November, 1915 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



113 



that have gone out to brighten other rooms 

 less sunny, it must be admitted that at 

 triple this amount "the transients" would 

 have been, and will be every year, amply 

 worth while. 



The cost of establishing the "residents" 

 is, of course, greater but may be considered 

 somewhat in the light of an investment, 

 as the initial cost is the whole outlay. 



I append certain details and suggestions, 

 which may be of interest to people owning 

 similar rooms: 



i. Look out for the mealy bug on the 

 Gardenias. It hides under trie thin, papery 

 joint at the base of the leaves. 



2. Plant Asparagus Sprengeri at the 

 base of the Palms. It hangs down most 

 effectively and, strange to say, gets suf- 

 ficient nourishment, to thrive . 



3. The green aphis is the sun-room pest. 

 Burn Nicofume or some other tobacco fumi- 

 gant twice during the winter. 



4. If you have, but one choice for a sun- 

 room plant, take, the small-leaved red 

 Begonia, for it blooms literally all the time. 



5. Heliotrope, Gardenias and 

 Begonias will do nothing with- 

 out quantities of water and 

 direct sun. 



6. Give every plant two feed- 

 ings of some reliable food dur- 

 ing the winter, used preferably 

 in liquid. 



7. Take advantage of mild 

 winter days to have the Palms 

 carried out and sprayed hard 

 with the hose ; watch them for 

 scale and wash leaves occas- 

 ionally with Ivory soap. 



8. The self- watering boxes 

 are very good as they only 

 need filling fortnightly and do 

 not leak. 



9. It pays to buy the largest 



bulbs as they will all flower, where one third 

 of the smaller and cheaper fail. 



10. Let every pot, no matter how large, 

 have a saucer; without one there is always 

 the fear of leakage and without realizing 

 it the plant is under-allowanced. 



11. Never water a plant already wet, 

 just "because you are. watering." Earth 

 once soured from over watering is difficult 

 to reclaim. Let your plants be dry when 

 you water them but never baked. Water- 

 ing every other day is a good rule but must 

 vary with conditions. 



12. As Freesias do not require to be 

 started in the dark, plant them along the 

 edges of the window boxes. They do well 

 hanging over and are very effective. 



13. Don't think because you have a 

 room with some glass and sun you can grow 

 half-hardy greenhouse plants. Stick to the 

 "old reliables" for, with abundant bloom, 

 they are infinitely more decorative than 

 exotics with sickly ones. I have named no 

 plant that is in any way difficult or delicate. 

 The temperature of my room, though 



rather even, is simply that of the rest of 

 the house, and, as is the nature of heating 

 plants, varies somewhat. 



14. A little English Ivy against a pillar 

 or wall will give an air of stability to your 

 room which no other plant can. But if a 

 quick-growing vine is desired, the Parlor 

 Ivy will reach to any ordinary ceiling in one 

 winter. For the entire covering of a wall, 

 plant the Parlor Ivy a foot apart in the 

 back of your boxes with Heliotrope, Geran- 

 iums or any thing you like in the front. 

 In conjunction with this vine an attractive 

 lattice flush against the wall is the best 

 solution of the problem as unfortunately 

 it is a non-clinger and, without a lattice, 

 must be secured by unsightly staples, or 

 tapes and tacks. To twine the tendrils 

 upward and upward through the lattice 

 is a little troublesome, but the tropical 

 effect of a vine indoors, and in the dead of 

 winter, is so attractive it is well worth a 

 little effort. The aphis is fond of this 

 vine, so beware. 



15. Lily-of- the- valley, planted in flats 



and allowed to freeze out of 

 doors, will start up sturdily if 

 brought inside in February, en- 

 couraged in a dark spot under 

 the shelves for a few weeks and 

 finally promoted to the light, 

 there to bloom at Easter; but 

 as I have not sufficiently tested 

 it I do not place it among my 

 "reliables" for the sun-room. 

 Perhaps I shall count them so 

 by another year. 



16. My final suggestion is: 

 Do not fail to have a few small 

 one-pane ventilator windows, 

 up above the plants, which cart 

 be readily opened and shut, 

 without necessitating any dis- 

 arrangement of the plants. 



Handling Parlor Plants for Winter Flowers- By h. f. East, 



Can- 

 ada 



One of the most profuse flowering plants for indoors is 

 Primula malacoides, easily grown in ordinary temperatures 



WITH the approach of winter it 

 becomes necessary to give atten- 

 tion to many ornamentals that 

 have been outdoors or on the 

 porch all summer. Of course a greenhouse 

 or conservatory is the best place to accom- 

 modate such plants as are too tender to re- 

 main outside ; still it is wonderful what may 

 be done with the ordinary sun parlor, open- 

 ing out of the dwelling or living room. One 

 or two fancy tables and chairs, with a rug 

 in the centre of the floor, give a much de- 

 sired "livable" effect. For the glass side 

 lights, self sprung blinds or curtains running 

 on brass rods will give the whole a finish. 

 When the sun is powerful, the blinds may 

 serve as shades, preventing too much dry- 

 ing out — one point to which attention must 

 be constantly given. During the nights, 

 the drawn shades are effective in modifying 

 the effects of frost. 



The sun room, or parlor, should by pre- 

 ference have a south aspect, and be heated 



The old favorite obconica Primrose has larger flowers than 

 the one on the left. Its foliage stings some people 



