Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30
INDOOR BULB GARDENS
PLANTS MAY BE SUCCESSFULLY
RAISED BY EMATEuRs.
Select Good Soil and With . Little
Care Best Results Will
10 If
Follow.
written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Every woman should be her own florist
Then, instead Of being at the mercy Of
the professionals, who in niidwinter and
spring are able to command exorbitant
prices for their choicest blooms, the thrifty
housewife who has exercised little fore
thought may fairly revel in blossoms that
cost her nothing at all.
Those plants which are raised from
bulbs may be most successfully managed
by the amateur flower raiser. They re-
quire the minimum of attention and are
most lavish in their production of bios
SONS.
The bulbs should be buried in terra
Gotta f1owerpots, a wide pan being es-
pecally made for the accommodation of
such plants. After they are placed in the
soil the bulbs should be set in a warm
cellar to terminate. When the leaf stalk
begins to push above ground, the plant
may be brought up stairs, but should then
be covered with another pot in order that
the light may not have a bad effect
the flower bud.
First in favor among spring flowers of
home growth is the hyacinth. Its home IS
the Levant There 1t was one of the most
admired plants of the ancient Greeks, who
wove about it the pretty legend of Hy-
acinthus, beautiful youth, whose acct
dental death at the hand of the god Apollo
gave immortality to his name, since it is
tabled that the flowers which sprang up
wherever the blood Of the youth touched
the earth were named In his honor.
The Levantine flowers are still purplish
blue a variety of the plants grown in the
south of France and the parent of the
| Roman hyacinth being a beautiful white
| Other colors have been derived from these
stocks by cultivation.
Light and Snndy Soil.
| The soil in which hyacinth will best
| flourish is light and sandy. Leaf mold
| and fertilizer combined in about equal
| quantities promote rapid growth A pot
eight inches in diameter will accommodate
| three bulbs, while one six inches in diam
eter-is only large enough for single hya-
cinth. When the pot has been filled with
| soil, hole is scooped out with the fingers,
and the bulb is placed in 1t and covered
| with earth. little water is then poured
over the pot to allow bulb and soil to set
| tie. Then the pot is placed in a warm,
| dark closet or cellar and kept there until
the roots and leaves are well started.
| Hyacinths are sometimes grown in water.
| Specially prepared glasses may be bought
| for that purpose. Plants which have been
| started in soil may be transferred to water,
when they begin to grow vigorously A
| piece of charcoal in the water helps to
keep 1t pure. The bulbs may be grown in
sand, charcoal siftings, moss or any sub
stance that will retain the moisture.
The exquisite fragrance Of hyacinths
| makes them acceptable gifts for the sick
| and pretty souvenirs fer friends. Blue,
purple, red white and yellow are the color
| possibilities of the blossoms. purple being
| most common. II O.
In Cool Room.
Tulip bulbs are planted in much the same
way as are hyacinths a pot three to four
inches in diameter being required for a
single bulb. They should be grown in a
moderately cool ROOM, Tulips are mem
bers of the lily family. and IN the shape of
| T~f
applied to them by the Persians. The Dutch
excel in the cultivation of these flowers,
which grow in abundance in the gardens of
the diked cities of Queen Wilhelmina' S
| kingdom.
Every spring they seem to- become more
popular in America. The parrot tulip, with
a splendid toothed flower, Nariegated in
color, is the most pretentious of the family
although the brilliant peacock is formida
| BILE rival for first place.
The crocus is one of the earliest Of spring
; flowers. Its bulbs are small, and the flow.
ers may easily be forced. The blossoms
,, which are extremely handsome, are much
priced in household decoration. Eight OF
ten bulbs may be planted in a pot six inches
in diameter They require rich soil ant
should be buried about an inch below the
! | essary to keep them in the dark until they
, | sprout. They require frequent sun baths
but not so much moisture as hyacinths. II
| color crocuseS are purplish lilac, dark pur
| PIE, DIue White ana orange Win
. markings according to the varieties
a When Sentiment Counts.
There are SO many kinds of lovely mar
5 cissuses that any woman of sentimen
= might be tempted to make fad of rails
d ing these flowers. Their gold and whit
n cups, which legend has endowed with tn
t name of the handsome Greek youth VIII
: became enamored of his image In the wa
=. ter and died of disappointed love- are reall
II lovely. Dafodils and jonauils belond to tn
- narcissus family. The growing plant
y should be kept in a moderately cool room.
;" Freesia, fragrant white flower, may b
: | planted now and put in cool cellar unit
II 1t begins to sprout. Four to six bulbs ma
E, be planted in single pot. The flower
'e | originally came from South Africa and wi
| flourish in warm indoor atmosphere.
Lilies are not so difficult to raise as ga1
deners would have think. The hant
some Chinese sacred lily, which may b
- grown in a bowl or in glass dish partI
- filled with pebbles, is member Of the ma,
e cissus family.
a Crocuses and snowdrops are easily care
It for They may be planted quite thickly
+ pots. They should be fairly well advance
- In growth before they are placed in stron
l. | light.
Beautiful Calais.
~ The Gala lily bulb ought to be put into
~ pot six inches in diameter. AS soon 1t
% planted the bulb should be given plenty
- moisture and sunlight. Easter lilies al
:. cared for in much the same way. The
- should be given only moderate heat in orde
~ to secure the finest flowers.
W The bulbs should be carefully tended da
ii ly II fine blooms are expected. Prett
': bowls and pots add to the appearance of tt
re- plants. Beautiful stands are now made fl
< indoor plants, but the skillful Horticulture
c. knows that different flowers require diffe
or ent degrees of heat and sunlight and a.
A. cordingly places them about the room
err the most appropriate spots
-
or ABATEMENT OF DISEASE
of