736 



Gardening for Amateurs 



little bushes or as large specimens either in 

 bush, pyramid, or standard form. Besides 

 this, some of the loose-growing kinds form 

 delightful climbers for the greenhouse roof, 

 and many varieties are well suited for bedding 

 out during summer. Fuchsias are readily 

 grown from cuttings of the young shoots 

 taken in spring and inserted in pots of 

 sandy soil. If placed in a closed and shaded 

 propagating case in slight heat they will 

 root in about a fortnight, after which some 

 air must be admitted to the case in order 

 to harden them off. Potted in a mixture 

 of loam, leaf -mould and sand they will grow 

 away freely. If the plants are to form 

 dwarf bushy specimens the tips of the 

 young shoots must be pinched out two or 

 three times ; if pyramids are needed the 

 plants are tied to an upright stake, leaving 

 the side branches to develop at will ; while 

 in order to obtain standards the stems must 

 be staked upright, and all side shoots re- 

 moved until the required height is obtained. 

 A cool, fairly moist temperature during 

 summer suits Fuchsias well. In a dry atmo- 

 sphere red spider and thrips are apt to 

 attack the leaves, and cause many of them 

 to turn yellow and drop. Fuchsias lose their 

 leaves during winter, at which season they 

 may be kept dry at the root, and in an 

 absolutely dormant state, in a structure 

 from which frost is just excluded. In the 

 spring they should be trimmed into shape 

 and placed in the greenhouse, and watered. 

 There, under the influence of the increased 

 warmth and moisture, they will soon produce 

 young shoots, and when these are about 

 inch long the plants may be repotted. 

 If a little dry cow manure is available it will 

 form a valuable addition to the loam, leaf- 

 mould and sand in which Fuchsias thrive 

 best. The varieties are so numerous, and 

 individual tastes vary so much, that it is 

 difficult to make a selection. The following, 

 however, are ah good : Single, dark Charm- 

 ing, Gertrude Pearson, Marinka, Scarcity, 

 Royal Purple and Valiant. Doubles, dark 

 Alphand, Avalanche, Comte Leon Tolstoi, La 

 France, Phenomenal and President Felix 

 Faure. Single, white corolla Cadmus, Flocon 

 de Neige and Alice Hoffmann. Double, white 

 or whitish corolla Ballet Girl, Duchess of 

 Edinburgh, Frau Em Topfer, Madame 



Cornellison and Madame Jules Chretien. 

 Light colour, single Amy Lye, Earl of 

 Beaconsfield, Fascination, Lady Heytesbury, 

 Leistre, Mrs. Marshall and Princess May. 

 (See also Climbing Plants for the Greenhouse.) 



Gasteria. (See Succulents.) 



Gesnera. A pretty, free-flowering race 

 of soft-wooded plants that form underground 

 tubercles somewhat like those of Achimenes, 

 but larger. They pass the winter in a 

 dormant state, during which time they 

 should be kept dry. In February or March 

 they must be shaken clear of the old soil 

 and repotted in a mixture of equal parts of 

 loam and leaf -mould with a liberal sprinkling 

 of sand. The roots may be potted singly 

 or three in a pot in order to obtain larger 

 specimens. The treatment advised for 

 Tuberous-rooted Begonias suits Gesneras, 

 except that the latter need to be kept 

 somewhat warmer than the Begonias. The 

 Gesneras form an erect stem clothed in 

 many cases with beautiful velvety leaves. 

 The flowers are tubular, borne on a terminal 

 spike, and of various shades of white, yellow 

 and red. The best time to purchase the 

 roots is in winter or early spring, when the 

 tubercles are dormant, as they can then 

 be sent by post for a few pence. 



Gloxinia. The Gloxinias are a remark- 

 ably showy race, and great improvements 

 have taken place amongst them within 

 recent years. In the best varieties the foliage 

 is stout and sturdy, the flowers are large and 

 are borne on good stout stalks. In colour the 

 blooms vary from white to deep crimson and 

 dark purple, while, in addition to the self- 

 coloured blossoms, some are beautifully 

 spotted, others are bordered or margined in 

 various ways. With regard to the directions, 

 both for raising from seeds and growing the 

 roots a second year, the instructions given 

 for Tuberous-rooted Begonias apply, the only 

 difference being that Gloxinias need rather 

 warmer conditions than Begonias. 



Grevillea. (See Foliage Plants.) 



Habrothamnus. The Habrothamnus is 

 a strong-growing plant, well fitted for training 

 up the pillars of a lofty greenhouse. It 

 strikes easily from cuttings in spring, and 

 will grow well in ordinary potting compost. 

 The flowers are tubular, in large clusters. 

 The best are H. aurantiacus, with orange- 



