THE GROWING OF THE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS—INSTRUCTIONS ON PARTICULAR KINDS
In the preceding chapter advice is given that applies to groups or
classes of plants, and many lists are inserted to guide the grower in
his choice or at least to suggest to him the kinds of things that may
be grown for certain purposes or conditions. It now remains to give
instructions on the growing of particular kinds or species of plants.
It is impossible to include instructions on any great number of plants
in a book like this. It is assumed that the user of this book already
knows how to grow the familiar or easily handled plants; if he does
not, a book is not likely to help him very much. In this chapter all
such things as the common annuals and perennials and shrubs and trees
are omitted. If the reader is in doubt about any of these, or desires
information concerning them, he will have to consult the catalogues of
responsible seedsmen and nurserymen or cyclopedic works, or go to some
competent person for advice.
In this chapter are brought together instructions on the growing of
such plants commonly found about home grounds and in window-gardens as
seem to demand somewhat special or particular treatment or about which
the novice is likely to ask; and of course these instructions must be
brief.
XVII. The peony. One of the most steadfast of garden flowers. XVII. The
peony. One of the most steadfast of garden flowers.
It may be repeated here that a person cannot expect to grow a plant
satisfactorily until he learns the natural time of the plant to grow
and to bloom. Many persons handle their begonias, cacti, and azaleas as
if they should be active the whole year round. The key to the situation
is water: at what part of the year to withhold and at what part to
apply is one of the very first things to learn.
Abutilons, or flowering maples as they are often called, make good
house plants and bedding plants. Nearly all house gardeners have at
least one plant.
Common abutilons may be grown from seed or from cuttings of young wood.
If the former, the seed should be sown in February or March in a
temperature of not less than 60°. The seedlings should be potted when
about four to six leaves have grown, in a rich sandy soil. Frequent
pottings should be made to insure a rapid growth, making plants large
enough to flower by fall. Or the seedlings may be planted out in the
border when danger of frost is over, and taken up in the fall before
frost; these plants will bloom all winter. About one half of the newer
growth should be cut off when they are taken up, as they are very
liable to spindle up when grown in the house. When grown from cuttings,
young wood should be used, which, after being well rooted, may be
treated in the same way as the seedlings.
The varieties with variegated leaves have been improved until the
foliage effects are equal to the flowers of some varieties; and these
are a great addition to the conservatory or window garden. The staple
spotted-leaved type is _A. Thompsoni_. A compact form, now much used
for bedding and other outdoor work, is _Savitzii_, which is a
horticultural variety, not a distinct species. The old-fashioned
green-leaved _A. striatum_, from which _A. Thompsoni_ has probably
sprung, is one of the best. _A. megapotamicum_ or _vexillarium_ is a
trailing or drooping red-and-yellow-flowered species that is excellent
for baskets, although not now much seen. It propagates readily from
seed. There is a form with spotted leaves.
Abutilons are most satisfactory for house plants when they are not much
more than a year old. They need no special treatment.
Agapanthus, or African lily _(Agapanthus umbellatus_ and several
varieties).—A tuberous-rooted, well-known conservatory or window plant,
blooming in summer. Excellent for porch and yard decoration.
It lends itself to many conditions and proves satisfactory a large part
of the year, the leaves forming a green arch over the pot, covering it
entirely in a well-grown specimen. The flowers are borne in a large
cluster on stems growing 2-3 ft. high, as many as two or three hundred
bright blue flowers often forming on a single plant. A large,
well-grown plant throws up a number of flower-stalks through the early
season.
The one essential to free growth is an abundance of water and an
occasional application of manure water. Propagation is effected by
division of the offsets, which may be broken from the main plant in
early spring. After flowering, gradually lessen the quantity of water
until they are placed in winter quarters, which should be a position
free from frost and moderately dry. The agapanthus, being a heavy
feeder, should be grown in strong loam to which is added well-rotted
manure and a little sand. When dormant, the roots will withstand a
little frost.
Alstremeria.—The alstremerias (of several species) belong to the
amaryllis family, being tuberous-rooted plants, having leafy stems
terminating in a cluster of ten to fifty small lily-shaped flowers of
rich colors in summer.
Most of the alstremerias should be given pot culture, as they are
easily grown and are not hardy in the open in the North. The culture is
nearly that of the amaryllis,—a good, fibrous loam with a little sand,
potting the tubers in early spring or late fall. Start the plants
slowly, giving only enough water to cause root growth; but after growth
has become established, a quantity of water may be given. After
flowering they may be treated as are amaryllis or agapanthus. The roots
may be divided, and the old and weak parts shaken out. The plants grow
1-3 ft. high. The flowers often have odd colors.
Amaryllis.—The popular name of a variety of house or conservatory
tender bulbs, but properly applied only to the Belladonna lily. Most of
them are hippeastrums, but the culture of all is similar. They are
satisfactory house plants for spring and summer bloom. One difficulty
with their culture is the habit of the flower-stalk starting into
growth before the leaves grow. This is caused in most cases by
stimulating root growth before the bulb has had sufficient rest.
The bulbs should be dormant four or five months in a dry place with a
temperature of about 50°. When wanted to be brought into flower, the
bulbs, if to be repotted, should have all the dirt shaken off and
potted in soil composed of fibrous loam and leafmold, to which should
be added a little sand. If the loam is heavy, place the pot in a warm
situation; a spent hotbed is a good place. Water as needed, and as the
flowers develop liquid manure may be given. If large clumps are well
established in 8-or 10-inch pots, they may be top-dressed with new soil
containing rotted manure, and as growth increases liquid manure may be
given twice a week until the flowers open. After flowering, gradually
withhold water until the leaves die, or plunge the pots in the open, in
a sunny place. The most popular species for window-gardens is _A.
Johnsoni_ (properly a hippeastrum), with red flowers. Figs. 257, 261.
Bulbs received from dealers should be placed in pots not much broader
than the bulb, and the neck of the bulb should not be covered. Keep
rather dry until active growth begins. The ripened bulbs, in fall, may
be stored as potatoes, and then brought out in spring as rapidly as any
of them show signs of growth.
Anemone.—The wind-flowers are hardy perennials, of easy culture, one
group (the _Anemone coronaria, fulgens_, and _hortensis_ forms) being
treated as bulbs. These tuberous-rooted plants should be planted late
in September or early in October, in a well-enriched sheltered border,
setting the tubers 3 in. deep and 4-6 in. apart. The surface of the
border should be mulched with leaves or strawy manure through the
severe winter weather, uncovering the soil in March. The flowers will
appear in April or May, and in June or July the tubers should be taken
up and placed in dry sand until the following fall. These plants are
not as well known as they should be. The range of color is very wide.
The flowers are often 2 in. across, and are lasting. The tubers may be
planted in pots, bringing them into the conservatory or house at
intervals through the winter, where they make an excellent showing when
in bloom.
The Japanese anemone is a wholly different plant from the above. There
are white-flowered and red-flowered varieties. The best known is _A.
