June 5. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
161 
to a considerable extent, and, no doubt, many others 
are doing the same. As this is, then, becoming a fashion¬ 
able pursuit, that will, no doubt, increase, and being, 
besides, a pleasing variety, I think a few plain directions 
on the culture of Basket Plants will be desirable, and 
useful to the readers of The Cottage Gardener, many 
of whom may be inclined to adopt the practice when 
they know how to set about it. 
In order to render my directions intelligible and more 
easy to be understood, I propose dividing the subject 
into the following heads:—1. A brief description of 
various kinds of baskets. 2. A list of plants suitable 
to plant or put into them. 3. Soil and planting. 4. 
Training. 5. Watering; and 6. General Management. 
The Baskets. —These are, as may be expected, of 
various forms and materials, from the simple rustic 
wood basket to the more costly glass vase, and highly 
elaborately-finished wirework - basket. Of the latter 
kind are those in the Crystal Palace. They are large 
and circular, with a lesser half-round or semi-circular 
kind of globe below the main body of the basket. 
Inside of the larger pari is a large circular pan, in which 
the soil is placed, and the plants put in it. The baskets 
are suspended with strong wire to the balustrades of 
the upper gallery. It is only for such a large buildiug 
that such large baskets are necessary or fitting. For 
smaller conservatories they should be of smaller dimen¬ 
sions. At Ivnowesly Park they are made of wire also, 
but are only about a foot diameter. The drooping plant 
there is grown in a shallow, wide pot, placed inside the 
wire basket. The pot is soon concealed by the leaves 
of the plant. A very elegant basket is made of coloured 
glass, with a broad rim and oblong globe below, to 
contain the soil and the plant. Such may be seen at 
the Pine-Apple Nursery, in Edgeware Road, with plants 
in them. There are also baskets made of porcelain, 
which are very ornamental, and also of common earthen¬ 
ware, the same colour and material as the common 
garden-pot. These are cheap, last long with care, and 
the plants thrive well in them. The forms, of course, 
can he as various as may be desired. I liave some of a 
ball'-globe shape that arc neat, and answer well. 
Messrs. Henderson have had some made the shape of 
the common garden saucer or pan, with holes at the 
sides; and just under the rim, through the latter, the 
wires are run, and meet together about a foot above the 
rim, where they are twisted together, and by them sus¬ 
pended to the roof. The most rustic basket, however, 
is made with Hazel, Oak, or Maple rods, such as I have 
described for various Orchids to grow in, more especially 
the Stan'hopeas. The objection to such baskets is 
that they soon decay; but then they are cheap, easily 
made, and easily renewed. Such will suit an amateur 
with limited means, or a poor cottager might easily 
make such at his leisure hours, and have his suspending 
plants in his window. Lastly, the most simple of all 
is the common garden-pot, with a square platform of 
wood under it fastened to the pot with wire, and the pot 
itself suspended by wires brought round the pot under 
the rim till they meet, and then brought upwards and 
twisted together. Such simple baskets, if they deserve 
that term, are what Mr. Schwabe grows his fine, sus¬ 
pended plants in his preparatory hothouses. They are, 
when full of foliage and flower, placed in handsome 
wire baskets, and suspended with brass chains in his 
elegant conservatory. 
Plants suitable to suspend in Baskets. — This 
part of my subject divides itself into two. Stove 
suspenders, and Greenhouse suspenders. I shall give 
the Stove ones first. 
Stove Plants. —^Eschynanthus Boschianus(Bossh’s ).— 
Handsome foliage and scarlet flowers. A free-grovver 
and droops naturally. 
JEscliynanthus Lobbianus (Lobb’s).—Dark foliage, 
with crimson flowers, appearing in June. Droops 
naturally. 
AEschynanthus pulchcr major (The larger fair).—Very 
fine foliage, scarlet flowers, appearing in July. A free- 
growing naturally drooping species. 
Agalmyla staminea (Long-stamined).—Foliage large; 
flowers long, scarlet tubes from the joints of the leaves, 
appearing in June. Very handsome. 
Cereus flagelliformis (Rod-shaped).—The well-known 
Creeping Cereus; no foliage; the stems are covered 
with hooked spines; flowers rosy-pink, appearing in 
July. This is a decided drooper, and is, when in 
flower, very showy It is almost hardy enough for the 
greenhouse, if kept dry through the winter. There are 
several varieties of Cereus, such as Mallisonii, for in¬ 
stance, that droop, and would answer well for baskets. 
Ceropegia stapheliaformis (Stapelia - like). — Foliage 
only middling. Flowers curious, of a purple colour 
spotted with white. Droops naturally. 
Cyanolis axillaris (Axillary).—Beautiful flowers, and 
pretty foliage. Requires training downards at first, but 
droops naturally afterwards. Increased by seed, lasting 
only two years. It will thrive tolerably in a greenhouse, 
requiring peat soil. 
Didymocarpus crinitus (Long-trained). — Fine, large 
foliage, and white and yellow flowers, like a Gloxinia. 
This is a handsome plant for a basket. 
Epiphyllum £n<ncafit?»(Abrupt-ended),■with its varieties, 
Russellianum and violaccum, do exceedingly well in 
small baskets. Foliage broad and fleshy; flowers pink 
and violet colour, appearing in May and June. Require 
little water in winter, but abundance in summer when 
growing. 
Hoya Bella (Beautiful). — Foliage small, flowers in 
clusters of a pleasing white and amethyst colour, droops, 
or rather bends, gracefully, and forms a dense mass. 
Hoya carnosa (Thick-leaved).—Foliage large, flowers 
in large drooping corymbs; they are of a pinkish-white 
colour, and contain, or rather yield, drops of pure sweet 
honey ; hence this fine old plant is known as the Honey 
plant. Peculiarly well adapted for baskets, the large, 
heavy leaves weighing the branches downwards, and the 
flowers are seen to the greatest advantage when viewed 
from underneath. Many other species of Hoya might 
be put into baskets with good effect, especially II. cam- 
panulata. 
Impatiens repens (Creeping).—Foliage small, but very 
numerous; flower large and of a bright yellow colour. 
This is a Balsam, but more perennial than any other. 
It is of a very drooping character, and, therefore, 
eminently fitted for baskets of any size. 
Isolepis gracilis (Graceful).—This is a species of rush, 
with slender, drooping stems, eminently beautiful, though 
the flowers have no petals and are green. For a small 
glass vase nothing can be more graceful. 
Russelia juncea (Rush-like). — Foliage small, almost 
like a Heath. Flowers very numerous, tubular, and 
scarlet in colour. A very handsome, drooping plant, 
seen now in cultivation. It is a very handsome plant 
for a large basket, requiring a rather large portion of 
rich soil to grow it well and flower it profusely. 
I have selected the above plants as being well suited 
for this particular purpose, namely, of growing in 
baskets in stove-heat. Many others might be added, 
or any of the above changed for others in after years 
for the sake of variety. I have grown many species of 
Achimenes as suspenders, and very showy they were when 
in flower. The beautiful and richly-coloured leaved 
Cissus discolor would, I am persuaded, look charming 
in a basket; as also would the sweet-scented Stephanotis 
Jloribunda, and many other stove creepers. Many 
would flower more freely in baskets, by reason of their 
being exposed to a larger portion of light and being 
cramped at their root. 
