THE GARDEN WEEK BY WEEK 



Feb. and richer colours. He has also learned to pronounce 

 ^"^4 its rather formidable name, which comes from streptos, 

 twisted, and carpos, fruit, and is rather proud of mention- 

 ing it accordingly. The Streptocarpuses are East or 

 South African plants, with broad, thick, drooping leaves, 

 reminiscent of Gloxinias, but, I think, more handsome. 

 The flowers are not so large as those of Gloxinias, 

 nor is the range of colours so wide, but they are undeni- 

 ably beautiful ; and the blues, mauves, and lavenders 

 are exquisite shades which the Gloxinia, with all its 

 beauty, cannot equal. To get strong flowering plants in 

 June onwards, seed of Streptocarpuses should be sown 

 in a warm house during the present month. It germi- 

 nates readily in a temperature of 60° to 65°. As the 

 Streptocarpus is a tuberous plant, it grows somewhat 

 slowly in its early stages, but still it can be flowered 

 within six months from the sowing if warmth and 

 moisture are available. 



Achhnenes for Baskets. — I have not yet said what 

 beautiful basket plants the Achimenes are, nor how 

 quickly a spreading mass of brilliant bloom can be 

 produced by inserting tubercles in mid-winter. Of 

 course one can buy seed, but seedsmen rarely specialise 

 it as they do Gloxinias, Begonias, and the like ; and as 

 the tubercles are quite cheap, only costing three to five 

 shillings per dozen, there is no serious obstacle on the 

 score of cost. The plants never look better than when 

 growing out of the open sides and from the top of an 

 ornamental wire basket suspended from the roof of a 

 greenhouse or conservatory. How are they made to 

 grow thus ? By the simple plan of first lining the 

 basket to prevent the earth falling through, putting a 

 layer of soil in and laying tubercles on it about every 

 three inches round the side of the basket j then more 

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