THE WINTER'S WINDOW GARDEN. 



place in their collection. They will never 

 regret doing so. As cut flowers they are 

 very valuable, as they last for days. Young 

 plants soon become large ones, and next 

 summer they can be planted out in the gar- 

 den, where they will continue to bloorr 

 during the entire season, and new ones be 

 started from them for the coming winter. 



While the ordinary carnation does not 

 take kindly to cultivation in the window of 

 the living room, the Marguerite strain does, 

 and we often find among plants of this class, 

 grown from seed, in the outdoor garden, 

 varieties equal in form, and size, and color, 

 the carnations grown by our florists so ex- 

 tensively, and far excelling them in freedom 

 of bloom and vital force. This class blooms 

 late in the season, when grown in the open 

 ground, but it will show, by its first flowers, 

 what the general character of its blooms are 

 to be, and the most desirable plants can be 

 lifted and potted for winter use. Do this 

 as early as possible, that the plants may be- 

 come well established before being taken 

 into the house. 



The Single Petunia of the garden will be 

 found one of the most satisfactory of all 

 flowers for winter blooming. It is able to 

 make a window resemble a bit of last sum- 

 mer's garden, so bright, so cheerful is it. 

 For every little attention you bestow upon 

 it it will laugh back at you in blossoms of 

 violet and pink, and white, and you will 

 soon be on most intimate terms of friendship 

 with it, for it will win its way to your heart 

 by its pleasant ways and looks. When the 

 plant seems to have exhausted the flowering 

 capacity of its branches, cut them bacb to 

 within five or six inches of the soil, apply a 

 little fertilizer, and in a short time you will 

 see nsw branches growing, from which you 

 can expect a bountiful crop of flowers, a 

 little later. 



The Sword Ferns. — Among the most desir- 

 able of plants grown for foliage I would name 



the sword and Boston ferns. The Boston 

 fern is the ordinary sword fern on a little 

 larger scale. That is about all the difference 

 one can see in them. These will grow wher- 

 ever a geranium will, and their luxuriance 

 will prove a constant delight to the owner of 

 every window garden. Do not attempt to 

 grow the adiantum ferns in the living room, 

 for they will prove failures there. The at- 

 mosphere will be too hot and dry for them. 



And do not attempt to grow roses there, 

 as you will be tempted to do. While it is 

 possible to grow some varieties of this 

 beautiful flower in the living room, it is not 

 an easy matter to do so, and success will 

 only come after one has served an appren- 

 ticeship at growing less exacting plants. 

 Roses are sure to be infested with aphides, 

 red spiders, and other insects which are 

 extremely harmful to plant life, and they 

 will soon spread to all your plants from your 

 rose bushes, thus making it necessary to 

 wage a constant warfare for their extermin- 

 ation. Nearly all the plants I have advised 

 are comparatively free from the attacks of 

 insects, unless brought into contact with 

 them as bred on other plants. 



Turn your plants frequently, that all sides 

 of them may get an equal chance at the 

 light. Pinch off" the end of its branches, if 

 a plant does not grow in compact, bushy 

 shape, and keep them pinched oflf until other 

 branches start. By persisting in this treat- 

 ment you can make almost any plant grow 

 as you want it to. Do not neglect the 

 plant while it is growing. Then is the very 

 time when it needs training. If let alone 

 until it has developed, you will find it almost 

 impossible to bring it into symmetrical 

 shape. And much of the energies of the 

 plant will have been wasted in the growth 

 which is cut away. Regulate this growth, 

 as it goes on, and there will be no waste of 

 plant energy. — Home and Flowers. 



