GARDENING FOR SHUT-INS
There are possibilities in the indoor culture of flowers, though it may
seem to the casual observer, that only open air culture would justify
one in undertaking the growing of a flower garden on any extended
scale; but open air gardening, while it certainly makes for unlimited
area of flower beds and a great variety of sorts has still its
drawbacks of inclement weather, insufficient or too much moisture, much
humbling of one's physical self on bended knees and a summer-long fight
with the myriad insect pests, from the tiny aphis that colonizes itself
on the tip of every green shoot in early spring, to the predatory mole
that furrows up paths and beds, making efficient drains to deflect all
water intended for the refreshment of the plants.
Such indoor plants as one may elect to grow are assured an adequate
and continuous supply of moisture, a soft and friable soil, a
reasonable freedom from insect pests and a certain amount of protection
from burning sun and drying winds. Moreover they are not restricted in
their season of bloom to a few months of the year; the indoor garden
may be in bloom the year around—a bewitching succession of most of the
seasons repertoire of bloom.
The indoor garden may have its beginning in the late days of September,
when the hardy spring blooming bulbs come into the market. Nearly all
of this class of plants force readily and pots and window boxes may
be filled with soil, planted to tulips, hyacinths, narcissi, valley
lilies, and the like and set aside in a cool dark cellar for midwinter
blooming, requiring no further care for weeks to come. In the meantime
their places need not be kept empty waiting their time of bloom but
boxes and pots of bright geraniums, cinnerarias, primroses, cyclamen
and the like will keep bright every nook and corner one can spare.
Nothing is more dainty and delightful than a window full of primroses,
and no plant will give a more generous and constant succession of bloom
from fall until spring.
As far as practicable, the growing of plants in window-boxes instead
of pots will be found more satisfactory. Inside boxes which are narrow
enough to rest on the window-sill are preferable and the plants may be
planted directly in the boxes or, if preferred, in pots and the pots
plunged into the boxes with moss packed between the pots to retain
the moisture. This gives a better moisture condition than when the
pots are stood on a shelf, exposed on all sides to the drying air
of the living-room. It has the added advantage of allowing the pots
to be lifted from the box for spraying the foliage, a great help to
successful growth, and to apply such insecticides as may occasionally
be needed. Plants grown in the dry air of the living-room are apt to
be affected by red spider; this is especially noticeable with such
plants as cinnerarias, calceolarias and a few others. Those who are
so fortunate as to possess that modern essential of a well equipped
house—a sun room—will find limitless opportunities for floriculture,
boxes beneath the windows, trellises against the walls and hanging
baskets, all affording opportunity for much delightful work with
flowers.
One of the most fascinating features of indoor gardening is found in
the growing of greenhouse and other flowers from seed, and this is a
feature especially suited to the invalid or shut in. The little flats
in which seed is started are so light and easily handled and the plants
grown from seed so sure to do well that one may depend almost entirely
on plants from this source. Almost any light, shallow box may be used,
as flat, half size cigar boxes, codfish boxes, or boxes specially
constructed to fit the window-sills and divided by strips of wood into
several compartments may be used. All require the same treatment—a few
holes to insure drainage, a fine mellow soil of fibrous loam, leaf mold
and a little sharp sand, filled to within a half inch of the top of the
box and well shaken down, and the best seed procurable.
All begonias, rex, fibrous and tuberous may be readily grown from seed
which should be lightly scattered over the surface of the soil, and
pressed down with a bit of smooth board, then set in a pan of water
till the surface looks dark, surplus water drained away, covered with
white paper, glass and set in a warm place till the tiny plants break
through the soil, when they should be given air and light gradually and
encouraged to make a healthy, sturdy growth from the start.
