Fall Bulbs, Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocus, Scillas, and the Like
The first hard frost in September—about the 20th inst. at the North—is usually followed by a few weeks of mellow fall weather. If one has been so fortunate as to have saved Cannas, Caladiums, and other tender bulbous plants by night protection or by turning the hose on very early in the morning before the sun reaches them, they will grow and ripen well in these last warm days. These sudden falls of temperature usually find the gardener unprepared, and unless water is at hand plants will be cut down by frost. When this happens remove, with a sharp knife, the frozen portions, and consign to the compost heap. If allowed to remain, these not only give the yard a most untidy appearance, but the decay is likely to extend to the bulbs. The plants may then be left to ripen in the ground for several days, according to the weather, or the necessity of preparing the ground for other plants.
Dig all roots to be saved on a warm, sunny day, and dry in the sun for several days if the weather is fair and warm. Cover with blankets at night or leave them on the floor of a sunny room until the earth about their roots is dry, pack in boxes of dry earth or sand, and store in a dry, frost-proof cellar.
Dahlias and the common tall Canna are easily wintered in a warm, dry cellar. The large Orchid-flowered Cannas are much more difficult to winter, and are very apt to dry-rot under the most favourable circumstances. I have found laying on the ground (under the steam-pipes where they are run outside the cellar) and covering with dry earth a very good way of handling them. They should be examined occasionally, and if they seem too dry sprinkle with water. If the Caladium bulbs show any decay of the centre-shoot all the decayed parts should be pulled off down to sound tissue. Parts of Cannas broken in digging should be removed with a sharp knife. Where there is but a small quantity of roots, shave off the dirt and wrap the tuber in tissue-paper. Store on a shelf in a closet, or other convenient frost-proof place. There is no more uncertain root to carry through the winter. Florists often lose their entire stock by decay or dry-rot, and were it not for this the Canna would soon become a drug on the market, and only novelties have a sale.
Dahlias are much more easily wintered, doing well in any cellar that will keep potatoes in first-class condition. All roots wintered in cellars should be placed on elevated shelves or tables away from the low temperature of the floor—on a swinging shelf, if the cellar is frequented by rats and mice.
Gladioli will keep perfectly if stored in flour-sacks and hung from a beam or post near the ceiling. Montbretias may be wintered in the same way.
When the Cannas, Caladiums, and other summer plants are out of the way the beds may be prepared for the fall planting of bulbs for early spring blooming. The vacant foliage-beds on the lawn offer the best place, as the bulbs will have played their part and passed on by the time these are needed again for the summer occupants.
If the beds have been lowered owing to limited water-supply haul on a few wheel-barrow loads of very old manure and earth, and mix thoroughly with the soil, raising them sufficiently to shed water. If permanent bulb beds are preferred (which may be planted with annuals in the summer) choose an exposure slanting toward the south, if possible, as this will insure earlier flowers. See that the soil has good natural drainage, or, if this is lacking, supply it by excavating to a depth of eighteen to thirty inches, and placing several inches of broken stone or crockery in the bottom for drainage. Return the soil to the bed, making it mellow and fine. The earlier the bulbs are planted the more roots will be started before the ground freezes, but late fall or winter planting, providing the ground is not frozen, is preferable to spring planting. Spring-planted bulbs rarely amount to anything, having lost much of their vitality by being so long out of the ground.
A bed facing the south is warmer and earlier than any other, hence it is sometimes liable to a set-back—if not actual injury—from a sudden sharp frost after the plants have started in the spring, and the litter should not be wholly removed until it is entirely safe to do so. An ideal bed for early bulbs would be one on the south side of the house, sloping slightly toward the south, with a frame around it somewhat higher at the back, over which a canvas attached to hooks could be drawn on cold nights and days. The frame should be made so that it could be readily lifted on the approach of warm weather.
Hyacinths, Tulips, and Narcissi look far better when planted each in a bed by themselves, as they are not at all in harmony. Plant Hyacinths seven inches apart and four inches deep, either in beds of vivid colours without other order than a regular distance apart, or according to some colour arrangement or geometrical design. Tulips should be planted four inches apart each way and four inches deep. A good arrangement is to draw lines across the bed forming squares—four inches for Tulips, seven for Hyacinths—and set a bulb at each corner. The centre of the square may be filled with Crocus or Scillas, which will have finished blooming before the larger flowers are out. Only Tulips of the same height and season of bloom should be set together.
Scillas and Crocus together make a bed that can hardly be surpassed in bulb planting. The effect is best where only the white Crocus is blended with the blue of the Scillas.
Protect the bulb beds with rough manure, leaves, and evergreen boughs during winter. Remove the protection gradually in the spring, and leave the finest of the manure to enrich the soil.
When through blooming in the spring, and the foliage has ripened, the bulbs may be lifted, dried, and stored away in a cool place until fall. All these bulbs increase rapidly, both by multiplying and by seed. Neglected beds of Tulips seem to multiply and perpetuate themselves indefinitely, but the new plants will be found to be all from seed, as the Tulip forms its new bulbs at the base of the old, and if they were not frequently taken up and reset they would grow so deep in the ground that all the strength of the plant would be exhausted reaching the surface, and there would be no bloom. The seedlings make robust plants, and do not deteriorate materially.
The seed formation of the Crocus is very interesting. If dug a few weeks after its season of bloom is over, under the ground, below the blossom, the stem will be found to have expanded into a long chamber or cell as large around as a lead-pencil and an inch or more in length. Open this and it will be found full of exquisite pink pearls; these are the seeds. As they ripen they become nearly black, the cell bursts, and the earth receives them. The Scilla lengthens its flower-stems until they lie on the ground, forming large seed-pods filled with white pearls. When the plants are taken up, if these little seeds are saved the stock will increase much more rapidly.
The beds are often wanted for other plants before the foliage has had time to ripen. In that case the bulbs may be lifted and heeled-in, in some out-of-the-way place, until ripe, care being taken to preserve the seed-pods. Heeling-in means digging a shallow trench, laying in the roots of the plants in a row, and covering them with earth. They must be lifted when ripe and not allowed to grow.
