56 THE BOOK OF THE WINTER GARDEN 



All plants in flower may be kept in either the inter- 

 mediate or the greenhouse. A stove temperature is un- 

 necessary for any of the plants mentioned in this book, 

 ivhen in flower. Many palms and good foliage plants 

 require a stove house, however, in winter. 



Plants in flower should not be watered overhead. The 

 water used at the roots should be stored in the house, so 

 that it is warmed. 



Amateurs who have but little regular time to devote 

 to watering, and growers of large quantities, find that 

 an effective way of dealing with such plants as bouvardias, 

 chrysanthemums, salvias, etc., is to plant out in early 

 June in open borders, and carefully lift late in September, 

 putting them into pots, or in the last-named class of 

 growers, into boxes, or plant on the benches under glass. 



Even Chinese primulas, cyclamen, etc., may be treated 

 thus, setting these, however, in beds of soil in a north 

 frame ; but a better way is to plunge the pots up to their 

 rims in ashes or soil. These methods lessen watering. 



At the Royal Botanic Garden, an extensive scheme 

 of planting out permanently was lately adopted, which 

 was carried out with much success by Mr R. L. Harrow, 

 the present Head Gardener. As regards winter flower- 

 ing plants, this system does not work well with all, 

 some growing far too rankly, and becoming much less 

 manageable than when in pots. Exceptions are noted 

 further on, and there are others. For instance, a little- 

 grown but very beautiful greenhouse shrub, with tubular 

 red flowers — the Dermatobotrys Saundersia: — naturally epi- 

 phytic, thrives better in a bed of soil than in pots. Bilbergia 

 and allied plants are far more ornamental on a stone 

 rockery than under pot culture. Many of these plants 

 are ornamental in flower or foliage during winter, and 

 are worthy of specialisation. 



