Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-15
WHAT THE FLOWERS NEED
DAILY WANTS OF FOOD AND SHELL
TER SUGGESTED.
give Water to HeIiOtrope and Fer
cite Red Spider Pest.

Written for The Evening Star.
Florists tell one that plants should never
he potted in glazed pots. But the condi-
ti0ns under which the florist works are
very different from those which the anna
teur has to contend with, where rooms are
hot and dry and the soil in the pots does
not keep moist as it does in green house
The japanese use glazed pots with great
success and why should not We? OF course
they must have a gOod-sized hole in the
bottom for drainage.
Sow seeds Of Kenilworth ivy or linaTia in
pots containing palms They cover the
surface and drape the pot prettily- Many
insect pests are almost too small to be seen
by the naked eye When the leaves turn
yellow or look unhealthy. take magnify
ing glass and examine the under sides of
the leaves for red spiders. The preventive
and remedy for the red spiders is moisture.
This can be attained by spraying. Be sure
to wet the under side of the leaves, as that
IS their chief haunt.
When people go out of their warm houses
into the open air they put on wraps. if it
is at all chilly, but they do not reflect that
their plants are just as sensitive. And they
have their unfortunate palms and India
rubber trees set out to decorate their front
steps when il makes plant lover SILVER to
See the poor things. Their only way of
protesting against such treatment is to
turn brown and drop their leaveS-and then
their owners wonder whyi
Nothing is better for plants than to be
set out in gentle. warm rain-but avoid
wind and cold rains, and never set a bloom
ing plant out in the rain if you want the
blossoms to last. When people buy hya-
Cinth and tulip bulbs in bloom they take
great care of them until they fade, then
they either neglect or throw them away.
This is a mistake. Keep on watering them,
even if you have to set them in some out
of-the-way corner but keep them in a light
place. and then, when the weather is mild
enough. usually by the end Of March. set
them out into the ground-in the garden or
back yard. at the edge of the grass near
the fence. or in any odd corner. and by
spring you viii be rewarded by blossoms
not large but very pretty.
Use the common garden asparagus as a
green for bouquets of sweet peas. They
are both so light and airy as to make a
most lovely combination.
For palms and other large-leaved foliage
plants in the house there is nothing more
important than cleanliness. frequent spong-
ing of their leaves. Do not give them drib-
lets of water-give them a thorough soak
ing In a pail OF warn water every week or
fortnight, and water from a watering pot
whenever the surface Of the soil looks dry
at other times. This insures the whole bail
OF earth being kept moist.
Remember that heliotrOpes require rich
earth and plenty Of water. They are gross
feeders. and always thirsty, and like to be
sprayed If this is borne in mind Won will
have abundance of bloom. especially If Won
give them an occasional dose of LIQUID
manure.
Last summer my roses became infested
with the aphis. or green fly" l made
nauseOus decoctions OF tobacco tea and
sprayed them, which settled them for a
time. but they returned more yoracfous
than ever. Then l sOused them and nv
SELF incidentally. with vile-sneIIing whale
oil soap. the effect of which was prornpt
but not lasting Then a friend said WHY
don't you Just use insect POWDER" This 7
81 md
was clean. easy to apply and 1 could easily
Keep doing It at short intervals, thus kill
Ing the infant progeny as they arrived
Save all your wood ashes for Your sweet
pea trenches. There is nothing YOU can
use as a fertilizer that is so good. and IN
is also a preventive of insect pests Re-
member that sweet peas like leaf mould
Heliotrope and mignOnette together give
the odor OF wall flowers.
Plant sprayers are expensive but a
whisk broom IS in every house and does
just good work as a sprayer. Be sure
To tip the plants over and wet the under
sides Of the leaves.
II you have a pot Of flowers in bud give
them al the sunshine you can, but when
the buds have opened keep them in the
shade and they will last longer.
Give liquid manure weak and often.
rather than strong doses.
Many people fail to grow mignonette
well Ii likes a rich. porous soil, and if
lacking in lime. add old mortar or Stacked
lime To the soil well mixed in Mignonette
wants COpious supplies OF water From
Baltimore south 1t does better if given
partial shade, in a rose bed for instance
II Will not do much the early part of the
season. but in August and September vo,,
will have quantities of the delicious. fra
grant nowers- At the north IL likes a good
deal OF sun II IL has plenty of water bur
the little, spindling spikes that grow in
some neglected corner have generally the