394 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



Fig. 177. HELICHRYSUM. This, the most popular 



of the Everlastings, is easily grown from seed sown 



outdoors. The flowers are useful in many ways 



during Winter 



HELICHRYSUM 



If you retail flowers 

 you will have to carry 

 the so-called Everlast- 

 ings. No matter whether 

 you personally care for 

 them or not, there are 

 always some among 

 your patrons who will 

 want them and it is an 

 easy matter to sow a 

 long row or two out- 

 doors about the end of 

 April. They will start 

 to flower by July and 

 keep it up until Novem- 

 ber Always cut the 

 flowers just before they 

 are fully open, and what 

 you don't sell, hang up 

 in an airy shed, tied in 

 bunches of twelve or 

 twenty-five. 



You will also find 

 it well to sow a few in- 

 doors and have a good 



supply of seedlings on hand for your Spring trade. 



HELIOTROPE 



See Valeriana 



HELIOTROPIUM 



The Heliotropes, with their sweet vanilla-scented flowers and 

 flower heads ranging from almost white to deep blue, are today 

 mostly used for bedding. There was a time when we trained them 

 into standards, sold large specimens in pots, or had specimens 

 planted out to cut from; but at present it is only in the gardens 

 that we find them popular, except for a few in the greenhouse of 

 the private estate. They make splendid bedders and if you place 

 the cut flowers up to their necks in water and let them remain in 

 a cool dark place for about ten hours they won't wilt the minute 

 they get into a warm room. 



For stock, either grow on a few plants in pots or lift some in 

 Fall to be potted and carried in a 55-deg. house. Cut back a little 

 by January first and the plants will soon break and give you any 

 number of cuttings which should have a bottom heat of 70 



