132 



Tlie Hortmiltmnst and Journal 



G-reenhouse for May. 



THE season having now arrived for plant- 

 ing out many of the plants stored in the 

 house for the winter season, the remaining 

 plants can be thinned and others grown on for 

 summer decoration. It is a mistake to cram 

 as many plants into a house as will stand, at 

 any time ; but in the most extensive houses 

 we generally find ourselves crowded during 

 the winter and spring ; this is more especially 

 the case when houses are limited ; but there 

 is no excuse for over-crowding in the summer, 

 for a few well-grown plants will give much 

 more pleasure than a house full of awkward 

 plants. 



Such plants as myrtles, diosmas, heaths and 

 acacias, are best placed in a shaded spot, pro- 

 tected from wind, but not under drip from trees, 

 with bricks or coal ashes under pots to prevent 

 worms entering. It is best to take a dull, damp 

 day for this work, the plants are then not so likely 

 to suffer from the change, and for a few nights 

 previous there should be air in the house con- 

 tinually. These plants are usually best outside, 

 after the middle of May. Camellias, in pots, 

 are also best outside, after the buds are set, 

 which is usually later in the season ; if these 

 plants do not flower as early as desirable, now 

 is the time to force them by giving a brisk 

 heat and plenty of moisture. It is surprising 

 how quick the growth is complete and the 

 buds formed. After this the plants are best 

 outside, for the summer. 



Azaleas it is best to keep inside if there is 

 spare room ; the plants are more under com- 

 mand, but if turned out they require strict 

 attention in watering, often requiring it sev- 

 eral times in a day ; and care must be taken 

 that there are no weeds and rubbish at hand ; 

 this is usually a first rate nursery for thrip 

 and red spider, which often does much mis- 

 chief before noticed ; but with attention to 

 these points, plants required to make but one 

 growth in a season, are as well outside as in, 

 if room is scarce after the buds are set : but 



young plants which are required to make spe- 

 cimens in as short time as possible, should be 

 grown in-doors, with plenty of heat and mois- 

 ture, the shoots kept stopped, and the second 

 growth will flower as well as the first. 



Green J-'ii/ — If, by oversight, any plants 

 have green fly, give them a good fumigating 

 with tobacco, two or three nights in succes- 

 sion, before removing them outside. We men- 

 tion this, for sometimes it is inconvenient to 

 fumigate when required — such as when a 

 number of plants are in flower in the house, 

 the smoke would spoil the flowers — but all 

 plants should be free from insects before plant- 

 ing outside, or the plants willbe much checked 

 by their ravages before they can make a free 

 start. 



If the stock of any desirable variety of 

 coleus is short, it is yet time to propagate ; 

 the cuttings will root in a few days and be 

 ready to plant out by the end of the month, 

 which is quite early enough in this district. 

 Any late bouvardias should be potted at 

 once, to be planted out at same time. Bal- 

 sams, amaranthus, castor-oil plants, and thun- 

 bergias, grown on in readiness for outside — a 

 i'ew of the two former are useful as pot plants 

 for the greenhouse — and the thunbergias are 

 a pretty basket plant, but very subject to red 

 spider. 



llatighif/ Baskets — Baskets should be 

 filled, both for greenhouse and -also for any 

 outside place required. Many o*^' those filled 

 for sale are not a success for peimanent deco- 

 ration ; we do not blame the trade for this, for 

 the buyer requires the basket to look well 

 filled at once, for which reason there are 

 usually about four times as many plants in it 

 as can possibly grow, and in many cases there 

 is only room for a good handful of soil, so that 

 it is dry most of the time ; we also often see 

 plants in a quart basket which if allowed full 

 space would fill a bushel. We will name a few 

 desirable plants which will do well in moder- 

 ate sized baskets : The best ivy is Japonica 

 versicolor, this is also quite hardy here. Ivy- 

 leaved geranium, I'Elegant, Abutilon vexilla- 

 rium pictum, Torenia Asiatica, Panicum va- 

 riegatum, Achyranthes of sorts, Cineraria 



