Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-09-10
PRESENT PLANS FOR FUTURE
BEAUTY
6y EVA RYMAN-GAILLARD.

We who grow plants in our rooms
do so for the beauty of their foliage,
flowers, or both, and get pleasure from
them to just the degree that we can
bring them to their utmost perfection.
TO attain this with plants Of any
kind) one must know their character
istics and requirements and consider
whether available conditions in the
home are adapted to the plants de-
sired
If a plant standing in the open beds,
or In sunny, southern windows, is
making grand showing of flowers.
or brilliantly-colored foliage, do not
get one like it expecting the same re-
suits unless it can have similar con-
ditions. The same results cannot be
secured If the plant is put into a
shaded or northern window.
On the other hand, primulas and
other plants that produce perfect flow
ers in cool, semishaded rooms. will not
prove satisfactory in place adapted
to those needing more tropical condi-
tions. The plant-lover who expects to
have all sorts of plants grow and
bloom in the same window will Ger.
tainly be found wondering why some
of them do not come up to expecta-
ton. i
Even the texture of the foliage
needs to be taken into consideration,
for rough-leaved plants that are injured
by frequent washings have no chance
to develop beautiful foliage in q room
where furniture needs busting every
day.
Space Is another factor that makes
for satisfactory window gardening, for
certainly half dozen plants developed
to perfect form and good size are vast
ly more beautiful than twice that num-
Der of deformed specimens crowded In.
to the space.
The question as. to whether plants
should be turned or not is frequently
asked, and some people say: "Oh,
don't turn them. they will not bloom"
and so on. After years of working
among plants l hold this opinion on
the subject: Plants grown solely for
beauty as seen from the outside will
serve the purpose better If never
turned, leaving foliage and flowers
drawn toward the glass, but ordinarily
they are grown for the adornment of
the room and the enjoyment of those
inside, and should be turned often
enough to keep them symmetrical in
shape. for a lop-sided plant showing
all it's stalks Ito those in the room),
Is not very ornamental.
Very often plants are bedded out
for the summer and then ported for
the winter garden window, and almost
often the potting is delayed until
the plants must be taken in or fro
zen; and the result is lot of plants
that need q good share of the winter
in which to recuperate. w.
August is none too early to decide
which plants shall be taken into the
window garden, and their treatment
from the time of the decision should
be much as will fit them to make
a fine display during the winter, rath-
er than get the finest present show
ing.
If they are growing where crowded,
sacrifice a few branches from the sur
rounding plants in order to give them
space for shapely development. then
pinch out the ends of the branches on
the collected plants to force the forma-
ton of lateral branches. These lateral
branches furnish the blooming points
on geraniums and most Towering
plants, and the more of them that
can be forced to start. the more flow
ers one has during the winter.