Streptocarpuses

The up-to-date amateur has already learned that the Streptocarpus is one of the modern pets of professional florists, who have given it larger flowers and richer colours. He has also learned to pronounce its rather formidable name, which comes from streptos, twisted, and carpos, fruit, and is rather proud of mentioning it accordingly. The Streptocarpuses are East or South African plants, with broad, thick, drooping leaves, reminiscent of Gloxinias, but, I think, more handsome. The flowers are not so large as those of Gloxinias, nor is the range of colours so wide, but they are undeniably beautiful; and the blues, mauves, and lavenders are exquisite shades which the Gloxinia, with all its beauty, cannot equal. To get strong flowering plants in June onwards, seed of Streptocarpuses should be sown in a warm house during the present month. It germinates readily in a temperature of 6o° to 650. As the Streptocarpus is a tuberous plant, it grows somewhat slowly in its early stages, but still it can be flowered within six months from the sowing if warmth and moisture are available.

Achimenes For Baskets

I have not yet said what beautiful basket plants the Achimenes are, nor how quickly a spreading mass of brilliant bloom can be produced by inserting tubercles in mid-winter. Of course one can buy seed, but seedsmen rarely specialise it as they do Gloxinias, Begonias, and the like; and as the tubercles are quite cheap, only costing three to five shillings per dozen, there is no serious obstacle on the score of cost. The plants never look better than when growing out of the open sides and from the top of an ornamental wire basket suspended from the roof of a greenhouse or conservatory. How are they made to grow thus? By the simple plan of first lining the basket to prevent the earth falling through, putting a layer of soil in and laying tubercles on it about every three inches round the side of the basket; then more soil, more tubercles, and so on if the basket is large. If the baskets which are to accommodate the Achimenes are occupied by some other plant, such as the lovely flowering Begonia, Gloire de Lorraine, at the present time, the difficulty can be got over by starting the former in pans or boxes, and transplanting them to the baskets later on.

Abutilons For Pillars

The flowering Abutilon (I use this term to distinguish it from the species grown for their foliage, such as Vexillarium), is not an ideal plant for small houses, owing to its loose and straggly growth; but it comes in useful for larger structures. If the conservatory roof is supported by pillars, the latter may be used as supports for various plants, amongst them Abutilons. The flowers are bell-shaped, and there is a good variety of colour amongst them. They can be got in few months by sowing seed in a warm house at the present time, and the plant is not likely to cause any anxiety, even during babyhood, as it is a free and healthy grower.