198 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Winter Conservatory Plants. — As a continu¬ 
ation of the subject of last week, we shall allude to a 
few more plants that are very serviceable for embel¬ 
lishing a warm greenhouse during the winter months, 
requiring, for this purpose, a little of the same system 
of management as was described as suitable for the 
Salvia splendens, though most of them are rather 
more tender. The three first, to which we advert, 
belong to the natural order of Acanthacls. We shall 
treat of them so as to suit chiefly those whose means 
of growing them are not the most convenient. 
Justicia speciosa. — This family was named in 
compliment to a Scotch horticulturist and botanist. 
The species we have named was introduced from 
the East Indies more than twenty years ago. There 
are other species much more beautiful aud showy, 
such as fiavicoma , yellow, and rather dwarf; carnea, 
flesh coloured, with large bunches of flowers; cocci- 
nea, scarlet; picta, painted, and many more worth 
growing in a stove; but few of them, unless in a 
high temperature, Co much good in winter, aud even 
in a stove the spring and summer, and the beginning 
of the autumn, are their principal periods for bloom¬ 
ing; and hence they become useful, at these times, 
for adorning a common greenhouse, or conservatory, 
when geraniums, fuchsias, &c., are upon the wane. 
On the other hand, the Speciosa will keep in flower 
during three or four of the dullest months of the 
year, in a temperature from 45“ to 50° ; and though 
its individual purple flowers are small, yet as they 
stand out well from the plant, are produced in great 
abundance, and the habit of the plant itself is grace¬ 
ful and bushy, when well grown; it is far from being 
an uninteresting object. When the plants are grow¬ 
ing and blooming, they require abundance of water. 
As soon as the blooming season is over, cut the 
plants down, and set them where they will not 
attract notice; receive a little light, and have a tem¬ 
perature little below 45°. Very little water will be 
required until they break, which you must by-and- 
by get them to do, by the time you have a cucumber 
bed at work, or a small house, in which you are 
forcing vines, or peaches. Then prune back to the 
young wood. Shake the soil from the roots, prune 
them slightly, if necessary, and jdace in a pot either 
of the same, or a smaller size, according to the state 
of the roots, aud the means you have of encouraging 
lapid growth. A little bottom-heat would be of 
great service to them at first; but if that cannot be 
given, a shady place in the forcing-house will suit 
them well, taking care, however, to expose them to 
the light as soon as tire roots can supply the per¬ 
spiring processes, otherwise the plant will get long- 
legged instead of shrubby. To make the plants large, 
and yet dwarf, frequent stoppings may be given until 
June, when they may be set in cold pits, kept rather 
close, but scarcely shaded from sun; obtain more 
air where they stand, or, from being set out of doors 
in August, removed under shelter in September, and 
never allowed to have a temperature below 45°; for 
though they may flower well enough, the leaves are 
easily disfigured. Several shiftings may be given 
them during the summer, if large plants are the 
object. The soil should be chiefly light, fibry loam, 
with a little peat, and a little dung. If much peat 
or leaf mould is used, the plants will be apt to get 
lanky in their growth. Towards autumn, watering 
with soot-water will encourage a plentiful formation 
of flower buds; but as far as the plants will endure 
[January 10. 
it, they must then have plenty of sun-light. Cuttings 
taken oft' in March, struck, potted, the points stop¬ 
ped, and then treated as older plants, will make nice 
flowering plants before winter. 
Eranthemusi pui.cheli.um (from ear —spring, and 
anthos —a flower ; probably, because many of the 
family bloom in the earlier months of the year).— 
Like the last, it belongs to the second class of Lin¬ 
naeus, and is a native of the East Indies. There are 
two purple ones ( Gapense and Variabile ) that will do 
with the usual greenhouse treatment; there are many 
other species that bloom, in summer and spring, in 
the stove. The pulchella is not only a beautiful blue, 
but, with a little coaxing, it may be made not only to 
ornament the stove six or eight months, but such a 
greenhouse as we have been supposing, from Decem¬ 
ber to March. The main points of culture are the 
same as for Justicia speciosa. but a few points of dif¬ 
ference must be attended to. For instance, cuttings 
grow more slowly ; and, if intended to flower the 
same season, they must be put in early, in a little 
bottom-heat, and the plants afterwards never allowed 
to stand still. When done flowering, the plants will 
not stand quite such rough treatment; nor should they 
be cut down quite so much as the Justicia, as, alto¬ 
gether, they grow more slowly, although a season of 
rest and comparative dryness, before starting them 
again, seems to suit them. If the plants are not very 
large, instead of cutting down, it is better to pick out, 
the points of the shoots. I have never tried placing 
them out of doors in the height of summer. After 
shaking away the most of the old soil, and potting 
them afresh, they get a start in a forcing-house ; and 
then, when that became too shady, they could be 
transferred to a cold pit, kept rather close at first, and 
more air given afterwards, taking care to have the 
plants in a secure place, when the cold nights of 
autumn come. One difference more, the soil should 
be rather more than half rough, sandy peat, with 
lumps of charcoal; the rest fibry loam, and dried 
leaf-mould. 
Gold fussia anisophylla, named after Dr. Gold- 
fuss, Professor of Natural History, at Bonne. It 
is an old favourite in gardens, under the name of 
Ruellia anisophylla, and deservedly so; for, though 
the light blue flowers are not very gorgeous, they are 
produced in clusters, all along the shoots; so that 
numbers of blossoms, thickly studded, command an 
interest, which the flower, observed individually, 
would fail to do. Another recommendation is, that 
it requires excessive bad management to make the 
plant look ugly ; as, almost without any stopping, it 
takes a beautiful bushy form, growing outwards at 
the base, in symmetrical proportion, as it increases 
in height. In flower, or out of flower, it is always, 
therefore, a pretty object; and is especially suited for 
amateurs, with limited room, as it never becomes 
large. Although generally considered a stove plant, 
it will flourish in a common greenhouse ; but, then, 
its flowers would come chiefly in summer. By short¬ 
ening back the plant in spring, potting, and bringing 
it forward in a forcing structure, hardening it off in 
the early part of autumn, and keeping it safe from 
cold in October, it will flower for the three following 
months. Cuttings, struck in March, potted, and as¬ 
sisted, by being kept rather close at first, will make 
neat, small flowering plants before winter. Equal 
portions of rough peat and loam will suit it well; the 
loam, if fibry, should preponderate, as the growth 
will be more stubby in consequence. 
Manettia bicolor, named in honour of Xavier 
Manetti, of Florence; is one of the prettiest of winter 
