.Summer Treatment of Plants for Winter Beauty 



RptO grow plants and flowers success- 

 I fully during the balmy days of sum- 

 ■ mer is easy for the most amateur 

 thusiast who is willing to devote a 

 little time and to exercise common 

 sense in the treatment accorded. Suc- 

 cess during the dull cold days of change- 

 able weather common in Canada dur- 

 ing the winter months is, however, a 

 more difficult proposition. Too many 

 who have beautiful gardens in summer 

 forget that plants cannot maintain their 

 cheering beauty for 12 months of the 

 year unless they are given special treat- 

 ment, care and attention. Professional 

 florists, with every facility for control- 

 ling heat and moisture conditions, do 

 not, as a rule, attempt to induce bloom 

 continuously. How, then, can the ama- 

 teur with ordinary house temperatures 

 and conditions such as they are ,in the 

 average living room hope to do so? The 

 plants must be prevented from produc- 

 ing bloom in summer if they are wanted 

 for brightening up the windows of the 

 home during the dreary days of win- 

 ter. If this is done and care taken to 

 maintain a temperature sufficiently high 

 and to give the proper amount of water, 

 plants put in fresh potting soil will re- 

 pay the owner with a liberal supply of 

 bloom in the winter season. 



There are many plants that can be 

 used to advantage. Of the flowering 

 plants, geraniums are perhaps most fre- 

 quently used. Begonias and fuschias 

 and the ever-flowering member of the 

 balsam family, Impatiens Sultani, too, 

 are common. Although these produce 

 bloom of better quality in the warmer 

 season, they are worth having for win- 

 dow culture in winter. Many horticul- 

 turists, however, prefer the non-flower- 

 ing plants such as ferns, palms, rubber 

 plants, etc., for decorating the living 

 room in the cold months. 



The Canadian Horticulturist re- 

 cently obtained the opinions of success- 

 ful growers, who have had lengthy ex- 

 perience, regarding the best treatment 

 of the diff'ercnt plants during summer 

 and fall to have a brilliant display of 



tige or bloom in winter. 

 POT DURING JULY 

 Where there is no gas and no coal 

 ■es," said Mr. Thos. Manton, of 

 Eglinton, "lovely window plants can 

 be had by potting geraniums early in 

 the summer n four or six inch pots, 

 and plunging them outside until fall. 

 The plants make a stout and rugged 

 growth, and if the flower buds arc nipped 

 off during the summer an abundance 

 of bloom will be produced during the 

 dull months of winter, provided the 

 air is pure and the temperature not 

 lower than 50 degrees. Plants are like 

 persons. If thev are left outside in 



the fresh air, where they get plenty of 

 sun, they become strong and able to 

 stand the hardships of winter. 



' ' Boston ferns, too, should be plunged 

 outside in pots the same as geraniums. 

 If given plenty of water they grow 

 rapidly, and although they may be 

 hard lookers in the fall, they go into 

 the house healthy and strong, and 

 present an attractive appearance all 

 winter. 



"The rubber plant is an old favorite. 

 It, too, should be plunged outside. In 

 a healthy plant the roots are located 

 chiefly around the edge of the receptacle. 

 When plunged these roots do not be- 

 come scorched, and the plant becomes 



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Geranium Maculatum 



strong and robust and in fit condition to 

 endure the conditions to which it must 

 be subjected during the winter months. 



"Winter flowering begonias are much 

 sought after by flower lovers. By 

 plunging the pots outside during the 

 warm months, a desirable short-joint- 

 ed growth results, and the plants are 

 ready for bloom almost immediately 

 after being taken in. Begonia mani- 

 cata aurea is one of the most beautiful 

 plants for winter culture. Besides, 

 there are the desirable varieties: Be- 

 gonia incarnata. Begonia fuchsioides. 

 Begonia multiflora, and many others." 



"Ferns are the most satisfactory 

 plants for window decoration during 

 winter in the. private house," said Mr. 

 A. Houston, head gardener at the Par- 

 liament Buildings, Toronto. "Tulips 

 and hyacinths, however, give the best 

 returns for the labor that is required 

 in attending to them. For this reason 

 many amateur flower growers prefer 

 them to any other plant for window 

 decoration during the winter months. 

 Palms arc excellent house plants. The 

 members of the Kentia familv are most 

 desirable. Care must be taken, how- 



ever, not to give them too much water. 

 The average amateur is too lavish in 

 supplying water to his window plants. 

 In many cases a saucer is kept under- 

 neath and water kept in the saucer. 

 No plant can be expected to thrive 

 under such conditions. 



WINTER TREATMENT 



"It is a difficult matter to have con- 

 tinual success in inducing plants to 

 bloom during the winter months in the 

 temperatures that are found in ordin- 

 ary living rooms. It is too much of a 

 strain on the vitality of the plants. In 

 greenhouses the temperature can be 

 kept more uniform and better returns 

 repay the grower for his labors. The 

 Nephrolepsis ferns can be made to 

 present an attractive appearance, but 

 they do not make the growth that is 

 common under greenhouse cultivation. 

 With window conditions, in the aver- 

 age dwelHng, the plants can be kept 

 alive over winter, but usually the re- 

 sults arc not very encouraging. 



"Among the bulbous plants, for forc- 

 ing in winter, hyacinths are the 

 most satisfactory. Tulips also are good. 

 The former frequently do fairly well in 

 glasses of water, but the results are 

 much better when soil is used. The 

 best plan is to purchase the bulbs in 

 October, and bury them in the cellar 

 until February. Some of the tulips 

 may be taken up in Janjjary. In some 

 instances the bulbs are buried in ashes 

 outside with success. The time of 

 taking them up depends on the amount 

 of roots in the pots. While the bulbs 

 are lying dormant roots develop. They 

 are not injured if the temperature goes 

 a few degrees below freezing. When 

 uncovered they must be kept for a few 

 days where the atmosphere is about 

 the freezing point. The temperature 

 can be raised gradually to 45 or 50 de- 

 grees, under which conditions they do 

 best. 



GERANIUMS 



"Geraniums are common plants for 

 window culture. To induce bloom dur- 

 ing the dull months of winter it is neces- 

 sary to keep the flowering buds pinched 

 off during the summer. The pots 

 should be plunged outside about June, 

 and the plants left there until vSeptem-, 

 ber, at which time they should be 

 shifted to larger pots, in which they 

 can be left until spring, Flossoms will 

 come in a very short time, but they 

 will not be so good as those that appear 

 in the summer. The addition of liquid 

 manure helps to make the bloom of 

 better qualtiy. 



"Impatiens Sultani is a marvel for 

 bloom. If treated much the same as 

 recommended for geraniums, a pleas- 



