The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-12-20
Horticulture.
SOME wINTER-BLooMING PLANTS.

SOME WINTER-BLoOMING PLANTS.
am constantly receiving inquiries from my
floral friends in various places for plants suita-
BILE for window gardening, which will thrive and
bloom indoors when all without is bleak and
dreary. For the purpose of enabling flower
lovers to make proper selections, / will name
few plants, giving brief practical hints on their
culture. First then, mention Chinese Prim-
roses No one who has grown them once will
ever be witout them, and they have only to be
seen to be admired. They are just commenc-
ing to bloom, should be kept near the glass, in
temperature of not more than 80 deg or even
- deg will do. They thrive best with me in
an east window. BE very careful in watering TO
avoid wetting either leaves or flowers because
that is fatal to these plants
Bouiardias require very warm temperature
20 deg. is none too high; sprinkle them well
every day. III you want fine healthy plants,
they must have sunshine, air, and moisture
If you cannot or will not give them these, YOU
ought to go without and You will certainly go
without any that will afford satisfaction If YOU
use wooden table or stand for your plants or
have shelves, tack narrow strip of wood along
the edges and spread sand over them to the
depth of an inch. Set the pots on this, and
water as regularly as You do your flowers and
more plentifully. Your stand or table may suf-
fer but your plants won't 1t will give off a
constant moisture that will be welcome to your
flowers
Heliotropes are great favortes, on account of
the profusion of bloom and the delicious fra
GRANGE of their flowers IL should be encouraged
to grow large by giving it plenty of pot room,
and an abundance of window room. 1t may be
pruned and trained into any desired form, and
thrives in a warm temperature.
The Daphne makes a charming window plant,
and if any will thrive in west window this will
1t is an evergreen shrub, producing punches of
sweet fragrant flowers at the ends of the
branches. The pot in which it is grown should
be filled one-thrd full of broken crooks to insure
perfect drainage. The leaves must be kept per-
fecty clean. When the plant is growing give
plenty Of water, and keep in about 20 deg by
day and As deg by night
Monthly Roses, especially the tea scented,
will bloom well in winter if properly treated
They need rich soil, thorough drainage, fire.
quent washing of the leaves with a syringe, as
even temperature as possible-say So deg
careful guarding from draughts of cold air, and
smoking with tobacco when green fly makes its
appearance.
Verbenas can be had in bloom all winter
There is danger from overwhelming, causing
them to midew, for which, dust with flower
of sulphur-and the aphis, orgreen fly; against
these be on your guard.
Geraniums are certain boomers in winter
They need plenty of light and room. Turn
them frequently. Don't keep your blinds down
in the daytime. Roll them up rs far as they
clear sunshine to come streaming down Cover
up your carpet if you think it will fade, but
don't allow your plants to suffer for the carpets
sake.
Fuchsias, Santanas, Carnations, Gala, Gin
erarias-the list of good flowers for
winter blooming is sufficiently large to enable
people to satisfy themselves in making a selec-
ton. For vines and trailing plants are Ivies,
Smilax, Maurandia, Cobea and Thunbergia
The seeds of each of these will give for two
stamps for postage. Then, too, is the Madeira
vine-the bulbs are large and heavy-any read
er can have one for dime and, best of all,
for our hot, dry living rooms, is the Hoya Car
nosa, or Wax Plant
Once week give your plants taste of ma
nure water, made as follows Put hen-manure
in key aud pound it down snugly. Then
pour water over it, as you would tub of
ashes when you leach them TO make soap.
When it begins to run off, add more water, and
the teaching thus made is what will cause your
plants to grow splendidly. Put enough in the
water TO color it like weak tea. Bottle some of
this liquid for winter use. You won't regret
the small loss of time in its preparation.
l do not grow plants myself for commercial
purposes-only as study and hobby. l am
pleased to hear from iower-lovers, to exchange
experience for mutual benefit My address is
RENH1E.
HINsDALE, Outage county, Ill.