Japonica_ var. _alba_, or Honorine Jobert. This species blooms from
August to November, and is at that season the finest of border plants.
The pure white flowers, with lemon-colored stamens, are held well up on
stalks 2-3 ft. high. The flower-stems are long and excellent for
cutting. This species may be propagated by division of the plants or by
seed. The former method should be employed in the spring; the latter,
as soon as the seeds are ripe in the fall. Sow the seed in boxes in a
warm, sheltered situation in the border or under glass. The seed should
be covered lightly with soil containing a quantity of sand and not
allowed to become dry. A well-enriched, sheltered position in a border
should be given.
The little wild wind-flowers are easily colonized in a hardy border.
Aralia, _A. Sieboldii_ (properly _Fatsia Japonica_ and _F.
papyrifera),_ as it is sometimes called, and the variety _variegata_,
with large, palmlike leaves, are grown for their tropical appearance.
Sow in February, in shallow trays and light soil, in a temperature of
65°. Continue the temperature. When two or three leaves have formed,
transplant into other trays 1 in. apart. Sprinkle them with a fine rose
or spray; and do not allow them to suffer for water. Later transfer
them to small pots and repot them as they grow. Plant out in beds after
the weather has become warm and settled. Half-hardy perennials in the
North, becoming 3 ft. or more high; a shrub in the South and in
California. Used often in subtropical work.
Araucaria, or Norfolk Island pine, is now sold in pots by florists as a
window plant. There are several species. The greenhouse specimens are
the juvenile state of plants that become large trees in their native
regions; therefore, it is not to be expected that they will keep
shapely and within bounds indefinitely.
The common species _(A. excelsa_) makes a symmetrical evergreen
subject. It keeps well in a cool window, or on the veranda in the
summer. Protect it from direct sunlight, and give plenty of room. If
the plant begins to fail, return it to the florist for recuperation, or
procure a new plant.
Auricula.—A half-hardy perennial of the primrose tribe _(Primula
Auricula),_ very popular in Europe, but little grown in America on
account of the hot, dry summers.
In this country auriculas are usually propagated by seed, as for
cineraria; but special varieties are perpetuated by offsets. Seeds sown
in February or March should give blooming plants for the next February
or March. Keep the plants cool and moist, and away from the direct sun
during the summer. Gardeners usually grow them in frames. In the fall,
they are potted into 3-in. or 4-in. pots, and made to bloom either in
frames as for violets or in a cool conservatory or greenhouse. In
April, after blooming has ceased, repot the plants and treat as the
previous year. As with most annual-blooming perennials, best results
are to be expected with year-old or two-year-old plants. Auriculas grow
6-8 in. high. Colors white and many shades of red and blue.
Azaleas are excellent outdoor and greenhouse shrubs, and are sometimes
seen in windows. They are less grown in this country than in Europe,
largely because of our hot, dry summers and severe winters.
There are two common types or classes of azaleas: the hardy or Ghent
azaleas, and the Indian azaleas. The latter are the familiar
large-flowered azaleas of conservatories and window-gardens.
Ghent azaleas thrive in the open along the seacoast as far north as
southern New England. They require a sandy peaty soil, but are treated
as other shrubs are. The large flower-buds are liable to injury from
the warm suns of late winter and early spring, and to avoid this injury
the plants are often protected by covers or shades of brush. In the
interior country, little attempt is made to flower azaleas permanently
in the open, although they may be grown if carefully tended and well
protected.
Both Ghent and Indian azaleas are excellent pot-plants for bloom in
late winter and spring. The plants are imported in great numbers from
Europe in fall, and it is better to buy these plants than to attempt to
propagate them. Pot them up in large-sized pots, keep them cool and
backward for a time until they are established, then take them into a
conservatory temperature in which carnations and roses thrive. They
should be potted in a soil of half peat or well-decayed mold and half
rich loam; add a little sand. Pot firmly, and be sure to provide
sufficient drainage. Keep off red spider by syringing.
After blooming, the plants may be thinned by pruning out the straggling
growths, and repotted. Set them in a frame or in a semi-shaded place
during summer, and see that they make a good growth. The wood should be
well ripened in the fall. After cold weather sets in, keep the Indian
or evergreen kinds half dormant by setting them in a cool, dull-lighted
cellar or pit, bringing them in when wanted for bloom. The Ghent or
deciduous kinds may be touched with frost without injury; and they may
be kept in a cellar until wanted.
Begonias are familiar tender bedding and house plants. Next to the
geranium, begonias are probably the most popular for house culture of
the entire plant list. The ease of culture, great variety of kinds,
profusion of bloom or richness of foliage, together with their
adaptability to shade, make them very desirable.
Begonias may be divided into three sections: the fibrous-rooted class,
which contains the winter-flowering, branching kinds; the rex forms, or
beefsteak geraniums, having large ornamental leaves; the
tuberous-rooted, those that bloom through the summer, the tuber resting
in the winter.
_The fibrous-rooted kinds_ may be propagated by seed or cuttings, the
latter being the usual method. Cuttings of half-ripened wood root
easily, making a rapid growth, the plants flowering in a few months.
_The rex type_, having no branches, is propagated from the leaves. The
large mature leaves are used. The leaf may be cut into sections, having
at the base a union of two ribs. These pieces of leaves may be inserted
in the sand as any other cutting. Or a whole leaf may be used, cutting
through the ribs at intervals and laying the leaf flat on the
propagating bench or other warm, moist place. In a short time young
plants having roots of their own will form. These may be potted when
large enough to handle, and will soon make good plants (Fig 125).
Rex begonias usually grow little during winter, and they should
therefore be kept fairly dry and no effort made to push them. Be sure
that the pots are well drained, so that the soil does not become sour.
New plants—those a year or so old—are usually most satisfactory. Keep
them away from direct sunlight. An insidious disease of rex begonia
leaves has recently made its appearance. The best treatment yet known
is to propagate fresh plants, throwing away the old stock and the dirt
in which it is grown.
_The tuberous-rooted begonias_ make excellent bedding plants for those
who learn their simple but imperative requirements. They are also good
pot subjects for summer.
The amateur would better not attempt to grow the tuberous begonias from
seed. He should purchase good two-year tubers. These should be able to
run for two or three years before they are so old or so much spent that
they give unsatisfactory results.
In the North, the tubers are started indoors, for bedding, in February
or early March in a rather warm temperature. They will fill a five-inch
pot before they are ready to be turned out into the ground. They should
not be planted out till the weather is thoroughly settled, for they
will not stand frost or unfavorable climatic conditions.
The plants should be given a soil that holds moisture, but is yet well
drained. They will not do well in water-logged ground. They should have
partial shade; near the north side of a building is a good place for
them. Too much watering makes them soft and they tend to break down.
Keep the foliage dry, particularly in sunny weather; the watering
should be done from underneath.
After blooming, lift the bulbs, dry them off, and keep over winter in a
cool place. They may be packed in shallow boxes in dry earth or sand.
