HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
9
My Bay-Windo wFebruary Garden
UNTIL we had our February gar
den this month was to us the
most cheerless of the year.
There wag no pleasure to be obtained
walking abroad. The silence of Na
ture was oppressive and the cold
penetrating. Our feathered friends
had long since migrated to warmer
climes, while many of the familiar
wild things were enjoying their long
sleep., We, therefore, determined to
make our own sunshine within doors.
We had no conservatory, but an
unusually large bay-window made an
excellent substitute. Two . broad
shelves ran around the entire length
of the window, accommodating about
40 medium-sized pots. Two windows
we devoted to bulbous plants, and
the center window to geraniums and
different varieties of the coleus.
In November, we received a present
of Holland bulbs of hyacinths, nar
cissi, daffodils and tulips. It was
this gift which prompted us to try a
February garden. We immediately
planted these bulbs in shallow pans,
eight or nine inches across, placing
five or six bulbs In each pan. We
secured a fine earth mold from the
woods near at .hand, finding by pre
vious experience that this soil is ex
cellent for most plants.
After the bulbs were planted we
placed them In a cool, dark cellar for
a month, In order that they might be
come well- rooted before being
brought to the light. This, let me
add, is very essential to successful
bulb culture. We once tried to raise
hyacinths without observing this rule,
and the result was a stunted growth
and an immature spike of blossoms.
In this instance, we were especial
ly successful with our hyacinths.
Uulbs of different varieties were
planted in the same pot and, when
In bloom, the effect was more than
satisfactory. Spikes . of flowers In
varying shades of purple, rose and
yellow made a gorgeous display, even
on a dark February morning. To
our collection of Holland bulbs we
added what were termed "Dutch Ro
man" hyacinths. These bulbs are
specially adapted for house culture,
as they do not grow so tall or so
large as the Holland bulbs. Some
people call these bulbs the "pan"
variety. The smallness of the plant
and the blossom is fully compen
sated by the fact that each bulb pro
duces several spikes of fragrant blos
soms. I am not so fond of tulips as of
other bulbous plants, and had only
one pan; They added a brilliancy to
our already gorgeous floral display.
Our collection comprises two pots of
white and two of yellow daffodils.
The petals of pure white and the
crown of yellow formed a pretty con
trast; the flowers were so perfect
that they resembled wax flowers. I
was especially fond of my pan of
yellow daffodils, for they seemed to
scatter sunshine and good cheer,
which even the dismal February
clouds could not dispel.
To our collection of bulbous plants
we added a few miscellaneous ones.
Our Cuban lily was particularly beau
tiful. The blossom was white in
color and not large. Indeed, this
modest little plant would never have
befcn noticed among its showy neigh
bors had It not been for Its peculiar
and exquisite fragrance, so different
in quality from any other, which
readily led to its discovery. A pan
of freesias completed our list, If we
except a tub containing an amaryllis
which stood on the floor. The freesla
is a free bloomer, although not a
showy plant. We had both the white
and "the yellow varieties.
The center of our bay-window was
devoted to geraniums and coleus
plants. No plants are more satisfac
tory for Winter blooming than gera
niums, as they do not require more
than "ordinary care and are free
bloomers. We prepared our slips
late In August, bringing the plants
Into the house just before frost. Al
most every color Imaginable was re
peated In our geranium blossoms
single and double. Our coleus plants
were also satisfactory, being easy to
slip, and growing rapidly when once
rooted.
I attribute a large part of the suc
cess of our February garden to tho
fact that the room In which these
plants were kept was not lighted by
gas.
In the rear of this bay-window
stood a wire plant-stand filled with
ferns and palms. This made an ef
fective background. We tried In
vain to obtain a picture of our win
dow, but the result was so unsatis
factory that the attempt was dis
carded. It takes considerable time and
thought to produce a February gar
den like the one we have just de
scribed, but the experiment paid in
the pleasure It afforded not only our
selves, but others. Harriet Wood
ward Clark, in Suburban Life.
Floral Brevities.
Keep water from rex begonia
leaves in cold weather.
Pinch all dead blooms from Chinese
primroses and cinerarias and more
flowers will come.
The little red spider is the cause
of many leaves drying up. Keep
foliage moist and they will disap
pear. Paper tubes six or eight Inches In
length and large enough to -cover the
hyacinth foliage will help to make
the spikes taller and bloom larger.
Do not forget that if green aphis
are difficult to get rid of In Winter,
your plants may be Immersed In hot
water with a temperature ot ISO de
grees; by holding the hand over the
earth in the pot, and dipping foliage
In water in a vessel large enough for
the purpose, every living creature
will be killed and the plant uninjured.
Do not fail to feed the azalea when
the buds are forming and all through
its blooming period. Soak some
fresh manure In water, and give the
liquid to the plant, once or twice a
week, in moderate quantities. This
will bring finer blooms.
It the sand or earth In boxes or
flats in which pots are placed In a
sunny window is soaked now and
then with hot water poured outside
the pots, It will create a steam and
a moisture that will bring new life
to every plant in the place. Of course
the box or flat should be so It will
not leak.
If pots containing orange or lemon
trees are set in basins containing
warm water once or twice a week,
and allowed to remain there for an
hour, the fruit on the trees will de
velop much more rapidly, and when
fully grown, will ripen more quickly
than if the heat is not applied. This
produces a sort of tropical condition.
Palms do much better in a very
moist atmosphere, and if the room
Is quite dry, a wet cloth placed about
the pot or tub will help to supply the
moisture the "plant requires. Place
the pot in a basin of warm water
once or twice a month during Winter
months, and this will act as a tonic to
a palm.
Bath rooms are excellent for most
plants. Hyacinths will bloom most
luxuriantly there, and most foliage
plants will thrive well in the bath
room on account ot the extra amount
of moisture. Geraniums do not
bloom as well in Winter in such a
moist atmosphere, and cacti are
much better in the warmest and dry
est atmosphere about the house.
Cellar Gardening.
Even the cellar can be turned into
a growing room during the Winter,
when everything outdoors is frozen
up. Rhubarb, asparagus and mush
rooms can be grown in the ordinary
cellar. Success Is most sure with
rhubarb. Dig the roots now and
store them In a cool, dark place, in
damp sand or in soil, where they can
rest. To force them, plant them In
a box or half-barrel and place them
near the furnace. The heat will soon
force the roots into growth, and it
will be a matter of only a few weeks
before the stalks are ready to cut
or pull. Rich soil is not a neces
sity; the food is already stored in
the roots.
The same plan is followed for as
paragus. Mushroom growing in
volves more work, and few people
really like the idea of having manure
in the cellar, although there Is no
odor from it except on the day when
it is put 1n the cellar. Horse manure
should be used and should be pre
pared outdoors, and, when ready, put
In the cellar. As soon as the bed is
at the proper temperature, It is
spawned, and the bed cased in. In a
few weeks mushrooms will appear
If tho venture is to be a success. It
is an uncertain crop for the amateur,
and even professional gardeners
sometimes fall.
Don't Buy Cheap Hants.
If one Is forced by circumstances
to keep garden expenses down to a
mere nothing he should sow seeds,
rather than purchase plants. But get
good seeds only; seeds high in price,
but productive of the best of plants
and flowers. It Is far more satisfac
tory to pursue this course than to
buy inferior plants. You may then,
through the medium of good seeds,
have your garden filled with the best
of their several kinds that the
markets afford. Surely this is worth
while.
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