November  8,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
425 
altaclarensis  of  a 
Tlie  Greenhouse  in  Winter. 
{^Concluded  from  page  408.) 
January  will  inherit  many  of  the  December  flowers.  If  I  enlarged 
somewhat  on  the  Christmas  supply  it  was  because  at  this  season  of 
friendly  greetings  more  was  desirable.  Nothing  seems  more  beautiful 
than  to  associate  our  gatherings  with  flowers.  Cinerarias  must  now 
be  introduced.  These  of  late  have  been  much  improved  in  habit» 
variety,  and  quality  of  bloom.  Self  colours  come  true  from  seed, 
and  the  bicolors  are  always  bright  and  charming.  Cineraria  stellata 
is  tall  and  graceful,  and  well  worth  a  place,  bearing  the  same  relation 
to  the  other  Cinerarias  as  Primula  stellata  does  to  Primulas.  Tulips 
and  Hyacinths  of  greater  variety  will  be  coming  in.  The  novel  and 
lovely  colours  of  Azalea  mollis  and  the  G-hent  varieties  can  now 
be  forced,  and  I  would  specially  mention  A. 
beautiful  golden  colour.  These  shades 
are  always  much  appreciated.  Among 
Daffodils  the  Tenby,  Golden  Spur, 
and  Stella  are  among  the  earliest. 
Cytisus  of  sorts,  Lilacs,  Spiraea  japonica, 
and  other  kinds,  especially  the  shrubby 
Spiraea  confusa,  one  of  the  neatest  and 
most  charming  -of  all  white  flowering 
shrubs  for  forcing ;  Staphylea  colchica, 
Deutzias  of  sorts  will  be  quite  sufficient 
to  keep  January  gay. 
February,  with  its  longer  and  brighter 
days  giving  us  a  taste  of  spring,  will 
have  ample  variety  with  its  succession 
of  bulbs,  including  Lachenalias,  so 
useful  in  hanging  baskets  and  in  pots 
for  edging  the  stage  ;  L.  Nelsoni  is  a 
rich  golden,  much  brighter  than  L. 
tricolor,  but  more  scarce.  Solomon’s 
Seal  and  Dielytra  spectabilis  will  be 
useful.  The  beautiful  varieties  of  Nar¬ 
cissus  Polyanthus,  including  the  Chinese 
Sacred  Lily,  sometimes  grown  among 
stones  in  water,  are  great  favourites. 
Several  other  varieties  succeed  equally 
well  under  the  water  treatment.  Many 
of  the  flowering  shrubs  come  into  bloom 
more  kindly  now.  In  addition  to  those 
already  mentioned  I  would  include 
Viburnum  opulus  (Guelder  Rose),  V. 
plicatum.  Hydrangea  paniculata  grandi- 
flora,  and  the  pure  white  variety  Dr. 
Hogg  ;  Rhododendrons  of  sorts,  always 
including  Cunningham’s  White  ;  several 
kinds  of  Prunus,  Magnolias,  especially 
conspicua  and  the  dwarf  early  flower¬ 
ing  M.  stellata.  The  magnificent 
hybrid  Amaryllis  (Hippeastrum)  may 
be  taken  to  the  warm  greenhouse 
when  in  flower.  Those  standing  well 
above  the  other  plants  always  attract 
attention. 
March  will  witness  a  greater  development  of  all  the  flowering  plant® 
mentioned  last  month.  Indian  and  other  Azaleas  will  be  in  profusion  ; 
bulbs  at  their  best;  Bermuda  Lilies,  so  pure  and  chaste,  will  be 
welcomed,  but  will  be  in  greater  request  later  on  as  the  flower  of 
the  Easter  festival.  I  cannot  omit  Clivia  (Imantophyllum)  miniatum 
and  its  splendid  varieties.  There  are  few  plants  that  light  up  and 
brighten  a  house  so  much  ;  the  warmth  of  colour  of  the  large  umbels 
of  flowers  and  the  distinct  dark  green  strap-shaped  leaves  make  it  one 
of  the  most  telling  plants  of  its  season.  Tea  Roses,  which  have  up  to 
now  been  most  in  evidence,  will  give  place  to  H.P.  Roses,  which  cannot 
fail  to  be  appreciated.  Several  New  Holland  plants  will  be  flowering. 