Florists sometimes divide the tubers just after growth starts in the
spring, so that a good eye may be got with each plant; but the amateur
would better use the entire tuber, unless he desires to increase or
multiply some particular plant.
If the house gardener desires to raise tuberous begonias from seed, he
must be prepared to exercise much patience. The seeds, like those of
all begonias, are very small, and should be sown with great care. Start
the seeds in late winter. Simply sprinkle them on the surface of the
soil, which should be a mixture of leafmold and sand, with the addition
of a small quantity of fibrous loam. Watering should be done by setting
the pot or box in which the seeds are sown in water, allowing the
moisture to ascend through the soil. When the soil has become
completely saturated, set the box in a shady situation, covering it
with glass or some other object until the tiny seedlings appear. Never
allow the soil to become dry. The seedlings should be transplanted, as
soon as they can be handled, into boxes or pots containing the same
mixture of soil, setting each plant down to the seed-leaf. They will
need three or four transplantings before they reach the blooming stage,
and at each one after the first, the proportion of fibrous loam may be
increased until the soil is composed of one-third each of loam, sand,
and leafmold. The addition of a little well-rotted manure may be made
at the last transplanting.
Cactus.—Various kinds of cactus are often seen in small collections of
house plants, to which they add interest and oddity, being different
from other plants.
Most cacti are easy to grow, requiring little care and enduring the
heat and dryness of a living room much better than most other plants.
Their requirements are ample drainage and open soil. Cactus growers
usually make a soil by mixing pulverized plaster or lime refuse with
garden loam, using about two-thirds of the loam. The very fine parts,
or dust, of the plaster, are blown out, else the soil is likely to
cement. They may be rested at any season by simply setting them away in
a dry place for two or three months, and bringing them into heat and
light when they are wanted. As new growth advances they should have
water occasionally, and when in bloom, they should be watered freely.
Withhold water gradually after blooming until they are to be rested.
Some of the most common species in cultivation are the phyllocactus
species, often called the night-blooming cereus. These are not the true
night-blooming cereuses, which have angular or cylindrical stems,
covered with bristles, while these have flat, leaf-like branches; the
flowers of these, however, are very much like the cereus, opening at
evening and closing before morning, and as the phyllocacti may be grown
with greater ease, blooming on smaller and younger plants, they are to
be recommended.
The true night-blooming cereuses are species of the genus Cereus. The
commonest one is _C. nycticalus_, but _C. grandiflorus, C.
triangularis_ and others are occasionally seen. These plants all have
long rod-like stems which are cylindrical or angular. These stems often
reach a height of 10 to 30 ft., and they need support. They should be
trained along a pillar or tied to a stake. They are uninteresting
leafless things during a large part of the year; but in midsummer,
after they are three or more years old, they throw out their great
tubular flowers, which open at nightfall and wither and die when the
light strikes them next morning. They are very easily grown, either in
pots or planted in the natural soil in the conservatory. The only
special care they need is good drainage at the roots, so that the soil
will not become soggy.
The epiphyllum, or lobster cactus, or crab cactus, is one of the best
of the family, easy of culture. It bears bright-colored blossoms at the
end of each joint. When in flower, which will be in the winter months,
it requires a richer soil than the other cacti. A suitable soil is made
of two-thirds fibrous loam and one third leafmold; usually it is best
to add sand or pulverized brick. In fall and early winter, keep rather
dry, giving more water as the plant comes into bloom.
Opuntias, or prickly pears, are often grown as border plants through
the summer. In fact, all the family may be planted out, and if a number
of kinds are set in a bed together, they make a striking addition to
the garden. Be very careful not to bruise the plants. It is better to
plunge them in the pots than to turn them out of the pots.
Caladium.—Tuberous-rooted, tender perennial plants used for
conservatory decoration, and also for subtropical and bold effects in
the lawn (Plate IV). The plants commonly known under this name are
really colocasias.
The roots should be dormant in the winter, being kept in a warm cellar
or under a greenhouse bench, where they are not liable to frost or
dampness. The roots are usually covered with earth, but they are kept
dry. Early in spring the roots are put into boxes or pots and are
started into growth, so that by the time settled weather comes they
will be 1 or 2 feet high and ready to set directly into soil.
When set out of doors, they should be protected from strong winds, and
from the full glare of direct sunlight. The soil should be rich and
deep, and the plants should have an abundance of water. They do well
about ponds (see Plate X).
Caladiums are most excellent plants for striking effects, especially
against a house, high shrubbery, or other background. If they are
planted by themselves, they should be in clumps rather than scattered
as single specimens, as the effect is better. See that they get a good
start before they are planted in the open ground. As soon as killed
down by frost, dig them, dry the roots of superfluous moisture, and
store till wanted in late winter or spring.
Calceolaria.—The calceolarias are small greenhouse herbs sometimes used
in the window-garden. They are not very satisfactory plants for window
treatment, however, since they suffer from dry atmosphere and from
sudden changes of temperature.
The calceolarias are grown from seeds. If the seeds are sown in early
summer and the young plants are transplanted as they need, flowering
specimens may be had for the late fall and early winter. In the growing
of the young plants, always avoid exposing them to direct sunlight; but
they should be given a place that has an abundance of screened or
tempered light. A new crop of plants should be raised each year.
There is a race of shrubby calceolarias, but it is little known in this
country. One or two species are annuals adaptable to cultivation in the
open garden, and their little ladyslipper-like flowers are attractive.
However, they are of secondary importance as annual garden flowers.
Calla (properly _Richardia_), Egyptian lily.—The calla is one of the
most satisfactory of winter house-plants, lending itself to various
conditions.
The requirements of the calla are rich soil and an abundance of water,
with the roots confined in as small a space as possible. If a too large
pot is used, the growth of foliage will be very rank, at the expense of
the flowers; but by using a smaller-sized pot and applying liquid
manure, the flowers will be produced freely. A 6-inch pot will be large
enough for all but an exceptionally large bulb or tuber. If desired, a
number of tubers may be grown together in a larger pot. The soil should
be very rich but fibrous—at least one third well-rotted manure will be
none too much, mixed with equal parts of fibrous loam and sharp sand.
The tubers should be planted firmly and the pots set in a cool place to
make roots. After the roots have partially filled the pot, the plant
may be brought into heat and given a sunny position and an abundance of
water. An occasional sponging or washing of the leaves will free them
from dust. No other treatment will be required until the flowers
appear, when liquid manure may be given.The plant will thrive all the
better at this time if the pot is placed in a saucer of water. In fact,
the calla will grow well in an aquarium.
The calla may be grown through the entire year, but it will prove more
satisfactory, both in leaf and flower, if rested through part of the
summer. This may be done by laying the pots on their sides in a dry
shady place under shrubbery, or if in the open slightly covered with
straw or other litter to keep the roots from becoming extremely dry. In
September or October they may be shaken out, cleaning off all the old
soil, and repotted, as already mentioned. The offsets may be taken off
and set in small pots and given a year’s growth, resting them the
second year and having them in flower that winter.
