Gardening for Amateurs 



781 



Hard-wooded Plants 



THE term " hard- wooded " is applied 

 to an extensive section of green- 

 house plants characterised by par- 

 ticularly hard wood, and for the most part 

 with delicate, hair-like roots. For their suc- 

 cessful cultivation a liberal proportion of 

 peat is necessary in the potting compost. 

 Though the wood is so very hard as to give 

 rise to the popular name, many of them, 

 especially such as some of the Heaths, are 

 comparatively small. Half a century ago 

 hard-wooded plants occupied a far more 

 important position in gardens than they do 

 at the present day. This was the time when 

 large specimen plants formed a prominent 

 feature at exhibitions. Now their glory is 

 departed, the public prefers plants of quicker 

 growth and having less exacting cultural 

 requirements. 



Though large specimens are now rarely 

 met with, hard-wooded plants have not 



altogether disappeared from gardens ; some 

 are still grown in considerable numbers, 

 though generally in the shape of neat little 

 bushes rather than large ones. 



Azalea. The most popular at the present 

 day are Indian Azaleas, Epacris, some 

 Heaths, and two or three Boronias. The 

 first place is undoubtedly held by the Indian 

 Azalea, of which many thousands are dis- 

 posed of in a single season. Practically all 

 the Indian Azaleas seen in this country are 

 grown in Belgium, and sent here in the shape 

 of neat little plants grafted on a clean stem 

 a few inches high. Most of them come over 

 in September and October, for it has been 

 found that they feel the check of removal 

 less at that season than at any other. 



In purchasing Azaleas it is essential to 

 obtain them from a reliable source, for, 

 though they are sometimes offered very 

 cheaply, one does not know to what vicissi- 



Indian Azalea well grown in flower-pot. 



