84 Milady's House Plants 



Dutch Bulbs 



All the different Dutch bulbs, such as Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, Daffodils, etc., belong to this group and form 

 a very important part of it. They furnish perfect 

 examples of stored-up energy in a plant. In their case, 

 the process has been so complete as to need little or 

 no sunlight to enable them to produce their beautiful 

 and sometimes gorgeous flowers in the very depths of 

 Winter. In order that the pleasure of seeing them 

 develop may be long drawn out, the plants should be 

 purchased as they are starting to grow, say two inches 

 above the pot. 



Other Examples of Stored Up Energy 



Azaleas and the hardy. Spring flowering shrubs 

 and herbaceous plants, such as Lilacs, Acacias, 

 Camellias, Genistas, Chrysanthemums, Dielytras 

 (Bleeding Heart), have all the same faculty of creating 

 and storing their flowers months before they intend 

 to display them, though not in such complete degree 

 as the bulbs. They need a little more assistance in 

 the way of preparation in pots during the Summer and 

 a fairly light place in the Fall and early Winter to en- 

 able them to produce their flowers a few months 

 ahead of the natural schedule. The most difficult 

 feature in their cultivation as house plants lies in the 

 proper care to be given them after flowering, that is, 

 if they are to be preseived through another year. 

 As a rule, shrubs of this class have very little decora- 

 tive value after they are through flowering, yet to do 

 them justice during the two or three months that 

 must elapse before they can be put out-of-doors, they 

 should have the best places in the house. 



