688 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



loam, and sand suit it for growing in ; if too rich a compost be 

 used, an abundance of growth and very few flowers will be the 

 result. It is necessary to thoroughly ripen the growth in the 

 autumn and to keep the plants rather dry during the winter. 

 Before they show signs of starting into growth in the following 

 spring, the branches should be rather freely pruned and the 

 weak shoots cut out. 



Dipladenia. — These beautiful South American evergreen 

 twiners, to which several garden varieties have been added, are 

 of free and good habit and remarkably floriferous. They are 



not surpassed by 

 any other for 

 beauty of tint 

 and delicateness 

 of texture of 

 their lovely 

 tubular, funnel- 

 shaped blos- 

 soms, which are 

 of pleasing 

 shades of white, 

 pink, and crim- 

 son, from 3in. to 

 4in. in diameter. 

 Their habit of 

 growth renders 

 them admirably 

 adapted for 

 training up the 

 rafters or on 

 wire trellises, 

 and they make 

 excellent exhi- 

 bition plants. 

 Cuttings of short 



side-shoots will strike root in heat under a bell-glass. The plants 

 thrive, best in rough fibrous peat, with a free admixture of 

 silver-sand. In pruning, which should be done when they are 

 at rest, cut away all the weak shoots and exhausted growths that 

 have flowered, and, just as they show signs of starting into 

 growth, remove most of the old soil and repot into clean, 

 well-drained pots. The following are of good habit and 

 give a pleasing variety of colours : D. amabilis, D. boliviensis, 

 £>. Brearkyana, D. Elliotii, and D. insignis (Fig. 448). 



Ficus stipulata (better known in gardens as F. repent) is a 

 creeping evergreen shrub, with small, heart-shaped, green leaves, 

 native of China. It is a most useful plant for rockwork or 

 hanging baskets, for covering damp walls, and for general 



Fig. 448. — Dipladenia insignis. 



