Plant bulbs their own depth in earth except the finer lilies. Set them only a little way in earth. It is safer to make a little hole in the earth, put in a handful of clean sand, and bed the bulb in the sand. Keep very wet—sand will not rot the bulb surface. Fill up with soil an inch higher, but keep it away from the bulb with a sand blanket, and put a very thin layer of sand on top. Plant ordinary bulbs in succession from September to December, keep damp and dark for some weeks to insure root growth, then bring to light, water, and fertilize, turning every three days to make symmetrical.
Plant Choice: No plant will live long without light—few will thrive without more or less sunlight. The green-and-white Aspidastra is the hardiest in this respect. Plants used for interior decoration must be often shifted, set in light, fertilized, and bathed till thrifty, while others in good condition take their places. Weekly changes will maintain a proper effect. Palms and ferns are most satisfactory for such uses; flowering things get ragged very quickly. Begonias carefully tended and not allowed to dry out nor get hot make a brave showing. So do wax-leafed woody things—dwarf orange and lemon trees, rubber trees, dwarf evergreens and box trees.
Plants for a North Light: Fuschia stands pre-eminent, next to that thrifty ferns, ivy of both sorts, dwarf evergreens, spiderwort, moneywort, and trailing box vine. An hour or two of sunlight will suffice for all these, other conditions to their mind; also, in their season, for pansies, violets, and the dwarf Japanese morning glories so wonderful in color and texture.
Filling Window Boxes: Make fast, put a layer of broken pot over the bottom, upon that a very thin layer of excelsior. Cover two inches deep with fine earth, then arrange roots of your trailers along the outer edge and bank up with more earth. Next put in the plants, crowding them rather thickly, pack earth around and about them, water freely, make sure all plants stand straight, then shower plentifully, using a fine sprinkler. Water every day—twice daily in very hot weather—shower every other day, and fertilize once a week. This if the plants thrive. If they turn a sickly yellow, starve a bit, after watering plentifully with water a little too hot to bear your hand in.
Choice of Window Plants: Flowering geraniums deserve first place for a season’s bloom. White and pink ones smothered in green look better against a red brick wall than scarlet or crimson. But scarlet and white, or scarlet and crimson with feathery green, such as asparagus sprengeri, are beautiful against white walls, brown or buff ones, or any sort of stone. Pansies with alyssum edges are lovely while they last. Choose them for early spring, putting in geraniums or primroses later. Potted bulbs show beautifully in window boxes with edges of trailing green. Rose geraniums in window boxes help to drive away flies. Piazza boxes in midsummer have nothing more effective than the savage splendors of gladioli. Plant in double row, starting the bulbs in pots and setting out when a foot high. Nasturtiums also make a splendid show. So do all the tribe of begonia, provided the sun is not too hot. Morning and evening rays suit them.
Palms and Ferns: Small thrifty plants need to be shifted yearly. After they reach a good size do not shift, fertilize instead. Keep pot surfaces clean, set at least a foot above the floor, water plentifully and regularly, but do not let it stand at the roots. Sprinkle or wipe with a damp cloth weekly, and monthly give a plunge bath in your own bath water. Let stand till barely tepid, then tie a cloth over the earth, and lay your plant on its side in the tub. Splash and scrub well, set upright, drain off water, and shower well with clear, clean water. Bathing thus is the best insurance of health and a protection against the depredations of every sort of pest.
Roses and Woody Things in General: Only a very few roses are adapted to house culture unless there is a greenhouse for their refreshing. The catalogues name them. Get vigorous year-old plants and bake the earth for planting them at least an hour in a moderate oven. This to insure against the beetle which lives in earth and has no other cure than prevention. Make the earth very fine, sift it lightly through the roots, water well, put on more earth, wet it, fill up the pot, drench, drain, and set in light, but away from sunlight, for several days. Pinch off any flower buds, also new ones appearing before the rose is well established. After thrifty growth sets in let bloom, but not overbloom. Pinch off all but the most promising buds. Water with tepid suds weekly. In between give liquid manure. Make it strong—roses are gross feeders. Bathe often, keep warm and in light, turning every other day. The many-flowered roses sold around the holidays are good for nothing but to be set out in the border after their bloom is past.
Fuchsias, azaleas, lemon verbenas, the spireas, and genesta require much the same care. Fuchsias, as has been said, do not demand full sun. Also they like a moderate temperature. The others thrive in heat and light. So do camellias and gardenias. These, however, are apt to disappoint anybody without a genius for growing things. Rubber trees too big for the plunge bath must have their leaves well wiped with white soapsuds, then with clear water. Tall palms demand the same care. All plants need a moist atmosphere, so keep water on radiators and wet sponges over registers. This is as good for people as for plants.
Fertilizers and Fertilizing: Liquid manure is an ideal fertilizer so far as concerns the plants themselves. It has the drawback of a bad odor. To use it set the plants outdoors, give in sufficient quantity, let soak in, then water well with warm water and leave to air some hours. To make, put well-rotted manure in something tight, pour boiling water upon it, stir well, and let stand. Stir again before dipping out—it should be as thick as cream. After using it on window boxes close the windows until the smell is gone. Things too big to move can be fertilized and the windows left open, closing doors—so fertilize in mild weather. The odor will pass in two hours if the tepid watering has been thorough.
Many good commercial fertilizers are almost or quite odorless—ammoniated bone meal, for example. There is also a fertilizer in lozenge form which is scentless and wonderfully effective. Dissolve a lozenge in boiling water, let stand all night, then stir well and apply. Give a teacup—the same as of liquid manure—to a ten-inch pot, a tablespoonful to a four-inch one, and half that to a thumb pot. A quart will be none too much for a three-foot window box filled with soft-stemmed plants. They demand more than woody plants. Over-fertilizing is bad—it turns leaves yellow and scants bloom. Plants suffer indigestion the same as people. The remedy for it is to set them in a sink or on a grating and pour hot (not boiling) water through the pot until it runs out clear.