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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



October, 1907 



Gardening Without Soil 



By S. Leonard Bastin 



HFIRE is perhaps no more pathetic situa- 

 tion than that in which a person fond of 

 plants, and all that appertains to their cul- 

 ture, is forced by circumstances to pass 

 most of the time indoors. Kind friends 

 may bring posies of Howers, which enliven 

 the aspect of rooms with their gay coloring, 

 but these can never entirely satisfy the longings of the gar- 

 clener. Three parts of the joy of the plant grower consists 

 in the tending of his treasures, the watching of their develop- 

 ment, day by day, and the anticipation of their perfection. 

 But even for those who can not manage an ordinary garden, 

 it may he suggested that Nature, the giver of all things, has 

 made provision. At any rate, she has produced a number 

 of plants which, unlike the greater part of vegetation in the 

 world, do not depend for their existence upon their attach- 



Most Plants Grown Without Soil do Best Under 

 a Glass Shade 



ment to the ground. With a collection of these, and the ex- 

 ercise of a little ingenuity in the cultivation of some other 

 plants, it is possible to form a veritable garden without soil. 

 The care of such a garden entails no labor beyond that in- 

 volved in the occasional application of water. In almost any 

 room which is fairly well lighted and of moderate warmth 

 it should be possible to maintain such a collection in health. 

 It is a good plan to contrive a few shelves, in a well illumi- 

 nated position, on which the plants may be disposed accord- 

 ing to the fancy of the gardener. Another way, and per- 

 haps one which will appeal to most folk, is to obtain a bam- 

 boo stand, such as is shown in an accompanying illustration. 



The early explorers in the jungle land of the tropics were 

 \ ery much puzzled by the epiphytic plants which abound in 

 the humid forests. They could not understand how it was 

 that these species existed at all, for it was obvious that, 

 perched upon the bough of some tree, they could not derive 

 any benefit from the soil. As a matter of fact there are not 

 a few plants which grow simply in the air, imbibing all the 

 moisture which they require from the atmosphere. A very 

 large number of orchids are possessors of aerial roots, and 

 one of the most interesting of these is the plant from which 



the commercial vanilla is obtained. This plant may only be 

 grown with perfect success in a warm and damp greenhouse, 

 in which it may be trained on a wire along the roof 

 of the building. Another orchid which, on account of its 

 curious habit of growth, has been called the "upside-down 

 plant," requires a very little soil. Strangely enough, how- 

 ever this species is placed it always spreads downward. 



Another highly interesting genus of air-rooted plants is 

 that called Tillandsia, two species of which we are able to 

 figure. Natives of Central America, these plants do not re- 

 quire even the small amount of soil which some orchids seem 

 to like. A glance at the accompanying photograph depict- 

 ing a specimen of one of these remarkable plants will show 

 that it is merely suspended by a p'ece of wire. Another 

 species of lillandsia, commonly referred to ?s old man's 

 beard, is even more strange, in that the whole plant 

 has been reduced to a mass of hair-like filaments. This 

 quaint plant is quite a serious pest in Mexico, where it is said 

 to overwhelm trees with its growth. Most of the species of 

 Tillandsia may be grown in an ordinary room, although it is 

 likely that the air of the apartment would be found to be too 

 dry, and the following method should be adopted: Til- 

 landsias, in common with many delicate species, will be 

 found to flourish well under the shelter of a glass shade. 



The Rose of Jericho Opens Out Into a Fine Green 

 Plant After Immersion 



The reason for this is, of course, due to the fact that the 

 protection prevents a too free evaporation of moisture. The 

 owner of a garden without soil would do well to procure a 

 number of shades varying in size. 



There are few more grateful sights to the eye than the 

 fresh green of young plants. A great many seeds will germi- 

 nate very readily if kept warm and moist, and the plantlets 

 will give a most attractive appearance. Many varieties, such 

 as cress and linseed, can be grown very readily, and these do 

 not require any soil. The best way, perhaps, is to sow the 

 seed upon a piece of flannel. When the seed is scattered 

 over the cloth it should be well sprinkled with water, and 

 during the whole course of treatment it must never be 



