

SECOND WEEK IN FEBRUARY 



appear ; but, when once started, they must not be allowed 

 to become very dry, and increasing quantities of water 

 will be needed as they grow, with soot- water twice a week 

 when in bud. Top-dressing, too, with fresh compost, with 

 which a little hot-bed material (dried and free from insects) 

 has been mixed, will be needed two or three times as they 

 become taller, moulding them into place, so that the 

 foliage remains upright. Three small stakes (such as those 

 cut from the stems of Michaelmas daisies) can be placed 

 around them, with thin raffia between, and they should 

 need no separate tying up, which spoils their natural 

 grace. 



From the beginning of October the pots should be placed 

 close under the glass roof of a warmed greenhouse ; the 

 blossoms will then appear early in December. By means 

 of repotting other batches in August, or even September, 

 and giving them less warmth in winter, a succession of these 

 charming flowers may be secured from December to May. 



At this time of year forced shrubs of many kinds are most 

 valuable in the conservatory, and also in the cool green- 

 house or porch, where various hardy plants which naturally 

 blossom early are now very decorative. One of the best of 

 these is Spiraea Thunbergi, a dwarf shrub from China and 

 Japan, which does well in a pot for some years, flowering 

 profusely even in quite a young state, its blooms opening 

 before those of the better known Deutzia gracilis, another 

 delightfully graceful plant when in blossom. The starry 

 white flowers of Spiraea Thunbergi almost cover its slender 

 sprays ; the foliage, which appears with the flowers, is 

 elegant, too, and bright green in colour, and the plant has 

 the merit of absolute hardiness. 



In the garden it flowers considerably later than this, 

 according to the season ; and the leaves become most 

 brilliant in the autumn with various warm tints of red and 

 yellow, if the shrub be grown in the full sunshine. When 

 kept in a pot it is necessary to place the plant in a sunny 

 position for the summer, to ripen its growths ; but it will 

 need abundant water for its roots at that time, with less in 



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