House 
Plants 
Labels 
in operation and the few that are in the market being sold for 
$15.00 instead of $2.00 per hundred! Tulips should not be 
covered very heavily and try to keep water from standing on the 
beds after planting. Make it a rule to try one or two new 
varieties each year. Bulbs for the house do not properly belong 
in this paper, but I want to urge you to pot all you can — they 
are not wasted as they can be set out in the spring in the grass 
or woods, giving in a short time a very charming effect of 
naturalized bloom. I used to ripen them before setting out 
but they occupied too much space indoors and were an eyesore 
standing around in their pots outside. Now the bulbs are 
separated as soon as the frost is out and put directly into the 
ground where they thrive amazingly. 
Your house plants, Begonias and Ferns that have been loaf- 
ing in the woods or in some sheltered spot, should be inspected, 
trimmed into a compact form and re-potted if necessary before 
any danger of frost. Sometimes they are pot-bound, sometimes 
the soil is exhausted or sour. Take them into a porch inclosure 
or cool room, early enough so that the heat of the furnace will 
not cause them to drop their leaves. Plants that you lift from 
the border should be treated the same way. After they are 
potted they can be kept on the porch to establish themselves, 
being brought in if a frost threatens at night. Hydrangeas and 
large plants of that sort should be put in a cool, dark place, 
about 55 degrees being just right. A cellar is ideal if not too 
warm. The bloom comes on the spring growth, so that they 
should be cut back and watched to see that they do not start 
languid, pallid shoots before they are brought up to the light. 
Too heavy watering will produce this condition, so keep the soil 
fairly dry. Lemon Verbenas should never be thrown away — 
they stand the most casual treatment and will spend the winter 
in a soap box anywhere. Bring them out in the spring, looking 
dried beyond hope, give them water and sunlight and they burst 
into leaf. Mine is eleven years old and the size of a shrub. Rose 
and Nutmeg Geraniums, French Lavender and Heliotrope can 
be cut back and fed and they will bloom on; or they can be 
stored in the cellar for the winter but must not be too dry at 
any time. 
The importance of Labels when putting the garden to bed, 
usually impresses itself on one in the spring. One starts to 
plant a young Delphinium and is embarrassed to find the bed 
occupied by late sleeping Platycodons! Strong, clearly written 
labels should be put in the clumps of Japanese Anemones, Hardy 
Ageratum (Eupatorium coclestinum) , Platycodon, Aconite 
Autumnale, Blue Spirea and Blue Salvia. All these plants are 
late in peeping through the ground and unless marked, will be 
injured by the fine Italian hand that .seems to guide our destinies 
these days. I keep permanent winter labels made of zinc, 
fastened to wire stakes, with the names of these plants stamped 
22 