A low, broad table with a large, shallow drawer and a shelf half way
down one side will be found the most convenient place to work and this
can be moved as the work progresses from place to place so as to make
as little walking and lifting as possible. Another work-table that I
have found most convenient consists of a broad shelf—hinged to a strip
of wood nailed to the window-casing, as wide as the window-casing and
deep enough to reach the floor when dropped down out of use. This is
held in place by two strips of metal attached to the window-casing that
hook over screw-heads in the side of the shelf, but drop down against
the wall when not in use. Such a shelf affords an excellent working
surface for starting seeds in flats, bulbs and cuttings in pots and is
indispensable for drawing plants away from a window on stormy nights.
If finished to match the woodwork of the room it will be an attractive
feature whether in use or dropped down out of the way and may be used
for papers and magazines when not required for plants. For the latter
purpose a neat finish is a border to match the standing woodwork and a
center of green baize of felt.
There are a number of attractive vines and trailing plants—the
Asparagus Sprengeri, Manettia Vine, Thumbergia—that may be grown
successfully from seed and add greatly to the interest of the indoor
garden.
At this time of the year it will be worth while to start seeds of
certain garden annuals for use in outside window-boxes. Nasturtiums,
verbenas, candytuft, phlox Drummondii, petunias, coleus, ageratums,
daisies, lobelias, all make bright and charming window gardens and
when the sliding screens are used that may be pushed up out of the
way, the boxes may be planted and cared for from the inside with little
fatigue.
Hanging baskets add much to the charm of sun room and porch, but are
difficult to care for as usually arranged, but if instead of hanging
from a short chain from a hook in the ceiling or cornice of porch or
sun room, the basket is attached to a stout cord passed over a pulley
and the free end provided with a couple of rings to hook over hooks in
the side wall or pillars to hold it at the desired height it can be
lowered on to a table for attention with little trouble. The moss-lined
wire baskets are the best for this purpose; they retain moisture and
are free from danger of breakage. If a pail of water is placed on the
table beneath them and the basket lowered into this and allowed to
remain until the soil is thoroughly soaked, then raised sufficiently by
one of the rings to drain away all surplus water, the plants will be in
the best possible condition to grow and bloom.
One of the most fascinating plants for growing indoors is the little
Japanese rosebushes, which may be grown from seeds into blooming plants
in from six to eight weeks. They make the daintiest, most charming
little plants imaginable. Shapely, many branched and loaded with bloom
they are the very daintiest "Favors" imaginable for luncheons and other
social affairs and are charming gifts at all times. The blossoms are
about the size of a ten cent piece, and come in white, pink and red.
The seeds may be sown in the pots—three inch ones, in which they are
to bloom or may be sown in flats and pricked out into pots when large
enough. I have found the seed to germinate very freely and the plants
to grow on finely from the start. When planted in pots these should be
plunged in a shallow box of wet sand or moss in a sunny window. This
is the way to handle all young greenhouse plants, especially cyclamen,
cinnerarias, gloxinias, carnations, Lady Washington geraniums and the
like. To keep them growing vigorously they should not be allowed to
dry out, nor to become soggy with too much water.
For starting summer-blooming bulbs the use of moss in shallow boxes
or baskets will be found more convenient than the heavier soil. The
sphagnum moss used by florists for shipping plants is the sort needed
and may be used again and again if necessary, the only merit it has
being its retention of moisture, exclusion of air and lightness for
handling.
If one wishes to grow from seed for outdoor planting the hardier
annuals and perennials, then somewhat larger and deeper flats should
be used, but none over four inches in depth should be undertaken. In
these such readily salable plants as asters, salvias, balsams, cobæa
scandens, Shasta daisies, pansies, and the like will prove a veritable
little pin-money mine and equally profitable will be found peppers,
cauliflowers, bush musk-melons and other of the choicer vegetables, all
requiring, practically, the same treatment.
The shut-in who wishes to specialize in the unusual might make an
attempt to imitate the dwarf trees of China and Japan. This is not so
impossible or difficult as it appears as the appearance of great age is
more often the result of skill than of many years.