The spotted calla has variegated foliage and is a good plant for mixed
collections. This blooms in the spring, which will lengthen the season
of calla bloom. The treatment of this is similar to that of the common
calla.
Camellias are half-hardy woody plants, blooming in late winter and
spring. Years ago camellias were very popular, but they have been
crowded out by the informal flowers of recent times. Their time will
come again.
During the blooming season keep them cool—say not over 50° at night and
a little higher by day. When blooming is done they begin to grow; then
give them more heat and plenty of water. See that they are well ripened
by winter with large plump flower-buds. If they are neglected or kept
too dry during their growing season (in summer) they will drop their
buds in fall. The soil for camellias should be fibrous and fertile,
compounded of rotted sod, leafmold, old cow manure, and sufficient sand
for good drainage. Always screen them from direct sunlight. Do not try
to force them in early winter, after the growth has ceased. Their
summer quarters may be in a protected place in the open air.
Camellias are propagated by cuttings in winter, which should give
blooming plants in two years.
Cannas are among the most ornamental and important plants used in
decorative gardening. They make fine herbaceous hedges, groups, masses,
and—when desirable—good center plants for beds. They are much used for
subtropical effects (see Plate V).
Cannas grow 3 to 10 feet or more high. Formerly they were valued
chiefly for their foliage, but since the introduction, in 1884, of the
Crozy Dwarf French type with its showy flowers, cannas are grown as
much for their bloom as for their foliage effects. The flowers of these
new kinds are as large as those of gladioli, and are of various shades
of yellow and red, with banded and spotted forms. These flowering kinds
grow about 3 feet high. The older forms are taller. In both sections
there are green-leaved and dark coppery-red-leaved varieties.
The canna may be grown from seed and had in bloom the first year by
sowing in February or March, in boxes or pots placed in hotbeds or a
warm house, first soaking the seeds in warm water for a short time or
filing a small notch through the coat of each seed (avoiding the round
germinating point). It requires two years to raise strong plants of the
old-fashioned tall cannas from seed. Sow in light, sandy soil, where
the earth may be kept at 70° till after germination. After the plants
have got well up, transplant them to about 3 or 4 inches apart, or
place in pots 3 inches wide, in good rich soil. They may now be kept at
60°.
The majority of cannas, however, are grown from pieces of the roots
(rhizomes), each piece having a bud. The roots may be divided at any
time in the winter, and if early flowers and foliage are wanted, the
pieces may be planted in a hotbed or warmhouse in early April, started
into growth, and planted out where wanted as soon as the ground has
warmed and all danger of frost is over. A hardening of the plants, by
leaving the sash off the hotbeds, or setting the plants in shallow
boxes and placing the boxes in a sheltered position through May, not
forgetting a liberal supply of water, will fit the plants to take
kindly to the final planting out.
Plant out roots or started plants when there is no longer danger of
frost. For mass effects, the plants may stand twelve to eighteen inches
apart; for individual bloom twenty to twenty-four inches or more. Some
gardeners plant them not closer than twenty to twenty-four inches for
mass beds, if the soil is good and the plants strong. Give them a warm
sunny place.
The old (foliage) sorts may be left out late to ripen up the fleshy
root-stocks. Cut the tops off immediately after frost. The roots are
safe in the ground as long as it does not freeze. Dig, and dry or
“cure” for a few days, then winter them like potatoes in the cellar. It
is a common mistake to dig canna roots too early.
The French sorts are commonly thought to keep best if kept growing
somewhat during the winter; but if managed right, they may be carried
over like the others. Immediately after frost, cut off the tops next
the ground. Cover the stumps with a little soil and leave the roots in
the ground till well ripened. Clean them after digging, and cure or dry
them for a week or more in the open air and sun, taking them indoors at
night. Then place them away from frost in a cool, dry place.
Carnations are now among the most popular florists’ flowers; but it is
not generally known that they be easily grown in the outdoor garden.
They are of two types, the outdoor or garden varieties, and the indoor
or forcing kinds. Normally, the carnation is a hardy perennial, but the
garden kinds, or marguerites, are usually treated as annuals. The
forcing kinds are flowered but once, new plants being grown each year
from cuttings.
Marguerite carnations bloom the year the seed is sown, and with a
slight protection will bloom freely the second year. They make
attractive house plants if potted in the fall. The seeds of these
carnations should be sown in boxes in March and the young plants set
out as early as possible, pinching out the center of the plant to make
them branch freely. Give the same space as for garden pinks.
The winter-flowering carnations have become prime favorites with all
flower lovers, and a collection of winter house-plants seems incomplete
without them.
Carnations grow readily from cuttings made of the suckers that form
around the base of the stem, the side shoots of the flowering stem, or
the main shoots before they show flower-buds. The cuttings from the
base make the best plants in most cases. These cuttings may be taken
from a plant at any time through the fall or winter, rooted in sand and
potted up, to be held in pots until the planting out time in the
spring, usually in April, or any time when the ground is ready to
handle. Care should be taken to pinch out the tops of the young plants
while growing in the pot, and later while in the ground, causing them
to grow stocky and send out new growths along the stem. The young
plants should be grown cool, a temperature of 45° suiting them well.
Attention should be given to spraying the cuttings each day while in
the house to keep down the red spider, which is very partial to the
carnation.
In the summer, the plants are grown in the field, and not in pots,
being transplanted from the cutting-box. The soil in which they are to
be planted should be moderately rich and loose. Clean cultivation
should be given throughout the summer. Frequently pinch out the tops.
The plants are taken up in September and potted firmly, and well
watered; then set in a cool, partially shaded situation until root
growth has started, and watering the plant as it shows need of water.
The usual living-room conditions as to moisture and heat are not such
as the carnation demands, and care must be taken to overcome the
dryness by spraying the foliage and setting the plant in a position not
exposed to the direct heat of a stove or the sun. In commercial houses,
it is not often necessary to spray established plants. Pick off most or
all of the side buds, in order to add to the size of the leading
flowers. After all is said, it is probably advisable in most cases to
purchase the plants when in bloom from a florist, and after blooming
either throw them away or store them for planting out in the spring,
when they will bloom throughout the summer.
If conditions are right, the rust should not be very troublesome, if
the start was made with clean stock. Keep all rusted leaves picked off.
Century plants or agaves are popular plants for the window-garden or
conservatory, requiring little care and growing slowly, thus needing
repotting only at long intervals. When the plants have outgrown their
usefulness as house-plants, they are still valuable as porch
decorations, for plunging in rock-work, or about rustic nooks. The
striped-leaved variety is the most desirable, but the normal type, with
its blue-gray leaves, is highly ornamental.
There are a number of dwarf species of agave that are not so common,
although they may be grown with ease. Such plants add novelty to a
collection, and may be used through the summer as noted above or
plunged with cactus in a bed of tropical plants. All succeed well in
loam and sand in equal parts, with a little leafmold in the case of the
small varieties.
