90 GARDENING DIFFICULTIES SOLVED 



is a remark one often hears. They had not suffered from excess of 

 moisture, but the reverse, for they were placed at the back of the 

 water pipes, and became dried up. These most useful plants either 

 for greenhouse or garden simply need to be kept from frost in 

 winter ; a cool shed is an excellent place, but if they have to be 

 located in the greenhouse they should be kept from the heat of 

 pipes and the constant drip of the other plants on the stages above. 



Plants for Greenhouse in Winter 



Q. What are the best plants to put in my conservatory for the 

 winter ? What in my window boxes ? What should be planted out 

 in the garden now (October) ? Would Geranium and Carnation 

 cuttings be likely to thrive in the conservatory (no fire) in the 

 winter? How can I fill up a draughty north-east bed? What 

 soil should be used for potting plants? W. W. W., Worthing. 



A. You may have Azaleas, Arurn Lilies, Deutzias, Spiraeas, 

 Zonal Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, Primulas, Calceolarias, winter 

 flowering Begonias, Cyclamens, and various kinds of bulbous plants 

 in your conservatory for the winter months' display. In the window 

 boxes and in the beds in the garden, bulbs such as Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, Narcissi, Snowdrops, Scilla sibirica, Violas, Wallflowers, 

 Myosotis, Silenes, Aubrietias, and Pansies. Wallflowers would be 

 suitable for the draughty bed. If frost and excessive moisture can 

 be excluded from the greenhouse Geraniums and Fuchsias would 

 live in it through the winter. A good general potting compost 

 consists of turfy soil, leaf soil, and sand. 



Treatment of Various Orchids 



Q. Will you give general instructions for treatment of Cypripe- 

 dium, Odontoglossum, Dendrobium, and Cattleya? E. A., Swindon. 



A. Cypripedium insigne, or Lady's Slipper, is one of the most 

 easily cultivated of all Orchids. It succeeds in quite a cool house 

 with such plants as Geraniums and Cinerarias, and may be stood in a 

 cold frame in summer. It will stand several years in the same pans 

 without changing the compost, and blossom finely each year. A 

 minimum winter temperature of 40 to 45 will suit it, though 

 a temperature 5 higher will not harm it. Well drained pots or 

 pans are absolutely essential, and in each case from half to two-thirds 

 of the pot should be filled with crooks. The compost should consist 

 of 2 parts of good fibrous peat, 1 part of sphagnum, some coarse 

 pieces of sandstone and charcoal, and clean crocks. If really good 



