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Your landscaping plans are one of the most important parts of the whole process. It is smart to lay out your entire design before you start digging and planting. By doing this, you will eliminate the chance of having to move items later or running into any problems. You will be able to come up with your own landscaping plans on your own. It just takes a little time and imagination.

There are no quick fixes

Remember to take your time and figure out what you are looking for in your landscape and what you will need to achieve the look. Make sure that you have all the materials that you need before you start. That way you do not have to stop in the middle of your work to get last minute items.

Take your time and do the work right. You do not want your creation to look messy and thrown together. Remember your yard is a reflection of your personality and usually the first impression people get from you. It is always a good idea to start a landscaping project in the spring. That way your new addition will be ready to enjoy in the summer months.

Keywords: Greenhouse Gardening, Landscaping, Plants, Pool, Gardener, Landscape, Trees

Pilea

Pilea is ideal for the 2-inch pot sales. Grown mainly for foliage, it ranges from fernlike Pilea microphylla (or P. muscosa), the artillery plant, through P. involucaira (friendship plant) with crinkled bronze leaves, to P. cadieri, the so-called aluminum plant. Ordinary potting soil meets the requirements of these plants. They grow rapidly in 60 to 70 degrees if kept thoroughly watered, and take medium light.

Propagate pilea through cuttings or basal shoots. Cuttings taken in late January will make salable plants by May. From one mature plant of P. involucatra in a 4-inch pot, I was able to obtain fifty cuttings. This being a great favorite at plant counters, I sold my plants to the retailer for 25 cents each; the retail price was fixed at 49 cents each.

Plectranthus

From Australia and Africa comes plectranthus, the spur plant. This rapid grower, a relative of coleus, is a real find for the 2-inch pot. There are a number of species, but only the one named Plectranthus Oertendahli is obtainable in America. This plant has hairy, silver-veined green leaves and red petioles; sprays of dainty mauve flowers decorate it most of the year. In my collection is an unidentified one having smooth, waxy green leaves that on warm humid days give off a fragrance like rose talcum powder. I hope some day to have sufficient time to propagate this unusual plant and distribute it. I think it deserves a place among the green trailers used in the indoor garden.

Plectranthus sets its own seeds. Sow these little spheres in any light soil mixture. Seed sown in January produces flowering plants by July, and you can prick them out of the flats and plant directly into 2-inch pots of porous soil. To insure a superior floral display your plectranthus plants should be fed dilute fertilizer at 10-day intervals after they have been potted for 6 weeks.

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Pellonia

Suitable for baskets and pots, or in mixed foliage planting, is Pellonia. Green leaves sometimes marked with black, bronze, or dark red, are characteristic. Propagate as for ivy.

Philodendron and Pothos

It is truly hard to beat philodendron and pothos for planters or use as specimens. Philodendron cor datum is the one with the green heart-shaped leaves. Pothos’ leaves are also heart-shaped but are marbleized. Southern growers can produce

58. You’ll never be lacking in customers from the African violet world if you have a good novelty or two to spice up your offerings. This is Ruffled Triumph, an origination of mine. (Photograph by Author)

59. Aluminum foil pots make bright, clean containers for plants or rooted cuttings intended for local selling. They are sturdy, yet lightweight, and thus ideal for shipping. (Courtesy, House Plant Corner)

small plants in quantity for sale in markets, as well as florist shops, and at a price northern growers cannot hope to meet. But it may pay you to obtain stock and propagate your own small plants or grow them on and sell them as larger specimen plants.

Propagate both philodendron and pothos by tip cuttings or leaf-bud cuttings. They root rapidly in any soil in temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees, and grow best in somewhat shady areas. Terminal cuttings taken in February will produce 2-inch potted plants in about 3 months. Philodendron pertusum starts out with a complete heart-shaped leaf, and as the leaves mature they split into interesting designs. These plants are native to regions of torrential rains. Nature endows the leaves with these splits so the rain can pour through without injury to the leaf. The “adult” plants of this species are the ones we know as cut-leaf philodendron or Monstera deliciosa. Because of the abundance of existing sources of supply, you would be wise to check carefully for potential business before you go heavily into production of pothos or philodendrons.

Keywords: Greenhouse Gardening, Landscaping, Plants, Pool, Gardener, Landscape, Trees

Kaempferia

Among the really unusual pot plants for your sales list is kaempferia, the resurrection lily; Kaempferia rotunda, sometimes called ginger-lily, actually produces flowers before foliage. The flowers, resembling small orchids, are very fragrant-one potful will perfume a small greenhouse or a window garden. They appear daily or at 2-day intervals over a period of 4 to 6 weeks; K. rosceana sends forth foliage in early spring and flowers of rosy-orchid in midsummer. The satiny bronze foliage is so lovely that people want the plant even before seeing the bloom. And when informed of the succession of flowers, they are more eager than ever to possess it.

