August, 1912 
effect it can be used, I was 
going to say, everywhere, 
and I do not know but that 
will stand literally. .From 
the border along the front 
wall, to solid beds upon the 
lawn, as an edging for other 
flowers in the garden, in 
vases and veranda boxes, 
both as upright plants and 
trailing vines, in glowing 
masses of color, in vases or 
bowls in the house, and as 
some of the most beautiful 
and continuous flowering 
single specimen of pot plants 
for window or conservatory, 
at all seasons of the year, it 
can be used, and it merits 
far greater attention than we have ever yet awarded it— 
simply because this is an age of advertising and the Geran- 
ium has never been freely exploited. Some day, and merely 
upon its splendid qualities, it will come into its own. 
The most general use for the Geranium, of course, is for 
bedding. Happily, improv- 
ing taste in landscape art has 
almost eliminated the stiff 
and formal flower bed, with 
mathematical rows, seg- 
ments and circles of con- 
trasting and jarring colors 
of flowers. The most strik- 
ing effects are undoubtedly 
to be had by using one color — 
at a time, although there can 
be no fixed rule. Art with 
flowers, as with pigments, 
harmonies or words, eternal- 
ly creates exceptions to its 
own fondest rules. For bed- 
ding purposes the standard 
favorite zonals, such as S. 
A. Nutt (dark red), Beaute 
Potevine (light salmon), 
Buchner (pure white), Al- 
phonse Ricard (intense ver- 
milion), are the most generally used, though some of the 
Ivy-leaved hybrids of compact growth are proving valuable 
for this purpose. These, and similar varieties, are robust 
in growth, and a pleasing “‘finish’’ to the Geranium bed is 
had by using one of the low-growing variegated foliage 
Various types of 
four-inch pots. 
Showing specimens of rooted Geraniums ready to be ‘“‘potted off 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Geraniums ready for repotting fr 
Note the white “working roots” 
Fifteen cuttings from two old plants. 
291 
varieties, such as Mme. Sal- 
leroi or Golden Brilliantis- 
simum. For veranda boxes 
and large vases a very 
charming effect may be had 
by using one of the zonals 
for upright plants, and 
matching the color of the 
flowers in an Ivy for trailing 
over the edge, as for in- 
stance S. A. Nutt and Ceasar 
Franck. Vincas are almost 
universally used with Ger- 
aniums for this kind of work, 
on account of their beautiful 
green and white foliage and 
graceful pendant vines. The 
variegated Ivy Geranium, 
L’Elegante, makes a charm- 
ing plant to use in place of some of the Vincas. All of the 
Ivies, in fact, lent themselves particularly to this sort of 
work, being not only most graceful and artistic, with their 
sharply cut waxen leaves and beautiful individual flowers, 
but they withstand general exposure and dryness very well. 
For single plants in pots, 
a for window, conservatory or 
/ veranda, almost any of the 
Geraniums do excellently ex- 
cept a few of the heavy- 
wooded doubles, which need 
too much room, and the 
singles, which as a class shat- 
ter too quickly, although 
some of them are good. It 
is for this use that the new 
“Cactus” type will prove a 
most valuable addition to 
our list of house plants; and 
thie se@ayiclionpisa: salsomare 
suited for culture in this way 
on account of the great 
beauty of the individual 
flowers. The Ivies too are 
prized highly when cut back 
to induce a stocky growth, 
well branched. They are 
very profuse bloomers. Silver-leafed S. A. Nutt is one of 
the handsomest pot plants imaginable, and others of the 
variegated and tricolored class, which have proved fairly 
good bloomers, make fine single specimens. Two great 
points in favor of Geraniums as house plants are the ease 
7 
ELE AIA 
LST OE SRE LL 
om three-inch to 
Sania gss 
The large leaves are cut back 
Lee ROTEL eee ee Re RRR ERT eR aE eT 
Old plants, six weeks after cutting back, ready for the season’s growth 
