The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-01
FLOWERS FOR EASTER.
Plants From the Woods That VII

TtaneS from the WOODS That WI,
Bloom Indoors.
New York Tribune: The most beauti-
full centerpieces for the Easter table when
Easter comes SO near the opening of
spring as it does this year. Is one of blue
hepaticas and spring ferns. The hepatica
Is usually the first flower OF spring. Close
to the russell earth in the warm light
which drifts through the bare woodland
boughs II opens its abundant azure bios
sons, as blue as the wings of the blue
bird or the sky of March. Like the sky
and water of March the flower has so
perfect an azure hue that 1t seems to have
been purified by frost. 1t has none Of
the purplish color Of the violet that BIOS
SONS later in the green grass of May.
The hepatica. the trailing arbutus and
nearly all the early spring flowers perfect
their flower buds in the autumn, wrap
ping them up in furry little covers close
to the earth, where they rest through the
winter under the snow to wait the awak-
cning suns of the vernal equinox. Some
times II seems to be a race between these
early flowers as to which shall open its
petals first and earn the right to.be called
the first bloom of spring. THE brave
spears of the skunk cabbage" however,
often push themselves through the frozen
earth before the blue hepatica or the
trailing arbutus breaks It's furry sheaths.
Any of these early flowers may be
easily forced in c wild window garden, SO
that they will blossom indoors long be-
fore they appear in the forest. The plants
must be taken from the woods in the fall
or at the beginning of March. brought in
to the house and thawed out ana then
planted In a sunny window. where they
will soon come into perfect bloom. They
are extremely pretty planted with the
evergreen s%pleenwort ferns. which are so
characteristic of the spring woods and
rocks, and which are more filmy and deli
cate than the most delicate maidenhair
ferns that grow in the summer forests.
III maidenhair spleenwort, or Asplen-
Jun trichomania. is an abundant fern on
limestone rocks In shady places. 1t
grows in thick tufts IL: pockets in the
rocks. its delicate Leaflets mounted on
threadlike ebony stripes.
When the poisoning hepatica is massed
in thick clusters in q deep center dish
Of delft with only the spleenwort fern, it
IS exceedingly effective. as it has no
leaves until after it blossoms. The leaves
that cling to the flowers are the half
w.thered leaves OF last year, and they
should be trimmed away. These flowers
grow in such clusters and are so intense
in hue that they are much more attract
i've as a table c~en.erpiece than the trail
ing arbutus, which is sometimes forced
into bloom in the house and used in the
same way.
The hepatica comes into bloom in the
open woods late III March or at the begin
ming of April. To force it into bloom at
as early a date as Easter Sunday it will
be necessary to start the plants a week
or more in advance. See that the plants
selected have abundant roots and show
a full cluster of buds in their little hairy
sheathes close to the roots.
Thaw out the plants at first with cold
rs fev and J1aca them IN tho ca11,r mo
not bring them into a warm room until
all the frost has disappeared from the
earth around the plants. After a few
days place them IN the dish in which they
are 20 grow in n sunny window. Water
them datly. If they develop too rapidly
and are in danger OF blossoming before
Easter, put them back IL the cellar for
u few days. Tt.ese flowers. masscd with
sprirg ferns. make an attractive piece for
the IaSter altar.