There are few growers of these lovely plants in the United States; but those who do list them sell the tubers at about a dollar each. The tubers are usually shipped in their dormant season, early fall to winter. As soon as you receive them, plant them in rich porous soil. Keep them slightly watered until growth starts. They need a warm greenhouse and a slightly shaded position. They increase through new tubers. To propagate, separate the tubers and plant in individual 3-inch pots of soil.

Oxalis

Oxalis, the little shamrock, is a novelty item to have on hand at any time but especially for St. Patrick’s Day sales. Grow both the annual and perennial kinds from seed or bulbs started in a cool greenhouse. The bulbous sorts are potted up and grown on, also requiring a cool greenhouse. After flowering, they should be dried off and given a rest. Soil composed of equal parts of sand, peatmoss, and light loam is best.

If you plan to sell them from small pots, place two bulbs to a 3-inch pot-up to five for a 5-inch pot display. The annuals, Oxalis rosea with rosy flowers and O. alba with white flowers, are favorites. Perennial O. adenophylla shows lilac-pink flowers in late spring to midsummer; O. Bowiei, red flowers in autumn. To propagate, remove the bulblets from the parent and repot them.

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Hibiscus

Hibiscus, traditionally a favorite shrub in the South, is not too well known to Northern gardeners. The flowers make it well worth growing, and you can truthfully assure prospective buyers that some varieties make superb house plants. A prime favorite with me and with most visitors to my greenhouse is Hibiscus Cooperi. This has variegated silvery green, cream, and pink leaves and satiny red flowers.

It prefers a soil somewhat on the acid side, a warm greenhouse, and a semishaded position. You can propagate hibiscus by cuttings taken in the spring. They will root in almost any medium.

Ivy

One of the most popular of house plant vines (some climbers) is Hedera helix or English ivy. Varieties are many, as are leaf forms, sizes, and variegations. Propagation is carried out by terminal or bud cuttings. Shade from bright sunshine and root in temperature of 60 degrees. Terminal cuttings will be ready for 2-inch pots in about 6 weeks. Good sturdy plants are produced by leaf-bud cuttings, but these generally take up to 5 months.

Joseph’s Coat

A midget shrub of splashy hues, Amaranthus tricolor-commonly called Joseph’s coat-is an excellent seller in small pots. Window gardeners like it and it makes fine bedding plants.

I like to sow seeds in February in sandy loam. In 6 weeks, seedlings are ready for 2-inch pots of loam and leafmold. You can propagate more stock by rooting cuttings in any media. It thrives in a wide range of temperatures-from 50 to 70 degrees.

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Ceropegia

A little vine of many names, Ceropegia is called rosary vine, lace vine, or hearts entwined; it is a good seller under any designation. Grown from small tubers planted in pots, it sends out slender trailing stems early in life, and little aerial tubers form at regular intervals along the stems. These resemble small beads; hence the appellation, rosary vine. These tubers can be planted for new plants. Varieties are quite numerous. On C. woodi the nearly circular leaves are flecked with silver and the flowers are lavender with fuzzy black tips, resembling a candle and wick. On C. Sandersoni the leaves are thicker and larger and the flowers a greenish white, over an inch in length.

Ceropegia thrives in a porous soil of loam, leafmold, peatmoss, and sand. By no means temperamental, it seems to grow rapidly in any temperature above 60 degrees.

When propagating, you can save yourself work by planting

57. The full, natural light near the glass is best for many flowering

plants, but African violets grow luxuriously with the aid of fluorescent

light. (Photograph by Genereux)

two tubers and a length of stem and leaves to a 2-inch pot. Pot up in late February for 6- to 8-inch vines by May.

Crossandra (see Acanthacea)

Fittonia

Especially valuable for the dish garden or terrarium, fittonia another member of the Acanthacea is easy to grow in a warm moist greenhouse. Fittonia argyroneuras green leaves are veined with white; those of F. verschaffelti with pink. Plant fittonia in terrariums and dish gardens, not only for the attractiveness of its foliage but also because this plant acts as a guide to the watering of others. When the water supply is running low it wilts rapidly; once watered it soon regains its crisp starchy look. This, again, is a “sales point” for you to capitalize on when talking to customers.

