now called Schlumbergera truncata, but as with many species which are widely known under a name which has been well established, it is easy enough to change the name but very difficult to get the majority of gardeners to use the new nomenclature, and consequently most gardeners still refer to the Christmas cactus by its old name of Zygocactus truncatus.

The species is a native of Brazil, but nowadays all the plants offered for sale are hybrids. Much hybridising took place in the nineteenth century and plants were usually sold as named varieties in quite a wide range of colours, such as deep rose, reddishorange, purple, and whites with coloured edges (e.g. white edged with rose, white with purple margin). Today, plants are not usually offered in named varieties and mostly only red shades are available. The Christmas and Easter cacti do not have true leaves. The leaf-like portions are really flattened stems and, as the plants grow larger, they gradually become cylindrical.

As plants grown from seed take some four to eight years to reach flowering size it is usual to buy plants already in flower which w i l l , of course, be during the winter. During the winter months plants will require a minimum temperature of 35°F (2°C) to survive, but to maintain growth require 5 5 - 6 5 °F ( 1 3 - 1 8 ° C ) .

The flowering period is during early and midwinter, after which the plants should be kept watered until late summer. During this period feed the plant with a weak liquid fertiliser, and in the summer months it is best to keep the plants outside but protected from the direct rays of the sun. The plant makes growth at the tip of each segment or pad, and as the stems grow longer they tend to droop; therefore it should be staked at an early age to encourage a more upright growth.

Watering of the plants should be discontinued at the beginning of autumn and the plants kept on the dry side until flowering buds appear, when watering should be recommenced. The purpose of withholding water is to allow the plants to rest; and it also seems to stimulate the initiation of flower buds. Bring the plants indoors at the end of the summer but keep them in a cool place until the buds are well-formed, when they should then be given warmer conditions - minimum 60°F(15°C).

The best time to repot is shortly after the plant has flowered, using a soilless compost suitable for ericaceous plants, because schlumbergeras like an acid compost. Repotting is usually only necessary every other year and the plant should be left undisturbed unless it is pot-bound. Always use the smallest size of pot possible.

This is also the best time to take cuttings. Sever the top three segments at the end of a branch, and insert Уг in (13 mm) deep in moist peat, covering the pot with a plastic dome or bag until the cutting has rooted, which should be in about three to four weeks. Allow the cuttings to dry for two or three days before inserting in the rooting medium, otherwise they tend to rot.

Rlupsalidopsts gaerineri, the Easter Cactus, with its bright red flowers, will bloom freely in the house.

CINERARIA

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Cinerarias have been very popular plants since early Victorian times and during the latter part of the nineteenth century, when many professional gardeners were engaged in raising new and improved cultivars or hybrids, there were many named varieties offered by nurserymen. It is not surprising that they have always been popular plants because not only are they attractive and colourful flowering plants, but with careful planning they can be flowered from autumn to spring; also, in a cool atmosphere of say 45 - 55 ° F ( 7 - 13°C), some varieties will remain in flower for six to eight weeks.

Although they are perennials, cinerarias are usually treated as annuals and are grown from seed each year, the plants being discarded after flowering. Most seed growers or merchants offer their own strains, which are usually mixed colours, and these vary from dwarf plants, about 10 in (25 cm) in height, to large plants, 18 in (45 cm) tall. It is, however, not so much the height as the width which makes the plant large, because the taller varieties have large leaves and well-grown plants measure about 2 ft (60 cm) in diameter, taking up a considerable amount of room on the greenhouse bench. Unless you have a lot. of room to spare it is better to grow the largeflowered dwarf varieties, which are in any case more useful for house decoration.

Sow the seed in either a soilless compost or in seed compost covering lightly with a fine layer of the compost or fine sand. Cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass or enclose it in a plastic bag. Seed sown in mid-spring should be kept in a temperature of about 60-65°F (15 - 18 °C) and germination should take about seven days, in which case a fortnight after sowing the seedlings should be ready for pricking out into trays using compost E6.

In a further three to four weeks the seedlings should be ready for potting into 3-in (7.5-cm) pots and when these are well rooted in mid-summer pot on into АЧг or 5-in (11.5 or 13-cm) pots, depending on the size of the plant.

EPIPHYLLUMS

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These are much larger plants than the foregoing and the flowers they produce are much larger and more showy. The plants offered for sale are hybrids between the various species, in particular Epiphyllum ackermannii, which comes from Mexico, Central America and South America. The natural flowering time of the epiphyllum is early summer; consequently you will probably purchase a plant at this time. After flowering the plant is best kept in a shady spot, in a good light. At the end of the summer bring the plant indoors or into the greenhouse. Water normally from the flowering period until the end of autumn, and then withhold water to give the plants a resting period, until the first signs of the flower buds, which should be some time in early spring. Do not allow the compost to dry out completely, but water very sparingly and keep it well on the dry side. During this resting period the plants should be kept in a cool atmosphere, at about 4 5 - 5 0 ° F ( 7 - 10°C). As soon as pot is full of roots. Use the smallest size of pot compatible with the root system and only transfer to a larger pot when necessary.

The propagation of epiphyllums is by cuttings, because like the Christmas cactus it takes four to eight years for plants to flower when grown from seed. Select a healthy terminal growth of the leaf-like stems and remove the top 5 - 6 in (13-15 cm), making a the flower buds are visible put the plants in a warmer temperature, minimum 6 0 ° F (15°C), and commence watering again. Feed every two weeks with a high potash fertiliser until the first flowers open. Repotting, if necessary, should be carried out shortly after the plants have finished flowering, using soilless compost of the type suitable for ericaceous plants, because epiphyllums require an acid compost free from lime. Do not repot plants before they are pot-bound, as an epiphyllum flowers best when its clean cut with a knife. Allow the cutting to dry off for two or three days and then push the cut end into moist peat, % in (13 mm) deep, and support it with a thin stake. Cover the pot with a plastic dome or enclose in a plastic bag for two or three weeks and keep in a minimum temperature of 6 0 ° F (15°C) until it is well rooted when it should be potted in the compost in a 2'/2-in (6-cm) or 3-in (9-cm) pot. The growth of epiphyllums is much more erect than the Christmas cactus and plants should be kept staked from the time of taking the cutting, to encourage the plant to remain erect; otherwise it tends to sprawl, owing to the weight of the young stems. Plants can be grown on for years. The flowers of epiphyllums are usually shades of red, but there are also hybrids with flowers in white, pink, cream and purple or mauve.

If you grow epiphyllums in the house, on a windowledge, it is advisable to avoid moving them once the flower buds have formed, because the buds are drawn towards the light. If a plant is turned the buds will obviously have to change direction and this weakens them to the extent that you get quite a number of buds dropping off the plant. This does not apply in the greenhouse because there is sufficient light all round the plant. Once all the buds have opened into flowers the plant can be moved without detriment. The same remarks apply to the Christmas cactus and the Easter cactus.