The more common species are propagated by suckers from around the base
of the established plants. A few kinds having no suckers must be grown
from seed.
As to watering, they demand no special care. Agaves will not stand
frost to any extent.
When the head throws up its great stem and blooms, it may exhaust
itself and die; but this may be far short of a century. Some species
bloom more than once.
Chrysanthemums are of many kinds, some being annual flower-garden
plants, some perennial border subjects, and one form is the universal
florists’ plant. In chrysanthemums are now included the pyrethrums.
The annual chrysanthemums must not be confounded with the well-known
fall-flowering kinds, as they will prove a disappointment if one
expects large flowers of all colors and shapes. The annuals are mostly
coarse-growing plants, with an abundance of bloom and a rank smell. The
flowers are single in most cases, and not very lasting. They are useful
for massing and also for cut-flowers. They are among the easiest of
hardy annuals to grow. The stoniest part of the garden will usually
suit them. Colors white and shades of yellow, the flowers daisy-like;
1-3 ft.
Amongst perennial kinds, _Chrysanthemum frutescens_ is the well-known
Paris daisy or marguerite, one of the most popular of the genus. This
makes a good pot-plant for the window-garden, blooming throughout the
winter and spring months. It is usually propagated by cuttings, which,
if taken in spring, will give large blooming plants for the next
winter. Gradually transfer to larger pots or boxes, until the plants
finally stand in 6-inch or 8-inch pots or in small soap boxes. There is
a fine yellow-flowered variety. The marguerite daisy is much grown
out-of-doors in California.
The hardy perennial kinds are small-flowered, late-blooming plants,
known to many old people as “artemisias.” They have been improved of
late years, and they are very satisfactory plants of easy culture. The
plants should be renewed from seed every year or two.
In variety of form and color, and in size of bloom, the florists’
chrysanthemum is one of the most wonderful of plants. It is a late
autumn flower, and it needs little artificial heat to bring it to
perfection. The great blooms of the exhibitions are produced by growing
only one flower to a plant and by feeding the plant heavily. It is
hardly possible for the amateur to grow such specimen flowers as the
professional florist or gardener does; neither is it necessary. A
well-grown plant with fourteen to twenty flowers is far more
satisfactory as a window-plant than a long, stiff stem with only one
immense flower at the apex. The culture is simple, much more so than
that of many of the plants commonly grown for house decoration.
Although the season of bloom is short, the satisfaction of having a
fall display of flowers before the geraniums, begonias, and other
house-plants have recovered from their removal from out of doors,
repays all efforts. Very good plants can be grown under a temporary
shed cover, as shown in Fig. 268. The roof need not necessarily be of
glass. Under such a cover, also, potted plants, in bloom, may be set
for protection when the weather becomes too cold.
Cuttings taken in March or April, planted out in the border in May,
well tended through the summer and lifted before frost in September,
will bloom in October or November. The ground in which the plants are
to bloom should be moderately rich and moist. The plants may be tied to
stakes. When the buds show, all but the center one of each cluster on
the leading shoots should be picked off, as also the small lateral
branches. A thrifty bushy plant thus treated will usually have flowers
large enough to show the character of the variety, also numbers enough
to make a fine display.
After blooming, the plants are lifted from the border. As to the
receptacle into which to put them, it need not be a flower-pot. A pail
or soap-box, with holes bored for drainage, will suit the plant just as
well, and by covering the box with cloth or paper the difference will
not be noticed.
If cuttings are not to be had, young plants may be bought of the
florists and treated in the manner described. Buy them in midsummer or
earlier.
It is best not to attempt to flower the same plant two seasons. After
the plant has bloomed, the top may be cut down, and the box set in a
cellar and kept moderately dry. In February or March, bring the plant
to the sitting-room window and let the shoots start from the root.
These shoots are taken for cuttings to grow plants for the fall bloom.
Cineraria is a tender greenhouse subject, but it may be grown as a
house-plant, although the conditions necessary to the best results are
difficult to secure outside a glasshouse.
The conditions for cinerarias are a cool temperature, frequent
repotting, and guarding against the attacks of the greenfly. Perhaps
the last is the most difficult, and with one having no facilities for
fumigating, it will be almost impossible to prevent the difficulty. A
living room usually has too dry air for cinerarias.
The seed, which is very minute, should be sown in August or September
to have plants in bloom in January or February. Sow the seed on the
surface of fine soil and water very lightly to settle the seeds into
the soil. A piece of glass or a damp cloth may be spread over the pot
or box in which the seeds are sown, to remain until the seeds are up.
Always keep the soil damp, but not wet. When the seedlings are large
enough to repot, they should be potted singly in 2-or 3-inch pots.
Before the plants have become pot-bound, they should again be repotted
into larger pots, until they are in at least 6-inch pots in which to
bloom.
In all this time, they should be grown cool and, if not possible to
fumigate them with tobacco, the pots should stand on tobacco stems,
which should be moist at all times. The general practice, in order to
have bushy plants, is to pinch out the center when the flower-buds
show, causing the lateral branches to start, which they are slow to do
if the central stem is allowed to grow. Plants bloom but once.
Clematis.—One of the best of woody climbing vines, the common _C.
Flammula, Virginiana, paniculata_ and others being used frequently to
cover division walls or fences, growing year after year without any
care and producing quantities of flowers. _C. paniculata_ is now
planted very extensively. The panicles of star-shaped flowers entirely
cover the vine and have a pleasant fragrance. It is one of the best of
all fall-flowering vines, and hardy north; clings well to a
chicken-wire trellis.
The large-flowered section, of which Jackmani is perhaps the best
known, is very popular for pillar or porch climbers. The flowers of
this section are large and showy, running from pure white, through
blue, to scarlet. Of this class, a serviceable purple is Jackmani;
white, Henryi (Fig. 266); blue, Ramona; crimson, Madame E. André.
A deep, mellow, fertile soil, naturally moist, will suit the
requirements of clematis. In dry times apply water freely, particularly
for the large-flowered kinds. Also provide trellis or other support as
soon as they begin to run. Clematis usually blooms on the wood of the
season: therefore prune in winter or early spring, in order to secure
strong new flowering shoots. The large-flowered kinds should be cut
back to the ground each year; some other kinds may be similarly treated
unless they are wanted for permanent bowers.
The clematis root disease is the depredation of a nematode or eel-worm.
It is seldom troublesome in ground that thoroughly freezes, and this
may be the reason why it so often fails when planted against buildings.
Coleus.—The commonest “foliage plant” in window-gardens. It was used
very extensively at one time in ornamental bedding and ribbon borders,
but owing to its being tender has lost in favor, and its place is
largely taken by other plants.
Coleus is grown with the greatest ease from cuttings or slips. Take
cuttings only from vigorous and healthy plants. It may also be grown
from seed, although the types have not become fixed, and a large number
of differently marked plants may be had from the same packet. This
would not be a drawback in the window-garden, unless a uniform effect
is desired; in fact, the best results are often secured from seeds. Sow
the seed in gentle heat in March.