Propagate from cuttings in a 70- to 75-degree house in shade or semishade. Cuttings root rapidly and will be ready for 2-inch pots in a month. Soil for fittonia should contain at least ? peatmoss.

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Cacti

If your time is limited (perhaps only week-ends), cacti may be just the ticket for you. Many cacti need only once-a-week watering during November to April, with twice-a-week watering the rest of the year. Succulents are equally worth your consideration. Propagate cacti through seed or cuttings. Unique forms can be produced by grafting one on another. Cacti thrive in a dry, sunny, 65-degree greenhouse. They grow well in sandy soil, low in nutrients. A good mixture for potting is equal parts of sand, loam, and broken brick, with a generous sprinkling of charcoal. Perhaps the worst enemy of cacti is overwatering, and yet for best growth, they need a lot more water than is popularly believed.

Grow cacti from seed by filling the pot 1/3 with drainage material and the balance with the soil mixture. Moisten the mixture, plant the seeds, and cover with a sprinkling of soil. Place a pane of glass over the planting and set it in a 65- to 75-degree house. Germination will vary, depending on variety, but from a mixed pack of seeds you should see sprouts within 10 days to 2 weeks. Germination may continue for 6 or 8 weeks.

Growth is slow; you won’t have to prick out seedlings for 3 to 6 months. When you do, gradually remove the larger, stronger ones and pot into well-drained thumb pots of the same soil mixture. Take cacti cuttings during the summer; be sure to use a sharp knife. Letting them dry in the air for a couple of days will remove most of the excess moisture and speed the formation of a callus (a “growth” over the cut area essential to root formation). Plant the cuttings in pots of sandy soil. Within 2 to 3 months, you will find them well rooted and ready for a shift to pots of soil. You will produce a really fine crop of cacti if you remember to (1) use the smallest pot that will comfortably hold the cactus; (2) stake tall plants; (3) water them twice a week when in active growth, once a week when resting and be sure of good drainage; (4) give good ventilation during warm weather.

Grafting for newer or more rapid-growing forms is fascinating. It should be carried out during the growing season. Select for the stock plant a species such as opuntia, acanthocereus, or pereskia. (The stock is the bottom or rooted part of a grafted plant.) Intriguing forms result when the rattail cactus is cut and grafted on one of these stocks. The Christmas cactus is another excellent grafting subject. Use a sharp knife to cut the scion (the stem or bud that you graft to the stock). Make a slit in the top of the stock and place the scion in it; spines from cacti can be used as pins to fasten the two in place.

Succulents; many of which belong to the cactus family, are of easy culture and make good material for small pots. Epiphyllums such as rhipsalis and schlumbergera are still another division of this large plant family. They are the plants with the fabulous flowers sometimes called Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving cactus. These require richer soil and more humid conditions and therefore require larger pots than the slow-growing cacti.

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Aglaonema

The Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema, is easy to handle. It is extremely popular for dish gardens and for growing in water. The leaves are green and tapered. Cuttings will root in water, damp sand, or sphagnum moss. Or you can propagate by cutting the stem in sections, each having an “eye” or internode. Place the sections in damp sand. It requires about 5 months to get 2-inch plants from eye cuttings, but it is an effective way to obtain greater multiplication.

Allophyton

The diminutive Allophyton, Mexican foxglove, has slender leaves, to 3 inches long, and flower stalks with clusters of fragrant, violet-purple bells. Seed production is abundant. Sow in January; keep in a 70-degree temperature.

Germination is likely to be slow, from 3 to 6 weeks. Prick out individual seedlings as the flat becomes crowded and plant them into thumb pots of loam, leafmold, and sand. It requires

54, 55, 56. Three of the principal steps in hybridizing an African violet are: (top left) clipping the anthers of the flower to release pollen; (top right) applying pollen to the stigma of the selected female parent, and (bottom) attaching an identification label to the developing seed pod. (Photographs by Author)

about 6 months from seed germination to salable plant. Older plants can be divided and grown in any type of soil.

Anthericum

The spider plant, Anthericum, sends out long stolons (runners ) with new plants on the tips. The little white blossoms are not showy. Anthericum grows from a tuberous root similar to an icicle radish. Propagate by plant division or by cutting off and rooting the runners. It will grow in almost any kind of soil, in a temperature range from 55 to 75 degrees, shade or sun, and needs little fertilizing.