CAMPANULA

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FAMILY CAMPANULACEAE

Until quite recently Campanula isophylla, commonly known as Star of Bethlehem, was always propagated by cuttings, when grown by amateur gardeners, but a new variety called 'KristaP is now available which can be grown from seed. Campanula isophylla has a trailing habit, and unless it is being grown in a hanging basket it needs support.

Sow seed in early spring, heat 60 - 65 ° F (15 - 18°C), in soilless compost and keep covered by glass or in a polythene bag until seedlings begin to appear, then expose to full light but not sunshine. Prick out into 2-in (5-cm) pots as soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle. When the plants are ready to be potted on, use a 4'/2-in (11-cm) pot, potting two or three plants to each pot, in compost E6 or equivalent. As the plants grow, give them any support which may be necessary to give the effect you desire. There are many different types of support available.

Campanula isophylla is a cool-house plant and enjoys outside conditions in the summer more than the conditions in a greenhouse or a house; therefore it should be put in the coolest place available in the house which is compatible with its light requirements (bright light shaded from direct sunlight). Do not allow the compost to dry out, but on the other hand do not overwater. Ideal temperatures are 60 - 65 ° F ( 15 - 18 ° C ) during the summer, and 40 - 45 ° F ( 5 - 7 ° C ) during the winter when the plants are resting, keeping the compost on the dry side, not too moist and not too dry.

Plants can be grown on year after year and new plants can easily be raised from cuttings, which should be taken when the plants have made some newgrowth in the spring. Take tip cuttings, 2 in (5 cm) long, with three or four pairs of leaves, the stem being cut below a node. Remove the lowest pair of leaves, dip the stem in a hormone rooting powder and insert about '/2 in (13 mm) deep into the cutting compost. Keep the cuttings enclosed until some new growth is observed, when they can be left uncovered until they are ready to be potted.

EASTER CACTUS

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This species was originally known as Schlumbergera gaenneri, but its new name is Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri. The plants offered for sale are, of course, hybrids which have been developed from the species. The flowers which appear on the tips of the stems are various shades of red ranging from pink to crimson. The plants, in form, are similar to the Christmas cactus, having leaf-like stems which tend to droop unless supported.

The cultivation of the Easter cactus is the same as for the Christmas cactus, except that the watering and resting periods are at different times. The Easter cactus blooms naturally during late spring, so the rest period, when watering is reduced to a minimum, is during late winter and early spring; otherwise give the plant the same treatment as you would a Christmas cactus.

SMITHIANTHA

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Their natural flowering time is autumn, and, as there are few flowering pot plants sufficiently obliging to produce their flowers during these months, it is a pity that smithianthas are not more well-known and more widely-grown.

Smithianthas are tuberous-rooted plants, and the tubers or rhizomes form at the base of the main stem. The tubers are an elongated cone shape, with a white scaly appearance and usually about Vi - lin (13 - 25 mm) long. Each plant produces an average of some three tubers by the end of the season, and, as each tuber will produce a new plant the following year, you can appreciate that there is no need to propagate by any other means in order to maintain a collection of these plants. Smithianthas can be grown from seed or tubers, but as the latter are usually obtainable it is preferable to buy tubers.

CINERARIA - FAMILY COMPOSITAE

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Although most gardeners refer to these plants as cinerarias their correct name is Senecio. The species Senecio cruetuus comes from the Canary Islands where it grows as a perennial. It was introduced into England about 200 years ago and is the main parent from which today's cineraria hybrids have been raised.

Owing to the fact that cinerarias bloom in the winter and spring months, they have always been very popular plants. An enormous number of hybrids have been raised, which offer such variety in both size of plant and shape of flower that plants are available to meet any grower's requirements. Cinerarias tend to have very large leaves, and if the larger varieties are grown the plants take up far too much room in the frame and greenhouse. For house decoration it is better to grow the dwarf or compact plants.

In appearance a cineraria in flower looks rather like a bouquet of daisy-type flowers surrounded by bright green leaves. The colour range of the flowers is enormous and includes many different shades of reds, pinks, maroons, blues, orange and white in selfcolours and bi-colours. There is also a variety with star-like flowers.

SAINTPAULIA part 2

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Although these plants are called African violets, there are varieties with flowers in different shades of pink and red as well as violets and blues; there is also a white variety. In addition there are cultivars which have flowers with white-edged petals, and bicolours blue and white. There is also a considerable variation in the flowers themselves, including single flowers, double flowers, plain-edged petals, frilly-edged petals and so on.

Although many named varieties have been raised, nurserymen do not usually offer plants by name, so when selecting a plant you have to be guided by other considerations. The two main points to look for are thick flower stems, as this usually means that the plant will be floriferous, and dark green leaves. One of the many causes of losses when growing African violets is the plant rotting, and plants with light green leaves are more likely to suffer from this complaint.

ZONAL PELARGONIUM SORGERANIUMS

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P. hortorum
By 1860 hybridists were producing hybrids which could be said to be the forerunners of the modern geranium. A race of double flowers was produced in 1864 by the famous breeder Victor Lemoine, in his nursery at Nancy, which was the result of a sport. By 1869 Lemoine was listing 70 varieties of doubleflowered geraniums. In 1871 a considerable cash prize was offered for the first double white, which gives some idea of the interest and the demand for geranium varieties. The most famous of all, was raised by Monsieur Crampel at his geranium nursery at Nancy. Realising he had raised a plant of considerable commercial value, he commenced propagating a large stock from cuttings, without allowing any of the plants to bloom, thus keeping secret the beauty of this new variety and reducing the possibility of theft. When he had filled several greenhouses and was ready to market the plant, it was allowed to bloom and introduced to the public in 1903. The plants were sold at over £1 each. At the time the red-flowered 'Henry Jacoby' was the most popular variety and Covent Garden was, as often, rather conservative, with the result that it was a few years before 'Paul СгатреГ took pride of place, but eventually by 1910 it was recognised as the finest geranium in the world and has remained popular even to this day, despite the many superior cultivars which have since been raised

KALANCHOE part 2

2009-11-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

Chrysanthemums are another example of short-day plants, and this is why nurserymen are able to offer them in flower, in pots, the whole year round. Kalanchoes are most useful plants because not only are the flowers bright shades of red, and there is also a bright yellow, but they are also very good house plants; in fact, they are undemanding plants and if you forget to water them no harm will be done as they will stand periods of drought.

The genus includes several species of flowering plants and also plants with decorative foliage, but it is the dwarf species Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, a compact plant with bright red flowers, growing to about 12 in (30 cm) in height, and the smaller variety Kalanchoe 'Vulcan', about 9 in (23 cm), with which we are concerned. The variety or cultivar 'Vulcan' is obtainable with bright red or bright yellow flowers. There are other cultivars similar to K. 'Vulcan'. The plants have thick fleshy green leaves which are often tinged with red round the edges. They have a long blooming period of some two to three months. This long flowering period, and the fact that they are such good house plants, makes them suitable for decorative bowls of mixed house plants.