A pretty way to grow the Scilla, Crocus, and Snowdrop is to scatter them on the lawn in the grass, planting singly or in clumps. Lift the sod with the trowel and slip the bulbs under, right side up, leaving them to care for themselves. Plant hundreds in this way; they will be through blooming by the time the grass needs cutting.
The various varieties of Narcissi should be planted in permanent beds or borders, where they need not be disturbed except as it is necessary to divide them. They should be set four inches deep and twelve inches apart each way, that they may have room to increase. The new bulbs of Narcissi form in a cluster around the old, and unless allowed to develop freely will not bloom. If set the proper distance apart they will need to be taken up but once in four years. Do not wait for them to show signs of a crowded condition, but move on schedule time, and keep them blooming continuously. All the Narcissi, except the Polyanthus, are hardy, and all are lovely—especially the large trumpet sorts. Emperor and Empress, Horsfieldi, and Sir Watkin are especially good in the open grounds. Poeticus, P. ornatus, Alba plena, Odorata, and Von Sion all make beautiful borders.
There are a few other bulbs for fall planting that are hardy all over the country. The Chionodoxa, Glory of the Snow, is a recent introduction from Asia Minor. Like the Scilla it is blue, a rare and desirable colour in spring flowers. Winter Aconite, with its tiny, golden-yellow flowers, the first of the spring; Wood Hyacinths, Dog-tooth Violets, Fritillarias, Crown Imperials, and Snowdrops are all worth a place.
The bulbs advertised by the seedsmen as hardy in a temperature like that of Philadelphia may not prove hardy in Canada, Michigan, Northern Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Dakota, and this must be borne in mind when purchasing same. The safest way, when in doubt, is to address a letter of inquiry to the dealer offering the plants, in regard to suitability for your particular climate.
Bulbs for winter blooming. I have come to the conclusion that almost anything will grow and blossom if given the proper care. For the amateur, whose only field is the sitting-room window, it is better to undertake only those varieties with which one may be sure of success under ordinary care, as the Hyacinth, Narcissus, Scilla, Crocus, Anemone, Ornithogalum arabicum, and Freesia. These are absolutely sure bloomers, and much more reliable in the matter of producing flowers than a Geranium. In selecting Hyacinths the single will generally give better satisfaction than the double, and there should always be a generous proportion of white among the colours selected. Alba superbissima, Baroness Van Thuyl, and La Grandesse are among the best whites; Norma gigantea, Roi des Belges for pinks and reds; Ida is the best yellow; and Czar Peter and Grand Lilas the best blues.
Among the Narcissi nothing finer than the large trumpet varieties could be desired: Horsfieldi, with its yellow trumpet and snow-white perianth; Sir Watkin, or the Giant Welshman, as it is sometimes called; Empress and Emperor and the clustered Paper White are all exquisite; and the old double Von Sion is most effective in the window-garden.
TURN OUT BALL OF EARTH TO ASCERTAIN IF POT IS FILLED WITH ROOTS
Hyacinths and Narcissi require the same treatment: Pot as early in the fall as they can be obtained, using good compost and sufficient broken charcoal to insure good drainage; fill to within an inch of the top with the soil, using a four-inch pot for a single bulb or a six-inch one for three bulbs. Place the bulb with the tip slightly above the surface of the soil, label plainly with name and date of planting, and set away in a dark box in the cellar for six weeks or more, or until the pot is well filled with roots; this can be ascertained by turning the ball of earth out of the pot. If the earth is not well covered with roots return to the box for a few days longer. If there is sufficient root growth place in a warm, sunny window in a temperature of about 70°. When first potted they should be well watered, and thereafter kept merely moist, but on bringing to the light and heat they should have water in the saucer most of the time. When the flowers are fully expanded they may be moved into a cooler, less sunny window, where they will remain in perfection much longer.
Anemones give beautiful winter blossoms and require practically the same treatment as Hyacinths. The bulbs are placed an inch and a half below the surface. They are queer, shrivelled-up little things, with roots which fill up surprisingly after being in the damp soil. When up and growing they require abundant water and sunshine. Keep the saucer full of water all the time; failure in this respect means blasted buds. As Anemones give a succession of flowers they must be left in the window until through blooming. Tulips, Crocus, and Scillas should be potted and placed out of doors where they will not be disturbed, covered with earth and left until freezing weather, when they should be stored in the cellar like other bulbs. It is well in placing bulbs out of doors to set the pots in beds of coal-ashes to prevent the entrance of worms into the soil. They may be covered with ashes instead of earth, the object being to give them the benefit of the frost.
A half dozen Scillas planted in the centre of one of the large round gourds and surrounded with a border of white Crocus makes a very pretty show, and will come into bloom in about three months from the time of planting. The Ornithogalum is an effective flower, and quite sure to bloom, but requires a rather high temperature, as it is of slow development.
Freesia bulbs deteriorate very rapidly once they are out of the ground, and should be ordered early and potted as soon as received. Plant a dozen in a five-or six-inch pot, and set at once in a warm east window, as these do not need to go to the cellar. The leaves and stalks are very tender, and will require support, and this is the greatest objection to the Freesia. Ashes in the soil will counteract this tendency somewhat, and the wire carnation supports are very neat and satisfactory.
Alliums, which have the same defects, require the same treatment.
The varieties of Oxalis are usually started in a sunny window, as they require a strong light. Like the summer bloomers, they increase rapidly and need considerable root room. The Bermuda Oxalis is lovely in a gourd hanging-basket; indeed, a hanging-basket, or bracket, is the only suitable arrangement for it, as it loves to droop and spread itself, and requires abundant room for its wealth of golden flowers. When through blooming it should be allowed to ripen its foliage. It may then be set in the cellar, or a cool place, until September, when the bulbs should be shaken out of the pot and repotted; one bulb to a four-inch pot.
Bulbs of hardy plants may be ripened off, and in the spring planted out in the open ground, where they will bloom the following spring, but are valueless for forcing in the house.
