JULY 5. 1900. 



Tlie Weekly Florists' Review. 



155 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 





M*: 



Lfe*:^r»)'fe* 



Decorative Plants. 



When business is dull in the store 

 preparations should not cease in the 

 greenhouse, for desirable plants cannot 

 be manufactured, they must be grown 

 with a vast amount of patience and 

 considerable knowledge. The selection 

 of what to grow is as important as 

 how to grow it, and whilst some varie- 

 ties of plants sell better in one lo- 

 cality than in another, there are cer- 

 tain groups of plants which go well 

 in all and are considered necessities; 

 yet there are many lovely plants never 

 seen except in private collections, and 

 the grower mistakes who confines all 

 his efforts to that which is common- 

 est and easiest to grow, or which he 

 is led to believe sells best because it 

 is the only kind offered or grown to 

 presentable condition; and still ha 

 mistakes in harboring what is gener- 

 ally classed as "rubbish" — the botan- 

 ical curiosities remarkable only for the 

 space they occupy and the amount of 

 money they take from one's pocket. 

 We wish it clearly understood that 

 when we speak of "grower" in this 

 department, it is intended for the man 

 who grows and retails all or a portion 

 of his stock. 



We are continually receiving in- 

 quiries regarding the possible demand 

 for one class of plant or another. It 

 is best perhaps for the large grower 

 to have extensive collections of most 

 everything; the small grower, princi- 

 pally the class of stock which gives 

 the most satisfaction as house or gen- 

 eral decorative plants. The plant 

 house, comparatively speaking, should 

 always be as clean as the store, and 

 now is the time for general overhaul- 

 ing and repainting. No kind of stock 

 grows or shows itself to best advan- 

 tage in dirty surroundings, and there 

 are several other important reasons 

 why your place, be it greenhouse or 

 store, should be specially clean and 

 bright for next season's trade. 



Very good conditioned young stock 

 can be purchased now at cherip prices 

 and it will pay many to grow their 

 own; others will do better to wait till 

 September. The present tendency 

 among palm growers is to fill their 

 houses with Kentias to the almost ex- 

 clusion of every other kind, and while 

 there is no denying the fact that it is 

 by far the best sort of palm for the 

 dwelling house, still there are others 

 far more beautiful and which are more 

 desirable in a decorative sense; and 



again, there is no mistaking the im- 

 portance or value of variety, especially 

 where the customers desire to select 

 for themselves. 



Palms. 



Let us consider palms first. Ken- 

 tias Belmoreana and Forsteriana come 

 first for hardiness, and there is an 

 increasing demand for well grown 

 plants at from five to fifteen dollars, 

 though it will be safe for you to have 

 all sizes, from those suitable for the 

 center of fern dishes to the largest. 

 You will need many for "making up" 

 purposes later in the season. Arecj 

 lutescens comes next and all sizes are 

 important for above reasons. The 

 great trouble with arecas is that they 

 are grown too hot. simply for the pur- 

 pose of pushing growth, which is done 

 until they look like bunches of tall 

 reed grass, then when they come in 

 contact with cold draughts or the 

 many drawbacks in store or house cul- 

 ture they wither up the quickest of all. 

 A hardy grown Areca lutescens is the 

 most graceful of all the palms and 

 every decorator knows its great worth. 



Latania borbonica is valuable in 

 every size above 6-inch pots, but per- 

 haps the largest demand will be for 

 those worth from two-fifty to five dol- 

 lars each. Phoenix reclinata, rupicola 

 and canariensis are all worth cultivat- 

 ing; rupicola is most useful. There is 

 no palm which stands either heat or 

 cold better than the Phoenix and for 

 that reason they are very valuable, but 

 very small sized plants will only be in 

 your way. 



Livistona rotundifolia is becoming a 

 great favorite; have a few if possi- 

 ble; it is a charming little palm, 

 suitable for window, table or other 

 forms of decoration where low plants 

 are best, and it is a first-class seller 

 if in good condition. 



Rhapis fiabelliformis and humilis 

 are both useful only in large sizes. 

 Caryota nrens is a pretty plant when 

 in medium sizes, ijut the demand is 

 limited on account of its sparsity of 

 foliage. Cocos Weddeliana is impor- 

 tant in almost all sizes; it is the mcst 

 graceful of all for ferneries. The 

 trouble with it as a decorative plant is 

 that it is too skimpy; grow it several 

 in a pot. furnished to the rim, and 

 people will buy. Thrinax elegins ij 

 a palm too seldom seen, so is L'cuala 

 grandis. 



A great many plants will sell hest 

 when made up several in a pot or tub; 

 you will find it advisable to do this 



later if you have not time to do it now. 

 Better have it done now; space is con- 

 densed and plants get into form quick- 

 er. Be careful of the quality of pots 

 or tubs you use, put only one variety 

 of plant in each pot and leave space 

 on the top for plenty of water; size 

 of pot will be an important item next 

 fall. You cannot sell plants at retail 

 according to the size of pots, and don't 

 have them out of proportion. 



The country is flooded with small 

 sized Cycas revoluta; they will be 

 most useful to you for cutting purposes 

 only, for which the larger sized trunks 

 are best. The branched form of Ficus 

 elastica has become more popular than 

 the single stem, but it is desirable to 

 have a choice batch of each on hand; 

 have them good and hardy looking by 

 outdoor cultivation; plunge the pots 

 in an open frame hotbed and give 

 plenty of water. A group of crotons 

 may come in very useful for color ef- 

 fects, but it is necessary to grow them 

 indoors all through to get the refined 

 tones of color, and if you have not the 

 best varieties and grow them clean 

 and well furnished, it is better not to 

 have them in quantity; just grow suf- 

 ficient to color up your group at the 

 show; the large specialist will furnish 

 you with them at reasonable prices. 



Dracaenas, Etc. 



Dracaenas will be more plentifully 

 used when better understood. Dracae- 

 na Godsetfiana is a very beautiful va- 

 riety, useful alike in fern dish or as 

 specimen plant. D. terminalis is one 

 of the best plants for color eft'ects. In 

 decorations one or two Lindenii or 

 Massangeana and a batch of indivisa 

 will suflice. The average customer 

 looks upon Dracaena fragrans as corn; 

 green dracaenas do not pay and most 

 others are unsalable if not perfect. 

 Marantas of the chimboracensis and 

 Porteana types are very useful and 

 should be in every collection. Arau- 

 carias have dropped out of favor; 

 many people consider them in the light 

 of small Christmas trees and begrudge 

 to pay their value, yet it is often neces- 

 sary to have a few in stock. A. excelsa 

 and compacta are the best. Ananassa 

 sativa variegata is a good thing to 

 have, but a few will be sufficient, as 

 Pandanus Veitchii is much easier 

 grown and in many ways more profit- 

 able. Pandanus utilis is also called 

 for in limited quantity; the small size 

 comes in handy for center of fern 

 dishes, ditto Veitchii. 



Aspidistra lurida and A. lurida va- 

 riegata are among the best of plants 

 for selling and iise in decorations, be- 

 sides they will grow almost anywhere. 

 Cyperus alternifolius is useful for cut- 

 ting, using among cut flowers, in de- 

 sign work, and fine for semi-aquatics 

 or ferneries. Peperomia argyrea is a 

 plant of easy cultivation and is very 

 useful filling large fern dishes. We 

 have often had occasion to be glad of 

 having a few highly colored abutilons 

 on hand. They are much easier grown 



