Archive for April, 2006
Yes, it’s a little late in posting, but here are the top 12 favorite varieties of Geraniums from the year 1884. Of course this is from our source in 1884, the book entitled YOUR PLANTS. PLAIN AND PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TENDER AND HARDY PLANTS IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE GARDEN. BY JAMES SHEEHAN
CHAPTER XXI.
GERANIUMS—THE BEST TWELVE SORTS.
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I don’t have personal experience growing fuchsias, but I’ve admired them at various botanical gardens.
CHAPTER XXIV.
FUCHSIAS — TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT
We confess to have a special liking for the Fuchsias, and think no assortment of house plants is complete without one or two varieties of these beautiful flowers. They are easily propagated, either from cuttings or by layers, and the amount of bloom one strong, healthy plant is capable of producing under favorable circumstances, is truly wonderful.
Orange trees bring back the same memory for me each time. I will never forget the experience I had as a boy of visiting family friends in Florida. After the first night’s sleep, we woke up and got ready for breakfast. The father of the family we stayed with asked me to go into the courtyard and pick oranges to make juice for breakfast. I just could not believe it. Of course, being from New York City, where orange juice only comes in cartons, I thought it the neatest thing to have your own orange tree!
Here is today’s reading:
CHAPTER XXIII.
CAMELLIAS.—ORANGE AND LEMON TREES.
Dear reader, did you ever see a large Camellia plant in full blossom? If you have not, I will risk my reputation by saying that all other flowers within my knowledge, barring the rose, dwindle into insignificance when compared with it. It excels the finest rose in doubleness and form of its flowers, and puts the virgin lily to shame for spotless purity and whiteness; if it only possessed fragrance, it would be unquestionably the Queen of the floral world.
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To me, callas are an intimidating plant to grow. It just seems like such a formal plant. I don’t know, maybe I should just read the featured article below and just do it!
CHAPTER XX.
JAPAN AND OTHER LILIES. — CALLA LILIES.
If we call the rose the “Queen of Flowers,” what royal title shall we bestow upon the beautiful Japan Lilies? We sometimes think it would be proper to name the Rose the King, for its commanding aspect, and the grandly beautiful Lily, the Queen of the floral kingdom. But, be this as it may, we have only to gaze upon a collection of Japan Lilies when in full bloom, and inhale their delicious odor, that perfumes the whole atmosphere, to be convinced of their superiority over all other flowers. Surely Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
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