THE CAEE OF PLANTS IN THE WINDOW 



IN winter, as at no other time, we appre- 

 ciate the flowers in the window. They 

 seem to suddenly take on a charm and beau- 

 ty we have not seen in them before, and we 

 feel that home would not be what it ought 

 to be without them. And this is as it ought 

 to be. Flowers should be considered one of 

 the necessary things of life. 



A window full of flowers in winter is as 

 good as a course of lectures to him who 

 keeps his eyes and heart open. They are 

 all the time preaching little, silent, eloquent, 

 sermon to us. They concentrate our atten- 

 tion on a bit of summer brightness, and we 

 feel that if a fragment of the great whole can 

 aff"ord so much pleasure, we have but feebly 

 appreciated the wealth of beauty and bright- 

 ness God gives to us yearly. 



Make friends with your plants. Don't 

 be content with simply knowing their names 

 and just as little about their requirements 

 as will enable you to keep them alive. Be 

 on intimate terms with them. That is the 

 only way to enjoy them. 



In order to grow plants well in the house 

 they must have plenty of light. Unless this 

 can be given they will be spindling and 

 weak, and there will be few if any flowers, 

 and these will be inferior. 



The best exposure is a southern one ; the 

 next best an eastern one. A south window 

 is the one in which to grow Geraniums, 

 Lantanas, Heliotropes, and all plants fond 

 of much sunshine, while the eastern one is 

 better for Begonias, Fuchsias, and such 

 plants as care more for the sun in the early 

 part of the day, that they do after its rays 

 become more intense. A west window gives 

 too much heat unless shaded considerably, 

 but is better than no window at all, and if 

 you have no other to give your plants, don't 



go without them. A curtain of thin muslin 

 will temper the heat greatly, and vines can 

 be trained over the glass in such a way as 

 to break the fierceness ol the sun's rays. 

 A north window is not suited to the needs 

 of flowering plants, but some which are 

 grown solely for foliage can be kept there. 

 Ferns, Palms, Aspidistra, Ficus, and Lyco- 

 podiums, will do quite as well there as in a 

 window exposed to the sun. English Ivy 

 can be trained about it. Tradescantia in 

 ISaskets can be hung up in it, and thus it 

 can be made beautiful without flowers if you 

 have a love for " green things growing." 



One often sees weak, scraggly plants in 

 the sitting room windows. They seem to 

 have grown too rapidly to be healthy. Two 

 things combine to bring this about ; lack of 

 fresh air and too much heat. 



If you want fine plants, you must give 

 them plenty of air. They breathe, as you 

 do, and without fresh air taey pine and be- 

 come diseased, the some as you would un- 

 der similar conditions. Always have your 

 window arranged in such a manner that it 

 can be lowered at the top, thus letting a 

 stream of pure air blow in over the plants. 

 Opening doors from the hall, or some ad- 

 joining room into which air can be admitted 

 from without, will let in a supply which your 

 plants will fully appreciate. Never let a 

 stream of cold air blow directly on them, 

 however. Aim to have the cold air mix 

 with the warm air of the room befors it 

 reaches them. 



The air of the living-room is generally 

 kept too warm and dry for plants. About 

 seventy degrees during the day time and 

 fifteen degrees less at night would suit such 

 plants as one finds in ordinary collections. 

 Aim to keep the temperature as even as pos- 



