FLOWERING SHRUBS IN POTS 57 



favourites for pots. Their stalks, however, are so weak 

 that they are pecuHarly liable to bud-dropping, and if the 

 growth is interfered with, this is certain to happen. For 

 instance, if the soil is allowed to get very dry, the buds fall 

 for much the same reason as leaves of deciduous trees fall 

 in autumn ; while if after a period of comparative drought 

 the plants are deluged with water, the sudden stimulation 

 may start rapid growth, with the result that any sap which 

 previously passed into the flower-buds is diverted into the 

 wood-buds. For the same reason care is necessary in giving 

 artificial fertilisers. They should be dissolved in water, 

 and the solution should be very weak. As named varieties 

 do not come true from seed, they must be propagated by 

 cuttings, which should be struck in autumn for early flowers, 

 and in spring for late. Some varieties require a good deal 

 of "stopping" (pinching off the tops of the shoots) to keep 

 them bushy, bat others branch naturally. Several of them 

 have a drooping habit, and are suitable for hanging baskets. 

 In winter, fuchsias should be fairly dry. When they start 

 afresh in spring they require more moisture, and they should 

 then be cut back to induce shoots to start near the stem, 

 and not merely on the extremities of the shoots. 



Genista. — See Cytisus (p. 52). 



Geranium. — See Pelargonium (p. 62). 



Heliotropium (Heliotrope). — The common sweet-scented 

 species is H. peruvianum (Cherry Pie), of which there are 

 many beautiful varieties. They can be grown in a green- 

 house or a room, provided that they are protected from 

 frost, and, when the temperature is low, kept fairly dry. 

 They can be propagated by seed sown in heat in March, 

 or by cuttings taken either in spring or in autumn. The 

 young plants should be " stopped " two or three times to 

 make them bushy. 



Hydrangea. — Of the two species, H. hortensis (of which 

 there are several varieties) and H. paniculata grandifiora, the 

 former is the more common in pots, but the latter is also 

 a very fine plant for this purpose. Both retain their flowers 

 in good condition for an unusually long time. An enormous 



