Choosing House Plants

When choosing plants, Consider also:, Preparing for ing Roses, Types of s - B consider first their shape, habit, texture and colouring for the place See:, flora18, Childrensthey will occupy and in relation to each other. For a group of plants, Including:, flora2, Repairing and Old Rose Bed choose a tall specimen to give height (dracaena or schefflera), a climbing variety (philodendron), several bushy varieties (begonia or aglaonema), and a trailing vine to cascade over the edges of the container. Try also for good contrasts of leaf shape and colour, Also consider:, flora23, Blonde dAquitaine choosing the fresh and subtle green-leaved plants More interesting articles:, flora14, Choosing Your s From The Nurseryfor outstanding specimens in key positions. Use multiple wall More interesting articles:, Grandfather, Seed Sowing and Germinationbrackets rather than the type of bracket that holds a single plant, Go here:, Pots and Containers, Loamy Soil to allow scope for grouping and massing.

What's Inside

Rose Pests and Diseases - Major diseases are black spot, mildew and rust. Black spot may appear at first as yellowish areas on leaves, darkening later. Lower leaves are infected first. Mildew often starts to show on young new foliage as a whitish coating. The leaves curl or become... more

Cactus Propagation - Propagating by Seed. The potting compost and coarse sand is sifted through a 1 inch mesh. In the bottom of each 3" plastic pot, put 1" of coarse washed gravel. Then fill the pot to within 1" of the top with the above compost, press down lightly and see th... more

Repairing and Old Rose Bed - If a gap is to be filled, first remove the soil for each new bush to at least 12 in. deep and 18 in. across and exchange it for soil from another part of the garden where roses have not been grown. (In the case of well-established climbers and ramblers ma... more

When to Plant Roses - All types of dormant rose-bushes can be planted. The season selected depends upon factors such as soil and climate. In heavy soils which hold much moisture, planting in early spring is often more successful. A planting in late August or during September i... more

When to Sow Grass Seeds - There is no doubt that by far the most favorable time to sow a new lawn is early autumn. Then the soil is still warm enough to stimulate growth, and the grasses make good roots before called upon to face the rigors of winter. A great advantage of autumn s... more

Houseplant Drainage - Good drainage is important in the cultivation of practically all plants grown in containers. Soil should be sufficiently porous to permit the free passage of water and the bottoms of the containers should have holes through which surplus water may drain.... more

Caring for Newly Sown Lawn - Don't make the mistake of sprinkling it daily; but if the upper inch or so of soil becomes obviously dry, then water it freely with a fine sprinkler adjusted so that it will not wash the surface soil away. Once the seed has started to germinate, the young... more

Scale and Perspective in a Japanese Garden - The mountains, hills, lakes, streams, waterfalls and seashores of Japan have inspired its traditional gardens. Scale and proportion are very important Most Japanese gardens are created on comparatively small areas, and every effort is made to establish th... more

Seed Sowing and Germination - The actual sowing is governed by the same rules as for outdoor sowing. Scatter flat seeds - such as those of lilies, hippeastrum, and grevilleas-thinly and evenly over the soil or other medium, and press each seed gently on one side with a pencil or point... more