GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 



251 



Although azaleas are such charming plants, I have never remena- 

 bered the names of varieties, arid so have trusted to the kindness 

 of the distinguished florist Mr. Veitch to recommend a few of the 

 most unexceptionable : yet I must say I never saw an ugly Azalea 

 indica, or one which it was not desirable to cultivate. The following 

 is Mr. Veitch's list : — 



Cedo nuUi : dark purple. 

 Countess of Flanders : bright rose. 

 Eclatante : very bright scarlet. 

 Due de Nassau : rosy purple. 

 Extranei : rich violet rose. 

 Iveryana : white, striped with rose. 



La Ddesse : salmon rose. 



Madame Dominique Vervaene : rose. 



Madame Vervaene : fine white. 



Roi d'HoUande : deep scarlet. 



Souvenir du Prince Albert : bright rose. 



Stella : bright orange scarlet. 



It is usual to trim azaleas into ugly pyramidal bushes, and to tie 

 the branches to stakes. This makes them look unnatural, and spoils 

 their habit. Upon remonstrating with a gardener at the Botanical 

 Society upon this barbarous practice, he shrugged his shoulders, and 

 said he must be in the fashion, and that was the manner in which 

 azaleas were exhibited at flower shows. 



The Oleander grows wild in Spain beside rivers ; in Eng- 

 land it requires a greenhouse. There are many varieties. 

 I have a cutting from a tree at Pompeii, and it grows most 

 freely from cuttings, even if simply 

 placed in a bottle of water. 



" Where Oleanders flush'd the bed 

 Of silent torrents, gravel-spread." 



Tennyson. 



We have a few plants of the 

 Epacris (fig. 506), which are useful to 

 cut for nosegays in early spring ; and fig. s°7--Erica. 



also two or three Ericas (fig. 507). Either too much or too little water 

 is hurtful to both of these plants ; and therefore if they do well it is 

 a good proof that the gardener understands how to water his plants ; 

 but if he contrives to kill them, he may be sure he has more to learn. 

 No plants show this particular knowledge of a gardener so well. _ 



Fig. 506. 

 Epacris, 



