The Garden Magazine, November, 1920 
143 
A SUMMERY CORNER 
Where Primroses, Campanulas, Gloxinias, Spirea, and other plant favorites, 
all play their part in this delightful deception of one’s osvn creating 
We cover our plant shelves with enamel cloth or paint them 
with a hard, glossy finish, and spray the plants where they 
live without fear of damage to shelf or the hard wood floor 
underneath, if wiped up immediately when dampened. An 
enthusiastic and most successful flower lover of my acquaint- 
ance has a bay window fitted with a shelf and zinc tray at the 
height of the sill, filled with small uniform sized pebbles, in 
which the pots are placed ; this makes an ornamental and prac- 
tical setting. Another window, which reaches to the floor 
affords space for an oblong box (ten inches or so wide and deep, 
and in length the same as the window), into which pots of Be- 
gonias, foliage plants, etc., are set, the space between them 
filled with earth, in which grow luxuriantly Tradescantia and 
variegated Myrtle, covering the outside of the box and reach- 
ing to the floor. The box is mounted on castors and can be 
rolled about and turned around. 
After the plants have been in the house a few weeks it is time 
to stimulate and nourish them with some good plant food, which 
may be applied according to directions once in one or two 
weeks. This usually works rapidly and effectively, producing 
darker, richer green foliage and more abundant bloom. It is 
also very important to carefully stir and loosen the soil to the 
depth of an inch or two; an old kitchen fork is the best utensil 
1 know of for this purpose. Later on if leaves begin to turn 
yellow and the plant to look unhealthy for no apparent reason, 
turn the pot upside down, holding the left hand over the earth. 
and remove the plant from the pot by giving the pot rim a 
smart tap or two against a table or chair. If the roots form 
a close, matted network the plant needs shifting to a pot 
one size larger. Earth should be saved in the cellar for this 
purpose before winter sets in. Loosen the roots carefully, re- 
move what earth comes off easily, and place the ball of roots in 
the new pot and fill with fresh earth. This re-potting is not 
often necessary if healthy young plants, prepared for winter 
blooming, are brought in, well taken care of, and fertilized; but 
it will often resuscitate a “sick” plant when other means fail. 
Water thoroughly at first and then more sparingly until new 
growth begins. Drainage (bits of broken flower pots) should 
of course be placed in the bottom. 
As to the temperature. It is not often that we can make 
our house plants the main consideration or attune the thermom- 
eter to their needs. Fortunately they flourish best in con- 
ditions most favorable to the family. In general the tempera- 
ture should be from 45 to 55 degrees at night and from 65 to 70 
degrees in the daytime. Often it is impossible to wholly 
control temperature conditions, especially during a cold “snap.” 
A serious chill, even if no freeze, is a great disadvantage to 
house plants, and it often takes some time for them to recover 
from it. We put thick layers of newspapers between our plants 
and the windowpanes next them (our south windows being sin- 
gle) when conditions threaten a freeze. This .newspaper pre- 
vention is easier than cure. Of course it is not difficult enough 