Asarina

Flowering vines have a tremendous appeal. In Asarina (Mau-randia) we have a real treasure. This fast-growing vine with ivylike leaves bears pink or purple flowers like those of slipper gloxinias. If unable to purchase a plant or cuttings as a starter, order seeds from a specialty house. Plant the seeds any time of year in light loam, cover with glass, and place in 60- to 70-degree temperatures. Germination takes place in about 10 days. As your seedlings begin to crowd, thin them out and place them in 2-inch pots; here they will bloom in 4 to 5 months.

Keywords: Greenhouse Gardening, Landscaping, Plants, Pool, Gardener, Landscape, Trees

Tropical foliage plants are enormously and deservedly popular. Many new homes are being constructed with built-in planter bins and unusual planters or combination planter-room-dividers, some with artificial lighting units. This-combined with the long-standing market for potted and bare-root foliage plants for old-fashioned window gardens, water planters, etc. -spells “ready money” for almost any kind of foliage house plant you may grow.

Some of the large foliage plants are popular for use on totem poles in pots or to grow in large plastic or wooden pots or tubs. Most foliage plants propagate rapidly and are easy to grow- a real asset when you are considering them as profit-making plants. Many indoor gardeners like flowering plants for their window gardens. You have plenty of leeway in the plants you choose to grow for these customers-from miniature gloxinias and African violets to shrub like flowering maple. This chapter is devoted to the better foliage and flowering plants-better for your customer because of their good performance and better for you because of their cultural reliability and built-in sales appeal.

Abutilon

The flowers of Abutilon, the flowering maple, look like paper bells and come in near-white, rose, and orange. You may have to purchase your first plant, and from this you can make fall and early winter cuttings. A soil of equal parts of loam, peatmoss, and sand seems to keep abutilon happy. During summer it can be grown under ordinary warm greenhouse conditions. In the winter the plants fare best in a cool greenhouse. Fall cuttings will be salable 3-inch plants by April or May.

Acanthacea

Three members of the Acanthacea family make good material for small pots. Beloperone guttata, the shrimp plant, is usually a popular novelty. It has showy spikes of salmon-colored bracts; the flowers are of lesser interest. The plant needs a steady supply of moisture and grows best with regular liquid feeding.

Hypoestis sanguinolenta, the pink polka-dot plant, has dark green leaves dotted and splashed with a vivid shade of pink. The flowers are small and purple, borne on long-stemmed bracts. I know of no plant that is a faster propagator. Terminal cuttings struck in any media are ready for 2-inch pots within 3 weeks. Few dealers offer this plant, and it should prove an instant success as a sales item for counters or roadside markets.

Crossandra, another acanthacea relative, has waxy green leaves that are a perfect foil for the bracts of salmon-hued flowers. If you want to grow these plants in quantity, sow seeds in spring, in a flat of milled sphagnum. They germinate more speedily with bottom heat, but if you are unable to supply this place them in a 70-degree house and cover the planting with a pane of glass. Germination usually takes place in 2 to 3 weeks, although I have waited as long as 6 weeks for the last of a batch to show life. As the plants crowd, shift them to 2-inch pots. With twice-a-month feeding of liquid fertilizer, they will flower in these pots. It takes about 6 months from germination to flower, but the foliage is so attractive plants sell at 4 months without flowers.

All three should be pinched to prevent legginess. They can be propagated through cuttings at any time of year. Rooting is easily accomplished in sand, vermiculite, or sphagnum moss.

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Umbrella Plant (Cyperus alternifolius)

Green umbrella-like growth makes this plant most attractive. For your first year’s sales, obtain small plants and sell them retail. If you have leftovers you may want to grow one or two for specimen greenhouse or house plants. Transplant them to a size larger pot.

You can propagate these by sowing seeds in a propagating case, giving them plenty of moisture and bottom (cable) heat of about 70 degrees, or through root divisions of the older plants, taken in March, and handled just like the seeds.

Vinca

Vinca major is perhaps the most commonly used vine in the window box, and it is tender. (Vinca minor or periwinkle is the popular, hardy, evergreen groundcover.) Vinca majors small variegated leaves on slender stems make it a pretty plant to trail over the edges of a box.

Since it usually takes a full year to grow salable plants from cuttings, it is better to purchase rooted cuttings, about a month before the beginning of spring sales. Pot them up in 2-inch pots, grow them in the warm house, and keep the soil thoroughly moist at all times.

There are a few improved forms with somewhat deeper variegations than the species major. These are listed as “highly colored,” “richly variegated,” or “improved” varieties.

Leaf loss may be due to a too high temperature and lack of water.

Keywords: Greenhouse Gardening, Landscaping, Plants, Pool, Gardener, Landscape, Trees