BEDDING PLANTS. 51 



lies in the highly colored foliage, no other class of plants surpassing 

 them in this respect. In the hottest parts of the country they do not 

 last long after attaining their full size, and may be successfully used 

 among Canna plants, which have been set out in a semi-dormant state. 



ANNUAL PLANTS are those which germinate, come into flower and 

 ripen their seed within a year. Plants of this nature usually die soon 

 after ripening their seeds. Familiar examples are as follows: Phlox 

 Drummondii, Chinese Aster, Browallia elata and Silene muscipula. But 

 these and many other plants known as annuals under favorable circum- 

 stances will germinate in the Fall and flower the following Summer. 

 In this locality Phlox Drummondii and Silene muscipula germinate freely 

 in the Autumn months out-of-doors, and flower the following year; so 

 that it will be seen that the term cannot be strictly applied similarly in 

 varying latitudes. 



ASCLEPIAS CURUSSAVICA— A greenhouse plant in European gar- 

 dens. Seeds sown first half ofj February, and the plants put out from 

 3-inch pots in Ma3% will grow 5 feet high and 3 feet through, bearing 

 myriads of yellow and red flowers. Seeds ripen freely on outdoor plants. 



ASTERS, CHINESE (Callistephus chinensis)— A few years ago Chinese 

 Asters started early (about the beginning of February) and flowered in- 

 doors proved remunerative; but so easily are they grown that the mar- 

 ket soon became overstocked. Their habit of growing to a great height 

 in the greenhouse can be guarded against by selecting the varieties, 

 planting wide enough apart and giving the maximum amount of light 

 and air. They should take the place of exhausted Carnations or Mi- 

 gnonette. The outdoor crop need not come in bloom all at the same time; 

 the first lot may be safely planted out during the middle of April in 

 most places, the seeds being sown in very shallow hotbeds about the 

 end of February. 



BANANAS (flusa) — The ordinary fruiting Bananas for sub-tropical 

 bedding will do well in almost any part of the country. With a plant 

 or two to start with no trouble need be experienced in getting up a 

 stock, as they sucker freely from the bases of the old stems. If there is 

 difficulty in disposing of them, which is not likely to be the case, as in 

 every community there are some people who like things which are un- 

 common, then use them for the decoration of the home grounds with 

 such plants as Cannas, Eulalias and dark-leaved Ricinus. This combi- 

 nation will make a display that will be hard to equal. There are few 

 things easier to keep over Winter. On the approach of frost the leaves 

 should be shortened back by two-thirds of their length, the plants lifted, 

 roots shortened back considerably, and stowed as thickly together as 

 they will go in a box and placed in some out of-the-way corner, where 

 frost will not get at them. They will pull through the Winter all right, 

 in a pretty low temperature. When planting-out time comes they are 

 rather uncanny-looking objects for the center of a bed; but they are not 

 long in developing a crop of leaves. 



The hardiest species of the genus, and one splendidly adapted to 

 our Summers, is known as the Abyssinian Banana, M. Ensete. It does 



