THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



41 



WINTER BLOOMING PLANTS. 



All the Geraniums are excellent 

 window plants, but some of them are 

 shy winter bloomers, yet many of them 

 are handsome enough in their foliage, 

 even if they are destitute of flowers. 

 The most constant bloomers of any I 

 have grown are Jean Sisley, a lai-ge, 

 dazzling scarlet, with a distinct white 

 eye ; Master Christine, a single pink, 

 and Loarine, a light scarlet, but the 

 trusses are very large and full. These 

 three are almost constant bloomers. 

 Give Geraniums plenty of sunshine 

 and fresh air, a moderate amount of 

 water, to which there should be occa- 

 sionally added some liquid manure, and 

 abundant room to grow in, and they 

 generally behave very satisfactory. 



A few of the Fuchsias, or Lady's 

 Eardrop, as they are sometimes called, 

 are good winter bloomers. They are, 

 however, strong feeders, and will starve 

 to death on a soil in which a Geranium 

 would grow luxuriantly, and more 

 manure should be used with the soil in 

 which they are potted. The following 

 varieties have bloomed well for me all 

 winter through : Arabella, tube and 

 sepals pure white, corolla red ; Speciosa, 

 pale red sepals, corolla pale rose; and 

 Lustre, waxy white tube and sepals, 

 corolla tinted crimson and orange. I 

 have never yet had a double variety 

 that bloomed well in winter. 



We have a magnificent class of plants 

 in the Begonia. I will divide them 

 into two classes, namely : the flowering 

 and leaf varieties. Although the former 

 all have handsome foliage, they are 

 mostly prized for their beautiful flowers, 

 which are produced in great profusion. 

 They do best in a loose soil composed 

 mostly of leaf mould and sand, and re- 

 quire a warm and partially shaded 

 situation. Sandei-sonii and Hybrida 

 Multiflom are tl»e best winter bloomers. 

 The former bears scarlet, and the lattei* 

 2 



rosy pink flowers. The leaf varietieH 

 are only grown for the beauty of the 

 foliage, and the most prominent is the 

 variety known as Begonia Rex. 



Begonia Rkx. 



The leaves of this grow very large. 

 I have one plant of Kex and one of 

 Queen of Hanover, which have been 

 growing in a log hanging basket for 

 over three years, and some of the 

 leaves have measured over 14 inches 

 across. 



The largest leaves of some others do 

 not measure more than six inches in 

 diameter, all of which are variegated 

 and margined with silvery and metallic 

 colors of different hues. They should 

 never be planted out in our hot summer 

 sun as bedding plants, but for window 

 plants, or for wardian cases or ferneries, 

 they cannot be excelled. Some think 

 that Begonias are hard to grow, but it 

 is an erroneous idea, as after you once 

 understand their nature, their culture 

 is very easy, and they all make capital 

 window plants. 



The Calla, or Lily of the Nile, is a 

 fine house plant, and all it requires is 



an abundance of war'^i water, and plenty 

 of sunshine, and if jiven the requii-ed 



