March, 1907 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



73 



Take the trouble each evening before you 

 retire to replace the flowers in the deep dish 

 and put them in a cool place over night and 

 the chances are your flowers will last a day 

 or two longer. In the morning when re- 

 arranging the flowers, cut a quarter of an 

 inch from the bottom of the stem, because the 

 ends seem to get clogged, thus reducing the 

 amount of water which the flower can ab- 

 sorb. If the flowers cannot get enough 

 water they will wilt. 



The chief drawbacks to keeping plants or 

 flowers in our modern dwellings are dry 

 air and illuminating gas. The dry air causes 

 cut flowers to transpire more water than they 

 can absorb; hence they wilt. If your house 

 is heated by a hot-air furnace keep the water 

 receptacle, with which all good furnaces are 

 supplied, full of water. This is no great 

 task because a pailful or two a day, put in in 

 the morning when the furnace is being given 

 its daily overhauling, requires only a couple 

 of minutes. If hot water or steam is used 

 a dish of water on the radiator in each room 

 will make conditions healthier for people as 

 well as plants by restoring the degree of 

 humidity of outdoor air. 



Illuminating and coal gas are deadly 

 poisons to plants, even when present in such 

 small quantities that they can not be smelled. 



I. The Best White Flowers 



SAVE THESE PLANTS 



The most appropriate flower for Easter is 

 unquestionably the lily, because it has been 

 associated for the longest time with Easter. 

 The Easter lily of to-day is not the lily of 

 history and of religious painting. It was 

 not until the early eighties that the Madonna 

 or Annunciation lily was displaced as an 

 Easter flower by the Bermuda lily. The 

 Madonna lily does not bloom outdoors in 

 northern United States at Easter time, as 

 it does in southern Europe, and it is not so 

 easily forced into bloom as is the Bermuda 

 lily. Moreover, the Bermuda lily is generally 

 considered to be a more beautiful flower. 

 It is a longer and larger flower and shaped 

 like a trumpet, whereas the Madonna lily 

 is bell-shaped. 



The marguerite or Paris daisy makes an 

 excellent cut flower if cut with stems long 

 enough to have some of its own foliage. If 

 you have a plant, however, remove the 

 flowers as they fade and new ones will be 

 produced. If this is given ordinary care 

 it will last in the house until all danger of 

 frost is over. Then plant it outdoors, and it 

 will give scattering blossoms all summer. Do 

 not try to bring it in the house next fall, but 

 as soon as the frost has killed it pull it up 

 and throw it away. If it is convenient to 

 grow a few plants of the marguerite for next 

 winter's flowers make tip cuttings of the 

 ends of the branches in the early part of May 

 and as soon as rooted, plant outdoors and 

 pot early next September. As it is rather 

 difficult to lift considerable care must be 

 exercised, but it can be safely done. 



The Indian azalea is one of the most deco- 

 rative plants and Deutsche Perle is one of the 

 best white Easter flowers. It lasts well — two 



weeks — when brought from the florist's shop. 

 It may be had in white or shades of pink or 

 red. When through flowering pick off all 

 the seed pods which are commencing to 

 form and, if the plant is a little out of shape, 

 prune it to make it symmetrical. Then keep 

 it in a light window. Care must be taken 

 not to over water. As soon as warm weather 

 comes plunge the plant in a place where it 



cool place where there is no frost, e.g. in the 

 cellar near a window for instance, and water 

 sparingly. I doubt if you will need to water 

 the plant oftener than once in two or three 

 weeks. Keep the plant here until along in 

 January; then bring it into a living room and 

 watch the flowers develop. 



Some of the plants which may be had at 

 this season are perfectly hardy outdoors, 



The Bermuda or Harrisi lily (Lilium longiflorum, var. eximium) the most easily forced lily for Easter 



will get the morning and afternoon sun, but 

 is shaded during midday. Watering once a 

 week with a weak liquid fertilizer will help 

 make a better growth but the effect is not as 

 noticeable as in soft-wooded plants. In 

 the late summer move the plant to a light, 



e. g. the florist's spirea, lilac, and Madonna 

 lily. 



The Bermuda and the hydrangea are less 

 hardy, but worth saving for outdoor culture. 



When any of these plants are through 

 flowering continue to grow them in pots 



