March 37, 1873. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



A SELECTION OF PLANTS FOR THE WALLS 

 AND EOOFS OF GLASS HOUSES.— No. 1. 



^ ^' S inquiries are frequently made for plants 

 suitable for the decoration of the walls and 

 roofs of glass bouses, the following paper 

 upon the subject may be found useful, espe- 

 cially as it includes a Hst of plants which 

 from experience can be safely recommended. 

 My list is not put forward as a complete 

 one, for it does not include many choice 

 plants tliat are at places grown for the pur- 

 pose, and which requu-e, pei-haps, more than 

 ordinary skill in then- cultivation ; my object is to give a 

 list fi'om wliich plants maybe selected that are individually 

 inexpensive, easy to cultivate, and likely to afford a large 

 supply of cut flowers, as well as to give general satisfac- 

 tion. I purpose dividing the list into two parts, one for 

 the greenhouse or conservatory, and the other for the 

 stove, and with each plant mentioned I vfill give a few 

 cultural remarks. 



Before I proceed further I ought to observe, that in 

 order to secure perfection of growth and development of 

 abundance of both flowers and healthy foliage, most if 

 not all the plants should be planted out in the borders of 

 the house. I say with the greatest confidence, that un- 

 less such a provision bo made disappointment will most 

 likely be the result. It is not uncommou to meet with 

 handsome and elaborate greenhouses, conservatories, or 

 stoves where a healthy lot of climbing plants would be 

 the gi-eatest ornament, and yet there is no provision for 

 growing the plants except in large pots or tubs, and this 

 mode is seldom, if ever, satisfactory. In these vessels 

 there is not enough of root room to enable the plants to 

 cover their allotted space, and at the same time present 

 an ornamental appearance ; in fact, there is no compari- 

 son between the two modes of growing these plants. 



None of the plants I mention requu'e any very com- 

 plicated mixtiu'es of soil, neither is there any occasion 

 for a great depth of it — probably 18 inches or '2 feet will 

 suffice. There must, however, be an abundance of drain- 

 age beneath it as a provision against stagnant water about 

 the roots. I have generally found that a top-dressing of 

 soil in the spring is far more serviceable to these plants 

 than a greater depth of soil than mentioned above. A 

 deep soil is pretty sure to become soured and soddened 

 fi'oui the repeated applications of water, and will conse- 

 quently stand at a much lower temperature than a shallow 

 one. 



Again, in making the borders for climbing plants it is 

 advised by some practitioners to allot a certain space to 

 the roots of each plant by forming brick partitions. I 

 am not convinced of the necessity of this, because most 

 or aU of the plants I shall name wfll thrive exceedingly 

 well in one uniform mixtm-e of soil throughout the 

 border; but if Orange trees, Camellias, tree Ferns, Pahns, 

 or any other choice plants are to be planted in the border, 

 by all means let these have separate compartments ; 

 they can then be removed at any time wtliout injury to 



No. 626.— Vol. XXn'., New Series. 



their neighbours, and the vigorous roots of the climbers 

 win be confined to the border proper. 



Taking the first division of greenhouse and conservatory 

 climbers, a suitable soil for them is one-half turfy or fibry 

 loam, not chopped fine— it should not be a heavy clayey- 

 loam— one-fourth of fibrous peat, sandy if possible (this 

 should also be worked-up coarse), and the remainder may 

 be equal parts of well-decayed leaf mould and dried cow 

 manure that has been under cover twelve months. Mix 

 aU well together, and as this mixture v/Hl probably be in 

 the border a long time without being renewed, a quantify 

 of broken potsherds and charcoal nibs should be mixed 

 with it in order to keep the soil open. 



Bhynclwspernmin jasminoidcs is one of the best and 

 most popular plants. It is an evergreen climber suitable 

 for either training upon pOlars or spreading under the 

 glass roof or rafters, but it is not so much at home on 

 a wall. It is a free-bloomer, and its white flowers are 

 abundant and very fragrant. In an intermediate tempe- 

 ratm-e it flowers from May to July. It should be kept 

 dry at the roots diu-ing the winter, and should have an 

 abundance of water when in growth and flower. 



Oloire de Dijon and Marvchal Nicl Roses wherever 

 planted are sure to become favourites. They grow vigor- 

 ously and flower freely in April and May, at which time 

 they are especially valuable for vases, &c. They will 

 flo\yer more or less throughout the summer, but for 

 spring-flowering the growth should be previously well 

 ripened and pruned back- to a reasonable length, and if 

 in a proper state of health, nearly evei-y bud left will 

 produce a flower. Give them rest in winter by vnth- 

 holding water and admitting plenty of an-. 



Cob<ra scanilens and scandcns variegata. — These two 

 plants will cover a very large space ; the latter is the better 

 for general pm-poses. They are particularly suitable for 

 domes of large conservatories, and they are ornamental 

 all through the year. They require frequent shortening 

 and thhming of the shoots, and plenty of water when 

 gi'owing ; the flowers are insignificant. 



Tacsonia Van-VoUcmi. — This has proved to be one of 

 the handsomest climbers ever introduced. It will cover 

 a large space, and is most at home trained under the roof 

 of the house, where its branches and flowers hang sus- 

 pended. Like the Coba'as, it requh-es a frequent thinning 

 of shoots, so as to produce young growth from which its 

 flowers spring, and in other respects it should have similar 

 treatment. It will flo.wer for months. 



Fuchsias. — Of these, Venus de Medici among light 

 varieties, and Black Prince, Souvenir de Chiswick, and 

 Carolina among dark kinds, are, I think, the best for tho 

 pm-pose when trained up the rafters or upon pillars. 

 Started from the bottom with a single stem, and allowed 

 to branch out when necessary, they wiU flower more or less 

 throughout the summer, and are not surpassed by any 

 other plant that I know. In such a position they become 

 sub-evergi-een, but this does not appear to interfere v/ith 

 then flowering, which commences in February. I am not 

 acquainted with any other plants that afford such a quan- 

 tity of cut blooms. Dry them off, both root and branch, 



No. KTJ.-VoL. XLIX., Old SEErES. 



