8 44 



Gardening for Amateurs 



sanderiana must have frequent doses of 

 liquid manure when the pots get full of 

 roots, otherwise the flower tassels will not 

 attain their full development. 



Aeschynanthus. These plants, bearing 

 tube-shaped flowers, are seen at their best 

 in suspended baskets. They should be 

 potted in spring in a mixture of peat, leaf- 

 mould, sphagnum moss, and sand. They 

 flower as a rule towards the latter part of 

 the summer and early autumn. The best 

 are A. grandiflora, crimson and orange ; 

 A. lobbiana, scarlet ; A. pulchra, bright 

 scarlet ; and A. speciosa, orange-red. They 

 must be freely watered in summer, but 

 moderately in winter. 



Allamanda. (See " Climbing Plants for 

 the Hothouse.") 



Alocasia. A group of Aroids, remarkable 

 for their large and handsome leaves, which 

 are for the most part shield-shaped. They 

 need a compost of peat, leaf-mould, and 

 fibrous loam in equal quantities, with, in 

 addition, a little sphagnum moss and sand. 



<^ 



The brilliant Aeschynanthus. 



Potting is carried out in early spring. Dur- 

 ing winter they must be kept somewhat 

 drier than at other seasons. In summer a 

 liberal amount of water must be given. Th& 

 best are : A. argyrea. leaves dark green and 

 silver ; A. macrorhiza variegata, green 

 leaves variegated with white ; A. metallica, 

 rich bronze ; A. Mortefontainensis, very 

 large leaves, bright green, with ivory white 

 midrib and veins ; A. sanderiana, leaves 

 markedly lobed, with ivory white midrib and 

 border ; and A. thibautiana, deep oliv& 

 green with silvery midrib and veins. They 

 may be increased by offsets in spring. 



Alpinia sanderiana. This is a hand- 

 some member of the Ginger Wort family, 

 the Bamboo-like stems, a yard high, being- 

 clothed with narrow leaves, bright green 

 striped with white. It will thrive in ordinary 

 potting soil and can be readily increased by 

 division. 



Anthurium. An extensive genus of 

 Aroids, some of which are remarkable for 

 their handsome leaves, while in others the 

 blossoms are very showy. Of the foliage 

 kinds the best are : A. crystallinum, with 

 large heart-shaped leaves of rich velvety 

 green, with the midrib and principal vein* 

 marked with silver ; A. Veitchii. of which 

 the leaves are often a yard in length and 

 with a peculiarly waved surface ; and A. 

 warocqueanum, having leaves as long as 

 the preceding, but more pointed, their 

 colour is deep green with light green mid- 

 rib and veins. There are two distinct 

 species remarkable for their showy blos- 

 soms, and several varieties of each. The 

 largest spathes are borne by A. andreanum. 

 In the typical kind they are orange -red, 

 while other distinct forms are : album, 

 white ; atrosanguineum, very deep red ; 

 delicatum, pink ; and giganteum, a large- 

 flowered orange-red sort. The other species, 

 A. scherzerianum, has smaller flowers than 

 those of A. andreanum, but they are much 

 more freely produced. Distinct varieties 

 are : Duvivierianum, white ; Madame Dai- 

 Here, rose ; and rothschildianum, freckled 

 with white and red in varying proportions. 

 Anthuriums flower during spring and sum- 

 mer, and will thrive in a mixture of peat, 

 sphagnum moss, and sand, the foliage varie- 

 ties being benefited by the admixture of a. 



