The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-11-05
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rho winter Garden.


Soon the long cold winter days will be here,
and if there is a time when flowers are more
acceptable than then. am at loss to say
when the time would be. There are many
flowers which can be quite successfully grown
in the window Of an ordinary sitting-roonl, and
il il of some of them / would speak at this
time ] always like To zee plants growing in
the window, for somehow or other 1t seems To-
me that in the same abode will be found re-
fined kindly people, and wherever see a single
plant carefully tended in the window of some
poor person it brings back 10 very wildly To my
mind the Calceolarias and Gcraniums one is
almost sure TO find in the windows of the homes
of the laboring classes both in Scotland and
England In some parts of the city of Edin-
burgh there will be found more poverty and
squalor than one cares even to imagine yet
remember one day in returning from Hollywood
Palace on visit, ] purposely came through a
part of the ''auld toon" to observe some of the
historical buildings. In the course of my trav-
els / was surprised To see beautiful Geranium
growing in an earthenware teapot with the
spout knocked off a little further on, away up
seven or eight stories high, was n window COM
pletely empowered with Nasturtium and Con-
volvulus vines and still a little further on l OBJ
serSed q window-sill filled with lovely Pansies,
all of which set me to thinking that the love of
flowers il as great among tie poorest as well
AS the rich.
But how have wandered Inthe first place.
in making window winter garden, we must
select u window having southern exposure if
that Is not attalnable, then an east or q west
window Then with paste and strips of paper
or muslin, which is better carefully cover up
every crack in the window frame where Jack
Frost would be likely to obtain an entrance.
On very cold nights newspapers folded together
thcklv can be put OH the window-panes inside.
There are MANY ways of fitting up the interior
of no into mt
would recommend a stand mounted on casters,
so that il can be brought away from the win
dow in real cold nights The stand may be an
old table, or OF boards, but in whatever form
let there be sand strewn over the surface for
the pots to stand on. Plants in the house suffer
20 much from dry air-that is the reason i sug-
gest the sand, because it is constantly giving of
dampness. Ii 1T is not convenient to have
damp sand. water may be evaporated on the
stove 1t matters not how the damp air is Sc
cured, so you do get it. Most window plants
will flourish in a temperature Of 70 deg. by day
with Is or 20 less at night. Give air at every
opportunity when the weather will admit.
Don't be afraid TO give them light Fuchsias
and Rex Begonias are partial to shade, but they
can be put among the other plants.
OF winter blooming plants, there are so many
/ cannot describe them all in one letter. Let II
suffice for me to name few: Roses, CGrna-
tons. Heliotropes. Begonias, Libonias Gerani-
ums, Lantunas, Calas-and so L might go on
with ever so many. Roses, and, indeed, all
winter-blooming plants, must be prepared by
growing them IN pots during the summer.
This morning L was fixing up a bulb garden
for a lady. She brought III an old earthen-
ware milk-pan with n hole in the bottom, and
wanted some bulbs planted in it. got some
clear, sharp sand and filled the crock heaping
full, then at the apex planted one double Blue
Hyacnth, divided the circle into four parts,
and put miniature Hvacinth at the points, di-
vided again and put in Van Thoi Tulips. which
l thought would be enough but no, she must
have the edges planted with crocuses OF diff
thing, for its owner is inst one who can make n
commonplace affair look beautiful.
\ few weeks since some one--address lost or
mislaid-asked me to send samples of dried
grasses and Everlastings. For several days
Mrs. II. has been occupied in putting up beau
tiful bouquets Of these Everlastings and dried
grasses, both natural, bleached and colored.
Those who have never seen such things have
no idea what splendid ornaments they make in
winter. Our very latest flowers, the Chrysan-
themums, will soon be gone, and these in q
measure take their place.
A Southern lady desires me TO tell all about
the Lily of the Valley " from the very begin
ming" To do 70 would require an entire let
ter. For the present will say that any time
after the LIST of November pips can be had
which, by planting three to four-inch pot.
will, i'll few weeks, give long, slender stalks,
laden with the fragrant w tie flowers. Don't
forget that the Bleeding Heart forces nicely in
the house. Get bulbs of Tulips, Hyacinths.
Jonquils, Crocus and such like into the ground
Ut the earliest opportunity, and remember they
must be planted in the fall. air. RENNIE.
AINswoRTH, Iowa.