One Bouquet 



a day 



^O'^'^^^^.^P^^t^f Where to do .t 



MOVING INTO WINTER QUARTERS. ^ 



II/'/ 



When the maples and beeches and birches, all the tree 

 family and, seemingly, all the world, is in full dress for 

 the autumn holiday pageant, their splendid raiment cast- 

 ing a glamour everywhere, it does seem rather like hard 

 lines to "dig garden" in one's old clothes. But it is 

 easy to find r.n errand to the woods, and as even a very 

 small errand may occupy a large amount of time, the 

 most conscientious gardener has a good excuse for 

 lingering long beneath splendid leaf canopies in collecting 

 the many spoils that may be transplanted to the home 

 garden. 



Some of the bright berries now ripening are as pretty as 

 flowers for bouquets and breast-knots. It seems too bad 

 to rob the birds of their winter feasting, but shrubs trans- 

 planted this time o' year give little care and trouble, and 

 grow off readily in spring. So when some time during 

 the month you set young plants of deutzia, spiraea, lilac, 

 daphne and weigelia, all fine for cutting, leave spaces in 

 the border for any worthy wildings which you may have 

 in mind as obtainable in your woods. Barberries, bitter- 

 sweet, Euonymns Americatius and snow-berries are 

 common everywhere. Another pretty winter berry fol- 

 lowing an exquisite blossom on a dainty creeping ever- 

 green vine is the partridge berry, Alitclivlla yepeus. It 

 makes a beautiful edging for small baskets and dishes 

 of short-stemmed flowers, and is bright and graceful 

 anywhere. I see people try to grow it in baskets, which 

 dry out quickly; it loves shade and moist atmosphere, such 

 as may be given it beneath the leaves of rex begonias. 



Andromeda Mariana has graceful sprays of lily-like 

 bells that are borne freely in springtime, and on dry 

 hillsides there are banks of sweet-fern with spicily- 

 scented fern-like leaves borne on slender shrubby stems 

 The cunning pink buds and blossoms of the wild crab 

 have great beauty and fragrance to recommend them. 

 Move and transplant shrubs carefully, cutting back the 

 tops to balance with the roots, which must be spread out 

 naturally in deep mellow soil moderately enriched. Firm 

 the soil well about them, and give them one good water- 

 ing, and the hardy ones need no further care this season. 

 The tender ones may be protected with evergreen boughs. 



Hardy perennials will also claim attention during Octo- 

 ber. Clumps that have grown too large must be divided 

 and reset, and it is convenient to order any new ones with 

 bulbs for outdoor planting. Asiilbc _/o/(;;//c« is beloved 

 of all bouquet-makers for its feathery grace, and a wild 

 plant much valued for this purpose is Tiarelia cordi- 



folia, our dainty little "foam-flower." Its stems of misty 

 flowers overrun the rocks like foam in early spring, and 

 all winter its root leaves gleam in gay patches of scarlet 

 and yellow on barren, rocky hill sides. Harebells, hepati- 

 cas,mertensia, moss campion (.sy/<v/f «ca«//s),and maiden- 

 hair ferns all are pretty wild perennials. 



Now for the tender plants that are to bloom all winter ! 

 Only thrifty growing ones, with many promises for buds, 

 can be preferred for this high honor but arduous task. 

 Sprawling ones, with bare branches that have flowered 

 during summer, may be cut back and sent down to the 

 cellar, or set away in some cool room or under the green- 

 house benches for a long rest. You think first of roses. 

 If there are some which have always grown in pots, and 

 know nothing of root-freedom, you may persuade them 

 to bloom during winter. The kitchen window is the best 

 place for roses, because there the air is always warm and 

 full of moisture. All the polyanthas are good pot roses ; 

 some other fine ones are Niphetos, Perle des Jardins, 

 Agrippina, La France, and the old Sanguinea. The soil 

 for potted roses must be rich and well drained, and extra 

 deep, narrow pots are made specially for them. Gera- 

 niums, heliotropes, begonias, carnations, stevias, Liniitn 

 ti-igynum, bouvardias, lemon verbena, agathea, all the 

 Paris daisies (white, blue and yellow), ferns and vines fur- 

 nish a window well in winter and are good bouquet-timber. 

 The scented-leaved geraniums are indispensable, and so 

 also for green are smilax, climbing ferns, ivies and A spar a- 

 g-us tciiuissimiis. Jasminum gyandiflorum and J. 

 gyacillimum are ideal plants both for window drapery 

 and bouquets. Plants that are grown for their leaves 

 will need repotting in rather large pots of rich well- 

 drained soil ; those that are to bloom plant in pots that 

 seem small in proportion to the ball of roots. 



It is important to bring flowers in early enough to 

 accustom them to the close atmosphere of rooms before 

 the fires are lighted, that the change may be more gradual 

 from outdoor life. Stands for holding them are easily 

 contrived. Window boxes, brackets and ledges are good, 

 and the rudest attempts at tables and shelf-steps will 

 soon be covered with vines, flowers and foliage if the 

 plants are tended well. 



Pits without artificial heat, in which some flowers grow 

 all winter, are easily and cheaply constructed, and people 

 whose eyes will not permit them them to share light from 

 the windows with their plants, will find plans for other- 

 wise accommodating the blossoms on page 619. 