Chapter EIGHTEEN
Hardy Shrubs and Plants for Fall Planting
In some localities, especially in the South, the practice of setting out hardy plants in the fall has much to commend it. The mild winters, during which growth is never entirely checked, allow the plants to fully establish themselves; but in the Northern States, where the severe winters set in early and last long, the plants do not become sufficiently established to stand the severe cold followed by the hot summer. They sometimes live through the one only to succumb to the other.
Plants moved from one part of the grounds to another will frequently winter-kill, while those left undisturbed will be found in excellent condition in the spring. Again, a plant may come through the winter in apparently good condition, but without sufficient vitality to withstand any severe heat or drought, and failure to recognise this condition results in loss. Plants transplanted in the fall, however hardy their character, should receive particular care during the following summer in the matter of water, cultivation, and mulching. Plants transplanted at any time of year will do better if the top growth is reduced by trimming or cutting back, and all broken or injured roots removed with a sharp knife.
Spring-planted shrubs rarely fail to do well if the precaution is observed of moving them while dormant. The only exception I need to mention being the various Irises when purchased from florists. These, being dug in the fall, and kept in cold storage during winter, have their vitality much depleted by spring, and are then of doubtful value. This is especially true of the Japanese Iris; the German and English, being much more hardy, are not so easily injured. Home-grown Iris would better be moved in the spring.
Among the desirable shrubs for fall or spring planting are the various Spiræas; these are both shrubby and herbaceous. Of the shrubby variety Anthony Waterer is the only really good crimson, or red, variety, and is very fine. The catalogues give it a dwarf character rarely exceeding eighteen inches, but my own experience with the plant is, that with rich soil it much exceeds that height. Van Houttei is the finest white sort, and is especially valuable grown singly on the lawn, where it may develop its beautiful form to perfection. Of the herbaceous Spiræas the filipendula is very desirable for the border or for edging shrubbery. The fern-like foliage, which is of itself handsome enough to gain recognition, is surmounted in June with spikes of double daisy-like flowers of creamy white. It is very fine for cut flowers, and for forcing in winter. The clumps increase rapidly, and should be divided and reset every three or four years. Then there is the old-fashioned garden Spiræa, with its pinky-white, feathery blossoms, very fragrant—especially when wet with the dew.
Hypericum Moserianum is a delightful little perennial, growing from one to two feet tall; the flowers are exquisite in form and colour—a clear, golden yellow lasting well when cut. Other hardy yellow flowers are the California Sunflower and Rudbeckia, or Golden Glow, both too well known and popular to need eulogy.
The Lychnis (Rose Campion) is another of our herbaceous perennials which has not attracted the notice its good qualities deserve. L. Chalcedonica, its trusses of scarlet rivalling the most vivid Geranium, is the best known of the species, and combines beautifully with Clematis flammula and Spiræa filipendula. Planted against a wall covered with the Clematis, or contrasted in the border with S. Japonica, it is very effective. Plant L. semperflorens plenissima with Deutzia gracilis and Spiræa filipendula. Planted together in the border they are exquisite. L. semperflorens is much more delicate than the other Lychnis, and cannot be considered entirely hardy at the North. It is a very dainty little flower with soft pink, finely toothed blossoms, and worth considerable trouble to grow. Viscaria (Ragged Robin) has tall spikes of double red, deliciously scented flowers, and should find a place in every garden. Chalcedonica resembles the scarlet variety except in colour, which is pure white. It also is quite hardy and needs little care when once established.
Plant Iris (Fleur-de-lis) generously. They will grow in size and beauty from year to year, and are valuable for borders along drives or walks, for the filling of corners or low, damp spots. By planting the different varieties a succession of bloom, from May until the latter part of July, may be secured. The German Iris furnishes some magnificent colour effects in purple and bronze, yellow and lavender, blue and white. The Japanese are wonderful, both in colour and size—flowers seven inches in diameter being quite common, while twelve inches is attained in some instances. The flowers differ so materially in form from other Iris as to appear a distinct class. Unlike the German Iris, they hold their petals neither erect nor drooping, but horizontally, or flat, making a great disc of lovely colour, ranging through all the shades of blue, lilac, blue and white, and plum, to crimson-purple, magenta, and pink. They are more tender and less quickly started than the German, but do well when established. A low, damp spot suits them best, and where this is not available they should be abundantly supplied with water. German Iris will do well in any good garden soil and under ordinary cultivation. Iris should be taken up and divided every three or four years, removing all dead or exhausted growth, and setting one live toe, or point, in a place. They will not do well the first year of dividing, but the following year will be very fine, especially if there have been enough roots to make several long, parallel rows.
While not troubled with any disease or insect pest, the moles seem to have an especial liking for the roots of the Japanese Iris, and have caused me much loss. The only preventive is to shut the moles out of the bed by sinking a close wire netting around it to a depth of eighteen inches, or by making early and persistent use of good mole-traps—one at each end of the row, or at the spots where they enter and leave the bed. By this method I caught ten moles in as many days in the Iris beds, and was comparatively free from them the remainder of the season. Salt pork or bacon rinds buried in their runs will sometimes drive them away for a time, but this is not to be depended on, neither is the presence of Castor-oil plant, which, so far as I have observed, has not the slightest value. The only method is to trap them early in the spring, before they begin to breed; setting the trap in the runs from the nest and not in the shallow feeding runs they make close to the surface. These they may not visit again in days, if at all, but the main runs, which usually extend in several directions from their burrows, and are several inches below the surface, are traversed several times a day.
A GOOD BACKGROUND FOR LOW SHRUBS
Peonies—what would the spring garden be without these old-time favourites? Whatever flowers are lacking in country gardens, it is rarely these; and yet, we seldom see them at their best. They like rich, well-drained soil in a sunny location, and once established should remain undisturbed for years, or until they become so crowded as to need dividing, as they require several years to recover after being moved, and only actual necessity should lead to their disturbance, certainly not the requests of friends and neighbours to dig them up and divide. Better buy a root to give away, if reluctant to refuse, than injure the plant.
