76 THE CULTURE OF POT-PLANTS 



species — / alata^ I. caucasica^ I. hisirio, I. persica^ and /. 

 reticularis. In some districts they are hardy enough to grow- 

 outside, but as the buds may be spoiled by the weather, it is 

 better to pick them and let them open in water indoors. If, 

 however, they are grown in pots in the greenhouse, they are 

 quite safe. The best season for planting the bulbous species 

 is from August to October. I. imguicularis^ of which there 

 are several varieties, may be planted either then or in April. 

 The soil for the former class should be rich loam, with about 

 a quarter sharp sand ; for the latter there should be less sand, 

 and some old mortar should be used as drainage. Though 

 irises require a good deal of water while they are growing, the 

 supply should be reduced when they are ripening their growth, 

 and they should be well baked in the sunshine. The warning 

 against exposing the roots of most plants in pots to strong 

 sunshine does not apply to these rhizomatous kinds. The 

 bulbous irises may be dried off completely and, if desired, 

 shaken out of the soil and repotted ; but /. imguicidaris should 

 be kept slightly moister, and should not be disturbed until 

 more space becomes necessary. See also p. 140. 



Lonicera (Honeysuckle). — The evergreen bushy species, 

 L. fragranfissima^ bears its white flowers in February and 

 March in the open air, and some weeks earlier in a green- 

 house. It is very sweetly scented. In order to keep it of a 

 convenient size for pots, it should be pruned back rather hard 

 annually; but as it flowers on the wood of the previous year, 

 the pruning should always be done after the flowers wither 

 and hefore the new growth commences. If it is done later 

 in the season it will involve a loss of flowers. Though the 

 plants are hardy, it is not advisable to move them out of a 

 warm greenhouse or room into the open air until the weather 

 is fairly mild ; but as the spring advances they will make better 

 growth there than inside, and will ripen it better, always 

 provided that the hot sunshine is not allowed to beat directly 

 on the pots and to dry up the soil and injure the roots. This 

 honeysuckle, like all the bush species, is most satisfactory 

 when it is not pruned. 



Salvia splendens. — See p. 43. 