Acacias  of  sorts,  Chorizemas,  Correas,  Boronias,  spring-flowering  Ericas, 
the  showy  early  flowering  Pelargoniums,  Himalayan  Rhododendrons, 
nice  pots  of  Mignonette,  and  Violets.  Chorizema  cordatum  splendens 
(fig.  116)  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  varieties  and  flowers  over  a  very 
long  period.  March  is  a  glorious  month  in  the  greenhouse.  At  its 
close,  and  as  flowers  begin  to  open  more  and  more  out  of  doors  as 
the  season  gets  on,  less  interest  and  attention  will,  as  a  matter  of 
coiJrse,  be  centred  in  those  under  glass. 
Up  to  the  present  I  have  said  nothing  about  Orchids,  having 
purposely  left  them  out,  so  as  to  mention  them  specially.  Many  people 
are  somewhat  afraid  of  Orchids.  I  can  safely  say,  with  careful 
attention  and  with  a  few  plants  of  each  kind  I  am  about  to  mention, 
they  may  be  had  in  bloom  during  the  whole  six  months  I  have  gone 
through,  and  about  in  the  order  I  shall  put  them  ; — Cypripedium  insigne, 
Lj caste  Skinneri,  Odontoglossum  crispum,  and  0.  grande,  Coelogyne 
cristata,  Ada  aurautiaca,  and  Dendrobium  nobile.  These  are  all  of  easy 
culture.  I  would  not  dissuade  anyone  from  trying  more  of  the 
cooler  Orchids,  but  should  anticipate  for  them  a  great  amount  of 
success. 
Climbing  plants  I  have  not  alluded  to,  as  they  interfere  more  or  less 
with  the  light  during  this  period.  There  is  one  plant,  however,  that 
might  be  introduced  with  good  effect  on  the  rafters,  which  from  its 
habit  of  growth  would  not  materially 
diminish  the  light;  it  is  Tropmolum 
Ball  of  Fire.  This  would  flower 
during  the  whole  period  and  add  im¬ 
mensely  in  keeping  the  house  gay. 
The  brilliant  scarlet  flowers  can  hardly 
be  equalled  for  intensity  of  colour, 
and  it  would  take  off  somewhat  from 
the  stiffness  of  the  roof.  There  is 
other  climber  of  so  light 
a  character  that  blooms 
ously  through  the  winter, 
not  be  tied  in  too  much, 
a  fair  amount  of  natural 
growth. 
In  finishing,  I  would  say  that  Palms, 
Perns,  and  other  suitable  foliage  plants 
should  be  associated  with  the  flowering 
plants  as  may  be  necessary  ;  good  taste 
and  experience  will  be  the  best  guides 
in  the  selection,  proportion,  and  general 
use  of  these  indispensable  plants. — 
Sempekflorens. 
no 
and  elegant 
so  continu- 
It  should 
but  allowed 
freedom  of 
Autumn-sown  Sweet  Peas 
Fig.  116. — Chorizema  cordatum  splendens. 
All  who  once  grow  autumn-sown 
Sweet  Peas  successfully  discard  spring 
sowings,  unless  the  object  is  to  have 
a  succession.  They  grow  much  stronger, 
have  finer  blossoms,  last  in  bloom 
longer,  and  by  getting  more  firmly 
established  in  the  soil  are  less  liable  to 
be  dried  up  in  hot  weather.  On  heavy, 
wet  soils,  or  where  there  are  walls  or 
other  harbourage  for  snails  and  slugs  and 
other  pests,  it  is  not  much  good  sowing 
them  in  the  open  ground  at  this  season. 
The  plan  I  have  adopted  for  many  years  is  to  sow  them  in  48-sized  pots, 
eight  or  ten  peas  in  a  pot,  about  the  first  week  in  November,  and  then 
put  them  in  a  cold  frame,  and  water  them  when  they  are  very  dry, 
which  is  not  often  if  the  frame  is  left  wide  open  in  mild  weather.  By 
the  middle  of  March  they  will  be  2  to  4  inches  high,  and  the  pots  of  peas 
should  then  be  turned  out  whole  into  well-prepared  soil.  They  like 
deeply-dug  ground  well  manured.  They  can  thus  get  plenty  of  root 
run,  which  will  enable  them  to  withstand  a  considerable  amount  of 
drought. 
If  planted  out  about  the  middle  of  March  they  should  be  in 
bloom  the  early  part  of  June,  and  if  the  pods  are  picked  off  every 
few  days  they  may  last  six  or  eight  weeks,  unless  the  heat  is  very  great, 
though  even  this  may  be  greatly  counteracted  by  a  liberal  application 
of  liquid  manure  in  addition  to  a  mulching  round  the  roots,  as  they 
are  hungry  and  thirsty  plants.  It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  Sweet 
Peas  grown  in  this  way  will  want  taller  sticks  than  spring-sown  ones. 
—  Alger  Pett.s. 