Mulch the Peony bed heavily with rough manure in the fall, removing the coarsest in the spring and working the rest into the soil. A good mulch of lawn clippings during July and August will keep the soil cool and moist, and greatly benefit the plants. This should be given before they bloom, as there is usually heavy rain about that time, which beats the flowers down into the dirt and ruins them.
The Funkia (Plantain Lily), or Day Lily, as it is commonly called, is another plant impatient of disturbance; and once planted it should not be molested. It likes a good, rich, mellow soil, but is not particular as to location, so that no other plant is near it. Though perfectly hardy I prefer to give it a little protection in the winter. In the spring cut away the sod from around it the width of the spade, making the soil fine and mellow, and working in some old manure. This annual enlarging of its boundaries is all the care it needs to make it grow larger and finer, year by year, and bloom profusely.
The French Lilacs are to be recommended for liberal planting, as they are free from the vice of suckering which makes the old-fashioned sort so troublesome. They should be planted wherever they will be useful as backgrounds for lower shrubs, or perennials, or in a row along a lane or fence. As the blooming season of the different varieties varies, by judicious selection they may be had in bloom for several weeks.
Althæas (Rose of Sharon) have the happy notion of blooming when other plants do not, so they are doubly welcome. As they bloom from the bottom up they should have a place by themselves on the grounds, where they will make quite tall trees in a few years. The white and light-coloured ones are the most attractive. Young trees should be wrapped in straw during winter, and old ones well mulched with rough litter.
Chapter NINETEEN
Winter protection
When the frost has cut down the flowers, and robbed the shrubs of their leaves it is time for the fall cleaning of the garden. This should be completed before the leaves begin to fall, as if left until then they will greatly complicate matters.
Pull up and consign to the compost heap all annuals, weeds, stalks of perennials, Lilies, and ornamental plants, and the litter used for mulch during summer. This last might be left on were it not for the fact that it is likely to harbour insects which would do mischief. It is therefore better to remove it and work the bed over, leaving all clean and neat.
This is the time to look out for cutworms, chrysalids, and the like, and destroy them. Much may be done in this direction. Look carefully along the edging between the curbing and the grass where the cutworm lurks. Look for the chrysalids of borers in the ground around the Clematis, Cosmos, Hollyhocks, and Dahlia beds, and when found destroy them. On the under side of boards, steps, and under the edge of the siding of the house will be found the cocoons of the hickory tussock-moth and the cabbage-worm, all of which should be destroyed. After removing the dead annuals rake over the beds, leaving them clean and neat.
Beds of perennials, Roses, bulbs, and especially of Lilies and Peonies, must be well rounded up to shed water, as all plants are injured by water standing about their roots. If not already high enough to admit of this, more earth must be added to raise them sufficiently. The earth from the window-boxes may be used to advantage, especially for the Tea-rose bed, where a foot of mellow earth, brought well up around the plants and rounded to shed water, will so protect them that, though the tops may freeze, all below the soil will be likely to live. Over this should be placed several inches of rough litter or leaves and a frame of rough boards put around the beds and covered with sash, canvas, or boards to shed rain.
Young climbing Roses should have three or four inches of earth banked up around them; wrap their tops with straw or sacking, or old carpet may be drawn over them and tacked to the trellis or support on which they grow. Plants under the eaves of the house, where the water drips, should have boards arranged to catch and divert it to the lawn.
Protect equally from the cold winds of winter and the sun; plants are not injured so much by freezing as by thawing suddenly, as they must when the sun shines directly upon them. If they thaw gradually, little if any damage is done, but sudden thawing ruptures the plant-cells, causing serious injury. To prevent this and the settling of water about the roots are the points to keep in mind when giving winter protection.
For plants whose tops die, leaves offer an excellent protection—better than manure, in that they do not scatter seeds of weeds. For plants that form a fall crown of leaves—as the Hollyhock or Annunciation Lily—a box with an open end filled lightly with leaves is satisfactory. Close, air-tight covers, as boxes, tin pails, iron kettles, and the like, should never be used to protect plants of any kind. Wooden frames covered with wire netting, and filled loosely with leaves, allowing the moisture to evaporate rapidly, have given the best results; next come frames covered with thin cotton cloth, then loose boxes with one end knocked out. The idea is to retain the dry leaves around the plant, protect from sun and cold wind, and allow the rapid evaporation of any moisture that may collect. Wet or frozen leaves around a plant are worse than no protection; especially is this true in the case of Myosotis, Pansies, Carnations, Canterbury-bells, and Foxglove, all of which do better in the cold-frames. Where these are not available, recourse may be had to the boxes with netting, or to evergreen boughs. When filling in about a plant with leaves do it lightly, as a mass closely packed becomes damp and mouldy, and kills rather than protects.
Plants too tall to be covered should be protected with straw or corn-stalks; cover for some little distance beyond the roots with leaves or litter, and place straw or corn fodder around them, bringing it to a point at top, and tying firmly there and in the middle, sloping the stalks sufficiently to shed rain. Tall Rosebushes, young Althæas, and similar growths, are much benefited by this form of protection. Long beds of plants—as Japanese Iris, Pansies, and the like—maybe protected by taking narrow boards eighteen or twenty inches long, with a notch cut in one end, the other end being pointed and driven into the ground; set these at intervals through the centre of the beds; place the poles lengthwise of the beds, their ends resting in the notches, and arrange evergreen boughs across the poles on each side to shed rain. Corn fodder may be used where the evergreens cannot be procured, or a row of pegs may support two boards, forming a ∧-shaped roof, which will protect from wind, sun, and water equally. Protect the Lily and Peony beds with a foot of leaves and rough, old manure. Rhododendrons, at the North, must have both roots and tops protected if there is to be any bloom the following year. Muslin-covered frames and leaves will do this best. Great care must be taken not to break off the buds, which are exceedingly brittle. Frames with removable lids that will admit of filling in gradually, and allow the leaves to settle before finishing, are best. Pile leaves around the roots of Clematis, and stretch sacking or other cloth over the trellises on which they grow. Protect in the same way English Ivy and Ampelopsis Veitchi while young. A northwest angle of a building affords very good protection.
