196 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



One of the best of general flowering plants for rooms is 

 assuredly the Clivia, which used to be known by the longer 

 name of Imantophyllum. Visitors to Holland in winter and 

 spring will observe how fond the Dutch are of this as a window 

 plant. In passing through a town of any size one may see it in 

 almost every one of the neat, clean, smart houses. It occupies 

 the post of honour in the window of the main room looking 

 on the street, and presents a very cheerful appearance, with its 

 bright orange flowers. We dealt with the culture of the plant in 

 our Greenhouse section. 



Of course the Zonal Pelargonium looms largely in our tale of 

 window plants. It is so free a grower, so profuse a bloomer, so 

 gay, so accommodating, that it is in great demand. In collections 

 of window plants at the flower shows "Zonals" are nearly always 

 prominent too much so sometimes, for a judge who is making 

 the awards in a class for three or six window plants does not 

 care to see the collection made up entirely of " Geraniums." He 

 likes to see at least two kinds of plant, and is better satisfied 

 with three. As we saw in our Greenhouse section, there are 

 many beautiful varieties, and those who have a warm structure 

 can have winter-blooming plants by striking cuttings in spring 

 and picking off the flower-buds until autumn. The plants could 

 not be expected to remain in health and bloom long in an 

 ordinary room in winter, because it would be too cold at night. 

 Nice autumn bloom can be obtained by potting up some sturdy 

 plants out of the flower-beds. 



As a variant on Zonals, there are Ivy-leaved and scented-leaved 

 " Geraniums." Many cottagers get nice window plants by training 

 an Ivy-leaved " Geranium " on a home-made framework of laths, 

 much the same as they use for Musk. The last-named plant is 

 often seen in the windows of country cottages, and is both pretty 

 and sweet. 



Marguerites (varieties of Chrysanthemum frutescens) are stock 



