Gardening for Amateurs 



those whose blossoms are over in late autumn 

 and winter should not be cut down until the 

 spring. 



Eriostemon. A neat, free-flowering race 

 of Australian shrubs, all of which have 

 white starry blossoms borne in great pro- 

 fusion in spring. The treatment given to 

 hard-wooded plants generally suits them 

 well, except that they are all the better for 

 a little loam mixed with the potting com- 

 post. If large plants are required, those 

 that have finished flowering can be shifted 

 on into larger pots without being cut back. 



Leschenaultia biloba major. This, a 

 Heath-like plant, at once arrests attention 

 by reason of the rich blue colour of its 

 blossoms, which are borne in spring. While 

 the general treatment recommended for 

 Boronia will suit it, Leschenaultia should 

 not be stood out-of-doors during summer, 

 but is best kept in a light, airy greenhouse. 



Metrosideros floribunda. This is also 

 known as Callistemon salignus (Bottle-brush 

 plant). One of the few hard- wooded plants 

 that have increased in popularity within 

 recent years. It figures largely at the 

 summer exhibitions, where its bright-coloured 

 flowers and their peculiar conformation are 

 much admired. . The blossoms are disposed 

 in a cylindrical-shaped spike, and as each has 

 a number of long, prominent filaments, the 

 resemblance to a bottle-brush is very marked. 

 The colour is deep scarlet. The cultivation 

 of Metrosideros has been largely taken up 

 by nurserymen on the Continent, most of 

 the plants shown either as bushes, pyramids 

 or standards being obtained from that 

 source. It is propagated from cuttings of 

 the half-ripened shoots as advised for 

 Boronia ; established plants benefit by a 

 mixture of one-third loam in the potting 

 compost. When the plants have done 

 flowering they must not be cut back hard, 

 but simply have any straggling shoots 

 shortened and the old flower clusters re- 

 moved. If repotting is needed it should be 

 done immediately after flowering, but large 

 plants will keep in good health for two or 

 three years without being disturbed at the 

 roots. 



Polygala dalmaisiana. A free-growing 

 shrubby plant from 2 to 3 feet in height, 

 clothed with pretty glaucous leaves. The 



showy rosy-purple flowers, borne in late 

 winter and spring, resemble in shape those 

 of the Pea. Treat as advised for Boronia. 



Rhododendron. There are two quite 

 distinct sections of greenhouse Rhododen- 

 drons : first, those that are natives of the 

 Himalayas and the varieties raised there- 

 from ; and secondly, the garden forms 

 obtained from several species natives of the 

 Malayan Archipelago. The first-named set 

 are nearly hardy and may be placed out of 

 doors for the summer. They bloom in 

 spring, then make fresh growth and set their 

 flower buds for another year. They will 

 stand for years without repotting if given 

 an occasional stimulant during the growing 

 season. If they need repotting this should 

 be done directly the blossoms are past. 

 Peat and sand pressed down very firmly 

 suit them well. To this section belong such 

 well-known kinds as R. ciliatum, Countess 

 of Derby, Countess of Haddington, Dal- 

 housiae, Edgeworthii, Exoniense, forsteri- 

 anum fragrantissimum, Lady Alice Fitz- 

 william, sesterianum and veitchianum. The 

 flowers of most of these are white or blush, 

 and fragrant. 



Tube-flowered Rhododendrons, which is 

 the name frequently applied to the hybrid 

 forms obtained by the crossing of species 

 from the Malayan Archipelago, are some- 

 times referred to as javanico-jasminiflorum 

 hybrids, these two kinds being the first from 

 which cross-bred sorts were obtained. This 

 class of Rhododendron needs the warmest 

 part of the greenhouse ; that is to say, the 

 thermometer should not fall below 50 in 

 winter. In warmth, cuttings of the half- 

 ripened shoots are not at all difficult to root 

 if put in pots of peat and sand. This class 

 of Rhododendron grows more or less at all 

 times of the year, so that cuttings may be 

 put in whenever available, except in winter. 

 Potting, too, may be carried out whenever 

 the plants are free from flowers winter, of 

 course, excepted. They maintain a scat- 

 tered supply of bloom throughout the year, 

 instead of giving a mass of flowers at one 

 particular season. Good varieties are Aphro- 

 dite, blush ; Brilliant, scarlet ; Indian 

 Yellow, orange- yellow ; jasminifloruni car- 

 minatum, carmine ; luteum roseum, satiny- 

 rose ; Mrs. Heal, white. 