Chapter TWENTY
Care of House-plants In Winter
Plants for winter blooming should be brought into the house before the nights get chilly. By becoming gradually accustomed to the air of the house before the doors are closed and the fires started, they will be less affected by the change.
Do not crowd into the window more plants than it can conveniently hold. Plants must have room to breathe and grow, and abundant light. No plant should touch its neighbours. Even with this amount of room at the start they will be badly crowded before spring, and it will probably be necessary to remove some.
Shelves, brackets, and stands should be in place before the plants are brought in, as changing about and handling are bad for them. Plants with tender foliage, as Cinerarias, Primulas, and the like, do best on a window-bracket, and the capacity of the window is greatly increased by the use of brackets. Plants with drooping leaves should have single brackets, to avoid contact with other plants. The Bougainvillea, also, does better on a bracket, being of a trailing habit. It is not, however, a good winter bloomer, usually coming in late in March and continuing until December, but it is very reliable during that time and requires less care than any house-plant with which I am familiar, unless it be the Araucaria.
See that all shelves are securely fastened, and strong enough to sustain the weight to be placed upon them. The additional protection of a small brass chain fastening the outer edge of the shelf to the window-casing above it will ease the strain on the brackets and give greater security.
See that all hanging-baskets are securely hung with copper wire, and that there is no danger of the hooks from which they are suspended pulling out.
Do not start in with a number of plants the requirements of which are entirely unknown. Where conditions for their proper care are not obtainable it will be wiser to content one’s self with familiar plants offering a reasonable hope of success, as Geraniums, Hyacinths, or Primroses. A healthy, vigorous plant, however common, is preferable to a sickly one, be it ever so rare.
A fair degree of atmospheric moisture should be maintained by keeping a dish of water on stove, register, or radiator. Where bulbs are grown a healthy degree of humidity is secured by evaporation and transpiration as shown by moisture gathering on the glass when the temperature falls. Moisture in the soil is a more difficult matter, and greater harm is done through ignorance in this particular than in any other way. Either plants are allowed to suffer for water, or they are drenched indiscriminately. All are watered alike, irrespective of individual need, whereas the requirements of each should be studied. A few plants, natives of bogs—as the Calla—require constant moisture when growing. Heliotrope, on the other hand, turns yellow when over-watered. Water should be applied thoroughly when given and then withheld until the plant is nearly dry again. This induces a stocky growth, with well-ripened wood, capable of producing healthy bloom. To keep a plant constantly wet may produce a quick growth, but it will be a soft one, incapable of the best results.
Flower-pots should not be filled to the brim with earth, but sufficient space should be left to hold enough water to thoroughly saturate the soil in each pot—a full inch or more in the case of six-inch pots, and at least half an inch for small pots. The soil must be sufficiently open to take the water quickly. Heliotrope, and some other plants, form a thick network of roots, which the water cannot penetrate readily, and channels should be opened through them with a pencil or stick. See that the water really penetrates the soil instead of merely passing between the ball of earth and the pot. Hanging-baskets of wire and moss are best watered by setting in a large pail until thoroughly soaked. One such watering will last a week, unless the room is very hot and dry.
PLANTS FOR LATE WINTER BLOOMING SHOULD BE BROUGHT INTO THE HOUSE BEFORE FALL
Give sun-loving plants all the sunshine possible. Geraniums especially love to be close to the glass, and the difference is quickly seen in the quality of the blossoms. Shower every day, if possible, especially such plants as Heliotropes, Cinerarias, Cyclamen, Lantanas, and, if not once a day, at least once a week. Dipping the entire plant in a tub of quite warm water is a great benefit, as in that way every part of the plant is reached.
I do not especially approve of the advice so constantly given to “keep an old fork handy to stir the soil, that the roots may have air.” The leaves are the lungs of the plants, and if these are kept clean there will be no trouble about their breathing. Moreover, if necessary to get air to the roots, stirring the soil would be a very poor way to do it, as cultivation of the surface is intended to keep air out and moisture in. To this end we make a dry mulch over flower-beds and the farmer cultivates his corn in a “dry spell,” knowing that the formation of a dry crust will result in the rapid evaporation of the moisture in the soil, the dry air shrinking the soil and opening up its pores, as it were, letting the hot air in and the moisture out. This advantage the practice has: it counteracts any tendency to sourness in the soil, and should be resorted to whenever there is any suspicion of this, or when the earth in which tender or succulent-stemmed plants are growing seems hard and will not take water readily. The Amaryllis objects to this disturbance, and hard-wooded plants, which require firm potting, should not be disturbed by more than the merest scratching of the surface.
Give support to such plants as need it, promptly; failure in this respect may result in the loss of a cherished blossom, or the disfigurement of a plant.
Pinch back all weak and straggling growths, trimming the plants to grow stocky and symmetrical.
Avoid, as far as possible, a sudden change of temperature, as a sudden chill will greatly injure some plants, though they may not be actually frozen. Plants may be left in the window as long as the glass is not frosted, but at the slightest appearance of frost they must be moved back out of actual contact with the glass. The thermometer drops suddenly at times, and plants that were considered quite safe at night may be found frozen in the morning. When the thermometer in the window indicates a safe temperature and that outside a stationary one, though very low, the plants may be left where they are; but beware of falling temperature, and protect with several thicknesses of newspaper between the plants and the window, bringing it well out beyond the window-frames. All cracks between the sash and casing should be carefully sealed with strips of cloth or paper, the colour of the woodwork, neatly pasted over, effectually shutting out draughts. This alone will help immensely in protecting plants, and storm-windows are safe and save much trouble.
Fresh air, which plants must have, should be supplied through another room, where it will be warmed before reaching them. A screen, so placed as to cut off draughts when a door is opened to air the room, will be found a great convenience.
