CULTIVATION of BOUGAINVILLEA

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.

BROMELIADS

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

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

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.