274 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



age and flowering begonias. They will require little or 

 no care in addition to an occasional watering, except to 

 raise the glass for a short time each morning, to afford 

 them a supply of fresh air, and to pick out the decayed 

 leaves and flowers. 



CHAPTER XXIL 



THE GROWING OF BEDDING PLANTS. 



In every greenhouse, whether public or private, 

 some attention is given to the growing of plants for 

 lawn decoration. A few years ago, the plants used on 

 the ordinary lawn consisted of a few common varieties, 

 grown from seeds, or "slips" taken from the plants 

 grown for winter flowering. 



Not only has the number of varieties used for this 

 purpose increased, but within the last twenty years the 

 attention given to carpet bedding and other lawn plant- 

 ing has increased many fold. For convenience, the 

 plants used for this purpose may be divided into foliage 

 plants, flowering plants, bulbs and ornamental grasses. 



FOLIAGE PLANTS. 



At the present time, the number of species of plants 

 of this class in use is comparatively small, and yet per- 

 haps they are used more extensively than all others com- 

 bined. They are very easily and cheaply grown, and, 

 unlike many of the flowering plants, are ornamental 

 throughout the entire season. 



Among the best-known and most useful plants of 

 this class are the coleus, achyranthes (or, more properly, 

 iresine) and alternanthera. The first two greatly 

 resemble each other, and as they require about the same 



