6 
JOHN LEWIS CHILDS, FLORAL PARK, QUEENS CO., N. Y. 
WINTER FLOWERS. 
HOW TO HAVE THEM IN PROFUSION. 
Motes, Comments and Cultural Directions Which 2 ft- 
sure Success. A Little Money Properly Ex¬ 
pended Will Fill Your Windows With 
Brightness and Fragrance. 
N NEARLY every home there is someone who loves to 
^ cultivate flowers in the winter, and there is always 
' one or more windows that can be used tor that purpose. 
Co fill these windows with beautiful flowers and plants 
(taring winter is only a question of knowledge—knowl¬ 
edge which will lead to a pioper selection of kinds. 
! rhe proper plants will grow and thrive without any 
special care. They will bloom profusely. They will be 
beautiful and fragrant, brilliant and fascinating, and they 
ooost very little. What are they ? First and foremost W9 
my Hardy Bulbs, the cultivation of which is fully described 
<$n the foregoing page. Follow the directions there given 
tnd success is assured. They are so very cheap that ou& 
*ollar will purchase a great many. 
HYACINTHS. The Queen of winter-blooming bulbs. 
Jtothing can rival the stately grandeur of its massive spikes 
4f beautiful colors, its exquisite fragrance and chaste beauty. 
Easy to grow and sure to bloom for anyone, under any con¬ 
ditions. Plant them freely. Three bulbs can be put in a five 
or six-inch pot, and will make a show fit for a Queen. 
IXIAS, SPABAXIS and FRIT ILL A RTA S. Odd 
flowers; little known and seldom seen, yet most charming 
in every particular and of trifling cost. Try them. 
AMARYLLIS REGINA. A superb bulb for winter 
blooming and one which until recently was very costly. 
This year it is included in the Mayflower Premium. 
ANEMONES and RANUNCULUS. Well known and 
,-jular plants for winter blooming. They cost but little 
and if one is sucessful with them they yield a large reward, 
CYCLAMEN. Strictly winter bloomers, with most 
beautifully marked and shaded foliage and flowers, com¬ 
bining at once exquisite beauty with delicate, rich and bril¬ 
liant colors. Grow in four or five-inch pots in a cool 
window. 
CALLAS. The most popular of window plants. Al¬ 
ways seen where plants are grown. The little Gem (new) 
is the pet among plants wherever it is known. It will soon 
be in every collection. Childs’ Dwarf Ever-Blooming, the 
King of Cal las, produces flowers all the time, of great size. 
Growth dwarf and compact, requiring comparatively little 
room. The Black Cal la is a curiosity, for winter blooming. 
Flowers as dark as midnight. Easily grown. 
ROSES. As a rule Roses are not apt to do well in the 
window during winter, but Champion of the World and 
Climbing Meteor are exceptions. They are two of the most 
glorious Roses that bloom, and are better adapted to win¬ 
dow culture than most other varieties, 
GIANT WHITE SCENTED SNAPDRAGON. No 
new plant ever attracted the great amount of praise and 
admiration in our greenhouses that has been showered up¬ 
on this grand winter bloomer. 
. BEGONIA VERNON. One of the very choicest of 
winter-blooming plants. No collection complete without it. 
A real gem in every way. Yery cheap; plant several. 
NARCISSUS. Golden and white colors of rare richness, 
in numerous shades, which are often blended together in a 
^harming manner. Exquisite forms, superb fragrance. 
She greatest rival of the Hyacinth and, like it, a free and 
sure bloomer. You can not have too many. They cost little. 
Be sure to plant them freely, and not omit the Polyanthus 
varieties. 
SACRED LILIES. Species of the Narcissus, from th# 
Orient, where they are loved, cherished and even reverenced. 
And well they may be, for what flower can be more lovely 
and fragrant, more fascinating and more lovable, or easier 
to grow either in sand, soil, or pebbles and water ? 
TULIPS. For brightness and brilliancy they are su¬ 
preme. Great, nodding, cup-shaped blossoms which fairly 
artow with brilliant colors. And, oh so cheap 1 What a lot 
cf rioh varieties may be had for a few cents. 
LILIES. Four stately varieties for winter blooming— 
the Bermuda Easter Lily and L. Candidum, Parryi and 
Excelsum. Their beauty, stateliness and rich fragrance 
has made them the aristocratic flowers of the day. Easily 
grown, sure to bloom, and unsurpassed for church and 
other decorations. But plant large, strong bulbs. Throw 
away no time or. money upon weak ones. 
