14 



TEE FLORAL WORLD 



OREGON BULB NOTES 



To grow bulbs that are sure to bloom 

 in winter, deal only with reliable flor- 

 ists; otherwise with the best of care 

 your window garden will probably be 

 a failure. Use deep pots to give room 

 for plenty of strong roots, without 

 which a bulb cannot produce fine blos- 

 soms. 



For potting material use a mixture 

 of sand and leaf mold, first putting in 

 charcoal and burnt bones overlaid with 

 sphagnum moss to insure perfect 

 drainage. 



Plant hyacinths and narcissus with 

 the tops of the bulbs even with the 

 surface. 



Tulips, freesias, ixias, sparaxis, Scil- 

 la sibirica and Tritilea uniflora should 

 be planted one inch below the surface, 

 as they make a sturdier growth when 

 so treated. 



Press the soil firmly around the 

 bulbs, and after saturating with water 

 set away in the dar.. for six weeks. 



Bring to the light very gradually, 

 and water only when the soil looks 

 dry. 



After the buds appear ' use "Bow- 

 ker's ammoniated food for flowers" 

 according to directions. A tin of hot 

 water placed on the flower stand each 

 morning helps to furnish the moisture 

 the plants require. 



Remove faded flowers and gradually 

 withhold water until the foliage turns 

 yellow, then put them away to rest. 



Oregon. Bertha M. Gibson. 



A LITTLE GREENHOUSE 



My flowers have always been more 

 of a pleasure to me in winter than in 

 summer; the blossoms then are dain- 

 tier, the foliage richer, and under 

 proper conditions the plants are alto- 

 gether more to be depended upon for 

 good results thaji outdoor plants which 

 make our gardens beautiful. Drouth 

 and excessive rains are to be struggled 



against out-of-doors, and if one has a 

 large garden the care of it will draw 

 heavily upon one's strength and purse, 

 but with a little conservatory one can 

 regulate moisture and with an incred- 

 ibly small amount of labor these will 

 be a spot of summer and blooming 

 flowers all winter. The one I have in 

 mind is in the form of a lean-to against 

 the eastern side of a dwelling house, 

 and is some eighteen feet long by 

 twelve wide. The roof is of glass, and 

 there are three windows on the east- 

 ern side, one towards the south, and 

 a door opening from the north. On 

 the side next the dwelling is a long 

 flight of steps to hold pots; across the 

 eastern windows is a platform the 

 length of the conservatory, on which 

 the handsome specimens are placed. 

 Shelves and brackets placed here and 

 there in convenient places give addi- 

 tional pot room, and are especially 

 nice for trailing plants. This little 

 greenhouse is in south Georgia, and 

 rarely requires any heat except that 

 which it gathers from the sun.- Its 

 floor is about two feet below the level 

 of the ground, which fact insures a 

 good deal of moisture, but for extra 

 occasions there is a small oil heater, 

 which with a can of water on top, an- 

 swers its purpose admirably. The en- 

 tire cost of glass, lumber and heater 

 was not more than thirty dollars, and 

 carpenter's work was less than ten. 



Now, as to plants for winter bloom, 

 nothing is better than the geranium 

 in variety. The abutilons are good, as 

 also are heliotropes, oxalis Bowii and 

 Bermuda Buttercup. 



Little plants of the Bowii will bear 

 large clusters of their elegant pink 

 blossoms, and the handsome foliage 

 never fails to please. The showiest 

 plant I had last winter was a large 

 linum, and at Christmas time it had 

 hundreds of golden blossoms on it. 

 Freesias and Dutch hyacinths in pots, 

 callas and Easter lilies, are all per- 

 fectly dependable, and once started 

 will almost care for themselves. Quite 