IMPATIENS part 2

2009-11-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

The seeds and plants available today are cultivars, which have been developed by hybridising the species Impatiens hohii, I. suham and /. petersiana. The cultivated Busy Lizzie has been given the specific name Impatiens wallerana. Thus we have /. W. sultani, from which the cultivars with pale green leaves have been produced; /. W. petersiana, giving the cultivars with purplish bronze leaves and red stems; and /. M". sultani variegata giving plants with white-edged leaves and candy-striped flowers. The species are native to Zanzibar and also to tropical East Africa. A comparatively recent development has been the introduction of plants from New Guinea, from which cultivars with variegated foliage and larger flowers have been raised. The Busy Lizzies sold today are mostly cultivars which have a compact bushy growth and a colour range of various shades of red, pink, orange and also a white; in addition there are the striped bicolours, such as red striped with white.

HYDRANGEA - part 2

2009-11-16T00:35:00.000-08:00

Nurserymen usually force hydrangeas into flower in the spring and this is the best time to buy plants, which are usually available with flowers in shades of pink, red, white and blue. The pink-flowered varieties range from light pink to deep rose; and these can be changed into blue flowers by treating the soil with a hydrangea 'blueing compound' or aluminium sulphate. The lighter shades of pinks convert to the most attractive shades of blue. Only pinks can be changed to blue, because reds turn a mauvy-purple. It is apparently the absorption of aluminium by the plant which changes the colour from pink to blue; and when the soil is neutral or has a good lime content this seems to prevent the assimilation of aluminium by the plant. Consequently, in order to keep pink shades pure in shade the compost should have a good chalk or lime content. White flowers are unaffected by the acidity or alkalinity of the soil.

CULTIVATION OF STREPTOCARPUS part 2

2009-11-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ideally the plants should be grown in a light airy atmosphere averaging about 65°F (18°C) and lightly shaded from strong sunlight. Given these conditions plants will continue growing the whole year round and will also flower for about three-quarters of the time. The usual procedure, however, is to allow the plants to dry off, after the middle of autumn, and from then onwards they are kept as dry as possible, without being allowed to dry out completely until growth is re-started in the spring. In this dry state plants can be wintered in the greenhouse at temperatures as low as 40-45°F (5-7°C) without harm. Streptocarpus make little or no growth at temperatures below 60°F (15°C) especially when dry; consequently the plants remain in a dormant condition and tend to lose their larger leaves. Once you have raised a batch of plants from seed you can propagate the best plants by means of leaf cuttings. Propagation of plants by leaf cuttings is carried out either by cutting the leaf across into three or four sections and pushing the cut edge of the leaf into the cutting compost about Чг in (13 mm) deep, or by dividing along the central vein and inserting the cut edge of the leaf obliquely to a depth of 1/2 in (13 mm). Plantlets should grow from the bottoms of the sections in about 4 to 6 eeks, and when they have made sufficient root they should be detached and potted in 2 1/2-in (6-cm) pots.

If you wish to keep a continuous stock of streptocarpus it is as well to raise a few new plants each year, either from seed or from cuttings, because although they are perennials plants grown in pots do not usually thrive after the third or fourth year, and even if they do they become too big and require too big a pot to be useful for house decoration. A wellgrown plant will require a 6-in (15-cm) pot in its third or fourth year, after which it will require an even larger pot; therefore plants should be discarded after the fourth year, as a general rule, unless you have some special reason for keeping a plant.

GLENN DALE AZALEAS

2009-11-07T00:03:00.000-08:00

This is a very useful group because it contains some very beautiful varieties, and the blooming period is in late spring/early summer after the Kaempferi hybrids have finished. They were developed in the U S A at the Plant Introduction Centre at Glenn Dale in Maryland under the direction of B.Y. Morrison.

Hybridising began in 1935 and was carried out on a large scale, some 70,000 seedlings being raised. Many different species and hybrids were used, so the plants in this group vary very considerably in growth, including low, medium and tall, upright or spreading. Flowers are usually single, up to 4Уг in (11.5 cm) across, but when pot-grown will usually be less than this. There were a few semi-double and doubleflowered varieties.

The four groups described provide the grower with a wide range of colour and plants, but in addition there are many other azaleas which do not fall into these groups.

As already mentioned very many nurserymen were engaged in raising new hybrids, and quite often were successful in producing notable plants. It was quite a common practice for these to be known by the raiser's name. Such a man was Aart Vuyk, who in the early 1920s succeeded in breeding some beautiful hybrids. Many of his plants were named after famous musicians, such as 'Beethoven', but two of the most attractive were named after the raiser, namely 'Vuyk's Rosy Red' and 'Vuyk's Scarlet'. Both these make excellent pot plants as they are bushy, very slowgrowing and have beautiful big flowers.

Another variety raised in Holland in a similar way, but without the knowledge of the raiser's name, is 'Sakata Red', which is also an asset to any collection. When dealing with such a large class of plants as the evergreen azaleas, it is quite impossible neatly to place all the known hybrids into well-defined groups such as those described. It is quite likely that you will, from time to time, encounter plants such as 'Sakata Red' which are well worth growing, and you would require a very large greenhouse indeed to grow all the beautiful ungrouped azaleas which are available throughout the world.

Cultivation of SOLANUM part 2

2009-11-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

By early summer the plants should be in flower and at this stage it is better to keep them outside, in a position where they are shaded from the midday sun, in the hope that the flowers will be pollinated by the insects, rather than in the greenhouse, where insects are not encouraged. The crop of berries the plant will produce is entirely dependent on how well the flowers are pollinated. While the plants are flowering it is essential that the pots are kept well watered, and not allowed to dry out. The star-shaped flowers are white, and although numerous they are so small that they appear insignificant.

When the berries have developed satisfactorily the plants can then be brought inside the greenhouse which will speed up the growth. The berries when first formed are green in colour and they gradually change through yellow and orange to the ultimate familiar orange-red colour.

Solanums require plenty of light but they last longer if kept in a temperature range of 50 -60°F (10 - 16 ° C) during the autumn and winter months. The best time to buy a plant is in the autumn when it is bearing yellow to red berries and you are able to see how well-laden it is. The following spring, after taking any cuttings you require, the plants should be pruned by cutting back the stems to about half their length; and, as soon as new growth appears, either pot on into a larger size pot or preferably remove the old compost from the roots and repot in new compost.

