GREENHOUSE AND HOTHOUSE FLOWERS 183 



or even planted in the garden, during the summer. Beyond 

 watering, the only attention needed is to keep them free from 

 green-fly, which is very partial to them. The normal mixture will 

 suit. There are several other attractive Solanums beside the 

 Winter Cherry, notably jasminoides (Jasmine-like), a summer- 

 flowering greenhouse climber with blue and white flowers ; Wend- 

 landi, a summer-flowering climber for the intermediate house with 

 blue flowers ; and Worsleyi, which bears white flowers in summer, 

 followed by red, egg-shaped fruits. They 

 will all do in the normal mixture. 



Sparmannia africana. Without being 

 precisely a popular plant, or possessed of 

 any striking qualities, this yet enjoys a 

 very fair measure of favour. It is un- 

 common in appearance, it grows freely 

 into quite large, shrub-like dimensions, 

 and it blooms in winter in a greenhouse. 

 These are claims not without weight. A, dump of spiraea for planting; B, 



_,, ._ .... . stems cut off at this point when 



The flOWerS are White, With prominent, flowers, C, and leaves and stems have 



coloured stamens, and they are borne in 



large clusters. Cuttings root freely in spring if given a little 



bottom heat and air is excluded. The normal soil suits. 



Spiraea japonica. A plant of many names. At one time the 

 botanists called it Hoteia japonica, now they have decided that 

 it shall be Astilbe japonica. We adhere to the name by which it 

 is almost universally known among trade and private cultivators. 

 The Spiraea is one of the plants which bulb-dealers supply in 

 autumn, although it is not, of course, a bulb. They offer what 

 are known as "clumps" masses of roots and earth compacted 

 together. These are put into pots large enough to admit of 

 some good soil (normal mixture) being rammed in, and just 

 covered. They will flower in spring in an ordinary greenhouse 

 temperature, but growers often push them forward in gentle heat. 