When plants are frozen they should be thawed very gradually. Darken the room and keep the temperature low, raising it gradually. If, however, the plants are in a living-room, where the temperature cannot conveniently be kept low for any length of time, remove them to the cellar until the frost is drawn out of them, when, if not too badly damaged, they may be returned to the window and encouraged to grow. Geraniums are rarely injured by one freezing, the loss of the leaves being the chief damage, and if the plants are returned at once to the window this may prove an advantage, as wherever a leaf falls a new shoot will usually be forced, making the plant much more stocky and thrifty. During an unusually severe storm, a Geranium left in the window of a room away from direct heat was badly frosted. As it was not a very choice variety no effort was made to save it. The room was closed, and a temperature of 12° below zero reigned for several days. When the weather moderated and the temperature rose to 32° the room was opened and warmed, the Geranium remaining on its shelf. In a few days, seemingly, the axil of every vanished leaf had bourgeoned into tender green, and in a short time the Geranium was as thrifty as ever, blossoming better the following summer than at any time before. Favourable growing conditions should be given as soon after freezing as possible, that all the vitality may be utilised and not wasted to sustain life in the unfavourable conditions existing in cellars.
Showering with, and dipping in, cold water slightly above freezing are also good for frosted plants; 33° is about right, as a higher temperature will be apt to precipitate the evil it is desired to avoid—the rupture of the plant-cells.
The freezing of the soil in pots, which often happens with bulbs or plants kept quite wet, does no particular harm, and no attention need be paid to it as long as the tops are not frozen.
Remember that heat rises, and that the upper sash of a window is many degrees warmer than the lower, so that by having an upper shelf you can grow plants requiring a much higher temperature than those on the lower shelf. For the same reason hanging-baskets require much more water than plants on low shelves, and should be showered frequently to counteract the dryer atmosphere. A rubber sprinkler is indispensable for this purpose; by its use flowers may be sufficiently showered every day to keep back red spiders and materially change the atmosphere.
Compost, sand, old manure, and drainage material should be prepared in the fall and put in a frost-proof place ready for any repotting that may be necessary during the winter, and for the early sowing of seeds in the house.
In another chapter will be found formulas for the various insecticides required for the extermination of the pests likely to attack plants in the close, dry air of the living-room. If attention is paid to the supply of fresh air and moisture little, if any, trouble will be experienced on this score.
Plants coming into bloom will require some fertiliser, and as there are objections to the use of manure-water in the house the following formula will be found very satisfactory: Get at the druggist’s one and a half pounds (or ounces) nitrate of soda, one-half pound (or ounce) phosphate of soda, and one pound (or ounce) sulphate of potash. Mix and pulverise the material thoroughly. When required for use put a rounding tablespoonful of this mixture in a gallon of hot water. To fertilise the plants put a teacupful of the water, when cool, on a six-inch pot, and more in proportion on larger pots. Do not use oftener than once in two weeks, and do not let it touch the foliage.
All the Asparagus group are benefited by the use of a good fertiliser, especially is this the case with A. Sprengeri, which makes a root growth so vigorous that it would be unmanageable were it not for the use of fertilisers, which make it possible to keep it within reasonable bounds.
Begonias, on the other hand, are usually injured by the use of fertilisers.
Chapter TWENTY-ONE
Common and English Names of Flowers
Where a plant has a double name—as Hypericum Moserianum—only the first will be given, as it will be indexed in the catalogues that way.
| Abyssinian Banana, | See Musa. |
| Adam’s Needle, | See Yucca. |
| Alleghany Vine, | See Adlumia. |
| Alum Root, | See Heuchera. |
| American Cowslip, | See Dodecatheon. |
| American Senna, | See Cassia. |
| Amethyst, | See Browallia. |
| Artillery Plant, | See Pilea. |
| Aurora’s Bower, | See Gaillardia. |
| Australian Glory Pea, | See Clianthus. |
| Baby’s Breath, | See Gypsophila. |
| Bachelor’s Button, | See Globe Amaranth. |
| Balsam Apple, | See Momordica. |
| Balsam Pear, | See Momordica. |
| Banana Shrub, | See Magnolia. |
| Barrenwort, | See Epimedium. |
| Basket of Gold, | See Alyssum. |
| Bath Flower, | See Trillium. |
| Beard Tongue, | See Pentstemon. |
| Bird’s Nest Fern, | See Aspidium Nidus-Avis. |
| Bishop’s Weed, | See Ægopodium. |
| Black-eyed Susan, | See Thunbergia. |
| Bleeding Heart, | See Dicentra. |
| Blood Flower, | See Hæmanthus. |