Azalea Kaempferi

2009-11-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Amongst a batch of Kurume azaleas imported into Holland by a nurseryman called P. M . Koster some time before World War I was a plant of unknown origin. He gave it the name Malvaiica and crossed it with the species Azalea kaempferi and this gave rise to the group called Kaempferi hybrids. Sometimes this group is called Malvatica or Kaempferi x Malvaika but whichever name is used the plants are the same. The plants in this group are similar to the Kurume hybrids but are more upright in growth and not as bushy. The (lowers are in general slightly larger and bloom a week or two later in a similar colour range. They are quite as hardy as Kurume hybrids.

CYCLAMEN

2009-10-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Family Primulaceae

The greenhouse cyclamen of today is descended from the species Cyclamen persicum (syn. C. latifolium) which is found growing wild in Greece, Turkey, Syria, the Aegean Isles, Crete and Cyprus. The species has attractive heart-shaped marbled leaves and fragrant flowers which are small, the petals being narrow and twisted on quite long stems. The colour range is usually white, rose pink and various shades of lilac. There are no bright reds and crimsons. The species exhibits considerable variation in its foliage. It was not until early in the nineteenth century that the cyclamen became popular as a pot plant in this country, but at this time the plants offered by nurserymen had flowers only slightly larger than the wild species.

During the first half of the nineteenth century new plants were brought into Great Britain in everincreasing numbers and nurserymen and amateur growers were constantly striving to improve the species by cross-breeding and improving the growing conditions. It is not uncommon for cultivated plants which are constantly being interbred to develop new characteristics, and in 1870 a new race of cyclamen appeared which had large flowers. There does not seem to be any evidence that this change came about as a result of a breeding programme, and it has been suggested that intense cultivation, using the most suitable composts and ideal growing conditions, may have some bearing in the matter. A change of this kind is usually due to a mutation in the cell by an increase in the number of chromosomes or a change in the gene structure. Well-known examples of this are the Russell lupin and the Spencer sweet pea, and the results are, of course, very much improved forms almost overnight, as it were. This new development naturally stimulated the breeders and by 1875 plants had been produced which could be said to be the forerunners of the modern hybrids. At first only white and crimson shades were available but later a rose pink was raised.

In 1894 the nursery firm of Suttons introduced a salmon pink shade called 'Salmon Queen' and by crossing this with purple shades the brilliant crimsons were produced, but the flowers were rather small compared with today's plants.

CUPHEA

2009-10-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

Commonly known as the Mexican cigar flower, Cuphea ignea is an unusual plant which has a delicate charm. It flowers for a long period of time during the summer months, producing a continuous succession of flowers which are tubular, orange-scarlet in colour, about 1 in (2.5 cm) long, with ash-grey tips; the whole appearance is reminiscent of a miniature cigar. The plant will grow bushy if any straggly growth is checked, by pinching out the growing points, and, fully grown, is about 9-12 in (23 - 30 cm) high. Cupheas can be grown from seed sown in spring, at a temperature of 65-70°F (18-21°C) , when germination should take about 14 to 21 days. Alternatively, unless you are requiring a lot of plants, it is easier to purchase a well-grown plant and propagate as many plants as you require, the following spring.

KURUME AZALEAS

2009-10-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

The plants in this group are so named because they originated from the Kurume region in Japan. Kurume hybrid plants are usually bushy, and as they Kurume Azalea "Hino-Mayo' is a very slow growing evergreen Japanese azalea which will flower in the winter. Are slow-growing make excellent pot plants which can last for 20-30 years before they become too big. They are frost-hardy and are, in fact, usually offered for sale as garden plants, and are readily available as named varieties. The flowers, which on well-grown plants completely cover the plant, are single or hose-in-hose.

CULTIVATION OF STREPTOCARPUS

2009-10-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

The best way of starting a collection of streptocarpus plants is to raise them from seed, which is easily obtainable. Plants can be raised from seed without difficulty, whether you possess a greenhouse or not, because seed can be sown at any time between midwinter and mid-summer. Seed sown in mid-winter in a temperature of 68 - 78°F (20 - 25°C ) should produce flowering plants in summer. Alternatively, seed may be sown in early summer without heat to produce flowering plants for the following year. If you can it is better to sow seeds in mid-winter, because not only will these produce plants which will flower the first year but by the following year they will be much larger plants and will usually provide a continuous mass of flowers from mid-summer until early winter. The seed should be sown on the surface of a soilless seed compost and, either pressed into the compost, or covered very lightly with a fine sand. If you decide to press the seed into the compost, use an implement to which the seeds will not adhere and, after completing the operation, wet the surface slightly with water, by means of a fine spray, which will help to bed the seeds down in the compost. Enclose the seed pan in a plastic bag until the first signs of germination, which should be in 12-14 days if the temperature has been between 68 and 78°F (20-25°C ) .

The seedlings should then be pricked out into 4 1/2-in (11.5-cm) half-pots as soon as they are large enough to handle - the sooner the better - using compost E6. The seedlings are very slow-growing but when they are about three months old should be large enough to pot into 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots in compost E6. Potting on is only necessary when the pots are full of roots, and this will vary from plant to plant, but the size of the top growth is usually a good indication. When the plant has made good leaf growth it is time to look at the root growth. Your plants are not likely to require larger than З 1/2-in (9-cm) pots during the first year, from seed sown in mid-winter to early spring, but the following spring should be ready for potting on into 4 1/2-in (11.5-cm) or 5-in (13-cm) pots. Be guided by the size of the plant and the amount of root growth both for when to pot and for the size of pot to use.

COLEUS

2009-10-25T00:13:00.000-07:00

These plants are cultivated for the beauty of their leaves which occur in many different colours in considerable variety. The strains offered are all varieties of the parent species Coleus blumei which originates in Java. Coleus are perennials but are best treated as annuals, unless you wish to specialise in these plants and grow named varieties which can only be propagated by means of cuttings. They are difficult plants to overwinter because they are sensitive to cold and need a minimum temperature of 55°F (13°C). Cuttings root quite readily and are taken in the usual way from the ends of growing stems and inserted in any suitable cutting compost. It is, however, the plants grown from seed with which we are concerned, and these are offered by seedsmen in several different mixtures or strains. Each strain has its own characteristic which may be shape of leaf, or predominance of colour, such as emphasis on yellow and green shades. A good mixture to start with is one which offers a wide range of colours, sometimes aptly described as a rainbow mixture.

CULTIVATION of BOUGAINVILLEA

2009-10-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

Plants are offered when in flower, during the late spring and summer months. Once the bracts have formed, and coloured, they should remain on the plant until the autumn. During the summer the plant should be kept in a bright light, preferably direct sunlight, when inside the house or outside. On the other hand, if the atmosphere is too dry the bracts are. apt to fall; consequently, if the room is heated, it is advisable to provide the plant with moisture either by spraying it or by standing it on pebbles in a dish of water (or similar means of providing moisture).