Grow new plants each year, and throw the old ones away.
Crocus (see _Bulbs_).—Crocus is one of the best of spring bulbs, easily
grown and giving good satisfaction either in the border or scattered
through the lawn. They are also forced for winter (see p. 345). They
are so cheap and lasting that they may be used in quantity. A border of
crocuses along the edges of walks, little clumps of them in the lawn,
or masses in a bed, give the first touch of color as the spring opens.
A sandy soil suits the crocus admirably. Plant in the fall, in the
open, 3 to 4 inches deep. When they show signs of failing, take up the
bulbs and reset them. They tend to rise out of the ground, because the
new bulb or corm forms on the top of the old one. They run out on lawns
in two or three years. If best results are desired, it is well to renew
the bed occasionally by buying new bulbs. Crocus beds may be filled
later in the season with quick-growing annuals. It is important that
only the best flowering bulbs be secured.
They may be forced with ease, planted in pots or shallow boxes, put
away in a cool place and brought into the house at any time through the
winter. A low temperature will bring them into bloom in perfection in
about four weeks from the time they are brought in. They can be had in
the window-garden in this way, opening in the sunshine.
Croton.—Under this name many varieties and so-called species of Codiæum
are grown for conservatory decoration, and latterly for foliage bedding
in the open. The colors and shapes of the leaves are very various and
attractive. The crotons make good window-garden subjects, although they
are very liable to the attack of the mealy bug.
The plants should be given an abundance of light in order to bring out
their fine colors; but it is usually advisable to screen them from the
direct rays of the sun when they are grown under glass. If the red
spider or the mealy bug attack them, they may be syringed with tobacco
water. Plants that are propagated indoors in winter may be massed in
beds out of doors in summer, where they make very striking effects.
Give them strong deep soil, and be sure that they are syringed
frequently enough on the underside of the leaves to keep down the red
spider. If the plants have been gradually subjected to strong light
before they are taken out of doors, they will stand the full sunlight
and will develop their rich colors to perfection. In the fall they may
be taken up, cut back, and used for window-garden or conservatory
subjects.
Crotons are shrubs or small trees, and they may be transferred into
large pots or tubs and grown into large tree-like specimens. Old and
scraggly specimens should be thrown away.
Crotons are propagated readily by cuttings of half-ripened wood any
time in winter or spring.
Cyclamen.—A tender greenhouse tuberous plant, sometimes seen in the
window-garden. The Persian cyclamen is best for the house-gardener to
grow.
Cyclamens may be grown from seed sown in April or September in soil
containing a large proportion of sand and leafmold. If sown in
September, they should be wintered in a coolhouse. In May they should
be potted into larger pots and placed in a shaded frame, and by July
will have become large enough for their flowering pot, which should be
either 5-inch or 6-inch. They should be brought into the house before
danger of frost, and grown cool until through flowering. A temperature
of 55° suits them while in flower. After flowering, they will need a
rest for a short time, but should not become very dry, or the bulb will
be injured. When they start into growth, they should have the old soil
shaken off and be potted into smaller pots. At no time should more than
half the tuber be under the soil.
April-sown plants should be similarly treated. Cyclamens should bloom
in about fifteen months from seed. The seed germinates very slowly.
Tubers large enough to flower the first year may be purchased from the
seedsmen at moderate prices; and unless one has facilities for growing
the seedlings for a year, purchase of the tubers will give the best
satisfaction. Secure new tubers, for old ones are not so good.
The soil best suited to the cyclamen is one containing two parts
leafmold, one part each of sand and loam.
Dahlia is an old favorite which, on account of its formal flowers, has
been in disfavor for a few years, although it has always held a place
in the rural districts. Now, however, with the advent of the cactus and
semi-cactus types (or loose-flowered forms), and the improvement of the
singles, it again has taken a front rank among late summer flowers,
coming in just in advance of the chrysanthemum.
XVIII. Cornflower or bachelor’s button. _Centaurea Cyanus_. XVIII.
Cornflower or bachelor’s button. _Centaurea Cyanus_.
The single varieties may be grown from seed, but the double sorts
should be grown from cuttings of young stems or from division of the
roots. If cuttings are to be made, it will be necessary to start the
roots early, either in a hotbed or house. When the growths have reached
4 or 5 inches, they may be cut from the plant and rooted in sand. Care
should be taken to cut just below a joint, as a cutting made between
two joints will not form tubers. The most rapid method of propagation
of named varieties is to grow from cuttings in this way.
In growing the plants from roots, the best plan is to place the whole
root in gentle heat, covering slightly. When the young growth has
started, the roots may be taken up, divided, and planted out 3 to 4
feet apart. This plan will insure a plant from each piece of root,
whereas if the roots are divided while dormant, there is danger of not
having a bud at the end of each piece, in which case no growth will
start; the roots are sometimes cut into pieces while dormant, however,
but one should be sure that a piece of old stem with bud is on each
piece.
One objection to the old dahlia was its lateness of bloom. But by
starting the roots early in a frame, or in boxes that are covered at
night, the plants may be had in flower several weeks earlier than
usual. They may be started in April, or at least three weeks in advance
of planting time. Little water will be required till they start. When
they begin shooting up, the plants should have the full sun, and air,
on all mild days. They will then make a slow, sturdy growth. All
forcing should be avoided. These plants, set out when there is no
longer danger of frost, and well watered before completely covering the
roots, will grow right on, and often begin blooming in July.
Dormant roots may be set out in May. The roots, unless small, should be
divided before planting, as a single strong root is usually better than
a whole clump. The roots of all but the Dwarf should be set about 3
feet apart, in rows. In poor soils none but the first class will need
stakes.
The dahlia flourishes best in a deep, loose, moist soil; very good
results can be had on sandy soil, provided plant-food and moisture are
furnished. Clay should be avoided. If the ground is too strong, they
will probably bloom too late for the northern latitudes.
If the plants are to be grown without stakes, the center of each plant
should be pinched out after making two or three joints. By doing this
the lateral branches will start near the ground and be stiff enough to
withstand the winds. In most home gardens the plants are allowed to
reach their full height, and are tied to stakes if necessary. The tall
kinds reach a height of 5 to 8 ft.
Dahlias are very susceptible to frost. After the first frost, lift the
roots, let them dry in the sun, shake off the dirt, trim off tops and
broken parts, and store them in a cellar, as for potatoes. They may be
placed in barrels of sand, if the open cellar is not usable. Cannas may
be stored in the same place.
The tree dahlia (_D. excelsa_, but cultivated as _D. arborea_) is grown
more or less far South and in California. It has not been much
improved.
