iSyi.] FLOWERING -PLANTS FOR DECEMBER. 545 



growth of the shrubs, have a grand appearance in autumn, as they pre- 

 sent their gaudy spikes among the green foliage which surrounds them. 



Hugh Fraser. 



FLOWERING - PLANTS FOU DECEMBER. 



December — dreary, the fag-end of the year, mid-winter, and a whole 

 catalogue of dismal associations — has yet its cheerful aspects. Christ- 

 mas, like May, is said to be merry, as we wish all our readers will be at 

 that season ; and if there be any truth in a hidden telegraphic system 

 of spirits and sympathies among animated beings in the universe, we 

 shall be all the better if the readers of the ' Gardener' wish us a Merry 

 Christmas in return. From a floral point of view, we are not by any 

 means certain that December is the most dismal month of the year. 

 November, and even October, are often greater floral blanks ; we appre- 

 ciate all evergreens more in December, especially those with berries, 

 and indoors there is a greater wealth of flowers. 



We propose to take a survey of the plants which occur to us as being 

 in season at that time, with comments ; and first we shall begin with 

 stove flowers, as they present themselves to our mind's eye. One of the 

 finest of all stove climbers for winter is Thunbergia Harrisii, a most 

 chaste and grand flower, the colour a delicate blue, produced in large 

 clusters, flowers all wdnter, and of the easiest culture : a cutting of 

 September 1870 planted out covers more than fifty feet of rafter with 

 abundance of its racemose clusters. Next comes Passiflora kermesina, 

 with clouds of crimson bloom on its elegant spray : the flowers make an 

 elegant margin to a basket of cut flowers. 



Ipomoea Horsfallias will be at its best in December, an immense grower 

 and bloomer, producing heavy bunches of flower-buds at every joint, 

 which open in succession : it also is crimson. The crop of Passiflora 

 princeps will not be over until December ; it is, perhaps the prince of 

 Passion-flowers. Bougainvillea glabra beats the Fuchsia as an accom- 

 modating plant : it blooms perpetually, or may be had perpetually in 

 bloom. Our largest supply of it will be in December. A cutting of 

 September twelvemonths is now an immense plant, and has literally 

 bushels of bloom on it : it is one of the very best plants for cut flowers, 

 as the flower-stalks can be cut any length. The last winter climber 

 we shall mention is Manettia bicolor, a very elegant plant with a 

 profusion of orange scarlet flowers, after the style of a Cuphea 

 or Libonia. This is really a very beautiful plant, and can be had 

 in 6-inch pots. Stalked with a few twigs of birch, it is an ele- 

 gant vase plant. Of stove flowering-plants for pot culture there are 

 abundance. Gesnera elongata, an old and showy plant easily made 