| Bluebottle, | See Centaurea. |
| Bluebottle, | See Grape Hyacinth. |
| Blue Leadwort, | See Plumbago. |
| Blue Lyme Grass, | See Elymus. |
| Blue Salvia, | See S. patens. |
| Blue Vetch, | See Grape Hyacinth. |
| Bluet, | See Houstonia. |
| Boston Ivy, | See Ampelopsis. |
| Bowman’s Root, | See Gillenia. |
| Bugle, | See Ajuga. |
| Bugle Vine, | See Calampelis. |
| Burning Bush, | See Euonymus. |
| Butterfly Flower, | See Centrosema. |
| Butterfly Flower, | See Schizanthus. |
| Butterfly Orchid, | See Epidendrum. |
| Butterfly Weed, | See Asclepias. |
| Calico Bush, | See Kalmia. |
| California Poppy, | See Eschscholtzia. |
| Canterbury Bell, | See Campanula. |
| Cape Hyacinth, | See H. candicans. |
| Cardinal Flower, | See Lobelia. |
| Castor Bean, | See Ricinus. |
| Cheneil Plant, | See Acalypha. |
| Chilian Glory Flower, | See Eccremocarpus. |
| Chimney Bell Flower, | See Campanula. |
| Chinese Bell Flower, | See Platycodon. |
| Chinese Lantern Plant, | See Physalis. |
| Chinese Matrimony Vine, | See Lycium. |
| Chinese Paper Plant, | See Bougainvillea. |
| Christmas Berry, | See Ardisia. |
| Christmas Rose, | See Helleborus. |
| Cinnamon Vine, | See Dioscorea. |
| Cinquefoil, | See Potentilla. |
| Climbing Fumitory, | See Adlumia. |
| Climbing Hawthorn, | See Actinidia. |
| Cock’s Comb, | See Celosia. |
| Columbine, | See Aquilegia. |
| Cone Flower, | See Rudbeckia. |
| Coral Plant, | See Erythrina. |
| Corn Flower, | See Centaurea. |
| Cowslip, | See Primula. |
| Crane’s Bill, | See Geranium. |
| Creeping Mallow, | See Callirhoe. |
| Crown Vetch, | See Coronilla. |
| Cruel Plant, | See Physianthus. |
| Cup-and-Saucer Plant, | See Campanula. |
| Cup-and-Saucer Vine, | See Cobæa. |
| Cup Flower, | See Nierembergia. |
| Cushion Pink, | See Armeria. |
| Dark Mullen, | See Verbascum. |
| Day Lily, | See Hemerocallis. |
| Devil-in-the-Bush, | See Nigella. |
| Double Buttercup, | See Ranunculus. |
| Dropwort, | See Spiræa. |
| Duck Plant, | See Aristolochia. |
| Dutchman’s Breeches, | See Dielytra. |
| Dutchman’s Pipe, | See Aristolochia. |
| Dusty Miller, | See Centaurea. |
| Dusty Miller, | See Cineraria. |
| Edelweiss, | See Gnaphalium. |
| Emerald Feather, | See Asparagus. |
| English Daisy, | See Bellis. |
| Evening Glory, | See Ipomœa. |
| Evening Primrose, | See Œnothera. |
| Everlasting, | See Acroclinium. |
| Everlasting, | See Ammobium. |
| Everlasting, | See Globe Amaranth. |
| Everlasting, | See Helichrysum. |
| Everlasting, | See Lathyrus. |
| Everlasting, | See Rhodanthe. |
| Everlasting, | See Xeranthemum. |
| Fair Maids of France, | See Ranunculus. |
| False Chamomile, | See Boltonia. |
| False Dragon Head, | See Physostegia. |
| False Indigo, | See Baptisia. |
| Feverfew, | See Matricaria. |
| Fire on the Mountain, | See Euphorbia. |
| Flame Flower, | See Tritoma. |
| Fleur de Lis, | See Iris. |
| Flora’s Paint Brush, | See Cacalia. |
| Florida Rattle Box, | See Crotolaria. |
| Floss Flower, | See Ageratum. |
| Flowering Currant, | See Ribes. |
| Flowering Dogwood, | See Cornus. |
| Flowering Maple, | See Abutilon. |
| Flowering Sage, | See Salvia. |
| Flowering Spurge, | See Euphorbia. |
| Forget-me-not, | See Myosotis. |
| Fountain Plant, | See Acalypha. |
| Four-o’clock, | See Marvel of Peru. |
| Fringe Flower, | See Schizanthus. |
| Garden Flower, | See Schizanthus. |
| Gardener’s Garter, | See Phalaris. |
| Garland Flower, | See Daphne. |
| Gas Plant, | See Dictamnus. |
| Gay Feather, | See Liatris. |
| Gilliflower, | See Cheiranthus. |
| Globe Flower, | See Trollius. |
| Glory Pea of Australia, | See Clianthus. |
| Goat’s Beard, | See Spiræa. |
| Gold Lack, | See Wall Flower. |
| Golden Bush Pea, | See Crotolaria. |
| Golden Feather, | See Pyrethrum. |
| Golden Honey Bell, | See Mahernia. |
| Golden-leaved Elder, | See Sambucus. |
| Golden Rod, | See Solidago. |
| Golden Tuft, | See Alyssum. |
| Great Reed, | See Arundo Donax. |
| Great Sea Lavender, | See Limonium. |
| Groundsel, | See Glechoma. |
| Hawk’s Beard, | See Crepis. |
| Holly Fern, | See Cyrtomium. |
| Honey Bell, | See Mahernia. |
| Horn of Plenty, | See Datura. |
| Horned Poppy, | See Glaucium. |
| Horse Mint, | See Monarda. |
| House Leek, | See Sempervivum. |
| Humble Plant, | See Mimosa. |
| Hyacinth Clematis, | See Clematis Davidiana. |
| Jacobean Lily, | See Amaryllis. |
| Jacob’s Ladder, | See Polemonium. |
| Japan Quince, | See Pyrus. |
| Japanese Bell Flower, | See Platycodon. |
| Japanese Beni, | See Caryopteris. |
| Japanese Hop, | See Humulus. |
| Japanese Ivy, | See Ampelopsis. |
| Japanese Primrose, | See Cortusoidea. |
| Japanese Primrose, | See Primula. |
| Japanese Virgin’s Bower, | See Clematis. |
| Japanese Winter Cherry, | See Physalis. |
| Jerusalem Cherry, | See Solanum. |
| Jerusalem Cross, | See Lychnis. |
| Kenilworth Ivy, | See Linaria. |
| Lady Washington, | See Pelargonium. |
| Larkspur, | See Delphinium. |
| Lavender Cotton, | See Santolina. |
| Lawn Pearlwort, | See Spergula. |
| Lemon Verbena, | See Verbena. |
| Leopard Plant, | See Farfugium. |
| Lilac, | See Syringa. |
