The Garden Under Glass

112 THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS Gesneras Although not so largely grown as they were some years ago, they richly deserve a place in the greenhouse, for they have the merit of being beautiful alike in foliage and flower. They are grown from corms and are dried off after the manner of gloxinias, to which they are related. They may be easily propagated also by the leaf. The corms are very brittle and need careful handling when they are shaken free of the old soil and potted up in the spring. Several plants are grown in a pot, and fine specimens can be obtained in a 7-inch size. A peaty soil built up on the lines laid down for gloxinias will suit tliem admirably. The temperature best suiting gesneras will be found to be 50° to 55°. Some support will be needed for the growths —such as thin bamboo tips—and during bright sunshine a screen from its fierce rays must be provided, while, like gloxinia, they prefer a humid atmosphere. Grevillea Robusta This is a very graceful plant with palm-like leaves, and, being very quickly and easily grown, is in many cases more useful than palms. As a table or room plant it is invalu-able as well as for mixing with other plants in the con-servatory, wliile it is also employed as a dot plant in sub-tropical bedding. It can easily be grown from seeds, which is the usual method of propagation. These will need to be sown in a warm house early in the year, and when they have broken into the rough leaf they can be accommodated in quite small pots and be potted along in good soil as occasion demands. It is not desirable to grow them in large pots.