File:American homes and gardens (1909) (17535118923).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar61909newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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June, 1909 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 227
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Rubra and ferns The habit of the plant is pecuHar. Its gnarled stalks refuse to go up, but twine over and about the pot until it is com- pletely hidden. To show off this variety effectively you must grow it on a small-topped stand all by itself, where it can droop to suit its own freakish fancy. It makes a superb specimen. Rubra is a well-known old sort of strong, up- right growth, with plain, dark green foliage and a profusion of pendant coral-red flowers. It is almost always in bloom. Gigantia has leaves often more than a foot across on stems two or three feet in length. To display this variety well give it a place on a bracket well up the window, and never attempt to train it. Let it train itself. One of the newer begonias is Templinii. The accom- panying illustrations, from a photograph of a plant in my greenhouse, give a very good idea of the habit of the plant, but leaves the beauty of the plant to be imagined. Its foliage is large, sharply pointed and very freely produced. The ground color of the leaf is a dark, shining green. This is splashed, blotched and spotted with clear yellow in most fantastic fashion. No two leaves are ever alike. In some, yellow is the predominating color. In others, green is most in evidence, but nearly all show combinations of the two colors in about equal parts. This begonia is of strong, robust growth, and makes a splendid plant for the decora- tion of a large window in a few months. It is really quite as lovely as any of the Rex family, and far easier to grow well. Light green with dark veins The illustration of Rubra in bloom gives an idea of its decorative qualities, both as to flower and foliage. Com- bined with ferns, as in this instance, it is one of our best plants for the decoration of window-garden or greenhouse. Its great coral clusters, showing against a background of green, never fail to challenge admiration. The Hoagland erecta is a very strong, rampant variety, almost always in bloom. Its flowers are shaped like those of Rubra, but are of a soft pink, shading to carmine at first, but soon fading to nearly white. These flowers are covered at the base with short hairs which give them a plush-like ap- pearance. This variety can only be grown eftectlvely in large windows, for it requires ample elbow-room in which to display its beauties to the best advantage. Most amateur flower-growers have an ambition to grow the Begonia rex. Its large, richly colored leaves have a greater attraction for them than most flowers have. And that a fine specimen of this class is simply magnificent in all respects no one can deny. Some varieties have leaves a foot in length and six or eight inches across. In some, the pre- vailing color is red. In others, purple, while many show shades of green, ranging from dark olive to palest pea, overlaid with a silvery luster quite indescribable. Some of the choicest sorts have an Iridescent sheen like that of silk or satin. The Rex, unfortunately, is not very well adapted to living-room culture, though it can be grown there If given such attention as It requires.

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