| Lily of the Palace, | See Agapanthus. |
| Lily of the Palace, | See Amaryllis. |
| Little Bo-Peep, | See Antirrhinum. |
| Liverwort, | See Hepatica. |
| London Tufts, | See Sweet William. |
| Look at Me, | See Centrosema. |
| Love Grove, | See Nemophila. |
| Love in a Mist, | See Nigella. |
| Love Lies Bleeding, | See Amaranthus. |
| Lungwort, | See Martensia. |
| Madagascar Periwinkle, | See Vinca. |
| Maidenhair Fern, | See Adiantum. |
| Mallow, | See Hibiscus. |
| Maltese Cross, | See Lychnis. |
| Mariposa Lily, | See Calochortus. |
| Marsh Mallow, | See Hibiscus. |
| Meadow Beauty, | See Rhexia. |
| Meadow Sage, | See Salvia. |
| Meadow Star, | See Spiræa. |
| Mexican Fire Plant, | See Euphorbia. |
| Mexican Lily, | See Amaryllis. |
| Michaelmas Daisies, | See Aster. |
| Monkey Flower, | See Mimulus. |
| Monkshood, | See Aconitum. |
| Moon Flower, | See Ipomœa. |
| Moonpenny Daisy, | See Chrysanthemum. |
| Moonwort, | See Honesty. |
| Morning Glory, | See Ipomœa. |
| Mosses, | See Selaginellas. |
| Moss Pink, | See Phlox. |
| Moss Verbena, | See Verbena. |
| Mother of Thousands, | See Saxifrage. |
| Mountain Fleece, | See Polygonum. |
| Mountain Fringe, | See Adlumia. |
| Mountain Laurel, | See Kalmia. |
| Mourning Bride, | See Scabiosa. |
| Mouse-ear Chickweed, | See Cerastium. |
| Moustache Plant, | See Caryopteris. |
| Musk Plant, | See Mimulus. |
| Old Maid, | See Vinca. |
| Old Man, | See Artemesia. |
| Old Woman, | See Artemesia. |
| Orchid Vine, | See Stigmaphyllon. |
| Oriental Poppy, | See Papaver. |
| Oswego Tea, | See Monarda. |
| Painted Daisy, | See Chrysanthemum. |
| Painted Leaf, | See Euphorbia. |
| Painted Tongue, | See Salpiglossis. |
| Pampas Grass, | See Gynerium. |
| Pancratium, | See Ismene (in part). |
| Paris Daisy, | See Chrysanthemum. |
| Passion Flower, | See Passiflora. |
| Peacock Flower, | See Tigridia. |
| Pearl Bush, | See Exochorda. |
| Peppermint, | See Mentha. |
| Periwinkle, | See Vinca. |
| Persian Daisy, | See Pyrethrum. |
| Pheasant’s Eye, | See Adonis. |
| Pincushion Flower, | See Scabiosa. |
| Pinks, | See Dianthus. |
| Plantain Lily, | See Funkia. |
| Plume Poppy, | See Bocconia. |
| Pot of Gold, | See Calendula. |
| Purple Bells, | See Rhodochiton. |
| Purple Fountain, | See Pennisetum. |
| Purple Grass, | See Pennisetum. |
| Purple-leaved Plum, | See Prunus. |
| Queen Lily, | See Amaryllis. |
| Ragged Robin, | See Lychnis. |
| Ragged Sailor, | See Centaurea. |
| Red-hot Poker, | See Tritoma. |
| Rock Cress, | See Arabis. |
| Rock Madwort, | See Alyssum. |
| Rose Campion, | See Lychnis. |
| Rose of Heaven, | See Agrostemma. |
| Rubber Plant, | See Ficus. |
| Sage Palm, | See Cycas. |
| St. John’s Wort, | See Hypericum. |
| St. Bernard’s Lily, | See Liliago. |
| Sand Root, | See Arenaria. |
| Sand Verbena, | See Verbena. |
| Scarbrough Lily, | See Valletta. |
| Scarlet Flax, | See Linum. |
| Scarlet-fruited Gourd, | See Bryonopsis, or Gourds. |
| Scarlet Sage, | See Salvia. |
| Sea Holly, | See Armeria. |
| Sea Pink, | See Armeria. |
| Seal Flower, | See Dielytra. |
| Segar Plant, | See Cuphea. |
| Sensitive Plant, | See Mimosa. |
| Shaking Fern, | See Pteris. |
| Shell Flower, | See Tigridia. |
| Shooting Star, | See Dodecatheon. |
| Shrubby Honeysuckle, | See Lonicera. |
| Silk Oak, | See Grevillea. |
| Silver Bells, | See Halesia. |
| Slipper Flower, | See Calceolaria. |
| Smoke Tree, | See Rhus. |
| Snapdragon, | See Antirrhinum. |
| Sneezewort, | See Helenium. |
| Snowball, | See Viburnum. |
| Snowberry, | See Symphoricarpos. |
| Snow in Summer, | See Cerastium. |
| Snow on the Mountain, | See Euphorbia. |
| Southern Wood, | See Abrotanum. |
| Speedwell, | See Veronica. |
| Spider Plant, | See Cleome. |
| Spike Grass, | See Uniola. |
| Spring Beauty, | See Claytonia. |
| Starworts, | See Asters. |
| Stone Crop, | See Sedum. |
| Straw Flower, | See Helichrysum. |
| Sulphur Fern, | See Gymnogramma. |
| Sunflower, | See Helianthus. |
| Sun Plant, | See Portulaca. |
| Swan River Daisy, | See Brachycome. |
| Swan River Everlasting, | See Rhodanthe. |
| Sweet Olive, | See Olea. |
| Sweet Sultan, | See Centaurea. |
| Tassel Flower, | See Cacalia. |
| Thrift, | See Armeria. |
| Toad Flax, | See Linaria. |
| Toad Lily, | See Castalia. |
| Tobacco Plant, | See Nicotiana. |
| Torch Lily, | See Tritoma. |
| Tree Celandine, | See Bocconia. |
| Trumpet Flower, | See Datura. |
| Trumpet Vine, | See Bignonia. |
| Umbrella Plant, | See Cyperus. |
| Variegated Comfrey, | See Symphytum. |
| Venus’ Looking-Glass, | See Campanula. |
| Virgin’s Bower, | See Clematis. |
| Wake Robin, | See Trillium. |
| Waxhaw, | See Euonymus. |
| Wax Plant, | See Hoya. |
| Wax Plant, | See Mesembryanthemum. |
| White Fringe, | See Chionanthus. |
| Whitlow Grass, | See Draba. |
| Wild Cucumber, | See Echinocystis. |
| Wind Flower, | See Anemone. |
| Winged Everlasting, | See Ammobium. |
| Wolf’s-bane, | See Aconitum. |
| Wood Lily, | See Trillium. |
| Woodruff, | See Asperula. |
| Yellow Flax, | See Linum. |
| Youth and Old Age, | See Zinnia. |
| Zanzibar Balsam, | See Impatiens. |
| Zebra Grass, | See Eulalia. |