30 
House & Garden 
LET YOUR CHRISTMAS PLANT GIFTS BE UNDERSTOOD 
A Christmas Card Accompanying Each Gift , Inscribed With Some of the Following Facts, 
Will Help the Recipient to Supply the Simple Care Which Spells 
Longer Life for That Particular Plant 
SPIREA (Astilbe). Not to 
be confused with the flowering 
shrub called spirea. 
Some varieties have clusters 
of white flowers; others of 
pink or almost purple. 
Spireas need plenty of mois¬ 
ture at their roots; the pot 
may even be kept standing in 
a saucer containing about one 
inch of water. 
After the flowering season 
the plant may be placed outdoors and protected with 
dead leaves. In the spring it can be set in the flower 
garden or border. 
PRIMROSE (Primula). Pri- 
mula veris, “first in spring,” was 
an old appellation applied to one 
or two species of plants, and re¬ 
tained today as an unusually de¬ 
scriptive family name of these in¬ 
teresting flowers. 
Over three hundred different 
primroses are recognized. 
In most houses primroses should 
be watered daily. An application of concentrated 
plant food, obtainable at any good flower shop, is 
advisable once a week. 
JERUSALEM CHERRY 
(Solanum capsicastrum). A na¬ 
tive of Brazil and Uruguay, be¬ 
longing to the same family as 
the potato, tomato and egg¬ 
plant. 
Most of the solanums come 
from the temperate or tropical 
regions. 
Once it is grown, the Jerusa¬ 
lem Cherry requires comparatively little water; exces¬ 
sive watering will cause the fruit to fall. 
NORFOLK ISLAND PINE (Araucaria ex- 
celsa). The araucarias comprises about a dozen 
species, native to South 
America and Australia. 
One form attains a height 
jf one hundred feet in the 
Chilean Andes, and an¬ 
other, in Australia, one 
hundred and fifty feet. 
The Norfolk Island Pine, 
ndoors, requires daily 
watering, but the water 
should not be allowed to 
soiled and stand in the 
ardiniere. A room temper- 
iture of 60° to 70° is best. 
BOSTON FERN (Nephrolepis). Ferns need 
ilenty of water. It is also a good plan to stand 
the plant in a tub once a 
week and spray it with tepid 
water to keep the dust from 
clogging the pores of the 
leaves. 
If you wish to keep the 
fern through the summer it 
should be repotted with 
fresh, light earth about 
March. A shaded location 
out of doors will be the best 
for spring and summer. 
* 
(Erica) Although 
ate the heather with 
esting to note that 
cultivated types are 
Africa and were in- 
about 1800. 
of Scotland, on the 
to be indigenous 
to the genus Calluna. 
the most exacting 
It does best in a 
more than 55°, and 
sparingly. 
are over there is lit- 
> keep the plant alive 
, is available for it. 
during the n o n- 
blooming season are such that few dwell¬ 
ing houses can sat- isfy them. 
The first half of t ^ le Century 
saw perhaps the ^ greatest popularity 
the indoor heathers ever enjoyed. Old 
English gardeners still mourn the days when the 
hard wooded plants from Australia and the Cape 
were such prominent horticultural subjects in Europe. 
They say that today we do not give these plants the 
care and attention they deserve, a statement which is 
especially true of America. 
HEATHER 
we naturally associ- 
Scotland, it is inter- 
practically all of 
natives of South 
troduced in England 
The wild heathers 
other hand, appear 
plants. They belong 
Heather is one of 
of the house plants, 
temperature of not 
should be watered 
After the blossoms 
tie use trying to 
unless a greenhouse 
Its requirements 
POINSET 
pulcherrima). 
and Mexico are 
of the poinsettia. 
same family is 
milkweed of our 
sides. Over 1,000 
p h o r bia are 
There are many 
phorbia, a few of 
because of their 
age. The flowers 
TIA (Euphorbia 
Central America 
the natural home 
Belonging to the 
the common 
Eastern r o a d- 
species of Eu- 
known. 
types of Eu- 
them of interest 
ornamental foli- 
are usually small. 
Poinsettias are heat lovers, and do best in a tem¬ 
perature above 65°. Like most soft wood plants 
they require plenty of moisture—watering at least 
once a day will be necessary to prevent the leaves 
wilting. 
If exposed to cold or other unfavorable conditions, 
poinsettias are apt to drop their leaves. For this 
reason special care should be taken to handle them as 
directed. 
CLUSTER ROSE 
(Rosa multiflora). To pro¬ 
long the flowering period 
indoors it is a good plan 
to stand the pot in a cool 
room at night, where the 
temperature is about 50°. 
Be careful not to over¬ 
water. 
After the flowers have 
gone the plant may be 
stored in a cool cellar and 
watered just enough to 
prevent the wood shriveling. 
In the spring it may be planted in the garden, where 
it will bloom during the summer. 
AZALEA. A temperature of 50° 
is best, although, like many other 
plants, azaleas will succeed for some 
time in ordinary house temperatures. 
While in bloom they should be wa¬ 
tered about every other day, soaking 
them thoroughly. 
After the flowering period less 
water should be given until good 
weather comes, when the plant may 
be set outdoors in a shady place. 
Azaleas are closely related to rhododendrons; in 
fact, botanically speaking, they are inseparable. 
CYCLAMEN (Cyclamen 
persicum). For over a hun¬ 
dred years this plant has 
been under cultivation. It 
came originally from Persia, 
and does best in a temperature 
of about 55°. 
Not oftener than once a 
week, apply a weak solution 
of plant food such as the seed 
houses supply. 
Plenty of drainage, such as 
bits of broken crock, should be in the bottom of the 
pot. 
dwarf tree of the orange family, deriving its name 
probably from the island of 
Tahite. 
It is sometimes used as a 
stock for dwarfing other or¬ 
anges. 
Excess watering will cause 
the fruit to fall. The foliage 
should be sprayed occasionally 
with soft water to cleanse it. 
Toward spring the plant 
will start into new growth, 
and then requires more water. 
Spring is also the time for re¬ 
potting. 
is a saying mat 
stands with its feet in the spring and its head in the 
fires of Heaven.” 
For palms are water 
lovers, and they demand 
in addition a warm house 
in order to be at their best. 
Frequent spraying of the 
leaves with soft water is 
advisable. Never fill the 
jardiniere completely with 
water. 
A sponging with one of 
the liquid insecticides every 
month will keep the foliage 
bright. 