Ferns.—The native ferns transplant easily to the garden, and they make
an attractive addition to the side of a house, or as an admixture in a
hardy border. The ostrich, cinnamon, and royal ferns are the best
subjects. Give all outdoor ferns a place that is protected from winds,
otherwise they will shrivel and perhaps die. Screen them from the hot
sun, or give them the shady side of the building. See that the soil is
uniformly moist, and that it does not get too hot. Mulch with leafmold
in the fall. It is not difficult to colonize many of the native ferns
in shady and protected places where trees do not sap all the strength
from the ground.
Probably the one fern grown most extensively as a house-plant is the
small-leaved maidenhair fern (or _Adiantum gracillimum_). This and
other species are among the finest of house plants, when sufficient
moisture can be given. They make fine specimens as well as serving the
purpose of greenery for cut flowers. Other species often grown for
house plants are _A. cuneatum_ and _A. Capillus-Veneris._ All these do
well in a mixture of fibrous sod, loam, and sand, with ample drainage
material. They may be divided if an increase is wanted.
Another fern for house culture is _Nephrolepsis exaltata_. This is no
doubt the most easily grown of the list, flourishing in a sitting-room.
A variety of _N. exaltata_, called the Boston fern, is a decided
addition to this group, having a drooping habit, covering the pot and
making a fine stand or bracket plant; and there are now several other
forms of it suitable for the best window-gardens.
Several species of pteris, especially _P. serrulata_, are valuable
house ferns but require a warmer place than those mentioned above. They
will also thrive better in a shady or ill-lighted corner.
Perfect drainage and care in watering have more to do with the
successful growing of ferns than any special mixture of soils. If the
drainage material in the bottom of the pot or box is sufficient, there
is little danger of overwatering; but water-logged soil is always to be
avoided. Do not use clay soils. Ferns need protection from the direct
sunshine, and also a moist atmosphere. They thrive well in a close
glass box, or window-garden, if the conditions can be kept equable.
Freesia.—One of the best and most easily handled tender
winter-flowering bulbs; height 12 or 15 inches. The white form
_(Freesia refracta alba_) is the best.
The white or yellowish bell-shaped flowers of freesia are produced on
slender stalks just above the foliage, to the number of six to eight in
a cluster. They are very fragrant, and last for a considerable time
when picked. The bulbs are small, and look as though they could not
produce a growth of foliage and flowers, but even the smallest mature
bulb will prove satisfactory. Several bulbs should be planted together
in a pot, box, or pan, in October, if wanted for the holidays, or later
if wanted at Easter. The plants bloom from ten to twelve weeks from
planting, under ordinary care.
No special treatment is required; keep the plants cool and moist
through the growing season. The soil should contain a little sand mixed
with fibrous loam, and the pot should be well drained. After flowering,
gradually withhold water and the tops will die down, after which the
roots may be shaken out and rested until time to plant in fall. Care
should be taken to keep them perfectly dry.
The bulbs increase rapidly from offsets. Plants may also be grown from
seed, which should be sown as soon as ripe, giving blooming plants the
second or third year.
Fuchsia.—Well-known window or greenhouse shrub, treated as an
herbaceous subject; many interesting forms; late winter, spring and
summer.
Fuchsia is readily grown from cuttings. Soft green wood should be used
for cuttings, and it will root in about three weeks, when the cuttings
should be potted. Take care not to have them pot-bound while in growth,
but do not overpot when bloom is wanted. Given warmth and good soil,
they will make fine plants in three months or less. In well-protected,
partially shady places they may be planted out, growing into miniature
bushes by fall.
Plants may be kept on from year to year; and if the branches are well
cut back after blooming, abundant new bloom will come. But it is
usually best to make new plants each year from cuttings, since young
plants commonly bloom most profusely and demand less care. Fuchsias are
amongst the best of window subjects.
Geranium.—What are commonly known as geraniums are, strictly speaking,
pelargoniums. (See _Pelargonium_.)
The true geraniums are mostly hardy perennials, and therefore should
not be confounded with the tender pelargoniums. Geraniums are worthy a
place in a border. They may be transplanted early in the spring,
setting them 2 ft. apart. Height 10 to 12 in. The common wild
cranesbill _(Geranium maculatum_) improves under cultivation, and is an
attractive plant when it stands in front of taller foliage.
Gladiolus.—Of summer and fall-blooming bulbous plants, gladiolus is
probably the most widely popular. The colors range from scarlet and
purple, to white, rose, and pure yellow. The plants are of slender,
erect habit, growing from 2 to 3 feet high.
Gladioli dislike a heavy clay soil. A light loam or sandy soil suits
them best. No fresh manure should be added to the soil the year in
which they are grown. They should have a new place every year, if
possible, and always an open sunny situation.
The corms may be covered 2 inches deep in heavy soils, and 4 to 6 in
light soils. They may stand 8 to 10 inches apart, or half this distance
for mass effects. For a succession, they may be planted at short
intervals, the earliest planting being of smaller corms in the early
spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work; later the larger are
to be planted—the last setting being not later than the Fourth of July.
This last planting will afford fine late flowers. The plants should be
supported by inconspicuous stakes.
The successive plantings may be in the same bed among those set
earlier, or they may be grouped in unoccupied nooks, or portions of the
border. The plants may stand as close as 6 inches from each other. The
earlier planting may be a foot apart to admit of later settings
between.
Late in the fall, after frosts and before freezing, the corms are to be
dug, cleaned, and dried in the sun and air for a few hours and then
stored away in boxes about 2-1/2 inches deep in a cool, dark, and dry
place. The tops should be left on, at least till completely shriveled.
The varieties are perpetuated and multiplied by the little corms that
appear about the base of the large new corm which is formed each year.
These small corms may be taken off in the spring and sown thickly in
drills. Many of them will make flowering plants by the second season.
They are treated like the large corms, in the fall.
Gladioli are easily grown from seed also, but this method cannot be
depended on to perpetuate desirable varieties, which can be reproduced
only by the cormels. Some of the best flowers may be cross-pollinated,
or allowed to form seed in the usual manner; the seed sown thickly in
drills, and shaded till the plantlets appear, then carefully
cultivated, will afford a crop of small corms in the fall. These may be
stored for the winter, like the other young corms, and, like them, many
will flower the second season, affording a great variety and quite
likely some new and striking kinds. Those that do not flower should be
reserved for further trial. They often prove finer than those first to
flower.
Early-flowering varieties of gladioli may be forced for late winter or
spring bloom.
For bouquets, cut the spike when the lower flowers open; keep in fresh
water, cut off the end of the stem frequently, and the other flowers
will expand.
Gloxinia.—Choice greenhouse tuberous-rooted, spring and summer-blooming
perennials, sometimes seen in window-gardens, but really not adapted to
them, although some skillful house-gardeners grow them successfully.
Gloxinias must have a uniform moist and warm atmosphere and protection
from the sun. They will not stand abuse or varying conditions.
Propagated often by leaf-cuttings, which should give flowering plants
in one year. From the leaf, inserted half its length in the soil (or
sometimes only the petiole inserted) a tuber arises. This tuber, after
resting until midwinter or later, is planted, and flowering plants soon
arise.
