September, 19 13 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



45 



Next to geraniums come primroses; in 

 fact, some rank them first. They are not 

 so easily propagated, needing to be sown 

 in early spring and repotted four or five 

 times before fall, the pots plunged in sand. 

 Sprout primrose seeds only in sandy loam, 

 not the fibrous earth the plants delight in, 

 or you will never see half your seeds come 

 up. 



But blooming primroses cost only twenty- 

 five to fifty cents in the fall and how they 

 blossom! Obconica varieties are better 

 than Chinese. Chinese have prettier leaves 

 and larger individual flowers, but the 

 clusters are comparatively few and they 

 fall and look ragged much quicker. Six 

 pots of obconica primroses, pink and white 

 would fill a ordinary window with beauty 

 all winter. Grow them in as near sixty 

 degrees as possible and water when the 

 earth looks dry. If grown from seed, al- 

 ways pot so the crown is well above the 

 earth and never let the young plants get 

 root bound till they have finished growth. 

 . Don't throw away primroses in spring. 

 Plunge the pots in a half shady place and 

 let them rest. Most of the leaves will die. 

 Repot in spongy soil in August, set in an 

 east or north window and water. They 

 will bloom nearly as well as young plants. 

 Primroses are especially valuable because 

 they will bloom freely in north windows. 



A treasure for quantity 

 of bloom and ease of cul- 

 ture is impatiens, also 

 known as everbloom, 

 water balsam, etc. It 

 roots readily in water and 

 will there grow and bloom. 

 Rich loam, with a third 

 old manure or a little bone 

 meal, makes quick growth 

 and strong color. Their 

 chiefest need is plenty of 

 water. Pinch back the 

 plants severely to keep 

 them from growing leggy 

 and producing but few 

 blossoms. 



The green aphis is apt 

 to bother impatiens. The 

 remedy is washing well 

 with warm soapsuds into 

 which a few drops of kero- 

 sene have been boiled. 

 If the leaves droop badly, 

 the soil is sour. Give 

 clean earth with sand in 

 it, look well to the drain- 

 age, and let the sun shine 

 on the soil. 



Like all the chrysanthe- 

 mum family, the Paris 

 daisy or Marguerite needs rich soil and 

 plenty of sunshine. Given these and 

 kept clean, which means clipped or thor- 

 oughly sprinkled once a week, this favorite 

 plant will bloom brightly from mid-Decem- 

 ber to summer. Partially withhold water 

 in late summer, and repot in September; 

 or take cuttings in spring for next winter's 

 bloom. They can grow in the garden. 



I wish more window gardeners knew the 

 beauty of astilbe, usually called spirea. 

 Feathery flowers are scarce indoors, white 

 is always at a premium and the snowy 

 plumes of astilbe are most lovely. The 



Cyclamen has pretty leaves as well as showy flow- 

 ers. A cool place is the secret of success with it 



More people ought to know the spirea as a window or garden plant, 

 and now comes in many new varieties, white and pink. 



blossoms last a long time and the pyramids 

 of buds continue coming for six weeks. 

 The plant should go into the garden in 

 spring, but never in sun. An eastern 

 exposure is good. Pinch out the buds, if 

 any form. If it grows too big for the 

 house, pot only a part of it in September. 

 The plant is hardy and the part left out 

 will bloom the next summer. Astilbe likes 



rich soil, rather heavy than light, plenty of 

 water and an east window or partial shade 

 from a south window. 



Cinerarias are among the showiest of 

 window plants and always greatly admired, 

 but they are thought to be difficult to 

 grow. A little understanding of their 

 requirements makes them easy to grow. 

 They need much water but their fine roots 

 form so perfect a mat in the earth thac 

 water can scarcely penetrate from above. 

 Soak them two hours in water deep enough 

 to cover the pots, twice a week. The other 

 main difficulty is aphis. Grow the plants 

 in a temperature not above sixty degrees, 

 making the air as moist as possible by 

 keeping water evaporating in the room, and 

 spray with suds and kerosene. Cinerarias 

 grow from seed very easily and the young 

 plants are sturdy from the first. The 

 magenta shades should be avoided as they 

 clash with other flowers. Choose the pure 

 white, the clear blue, or the new warm red. 

 Azaleas, while captivating, are also 

 counted hard to grow and they do often 

 drop flowers and leaves in distressing 

 fashion when first brought home. The 

 reason for this is usually too little water, 

 both at the roots and on the leaves, and 

 too much heat. Azaleas, like cinerarias, 

 should be soaked twice a week. A light 

 sprinkling on the leaves every day or two 

 helps the plant and does 

 not hurt the flowers. 

 Azaleas are "grown 

 cool" — that is, in a tem- 

 perature of forty to fifty- 

 five degrees. The seventy 

 degrees found in most liv- 

 ing rooms is too much for 

 them and the air is too 

 dry. So keep them in a 

 cool hall or dining-room 

 with vapor forming on 

 stove or radiator all the 

 time. As soon as a bloom 

 withers take it off with its 

 stem, so no seed will form. 

 Take as good care of the 

 plant as ever when the 

 flowers are gone for now 

 come the new shoots and 

 buds for another winter. 

 The shape should be 

 kept round, so pinch 

 back shoots that outgrow 

 the rest. Shorter ones 

 will spring from the leaf 

 axils, thickening the 

 plant. By the first of 

 June sink the plant in a 

 hot sunny place out-of- 

 doors and soak it well 

 every day. By mid-September take it 

 to the porch and after a good frost to its 

 cool window inside. 



Cyclamen plants have decorative leaves 

 as well as dainty flowers; the white ones 

 are especially charming. When bought 

 in winter they should be kept cool. Sixty 

 degrees through the day and fifty at night 

 gives the best bloom. But next a loose 



It is quite hardy 



