88 THE UNHEATED GREENHOUSE 



It may be useful to give the cultural details of Hovea Celsii, 

 a very ornamental hard-wooded plant which has long been a 

 favourite, though now not often met with, and of which the 

 clusters of rich purple-blue Pea-shaped flowers are extremely 

 attractive. This plant is more easily raised from seed than 

 from cuttings, and the seedlings begin to make strong growth 

 at once. As soon as they are large enough they should be 

 potted singly in 2j-in. pots, and given a shift into a larger 

 size as the roots touch the sides and require more room, care 

 being taken not to allow them to become pot-bound. Hovea 

 has naturally rather a loose habit of growth, and may be 

 trained either as a standard or as a bush. If the standard 

 form be preferred, the young plant may be allowed to grow as 

 a single stem to a height of 1 8 in. (or more if desired) before 

 the top is pinched out, when it will break into many shoots. 

 If a bush be wanted, free pinching must be carefully attended 

 to from the first to lay the foundation of a shapely plant. The 

 soil and treatment otherwise are just the same as that of half- 

 hardy hard- wooded plants in general, for which it will stand as 

 a good object-lesson. It is to the disadvantage of this fine 

 Hovea that it needs a large-sized pot before it comes to 

 flowering size, but it is then very ornamental. Leschenaultia 

 biloba major, with still more brilliant blue flowers, is another 

 hard-wooded plant, better known, which has not the same 

 drawback, as it will flower in a comparatively small pot. 



To sum up the requirements of these somewhat exacting 

 plants : A compost of sandy fibrous peat, pots well drained, 

 plants firmly potted, protection given from actual frost, a cool, 

 dry, airy house in winter, careful cutting back after flowering, 

 open-air summer quarters where the pots can be plunged to 

 their rims, and careful watering at all seasons. Where these di- 

 rections can be carried out the growingof the finest hard-wooded 

 half-hardy plants need present no insuperable difficulty. 



