Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-09-24
gaaies' Column.
STAND-BYES AMONG HOUSE
PLANTS.

SIAN LIB EiS AMON0 aOO0G
PLANTS.
/ often receive letters from persons
who love flowers, and would like TO
grow them in their sitting-rooms, but
are afraid to undertake the enterprise,
because of their lack of knowledge
regarding kinds that can be grown
there successfully. "Do tell us what
to select, please" they say.
1 am always glad to do so, for one
who loves flowers is always willing to
help another fower-lover. The love
of flowers is the one touch of nature
that makes us kin.
Let US suppose you have but one
window for plants, and that one of
ordinary size. You cannot accom-
modate more than six average sized
plants without crowding them, and
plants should never be massed to-
gether in such way that each one
loses its individuality. Have fewer
plants, and give those you have a
chance to develop themselves on all
sides, by allowing them sufficient
room. You can have bracket on
each side of the window for ivies, or
some other climbing plant, and in the
window you can hang basket. In
this way you can have nine plants in
one window, and there will be ample
room for all of them. OF course if
your plants are small, you can ac-
commodate more.
Surprising nine are all you intend
to have I would select the following
kinds, if the selection were left to
me: First, a scarlet geranium, for
the reason that it will bloom nearly
all the year, and the healthy green of
the leaves, combined with the brillian
cy of it's flowers, makes it a pleasant
thing to see, and it is so easily cared
for that you can never recollect hav-
ing expended any time and labor on
it. My second choice would be a
rose geranium. for the beauty of its
leaves, and its delightful fragrance.
MY third choice would be Gala. 1t
is well worth growing for its luxuriant
foliage, and when it puts forth its
regal flowers, it is one of the most
superb plants to be found anywhere.
For the center of your collection you
can select nothing finer. My fourth
selection would be a heliotrope. 1t
will give you beautiful flowers the
year round and we have nothing more
fragrant except mignonette. My fifth
choice would be a begonia; B. Welt
oniensis, | think, for that variety has
beautiful foliage of rich, glaucous
green, with shining red stems that
contrast admirably with the thick
leaves, and it blooms profusely, often
being half-covered with clusters of
pale pink flowers. My sixth choice
would be fuchsia. I prefer sim
gle, pink-and-white variety, like Ara
bella, or Avalanche. Many would
like the double varieties, in scarlet
and purple, better. There are sc
many kinds that all fancies can be
suited. It is the same with regard to
geraniums. If you add seventh
plant, you can do no better than tt
get Master Christine Geranium, {
variety having beautiful bright rose
colored flowers. 1t blooms nearly TIT
whole year, and many would prefe
it to the scarlet variety. You ma.
like a double geranium. The bes
scarlet variety that l have ever grow
: is Jewel; the best pink Madam
Lemoine.
You want an ivy for one bracket
If you prefer some other vine for tn
other, get the Hoya. This plant ha
thick, leathery leaves, which can b
kept from dust easily, and it bloom
well in the atmosphere of the ordina
= ry sitting-room. Or you might &c
e Cobea Scandens Variegata, a mos
beautifully variegated plant, eac
!, leaf being edged and splashed wit
, white. 1t grows rapidly, and can b
trained all about the window in on
!, season. For your hanging baskt
e you can select nothing finer than Ok
: ais Floribunda. It is a most charm
+ ing plant, having bright green Gle
ver-like leaves, borne on long, sleI
der stalks, and, throwing up hui
e dreds of clusters of pink blossom
through the season.
/ You may want some ''foliae
J." plants { hope, however, you al
% more sensible than the florist, al
don't use such an absurd term,-:
if all plants having leaves were NJ
= foliage plants.) One of the best (
is the ornamental-leaved plants is tt
'e Coleus. You will have no troub
with it during the summer, but
does not winter we'll, unless it can
tie kept pretty warm. The variegatt
~ Japan Privet is a fine plant, havil
leaves splashed, blotched and stripe
with bright yellow and creamy viii
and is easy of cultivation. So
We Begonia Rex, if you can keep
he leaves clean and free from dust. Y,
Ms can do this easily enough if you
Ks, not forget to throw something oy
S S,- it when you sweep.