98 



HOUSE PLANTS 



GERANIUMS THE EASIEST OF ALL 



So common that we seldom give its trans- 

 cendent merits a second thought, yet the 

 easiest all-the-year plant to grow in the house, 

 is the ordinary geranium. It is the cheapest 

 plant for the window gardener. Cuttings 

 started in the spring will flower from about 

 Christmas time on. It is one of the few plants 

 on which the home gardener can rely to keep 

 his house looking gay during the holidays. 



The geranium wants a rich soil; but the 

 secret of success with it is not to over water — 

 on the other hand, never allow it to become 

 dry. To use a gardener's expression, keep 

 it on the "dry side.'' A very pretty way 

 of handling geraniums is as standards. For 

 Christmas decoration the standards covered 

 with large trusses of flowers are beautiful. 

 It takes about two years to grow a good 

 standard, two or two and a half feet high. 



THE BEST DECEMBER CUT FLOWER 



The bouvardia blooms during late fall 

 and early winter, a time w^hen flowers are 

 very scarce. It produces beautiful clusters 

 of flowers three inches across, which are either 

 white or red or some intermediate shade. It 