When the bracts have faded or fallen, the plant should be put in the greenhouse, keeping the compost on the dry side, but watering sparingly from time to time. A temperature of 45 - 50° F ( 7-10°C) will suffice during the winter.
In spring repot the plant by removing as much of the old compost from the roots as possible (see pelargoniums for the method of doing this) and potting the plant in the same size of pot, if possible, but if it has grown too large for this then use the next larger size. Use compost E6 or JI No.3. At the same time the plant should be pruned. Cut out all the weak growth and reduce the strong growth by about a third.
If plants are repotted every year they do not really require any feeding, but a fortnightly feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser from mid-summer onwards is beneficial for plants which have not been repotted. After potting the plant should be watered, and from then on keep the compost well watered during the growing and flowering season, but do not allow it to get too wet.

BELGIAN INDIAN AZALEAS

2009-10-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

The azaleas in this group are sometimes illustrated and described in gardening books as Azalea simsii or Azalea indica, which is rather misleading because their origin is so complex that they cannot be related to one species. It is less confusing if they are referred to as Indian azalea hybrids. The prefix 'Belgian' is often added because millions of plants are raised in Belgium every year of which about 85 per cent are exported.

This group contains some of the most attractive and beautiful flowers of all the evergreen azaleas, but the plants are not frost-hardy and need the protection of a greenhouse during the cold months of the year. A l l gardeners will be familiar with these plants as they are the azaleas sold by florists. In fact they are sometimes referred to as the 'florist's azalea'.

EXACUM CULTIVATION TIPS

2009-10-22T00:30:00.000-07:00

Family Gentianaceae

Sow the small seeds on the surface of a soilless seed compost and gently tap the pot to settle the seeds into the compost. Then lightly dampen the surface of the compost with a fine spray of water and cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass. Place in a temperature of 60-65°F (15-18°C) and keep covered until germination is evident, then remove the glass and place in a good light, protected from direct sunlight. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, pot in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots, in compost E6, and finally in 4 or 4Vj-in (10 or 11.5-cm) pots, depending on the growth the plant has made.

To make steady growth the plants require a temperature of 60-65°F (15-18°C) and although seed can be sown from late winter to spring, in order to obtain flowering plants the same year it is not advisable to sow earlier than early spring, unless you are able to provide the temperature requirement. Of course, the earlier the seeds are sown, the earlier the plants will bloom and the longer the flowering period, in fact, if seed is sown in summer the plant will bloom the following summer, but you would have to maintain a minimum temperature of 50-55°F (10- 13°C) throughout the winter, and even so you would probably lose a few plants. Seed sown in early spring should produce flowering plants by the middle of summer.

When plants are in bloom, never allow the compost to become too dry, otherwise the flowers will shrivel up and die. As the flowers fade they should be removed to ensure continuity of flowering. Although exacums are perennials they should be treated as greenhouse annuals and discarded after flowering. When a good compost, such as E6, is used, it is not necessary to feed the plants during their short growing season; otherwise start feeding about eight to ten weeks after their final potting.

Cultivation of SOLANUM

2009-10-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

To grow plants from seed sow in mid-winter at 68-78° F (20 -25° C) and provide an adequate temperature of 60-70°F (15-21°C) while the young seedlings are developing.

Propagation by cuttings is carried out in spring, taking stem cuttings about 2- 3 in ( 5 - 7 . 5 cm) long and, after stripping off all but the top three or four leaves, insert the stem of the cutting about in (13 mm) deep in the cutting compost. It is always beneficial to dip the cuttings in a hormone rooting compound as this speeds up the formation of the roots.

When the young plants are growing in the spring they should be kept bushy by pinching out the growing tips from time to time. Whether growing seedlings or cuttings the first potting will be into 3 or ЗУг-in (7.5 or 9-cm) pots followed by a final potting in 4 or 5'/2-in (10 or 14-cm) pots, in both instances using compost E6 or JI potting compost No.2.

STREPTOCARPUS

2009-10-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Family Gesneriaceae
This attractive plant, commonly known as the Cape primrose, is a native of South Africa. There are several species in cultivation of which there are two types: stemless and stemmed. It is the hybrids which have been developed from the stemless species that are grown as pot plants for the house and greenhouse. Of the stemless hybrids there are two main types, namely plants which form only one large leaf, and plants which form several leaves of similar size arranged in the form of a rosette.

The flowers, which are funnel-shaped, flaring out to a five-lobed open mouth, are fairly large and are borne on wiry stems about 10 in (25 cm) high, usually two or three flowers on each stem. The flowers have a wide range of colour in shades of red, blue, lilac purple, pink and white often with a throat veined in a contrasting colour. The modern streptocarpus is a vast improvement on the species and the old varieties, and is a beautiful and most useful flowering pot plant as it has such a long flowering period.

SOLANUM / Solarium capskastrum

2009-10-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Family Solanaceae
Solarium capskastrum, when grown as a pot plant, is a dwarf evergreen shrub about 12- 18 in ( 3 0 - 4 5 cm) in height, which produces most attractive fruit resembling small bright red cherries. It is commonly known as winter cherry, or Christmas cherry. This popular plant for winter decoration is readily obtainable, and as it can be grown on for at least a second year, or alternatively propagated from cuttings, it is not really necessary to grow it from seed.

PELARGIUM

2009-10-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

This sub-genus is the source of the regal pelargoniums. The main parent is thought to be the species Pelargonium cucullatum, with contributions from several other species including: P. angulosum, dark purple with darker streaks (introduced 1724); and P. grandi/lorum, white with red streaks (introduced 1794).

In addition to zonal and regal pelargoniums there are several other groups, the main ones being ivyleaved pelargoniums, scented-leaved, decorative foliage varieties, uniques and miniatures. You could easily fill a greenhouse with a small selection of the many varieties available, but if your purpose is to grow plants to furnish the house throughout the year it is necessary to show restraint and select the groups which will serve this purpose best. The two main groups, which are the zonals and regals, are therefore the obvious choice.

CICONIUM

2009-10-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

It is from this sub-genus that the zonal pelargoniums, commonly called geraniums, are derived. As with many plants which have been raised from a number of different species by cross-breeding over a long period of time, it is impossible to be sure of the parents, w h i c h have been used to produce the many hybrids now in existence. Systematic breeding is a development of the twentieth century and few hybridists kept detailed records in earlier times; but it is traditionally thought that the main parent species used in developing the zonal hybrids were Pelargonium inquinans (introduced in 1714) and Pelargonium zonale (introduced in 1710), but it is more than likely that other species such as P. scandens, P. frutetorum and P. hybridum were also involved.

PELARGONIUMS

2009-10-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Family Geraniaceae

The order Geraniaceae is divided into five tribes, one of which is called Geraniae, which in turn also has five genera, two of which are Geranium and Pelargonium. It is at this point that the reader can become confused by virtue of the fact that gardeners still continue to refer to pelargoniums as geraniums despite botanists changing the name of the genus well over a hundred years ago. We therefore have two very different types of plants both being referred to by the same name, which can obviously create confusion. The true geranium is a herbaceous hardy plant widespread throughout the world, in temperate regions and on mountains in the tropics, a considerable number being native to Great Britain, Europe and North America. On the other hand the pelargonium erroneously, but by common usage, called geranium, is a half-hardy plant found in temperate or subtropical regions of the world.