FREESIAS. Dainty blossoms of the highest order. 
Delicate, charming and beautiful. Everybody loves them. 
When a dozen bulbs can be had for 10 cents there is no ex¬ 
cuse for not having them in abundanoe. Plant five |or six 
in a 6-inch pot. 
CANNA, STAR OF i8qi. Still the best of all Cannas 
for pot culture, and the only one that will bloom freely all 
winter. A truly glorious plant in every particular. 
OTAHEITE ORANGE. The gem of window plants. 
Exquisite blossoms, fruit and foliage. No plant ranks above 
it for the winter window garden. Now very cheap. 
&WAINSONIA. The plants combine exquisite fern¬ 
like foliage with superlatively lovely blossoms and graceful 
habit. A profuse winter bloomer, usually the pride of the 
window. Cannot be omitted. 
GENISTA. Rightly called “Shower of Gold,” and it 
is at home in any window, where it will show its golden 
blossoms of marvelous fragrance in profusion. 
AUUTILOnS. Some of the new sorts, like Infanta 
Eulalia and Souv. de Bonne, are great acquisitions to the 
winter garden. Profuse bloomers; graceful and beautiful 
in both foliage and flowers. 
FOLIAGE PLANTS. These are always essential to a 
properly filled window. Handsome green foliage is nature’s 
setting for her floral gems. On page 27 is offered a good 
selection. 
SEEDS FOR WINTER BLOOMING. Bear in mind 
that some of the most lovely pots of flowers you can have for 
this winter may be had from a 5-oent packet of seed. Pages 
30, 81 and 32 gives a list of varieties which are suitable for 
this purpose, and everyone is a gem. Try a few pots of them. 
They will astonish you, especially the Multiflora Roses. 
CROCUS . Of quick growth and quick to bloom. Love¬ 
ly balloon-shaped flowers of rich, delicate color almost like 
Lilies. Fill several pots with them. They cost so little and 
are so satisfactory. 
Be sure to keep bulbous plants well watered during 
growth and blooming. Never allow the soil to become dry. 
OXALIS. A few bulbs will fill a large pot with charm¬ 
ing foliage and gay blossoms. They commence growth and 
bloom as soon as planted. Cannot do without them. 
IRIS . Some varieties, particularly Hispanica, are in¬ 
dispensable for winter blooming. They cost so little and a 
pot of half-dozen bulbs, of different colors, will be one of 
the most attractive in a collection of winter flowers. The 
new varieties from Palestine, (see page 12), which are offered 
this year for the first time are gems of great worth. Orchids 
cannot surpass them in beauty and variation of colors. 
Oxalis are always very satisfactory winter bloomers, 
but Sacred Lilies and Hyacinths take the lead. Try our 
new Japanese Double Sacred Lily. 
Bulbs naturally bloom very early in the spring when 
the weather is cool. Therefore when flowering in winter, 
if kept in a rather cool temperature, the flowers will keep 
perfect a long time. 
ORNITHOGALUM ARABICUM. Large bulbs which 
at once inspire confidence. Each must have a 6-inch pot, 
and each will produce enormous heads of exquisite flowers 
and create a sensation wherever seen. 
CHIONODOXA and SCILLA SIBERICA. Rich 
colors in shades of blue, graceful, airy sprays of starry blos¬ 
soms. To see them in a mass is to lose one’s heart in admira¬ 
tion ; so easily grown, so cheap, so eminently lovely. 
GRAPE HYACINTHS. Miniature spikes of azure- 
blue bells, tipped with white. A flower of the gods. Like 
Lily of the valley, one would miss the season without them. 
Bure to bloom early. Pot several bulbs together. Exquisite 
iOK email bouquets. So dainty and so cheap. 
The great hardiness of bulbous plants makes them par¬ 
ticularly valuable for winter blooming. If they should 
happen to get frozen some cold night, even when in full 
bloom, they are not likely to be injured by it. 
A splendid collection of 10 rare winter-blooming bulbs is 
the Mayflower Premium. For only 50c.; or 30c. in clubs, you 
can get The Mayfower for a year and this superb collection 
of 10 rare Bulbs. Do not fail to take it, especially if you have 
never tried to grow bulbs for winter blooming. This collec¬ 
tion, with The Mayflower to instruct you. is just the 
thing to start in with. 