Gloxinias also grow readily from seeds, which may be germinated in a
temperature of about 70°. Flowering plants may be had in August if
seeds are sown in late winter, say in early February. This is the usual
method. After the bloom is past, the tuber is partially dried off and
kept dormant till the following season. It will usually show signs of
activity in February or March, when it may be shaken out of the old
earth and a little water may then be applied and the amount increased
till the plant is in bloom. The same tubers may be bloomed several
times.
Success in the growing of gloxinias is largely a matter of proper
watering. Keep the dormant tuber just dry enough to prevent shriveling,
never trying to force it ahead of its time. Avoid wetting the leaves.
Protect from direct sunlight. Protect from draughts on the plants.
Grevillea.—The “she oak,” very graceful greenhouse plant, suitable also
for house culture. The plants grow freely from seed, and until they
become too large are as decorative as ferns. Grevilleas are really
trees, and are valuable in greenhouses and rooms only in their young
state. They withstand much abuse. They are now very popular as
jardinière subjects. Seeds sown in spring will give handsome plants by
the next winter. Discard the plants as soon as they become ragged.
Hollyhocks.—These old garden favorites have been neglected of late
years, primarily because the hollyhock rust has been so prevalent,
destroying the plants or making them unsightly.
Their culture is very simple. The seed is usually sown in July or
August, and the plants set where wanted the following spring. They will
bloom the same year in which they are transplanted—the year following
the seed-sowing. New plants should be set every two years, as the old
crowns are likely to rot or die after the first flowering, or at least
to become weak.
Hyacinths (see _Bulbs_) are popular spring-flowering bulbs. Hyacinths
are hardy, but they are often used as window or greenhouse plants. They
are easy to grow and very satisfactory (Fig. 262).
For winter flowering, the bulbs should be procured early in the fall,
potted in October in soil composed of loam, leafmold, and sand. If
ordinary flower-pots are used, put in the bottom a few pieces of broken
pots, charcoal, or small stones for drainage; then fill the pot with
dirt, so that when the bulb is planted, the top will be on a level with
the rim of the pot. Fill in around the bulb with soil, leaving just the
tip showing. These pots of bulbs should be placed in a cold pit, cellar
or on the shady side of a building. In all cases, plunge the pot in
some cool material (as cinders). Before the weather becomes cold enough
to freeze a crust on the ground, the pots should have a protection of
straw or leaves to keep the bulbs from severe freezing. In about six to
eight weeks the bulbs should have made roots enough to grow the plant,
and the pots may be placed in a cool room for a short time. When the
plants have started into growth, they may be placed in a warmer
situation. Watering should be carefully attended to from this time, and
when the plant is in bloom, the pot may be set in a saucer or other
shallow dish containing water. After flowering, the bulbs may be
ripened by gradually withholding water until the leaves die. They may
then be planted out in the border, where they will bloom each spring
for a number of years, but will never prove satisfactory for forcing
again.
The open-ground culture of hyacinths is the same as for tulips and
other Holland bulbs.
The hyacinth is the most popular of the Dutch bulbs for growing in
vases of water. The narcissus may be grown in water, and do just as
well, but it is not as attractive in glasses as the hyacinth. Glasses
for hyacinths may be had of florists who deal in supplies, and in
various shapes and colors. The usual form is tall and narrow, with a
cup-like mouth to receive the bulb. They are filled with water, so that
it will just reach the base of the bulb when placed in position in the
cup or shoulder above. The vessels of dark-colored glass are preferable
to those of clear glass, as roots prefer darkness. When the glasses
have been filled, they are set away in a cool, dark place, where roots
will form, as in potted bulbs. Results are usually secured earlier in
water than in soil. To keep the water sweet, a few lumps of charcoal
may be put in the glass. As the water evaporates, add fresh; add enough
so that it runs over, and thereby renews that in the glass. Do not
disturb the roots by taking out the bulb.
Iris includes many handsome perennials, of which the blue flag is
familiar to every old-fashioned garden. They are favorites everywhere,
for their brilliant spring and summer bloom; and they are easy to grow.
Most irises thrive best in a rather moist soil, and some of them may be
colonized in the water in margins of ponds.
Gardeners usually divide them into two sections—the tuberous-rooted or
rhizomatous, and the bulbous. A third division—the fibrous-rooted—is
sometimes made.
The common and most serviceable species belong to the tuberous-rooted
section. Here is the beautiful and varied Japanese iris, _Iris
lœvigata_ (or _I. Kœmpferi_), which is among the most deserving of all
hardy perennials. Most of these irises need no special care. They are
propagated by division of the rootstocks. Plant the pieces one foot
apart if a mass effect is desired. When the plants begin to fail, dig
them up, divide the roots, discard the old parts, and grow a new stock,
as before. The Japanese iris needs much water and a very rich soil.
Readily grown from seeds, giving bloom the second year. _I Susiana_, of
this section, is one of the oddest of irises, but it is not quite hardy
in the North.
Of the bulbous section, most species are not hardy far North. The bulbs
should be taken up and replanted every two or three years. The Persian
and Spanish irises belong here. The bulbs give rise to but a single
stem.
Lily.—Under this name are included bulbous plants of many kinds, not
all of them being true lilies. It has been said of this family of
plants that it has no “poor relations,” each of them being perfect in
itself. Many of the choicest kinds are comparatively unknown, although
easy to cultivate. In fact, all of the lilies may be grown with
comparative ease in regions where the given species are hardy.
A light, fertile, well-drained soil, mellow to the depth of at least
one foot, a handful of sand under each bulb if the soil is inclined to
be stiff, and planting so that the crown of the bulb will be at least 4
inches below the surface, are the general requirements. One exception
to the depth of planting is _Lilium auratum_, or golden-banded lily.
This should be planted deeper—from 8 to 12 inches below the surface—as
the new bulbs form over the old one and soon bring the bulbs to the
surface if they are not planted deep. Deep working of the ground is
always desirable; 18 inches, or even 2 feet, will be none too deep. _L.
candidum_ and _L. testaceum_ should be planted in August or September,
if possible; but usually lilies are planted in October and November.
For all lilies it is safer to provide good winter protection in the
form of a mulch of leaves or manure, and extending beyond the borders
of the planting. This should be 5 inches to a foot deep, according to
the latitude or locality.
While most lilies profit by partial shade (except _L. candidum_), they
should never be planted near or under trees. The shade or protection of
tall-growing herbaceous plants is sufficient. In fact, the best
results, both as to growth and effect, may be secured by planting
amongst low shrubbery or border plants.
Most kinds are the better for remaining undisturbed for a number of
years; but if they are to be taken up and divided, or moved to other
quarters, they should not be allowed to become dry. The small bulbs, or
offsets, may be planted in the border, and if protected, will grow to
flowering size in two or three years. In taking up bulbs for division
it is best to do so soon after the tops die after blooming. At least
this should be done early in the fall, not later than October, giving
the plants a chance to become established before freezing weather.