SMITHIANTHA

2009-10-11T03:28:00.000-07:00

Family Gesneriaceae

Smithianthas are very attractive plants with ornamental leaves, which have a velvety texture

mainly green in colour with brown markings along the veins, above which the flower spikes rise to a height of some 1 2 - 18 in ( 3 0 - 4 5 cm) The tubular bell-shaped flowers, which hang down

on short stalks all round the main stems, are bright shades of pink, orange, red and yellow. The inside of the (lower is a ditferent colour from the outside and is delicately patterned or mottled, so that you may have, say, a red flower with a speckled orange interior, and the overall effect is most attractive. It is the flowers which give the plant the common name of temple bells. The genus was named after a Matilda Smith, who was a botanical artist attached to Kew Gardens.

Smithianthas are closely related to gesnerias and their correct nomenclature has been somewhat confused. They used to be known as naegelias and some nurserymen still offer then under this name. Their native habitat is Mexico. Only the hybrids are grown nowadays, and these are usually offered as mixed colours, but at one time there were named varieties available.

AGAPANTHUS

2009-10-09T02:56:00.000-07:00

FAMILY LILIACEAE

Agapanthus africanus, sometimes known as the African lily, is a cool greenhouse perennial with a fleshy tuberous root. It was introduced from Cape Province, South Africa, to Europe in the seventeenth century. It is of compact habit, with graceful strapshaped leaves similar to a hippeastrum. From these a stem grows to a height of some 18-30 in (45- 75 cm), bearing a large round flower head or umbel made up of pale blue tubular florets. There is also a white variety.

Pot the tuberous root about 6 in (15 cm) deep in a 7-in (17.5-cm) pot in compost E6 or JI No.2 in early spring. Water the pot and until growth appears water sparingly, after which put the pot on the automatic watering bench until the end of spring, then put the plant outside in a sunny position. If the plant is left in the greenhouse during the summer it is likely that the flowering stem will become elongated. Although these plants will stand full sunshine, they do not require a hot atmosphere. The blooming period is usually during summer. Cease watering at the end of the summer and keep the compost completely dry from autumn until the following spring when the plant can be started into growth merely by watering it. No artificial heat is required as the normal unheated greenhouse temperatures at this time of the year are quite high enough during the day to bring the plant into growth. Agapanthus are quite hardy and only require a frost-proof storage in the winter months when dormant. Repot plants every three or four years, at which time you can increase your stock by root division.

PRIMULA

2009-10-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

Family Primulaceae
There are some 500 species in the genus Primula of which P. obconica, P. sinensis and P. malacoides are the most important for pot culture. Of lesser importance but useful as pot plants are primroses (P. vulgaris), polyanthus (P. vulgaris elarior) and P. kewensis. Primula malacoides was introduced into Great Britain in 1905 by George Forrest. The first introductions were a wishy-washy mauve pink, with small flowers and spindly growth, frail of habit, and with a deplorable tendency to rot at the crown of the plant at the slightest overwatering. However, discerning nurserymen saw the possibilities inherent in the plant, and by a careful selection and breeding programme transformed the original species to a remarkable degree. By 1912 several hybrids possessing white and double flowers were recorded and two years later a very vigorous form with deep pink flowers was introduced. The hybrids available today are obtainable in pure white mauve, various shades of pink and deep red.

Primula obconica was introduced from China in 1880, where it was found in the Ichang gorge in 1879 by Charles Maries. The hybrids which have been raised from the original species are available in white, blue, salmon and crimson shades. Primula sinensis, sometimes called the Chinese primula, was introduced from Canton, China, in 1820, but it was not until 1909 that large-flowered hybrids appeared.

Primula kewensis is not a true species but a hybrid which was produced by chance in the greenhouses of Kew Gardens in 1898. As will be appreciated from the descriptions already given, much breeding of primulas took place during the first half of this century, and many of the hybrids raised were offered as named varieties. Nowadays, as with many other plants, the seedsmen offer packets of mixed colours, but some do still offer named varieties of P. obconica and P. malacoides.

REGAL PELARGONIUMS

2009-10-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

Pelargonium x domesticum

The regal pelargonium, as we know it today with its ruffling of the petal, giving it the impression of being a double flower, was not developed until 1877. These pelargoniums are the most important of the genus, offering a much wider variety of colouring and form, and they make outstanding pot plants. For beddingout purposes, however, they do not possess the virtues of the zonal pelargoniums. Older varieties tend to have a much shorter flowering season than the zonals, which flower continuously throughout the summer months, but in recent years new varieties have been raised which flower almost continuously in the summer. In the USA regals are also known as 'Lady Washingtons' or 'Martha Washingtons' and in Germany as 'Edel-pelargoniums'. Many of the regal and zonal pelargoniums grown at the turn of the century are still available today.

KALANCHOE

2009-10-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

Family Crassulaceae

This plant has become very popular in recent years, largely because it is possible to induce it to bloom for most of the year. Kalanchoes are short-day plants, which means that they will only flower when they have experienced a period of short days. Their natural time for blooming is from mid-winter to mid-spring, but, if their exposure to daylight is restricted to a maximum of ten hours daylight with fourteen hours darkness in each twenty-four hour period, in about two to three months they w i l l come into bloom. There is not much point in inducing kalanchoes to

flower during the summer months, but they are very useful for the autumn and early winter when flowering pot plants are scarce.

To induce flowering during this period, plants should be restricted to eight to ten hours daylight in each calendar day by covering the plants with black paper or any material which ensures that the plants are in complete darkness. Three months after this treatment begins the plants should commence blooming, so if you wish to have plants in bloom at the beginning of autumn you commence covering the plants in mid-summer.

Saintpaulia

2009-10-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

Family Gesneriaceae

Sainipaulia ionamhe is named after Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire, who found the species growing in East Africa, in 1893, when he was the District Governor of the former German Colony there. This is a plant which is nearly always referred to by its common name of African violet, and it is so well known that it is not really necessary to describe it.

African violets can be grown from seed but it is better to buy plants as, by this means, you can select plants in flower, choosing the flowers which have the greatest appeal to you. Plants grown from seed may not produce flowers which give you the same pleasure, and could prove disappointing, so if you only intend to grow a few plants, it is better to purchase plants in flower and propagate your further requirements by means of leaf cuttings.

HYACINTHUS

2009-10-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

FAMILY LILIACEAE
The Dutch hyacinth is one of the best known, and widely grown, spring bulbs; everyone with any interest in pot plants must have grown one at one time or another. The species was being grown in Europe as early as the sixteenth century, and found
particular favour in the Netherlands, with the result that the Dutch became specialists in the growing and raising of new varieties, and a large nursery industry became established, which flourishes to this day.

