PLANTS FOR HANGING BASKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1834, 14 January 1887, Page 8

PLANTS FOR HANGING BASKETS.

There are many p]ants ? 'suitable" for the'^iirpose, among •which 1 the following-are not tb« least effective, ordinary care 1 being all that is necessary, Aaron's beard (Saxifragasaf nieritosa), a perennial, with handsome 1 - round'- liiave^gree'n veined with white above, and' Ted' <>n;thti under side; the curious flowers a' pyramid' "of te"n ever a foot in height, and last a- long-time; the plant has a habit of' sending out' long runners, upon which are. produced' numbers of young plants. It is this characteristic that has gained for it its common .names of "Aaron's beard," "hen and chickens," ""Jack-up-a-la.dder," &c. Tradescantia zebrina is a very handsome ever* green trailing plants ; its flowers" are--' insignificant, but its foliage of light and dark green and paucey-purple beneath is" extremely 'pretty,' and although it should be no recommeudation/to true lovers of their plants, it will! put with a great deal of neglect. . Oxalis tropreoloides is*u very charming little annual, and well adapted for hanging baskets and rustic stands ; it has dark copper - browiij shauirock-shaped leaves and golden flowers. Creeping Jenny, dignified in' seedsmen's catalogues by the uamef of Lysimachia numnmlaria, is an indigenous plant, too well known to need description, but nevertheless well adapted for *' Rob's," purpose. Muak also will be touud suitable. Clintonia pulchella also ; it iaaverybeautifulhalf hardy annual with blue 'flowers, having yellowish centres; the plant requires a light, rich soil, and the 5 seed may be sown at any time. .. .Sedum sieboldi is a Japanese perennial bearing 'fleshy .leaves, and rosettes of pink flowersattheencisof its'haugilig Ktetrs, along which the leaves in groups of three occur at frequent intervals;" one variety' of this plant has its foliage beautifully^ variegated with cream colour.- SeveraTbf the Tropteplums, "jsucb. as the canary creeper!,' the ? cbriim6ivnastirtiurais, and Tropaeolum 'lobbianum fre'ver^'^full Biii it must be borne in mind' that these plants flower best^n '&' 'poor 1 soil; if it is too 'rich put forth* comparatively few flowers,' "while' the growth , of leaves is ' rarapart!' " Ferns, ' such is •Asplenium bulbifecum formVtruly graceful plants for cultivation in -hanging tmske'ta. To the above I will also add ivy-leaved geraniums, fuchsias, and'lobelias: *-- - ' ' '' •' • , " ' " l «»!