HOUSEHOLD FLOWERS 

 FOR THE HOLIDAYS 



ELLEN D. WANGNER 



How to Have Flowers All Winter Long — Christmas 

 Giving That Carries a Personal Message of Cheer 



ORE and more each year are we coming to feel that 

 flowers are a necessary part of Christmas. More and 

 more do we realize that a beautiful blossom can most 

 truly bear our message of cheer and greeting. Nothing 

 does this so fittingly as a plant we ourselves have tended and 

 cared for in each step of its growth and development; for such 

 flowers acquire a wondrous quality, a something personal and 

 friendly, that no mere purchased bloom can convey. 



To have golden Daffodils in bloom at Christmas time, to be 

 able to give a pot of royally purple Hyacinths is so easy of ac- 

 complishment that the most inexperienced flower-grower meets 

 with success if several simple but very important rules be fol- 

 lowed. I have forced Tulips, Daffodils, and other Narcissus, 

 Hyacinths, Lilies-of-the-valley and Crocuses into full and per- 

 fect flower on Christmas day. Their blooming can be so easily 

 regulated that I can say with surety: " I will have Hyacinths and 

 Lilies-of-the-valley to bear my Christmas greetings, Daffodils 

 and Tulips to wish a happy New Year, and Paper-white Nar- 

 cissus — whenever I desire." 



What Bulbs to Use and How to Start 



FOR forcing these flowers, bulbs must be secured for early 

 planting. Plant all bulbs that are to bloom by Christmas 

 not one day later than the middle of September. Bulbs for 

 forcing, with a few exceptions, need ten weeks in which to make 

 a sturdy root growth and six weeks after that for bringing the 

 flower into bloom. Exceptions to this are Lilies-of-the-valley, 

 Paper-white Narcissus, Roman Hyacinths, Crocus, and some 

 of the very early varieties of single Tulips. Any of these can be 

 planted in mid-September, allowed eight weeks for root growth, 

 and be brought into perfect flower for Christmas day. The 

 other bulbs that require ten weeks for root growth make very 

 acceptable Christmas gifts, however, for the bud will be well 

 developed, giving promise of the joy and beauty to come. 



As to the varieties of bulbs for forcing, their name is legion ! I 

 have found that they all bloom well, provided that they be of the 

 early varieties and are solid, firm bulbs. Of the many kinds of 

 Daffodils, I have no choice, for this flower is so sturdy that it will 

 do its best for you, no matter what its varietal name. The Van 

 Sion, with its strikingly beautiful double flowers of richest yel- 

 low, is very easily forced and, if limited to a single choice, I 

 think it would be that. 



All members of the Narcissus family flower easily. The Paper- 

 white Narcissus fills the air with a fragrance beyond description. 

 The long, graceful yellow trumpets of the bicolor types are also 

 lovely, though to me none quite equals the Poet's Narcissus with 

 its snowy-white petals and its small centre cup delicately edged 

 with scarlet. The double Roman Narcissus are exceedingly fra- 

 grant and their white, golden-cupped blossoms very beautiful. 



Among Tulips for forcing, the single varieties prove most 

 satisfactory, and almost any of the very early, standard bulbs 

 which produce glowing red or yellow flowers, are attractive for 

 winter bloom. The Due van Thol type, in rich red, yellow, or 

 white, is a sturdy, reliable old member of this family that has 

 never failed me, no matter how I have hurried its blooming and, 

 of all the early varieties, this is the ideal forcer. 



Lilies-of-the-valley respond well when forced, and a small pan 

 of these daintiest of flowers makes an exquisite Christmas morn- 

 ing gift. 



When bulbs have been selected, the next step is to get pots 

 of the right size to hold them. Dutch Hyacinths, Tulips, and 

 large Narcissus bulbs grow best in a five-inch pot, one bulb to a 

 pot. Roman Hyacinths and Daffodils will grow very well in a 

 four-inch pot. Crocus and Lilies-of-the-valley, being smaller 

 and requiring less root space, may have several bulbs to each 

 five-inch pot. Flats or earthen bulb-pans, purchasable at any 

 florist's, are excellent for these small plants. Where assorted 

 colors of Crocus are selected, nothing could be gayer or more 

 cheering that such little flats of bloom. Six Crocus to a five- 

 inch flat and three Paper-white Narcissus may be allowed to a 

 six-inch pot. 



If bulbs are crowded in too small pots, or if too many are put 

 in one pot, the blossoms cannot be forced to their fullest beauty. 

 In planting several bulbs in one pot, place carefully so that they 

 do not touch one another nor the pot itself. Before planting the 

 bulbs, wash all pots thoroughly and allow them to soak in water 

 for two or three hours. This fills the pores of the material and 

 prevents absorption of moisture from the soil. Small, broken 

 bits of pot must be placed over the holes in each receptacle for 

 perfect drainage. 



The next step, and one that is very important, is the prepara- 

 tion of the soil. All bulbs like a mellow, light, rich soil, and I 

 have secured my best results when I have used a loamy garden 

 soil, mixed with a very little sand and without fertilizer of any 

 kind. Mix this soil carefully in a pail or small tub until thor- 

 oughly crumbled; fill each pot half-way and place the bulb firmly 

 on the soil, but do not force or screw it into the soil. Each pot 

 must now be filled until just the tips of the bulbs show; the only 

 bulbs that should be completely buried, nose and all, are the 

 Anemones — queer, shrivelled little things — which are to be 

 planted an inch and a half below the surface. 



The Trench Method of Forcing 



A TRENCH must now be dug in which to place the potted 

 bulbs somewhere in a well-drained part of the garden. 

 Make this at least one foot deep and cover the bottom of it with 

 three inches of coal ashes to permit drainage and to keep out 

 worms. 



Place the pots in the trench with space between them and 

 fill in around them with leaves, straw, or other coarse mulch. 

 Fill up the trench with earth lightly tossed in. When freezing 

 weather comes, cover over the top very thickly with leaves, 

 straw, or boards to keep the ground from freezing so hard that 

 the pots cannot be dug out. Here, in the dark and the cold — 

 the two most essential factors in producing good, sturdy roots — 

 the bulbs will grow. 



When they have been in the trench from ten to twelve weeks, 

 it is time to take them out. Put at once in a dark cellar of the 

 house where the temperature is about 40 or 45 degrees. The 

 leaf tips are now about two inches above the ground and of a 

 delicate, pale green. It is vital that the plants be kept in the 

 dark at this time for two days. They also require water, and 

 this is best given from below. A good rule is to keep the sau- 

 cers filled with water. The small plant then takes care of its 

 own needs. The flower is already formed, in the bulb waiting 

 to push up. Soil in the pot serves to feed the new bulb for 

 next year — it has no effect on the current season's bloom. 



On the third day, bring the plants into a little lighter and 



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