The cultivation of Dutch hyacinths is comparatively simple, but there are one or two important points to watch if you wish to ensure that your efforts meet with success. The usual time to start the bulbs into growth is autumn for flowering sometime during the period mid-winter to early spring. You can buy Christmas-flowering hyacinths, which are bulbs that have been specially treated, and these should be potted in late summer. It is important not to mix different colours, of which there is quite a wide range mostly in shades of reds and blues. When potting two or more bulbs together in the same bowl, make sure the bulbs are all the same variety and, if possible, all the same size. The purpose of this is to produce a bowl of hyacinth
with flowers all in bloom at the same time. You have a wide choice of composts, none of which is better than another, but if you wish to grow hyacinths in bowls without any drainage holes it is better to use either bulb fibre or a soilless compost.
Alternatively you can grow the bulb in water, for which purpose special glass vases are made. A good method to use for potting hyacinths is to put a layer of compost in the container, then place the bulbs on this, as far apart as the container will allow. Ensure that there is space between the bulbs and that they are not touching each other, then press compost down around the bulbs, leaving about Уг in (13 mm) of the tip of the bulb above the compost. Give the compost a good watering and allow the surplus water to drain away. When planting in bowls, the way to do this is to hold the bowl at the steepest angle that the contents will allow without spilling out of the bowl; this causes the excess water to appear at the end of the bowl. When watering hyacinths in bowls, which do not have any drainage holes, it is rather difficult to know whether you have overwatered, and you should use this method to check.

LANTANA

2009-10-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

Family Verbenaceae

The species are mainly of South American origin and are of interest only as the parents of the hybrid varieties which are vastly superior. The principal species used in raising the hybrids were Lantana camara which occurs with yellow, red or violet flowers, L. nivea (white) and L. trifolia (red). /.. camara grows wild on all the islands of the Dutch East Indies, as well as tropical South America, where infusion from the leaves is used as a tonic and a stimulant. It has the common name Surinam tea plant. Lantanas are half-hardy evergreen shrubby plants and in warm countries are often used as hedges. In the 1960s there was a lantana hedge round the swimming pool of the Nile Hilton Hotel in Cairo, which may still be there, and lantanas were also used as a screen round the garden of a cafe at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.

The species already mentioned are upright in growth and bloom in the summer months, but there is another species, L. sellozviana, which has a trailing habit. It has lilac flowers and is more likely to bloom in the winter. At one time there were many named varieties of lantana such as 'Chelsea Gem-pink', 'Favourite' (yellow and red), and 'Cloth of Gold' (yellow), but nowadays plants are usually offered merely under colour of flower descriptions.

HYDRANGEA

2009-10-01T01:12:00.001-07:00

Family Hydrangeaceae; formerly Saxifragaceae

The common hydrangea with its large mop head, so often seen growing in parks and gardens and offered by florists as a pot plant, is of hybrid origin, mainlyderived from Hydrangea macrophylla, which is a species of Japanese origin. There are two types of hybrids in the group, namely lace caps and hortensia hybrids.

The variety known as 'Blue Wave' is a good example of the Lace Caps, which have dense heads with only a few outer florets showing the petals. The hortensia types have large round heads of sterile flowers with large petals which are fully open over the whole flower head.

IMPATIENS

2009-09-30T03:39:00.001-07:00

Family Balsaminaceae

Known much more widely by its common name 'Busy Lizzie, this plant has become very popular in the last 20 years and possibly now rivals the geranium as a window-ledge plant. It is not a difficult plant to grow and has the virtue that, given the right conditions, it will bloom almost the whole year round.

EXACUM / Family Gentianaceae

2009-09-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

The species Exacum a/fine was only introduced to Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was found growing on the island of Socotra, which is situated at the entrance of the Gulf of Aden. The cultivar Exacum offline 'Midget' is the variety usually offered for sale by seedsmen, and it is a more compact plant than the species, growing to about 9 in (23 cm) in height. The plants are naturally bushy, and when in flower are covered all over with small fragrant mauve or lavender-blue flowers, with a cluster of golden anthers in the centre. The flowers are saucershaped and usually 6 - 1 3 mm across. Plants are freely available and should be bought when the first flowers are beginning to open; they should then give a continuity of bloom for two or three months. However, exacums are very easy to grow from seed and if you require several plants it is more economical to grow your own.

GLOXINIA - SINNINGIA

2009-09-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Family Gesneriaceae
William Lobb, a plant collector employed by the famous Veitch Nurseries, introduced the first gloxinia to England. The correct Latin name for the species is Sinningia, named after a German horticulturist W. Sinning (1794- 1874) who was the Curator of the Botanical Garden in Bonn. Sinningia speciosa, which comes from Brazil, is the main parent from which today's hybrids were developed. It has purple blue flowers which droop, and it was not until the midnineteenth century that upright flowers were produced. The name commonly used by gardeners for this plant is Gloxinia, after Benjamin Peter Gloxin, a physician and botanist of Strasbourg, about 1785.

FUCHSIA

2009-09-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Family Onagraceae

Charles I'lumier is recorded as finding the first fuchsias in 1703 in San Domingo in the West Indies, which he named Fuchsia tryphylla flore coccinea. The name Fuchsia was in commemoration of Leonhart Fuchs, (1501 -66), a physician and herbalist. Father Charles Plumier, or Pere Plumier, was a distinguished French traveller and botanist, who made three voyages to the West Indies and tropical South America, and in 1703 he published a book dealing with the plants he had discovered in his travels, including the fuchsia he had found.

Haifa century later Linnaeus re-named it Fuchsia tryphylla, as it is known today. As the years passed,

further species were found and added to the genus, but Fuchsia tryphylla was not amongst them and for

over 150 years it was not seen again. In 1873 Thomas Hogg of New York received some seeds from the

West Indies and some nine years later one of the resultant plants came into the hands of Messrs

Henderson & Sons, the London fuchsia specialists at that lime, who sent it to Kew for identification. It was

found to be the long lost Fuchsia tryphylla. The first fuchsia introduced to Great Britain was in 1788, by a Captain Firth, who presented it to the Botanical Gardens at Kew. It is not certain whether this was the species F. coccinea, or F. macrosiemma. The first fuchsias offered commercially were probably by Mr James Lee, a famous nurseryman of Hammersmith in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

CAMELLIA

2009-09-27T07:18:00.001-07:00

Family Theaceae

Camellias are flowering shrubs of which there are numerous cultivars and hybrids. These have been raised from the many different species introduced to Europe from China and Japan. Of the many different types available Camellia japonica hybrids are the plants usually grown for pot culture. They were very popular in Victorian times and many large estate

owners devoted a whole greenhouse to their cultivation. Some magnificent specimens, bearing hundreds of flowers, were grown. Actually Camellia japonica, and its hybrids, is quite hardy and can be grown outside with success in milder climates.

