150 ORNAMENTAL GARDENING 
generally do well throughout the state and here they grow finely 
but are shy about blooming. At Rockledge P. tobira blossoms 
abundantly. PP. tobira variegata is prettily marked with creamy 
white; P. viridiflorum is a rank grower; P. undulatum has wavy 
leaves. 
Plumbago. A few species of fine, straggling shrubs of which 
two are in common cultivation, P. capensis, a lovely pale blue 
flowered plant, and its variety alba with white bloom. Both 
are hardy and do well in pine land. P. rosea has charming rosy 
red flowers but is considerably more tender. P. larpentae with 
vivid blue flowers is now called Ceratostigma. It has not suc- 
ceeded with me. 
Raphiolepis ovata is a slow grower with heavy, glossy, obovate 
leaves and pretty pinkish white flowers. R. indica has smaller, 
narrower leaves and pinkish or reddish blossoms; both are hardy . 
and are doing well for me. 
Rondeletia odorata is an exquisite shrub from the West Indies. 
I have a plant which has had a hard time of it. I first planted 
it out in the sun and it didn’t do well; then I was told by Mr. 
Theodore Mead of Oviedo to put in it the shade, which I did 
and it began to grow. ‘Twice it has been scratched up by chick- 
ens and once it was accidentally buried and lost for awhile. Then 
it was cut down with frost; later it fell into innocuous desuetude, 
probably from too much shade. Two years ago I was over in 
Cuba and saw it growing there in a most exposed place on the 
high bank of a small river in the blazing sun. I came home and 
cleared away around my plant and now it is looking fine and is 
in bloom. I think it will do well now for it seems to me it has 
met with and overcome all the calamities, and that its pathway 
should now be bright and shining. It has fine oval leaves in 
pairs and verbena-like heads of orange scarlet flowers with a 
yellow eye. 
Rosa, the Rose. I do not think one can honestly say that 
roses are perfectly at home in Florida, certainly not in the way 
they are on the western coast of the United States. Roses 
prefer a strong soil, rich, well-drained clayey loam being prefer- 
able, and they should be sheltered from high winds. They also 
need plenty of water and if one attempts to grow them on high 
