New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
THE CULTURE OF FLOWERS
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO AXE
DEFERRED BY FEARS OF EXPENSE.

TAKING CARE OF 4 SMALL CONSERVA-
TORY OR BAY.wINDow-DECoRA'
TIVE CONSIDERATIONS
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir Many are no doubt deferred from becoming
amateur cultvators OF flowers because they fear the
expense OF building. stocking and maintaining green
houses They hear Of IL 900 being paid for one
specimen NJ Wanda sunderland, and Of the fancy prices
brought by other plants Of such collections A. that
Of Frederick L. Ames Of North Easton, Mass. Henry
Graves. Orange. " j.; William {. kimball OF E"chcS
ter Erastus Corning. In Albany, and Hicks Arnoii
Of York, and conclude that love Of h"w"tS Is Il
taste that cannot be cultivated without enormous cX
pcnsc. This Is very much rs II people should CIV"
up learning to play " piano because they cannot
become LISTS Padcrcwskis; or amateur thc''rcais
should be abandoned because the standard OF t'argick
or Booth cannot BE- attained II everybody wanted
to play first violin there could b. no orchestra
An intelligent amateur grower Of flowers can dcriv"
I'm a modest delight from a bay window OF
we'll selected plants and thus begin what may In
time develop into good collection. II l. quite
obvions that u bay would not be- ruinonsy expensive
To stock. About one dollar to the square foot Of
floor Will cover the outlay. For unless the owner
wshc, 10 develop some special variety. which 1t would
be- nnWi,c fpr the beginner to attempt, he need not
invest in costly plants. II ne will proceed with nm
eye 10 beauty only he viii discover that often
low prices. The most gorgeous Of the orchids. the
catilcya can he bought mnd I'm bloom too. II an
ordinary variety for - n plant | cannot imagine
richer decoration I'm room the prevailing color ~
which I, pink. some harnOllzng Tint than bay
Il these noble flowers with their large petals and
opal, OF delicate pink and lips of royal purple.
Many beautiful varieties Of clrysanthcmums can also
be- had at slight expense The cost Of maintaining
bay window after 1t has been stocked Is virtually
nil Tbn ord fpmp al he
surcc-amo>t any plant will thrive in a temperature
81 from to % degrees, this being the medium
temperature 10 which both warm and cool house
plant, adapt Themselves and the plants will require
but little care beyond watering and occasional
CLEANING.
Color effects can be produced Ir simple bay
window upon which the eye will rest with delight
effect, which the art Of the most skilfu decorator
cannot equal let alone Surpass. one can have grace
iul folilcc pllnt, like the FicS chStica Ghc rubber
tree. Iaania norbonica thc fan PALM. varieties of
Kcnr. aud the beautiful AIancaha eXccSa New.
Zealand pinrl and. blooming under their fresh green
foliage. such bulhous plants hyaeinih. tulips and
narci, su, azal'as. senstaS and Ambition. These
ar" among the more common flowers best adapted 10
window growth. Vary th"s, with those orchids which
most apt 10 thrive I'm bay. and cXqu lite har-
MONIES I'm color be- produced. one could have
Cypripcdlum inNi,nc. with It's yellow and white
flowers LycaStc Skinneril. ranging from light pink
TO deep purple: OdonoglosSum ROSSlt majuS. with
white, pink and brown flowers besides the gorions
cattlryn~ laelas and dcndrobums. Nor Is there any
reason why the amateur should himself (of
,our., in 4 modest yet the less delightful wayl
to the lcrfccting Of som" special group % flowers
,hius lat extensively. If he desires. oppor
tuniiy presents Itself
II may have been gathered from statement made
above that plants do not require much care a +
generally bestowed upon them. Indeed. I'm many case
plant suffer, rather than benefits from being handled
10, much All plants rs q rule want wAter when dry.
that H. when the soil about them becomes moderately
dry. Then They should get a watering that will 20
night through the pot and not only little on the top
soil. a~ is generally the practice, while the root, nj
the bottom nrc starving. Flowcrinr plants need
plenty of fresh air and all the light hat can he given
them. while the foliage plants will do we'll In shady
places. IIc,idcs watering the plants. should be
taken 10 keep them free from insects, which is accom-
Pill he'd by occasional sponging and keeping few
tobacco stems near them or Sprinklpg them with
tobacco dust. These are certainty very imposing
labJrs.
These suggestions arply cqnllly VIII to the
>rryatory and greenhouse \ small conservatory Is
next 10 the bay the least expensive OF enjoying
flowers indoors. For IT is possible to heat II from
the room into watch II opens provided the furnace
uc is enough to the door OF the conservatory to
allow conSdcral" heat to pass through II. TO have
fu" from TIA" furnace directly to the conservatory
tense aud dry. The Only practicable method OF
directly heating conservatory greenhouse + by a
boiler ana pipes a. rule the expense OF building
II con >ervnory ordinary grrcnhousr. with pipes.
boiler and other fixtures. Will average 500 running
foot, or al per square foot Of floor This OF course
does not include any excavation masonry work
simply wood iron, pipes. boiler glass, painting and
the like In fact. every thing over the ground. The
expense Of running such greenhouse would b. about
tend
scrv.orv can he safely .siima,"d by suunrr feel Of
the hoor ihr cost OF fitting up With foliage and
towering plants including orchids, would BE-
than ~ to ~ - per square foot Thus II would cost
only from $50 {" 200 to stock small greenhouse.
say - feet 10y 10 or II. with choice plants. This
cstlma'. for 3!o"king apple equally = "A bay.
lines for In II bay tones In the decoration of the
room should b" considered whil Ia conservatory the
plants constitute In themselves all the decorate Ii
l. advisable To hay" In each nook and corner Of
conservatory strong combination Of similar varieties
than II they were scattered through TIL house. |
t, similarly. the ianslnped palms should br grouped
special group ana var"nit1 and fancy foliage plants
VIII also b" far effective In special group. Per
than tree ferns. with their long stems aud graceful
above the door With pitcher pSntS or mepaniHcs
hung near 10y and antluiun with their bright scarlet
Npnth'S ON neiglhorlng bench. produce beautiful
effect As regards the color scheme there is of |
course. bn one rule: all the pink ard purple shades
Should be kept with the white, and never mixed with
frctiyely with white. which should always b. rs
IN" middle or nidium color between the two color |
groups.
II Is an easy matter to have succession OF bloom
m th hY 1ne year nydr, % or
voting ones self to orchid culture this class has
so many varieties Of different habit Il nj II Is easy TO
form orchid groups which will bloom SNcy dur
Ing the successive seasons Of the ycar. For mis-
celancou> collection. chrrSanthemhns Will furnish |
bloom from October 10 Decemlr. fiOm then until |
March or April such plants hyacinths. tulips |
hydwngeas and llyof thcvalley. the succession be
hen thn tf-nfh ,la tn.
can Also 10y simply having his garden We'll stocked
avoid all expense OF buyii flowers Oi indoor bloom
For the garden flowers when well established |
be forced to bIooI again indoors-in other words
they will bloom twi,r The ont OF door gar
den contribute TO the conservatory In another way
The small cuttings can be- planted In the spring cul. |
tivafcd and pinched form Ishy specih ems |
lifted Mt the approach OF winter. and winterrd I'm the
conservatory which will then furnish display
" bloom, such chry santhemuuS, silvias azaieas
spnStas, hydrnngpas, gpranfum and other cou,mon |