BROMELIADS

2009-09-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Family Bromeliaceae

Bromeliads is the name given to a group of plants which mainly originate in South America. The group contains plants which are quite diverse in appearance, such as Aechmea fasciata and Bilbergia nutans. Several of the genera contain epiphytes, which in their native habitat grow on the trunks and branches of trees, obtaining their food from the air mainly through their leaves. Others are terrestial plants which grow in the ground obtaining their plant food through their roots. Probably the most well-known bromeliads are Aechmea fasciata (urn or vase plant), Vriesia splendens (flaming sword plant), Guzmania lingulata, Tillandsia lindenii, Bilbergia nutans, Ananas comosus (common pineapple), Neorogelia carolinae, Nidularium innocentii and various species of Cryptanthus.

Of these the most unusual and striking are Aechmea fasciata and Vriesia splendens. As they are both very good houseplants, a description of their cultivation will suffice as it is applicable to all the other epiphytic bromeliads.

BEGONIAS - TUBEROUS

2009-09-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

Family Begoniaceae
The plants we grow today are hybrids developed from species which originated in South America, such as the scarlet Begonia boliviensis from Bolivia the rose B. clarkei from Peru; the orange-scarlet B. davisii from Peru; the vermilion red B. veitchi from Peru; and the primrose yellow B. pearcei from Bolivia.

The botanist monk Plumier is credited with discovering the first plants towards the end of the seventeenth century. As the plant could not be placed in any known genus, he decided to name the plant himself, a practice which was quite common in those days, and he named it after a man he admired, Michel Begon (1638- 1710), a French botanist, who at one time was the Governor of Santa Domingo. The begonia was introduced into Great Britain in 1777, but it was many years before hybridists began to breed varieties on a large scale. At first only singleflowered hybrids were produced, but later semidouble and finally double-flowered varieties were achieved.
There have been many notable hybridists and nursery firms involved, and the raising of new cultivars has continued up to the present day, it will no doubt also continue for many years to come, for the very good reason that begonias are excellent greenhouse and bedding plants, as well as being very decorative house plants.

BOUGAINVILLEA

2009-09-24T10:02:00.001-07:00

Family Nyctaginaceae
Bougainvilleas are by nature climbing plants, but a number of hybrids developed from B. but nana are less vigorous than the species and can be trained as bushy shrubs, or alternatively as compact plants on a wire hoop or a framework.

The common name of this plant is 'paper flower', which is a description of the coloured bracts formed when the plant blooms. The flowers are small and insignificant, but the large bracts which give the plant its very attractive appearance are brightly coloured and have a papery-looking texture. These plants are not easy to propagate but they are freely available, and although varieties occur with white, yellow, orange, pink, red or purple bracts it is usually the pink or red shades which are offered.

AZALEAS - EVERGREEN

2009-09-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

Family Ericaceae
Originally, when plants were being classified by Linnaeus in the eighteenth century, azaleas were treated as a separate genus, because at that time only deciduous species were known in Europe. Later, however, when evergreen species were introduced, botanists decided that all azaleas should be classified under the genus Rhododendron. It is to be understood, then, that when a nurseryman or gardener talks about Azalea simsii botanically speaking he is referring to Rhododendron simsii. The fact that nurserymen and gardeners in general have continued to call these plants azaleas means you will usually find that most plant catalogues list azaleas separately from rhododendrons. To avoid any confusion, all the plants included in this chapter are described as azaleas in accordance with general usage. There are about 70 species of azaleas and, in classifying these, advantage has been taken of a natural division, many of the species being deciduous whereas others appear to be evergreens because they retain some of their leaves throughout the year. For pot culture we are only concerned with the evergreen species and hybrids.

The first evergreen azalea to be introduced into England was apparently the Indian azalea A. Indica (or indicum) which was sent from China in 1808, and at that time was erroneously thought to be of Chinese origin, but actually it originates from Japan. This species was known in Holland as early as 1680 but was lost to cultivation for a long period of time, in fact until 1768 when a batch was imported from Batavia.

It was because this species was shipped from the East Indies that it was named Azalea indica, and by the time it was discovered that it was of Japanese origin the misnomer had become established, so today it is still called A. indica or indicum.

During the first half of the nineteenth century only a small number of evergreen azaleas reached Great Britain, but it was a very different picture during the second half of the century. This change was brought about by the many great plant-hunting expeditions which were organised during this period. In 1850 Joseph Hooker went collecting in the Eastern Himalayas and in 1855 Robert Fortune went to China. In 1899 Ernest Henry Wilson went to Western China and in later years to Japan. All the evergreen azalea species originate in Eastern Asia, mainly in Japan, China and Korea. The Japanese, in particular, have been cultivating azaleas for over 300 years; consequently most of the plants sent to England by the plant collectors were azalea
hybrids.

During the second half of the nineteenth century evergreen azaleas were arriving in Britain, Belgium, Holland, France and Germany in ever-increasing numbers. Nurserymen and enthusiastic amateurs were engaged in cross-breeding hybrids and species on a large scale. By the end of the century there were over 1,000 named varieties of Belgian Indian azaleas, just one group of azaleas, which is an illustration of the extent of the breeding activities at this time. There are some 40 species of evergreen azaleas, of which only about one third have been used in the raising of all the many thousands of different hybrids which have been grown. Evergreen azalea hybrids are divided into groups, of which there are four of particular interest, these
being Belgian Indian Azaleas, Kurume Azaleas, Kaempferi Azaleas and Glenn Dale Azaleas.

ACHIMENES

2009-09-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

Family Gesneriaceae
The hybrid achimenes plants which are grown today are derived mainly from the species chimenes longiflora, a native of Mexico . One of the most successful raisers of modern hybrids is Mr Konrad Michelssen of Hamburg , who has specialised in breeding new hybrids for many years.

Achimenes are grown from rhizomes or tubers, which are scaly in appearance. T h e fleshy scales are arranged in the manner of a closed pine cone and each scale is capable of propagation, but in practice one usually uses the whole tuber. Healthy plants usually produce several new tubers in a season's growth, so once you commence growing these plants your main difficulty is restraining yourself from growing too many plants. Select the biggest and most healthy-looking tubers for the next season's growth and discard the rest if you are unable to give them away.

Achimenes are beautiful plants w h i c h have a long flowering period, particularly if the tubers are started into growth in midwinter. The flowers, whichare usually available in violet, p i n k , red and blue shades, are 1 V 2 - 2 V 2 i n ( 4 - 6 cm) across, and although each individual flower only lasts a few days new flowers are continually opening, giving a constant succession. Each individual flower consists of a tube, growing from the flower stalk, w h i c h flares out into five flat petals. As the colours are bright shades against an attractive green background achimenes are very decorative plants.