THE AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIAS, 



r i 



THE AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIAS 



(Corrects). 

 In days when Australia was a new world, 

 and the treasures of Botany Bay fresh- 

 ly brought to our doors, the growers 

 of that time were enthusias- 

 tic over our sudden wealth 

 of winter-flowering shrubs, 

 giving glass-houses some- 

 thing of the summer bright- 

 ness of the Land of the 

 Southern Cross. In those 

 days no one could foresee 

 the present neglect of these 

 plants, due in part to certain 

 delicacy among many hard- 

 wooded plants, in part to 

 reaction against the mon- 

 strous trained forms adopted 

 for too many of them ; part- 

 ly also to the spread of forc- 

 ing, by which other flowers 

 more docile in the hands of 

 the grower came into com- 

 petition with these winter- 

 bloomers, and also because 

 of the movement in favour 

 of hardy plants which has 

 become so marked of recent 

 years. No one can deny that 

 this movement is right and 

 natural, and to the highest 

 interest of British gardens, 

 but it is equally certain that 

 little floral brightness can be 

 drawn from gardens at mid- 

 winter however fine may be the effect of 

 berry-bearing and bright-barked shrubs. 

 Afewgreenhouseplantsto tide over this 

 season of dulness are therefore not out 

 of place, and for winter and early spring 



few hard-wooded shrubs are more use- 

 ful than a selection of the Australian 

 Fuchsias, with their neat habit, profuse 

 tubular flowers, and easy management. 

 They are useful for decoration, or in cut 



GROUP OF CORREAS. 



sprays as button-holes, for which they 

 areuncommon,and may be prettily con- 

 trasted with Erica melanthera or some 

 other of the fragrant winter-flowering 

 heaths. Though usually flowered in 



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