FLOWERING PLANTS

JUST AS THERE IS AN ENORMOUS choice of leaf types, shapes, and colors among foliage plants, so the number of flowering plants is immense. Flowers appear in all colors of the spectrum. They may be small individually but carried in large numbers to produce their effect, or they may be large and bold enough for a single flower stem to be the center of attention. There is, too, a vast array of shapes from the simple, five-petaled trumpets of jasmine or daisylike cinerarias to the curious appearance of some members of the orchid family. Double, single, pendant, star-shaped, trumpet-shaped, pouched, or rosetteforming—the Choices are endless.

Spring provides enchanting and colorful plants for the house. Pots of bulbs with miniature cyclamens, African violets, and primroses make a heartwarming display.

Sometimes a plant is not grown for its dowers but for the leafy, flowerlike bracts that may be far more colorful and eye­catching than the true flowers. Euphorbia Pulcherrima, poinsettia, for example, has small yellow flowers in the center of showy red, cream, or pink bracts. And the scrambling bougainvillea also relies on papery, brightly colored bracts for its charm. Insignificant flowers may be followed by interesting fruits, as is the case with Solarium capskastrum, the false Jerusalem cherry.

 

Most flowers are grown for their color and appearance, but some are enjoyed mainly for their scent. Twining white jasmine can perfume a whole room, and the sweet scent of the waxy cream trumpets of stephanotis is almost over­powering. Gardenias are not easy plants to bring into bloom, but the white-to- cream, double or semidouble blooms are intensely fragrant.

Many spring bulbs—narcissi, hyacinths, and crocuses among them—can be flowered indoors, where their delicate perfume can be more easily appreciated than when they are grown in the garden. Narcissus tazetta ‘Paperwhite’ is a par­ticularly good choice for fragrance and is 'imple to grow, flowering four to six weeks after planting (no cold, dark period is necessary).

By their nature, flowering plants tend to have a limited season of interest. The length of the flowering period can vary considerably. Some plants, such as orchids, have very long-lasting flowers; others have flowers whose individual lives are brief, but because new flowers are constantly opening to replace them the period of interest is prolonged.

Many plants have attractive foliage, which makes them good to look at even when the flowers are over. The pineapple­like blooms of Aphelandra squarrosa, the zebra plant, last for several weeks; but when they die, the dark green leaves with their herringbone pattern of white veins make the plant still highly decorative.

Yellow and orange calceolarias, slipperflowers (right), complement the glowing golden wood ofan antique chest of drawers and mirror.

A striking clivia (left) with itsfan of leaves and head of orangeflowers is hold enough to stand alone.

Buying plants

 
 

Indoor plants are available from a wide range of outlets, including supermarkets, florists, discount stores, and mail-order nurseries as well as garden centers. Always buy from an outlet where the plants are regularly and well cared for; otherwise, you are asking for disappointment. As a general rule, garden centers and nurseries will give you the widest choice and the most reliable plants.

In winter, protect the plant from cold weather on its journey home, preferably enclosing it entirely in a plastic sleeve or cardboard box made for the purpose. Once home, settle the plant in the location you have selected for it and avoid the temptation to keep moving it from place to place. Be prepared for it to look a little unhappy for a short spell as it adjusts to the different environment of your house; it is not unusual for a few leaves to fall or flower buds to drop off. As long as you have chosen a position that provides a suitable temperature, humidity, and light level for the particular species, it will soon recover and start to grow happily.

When buying plants, pick medium-size, robust, healthy plants with no obvious signs of damage, pests, or disease.

Test the soil surface with your finger: it should be just moist. Reject specimens that are bone-dry or sodden.

Flowering plants should have plenty of developing buds and not too many fully open flowers.

Look at the base of the pot to see whether roots are protruding from the drainage holes. A lot of visible root means the plant should have been repotted and its growth is likely to have been checked.

Avoid plants from display units near doorways. They are likely to have been subjected to fluctuating temperatures.