April 10, 1919. 



The Florists^ Review 



25 



Ready for the Rush; a Modern Flower Store Conservatory on Good Friday Morning. 



quality. What valuable Easter plants 

 these newer French varieties are! They 

 far outclass the older otaksa, although 

 that variety is by no means obsolete and 

 has abundant uses later in the season. 

 They propagate so easily, make such 

 satisfactory growth in a season, either 

 planted out or in pots, and bloom so pro- 

 fusely on even the weakest appearing 

 stems, that it is not unusual to see a 

 dozen good heads on a plant in a 6-inch 

 pot. The average plant stands up nicely 

 without staking. We can propagate, 

 grow and flower hydrangeas beautifully 

 in America. Eemember that all the hy- 

 drangeas are thirsty subjects and need 

 lots of water. They will stand a com- 

 paratively low temperature, but even 

 they are not mildew-proof and a grower 

 will soon find this out if he syringes 

 them indiscriminately and subjects them 

 to cold drafts. 



Good Genistas. 



Genistas can hardly be classed as 

 among the most desirable plants for 

 use in the house. Unless kept in a cool 

 and well ventilated room, their flowers 

 fall quickly. They are likely to be in 

 considerable demand this season to fill 

 up other shortages. The bulk of the 

 plants offered have been sheared into 

 shape and some topiary specimens are 

 to be met with. I have a strong liking, 

 however, for the less formal-looking 



plants and it is too bad that more of 

 these are not offered. I am positive 

 that many retailers would greatly prefer 

 plants which had been allowed to make 

 a more natural growth. Well flowered 

 genistas, not too much expanded, are 

 most excellent Easter plants and for 

 those wanting neat little plants what 

 can be prettier than plants in 3-inch 

 and 4-inch pots? 



Colored Spiraeas. 



Usually spiraeas, or astilbes, to be 

 botanically correct, are abundant for 

 Easter. The number offered this year 

 will be much reduced and prices are 

 much advanced. Those beautifully col- 

 ored varieties, Peach Blossom, Queen 

 Alexandra, Rubens, Ceres, Pink Pearl, 

 Juno and Venus, make superb Easter 

 plants and can be had in fine shape for 

 as late a date as April 2Q. They em- 

 brace such colors as salmon pink, lilac 

 rose, purplish pink, delicate pink and 

 deep rose. They grow taller than the 

 japonica varieties and carry immense 

 heads of flower. If unsold, the plants 

 should be cut in two or three pieces with 

 a sharp spade, planted out in rich soil 

 and in a couple of years they will make 

 splendid clumps for forcing again, bet- 

 ter than any that are imported from 

 Holland. Do not forget to place sau- 

 cers under the spiraeas; they are thirsty 

 subjects and can scarcely be over- 



watered. It will not harm spiraeas to be 

 moved from a warm to a cool house if 

 you remember to keep the roots always 

 moist. 



Show Pelargoniums. 



A late Easter favors the show pelar- 

 goniums and in addition to Easter 

 Greeting, Wurtembergia and one or two 

 others of similar type, some of the older 

 and more showy varieties of this showy 

 species are available. All need cool 

 culture from start to finish. You sim- 

 ply cannot hurry them, but place them 

 in a good, sunny house and shade them 

 somewhat as the flowers start to open. 

 A group of one variety makes a most 

 attractive window display and I am 

 glad to note • coming in again of this 

 one-time popular flowering plant. Be 

 sure the plants are free of green aphis 

 before you send them out, remind pur- 

 chasers that the aphis has a marked 

 partiality for them and tell them how to 

 keep them in subjection. 



Callas Should Sell. 



With such a marked scarcity of Eas- 

 ter lilies, a good many buyers will be 

 glad to purchase callas. There has been 

 something of a revolution in calla cul- 

 ture since the introduction of the God- 

 frey, which flowers with much greater 

 freedom than the old aethiopica and car- 

 ries flowers equally large but purer 

 white in color. Plants in 5-inch or 



