The Wilmington morning star., 1947-11-16
GARDEN CALENDAR

answered tn r ou 6 h these col
umns if addressed to the gar
den calendar editor in care OF
the Wilmington News society
editor.
POTTED PLANTS
All potted house plants should
be on the porch now if not actu-
ally in the house. and must be
moved inside before frosty
nights come. Most of them will
be forming flower buds before
Christmas. Unless we can have
them in bloom during our short
winter, we lose much of the
pleasure of having them, for II
our Southland the out-of doors
bloom lasts until l3te into the
fall or early winter and begins
so early that the house plants
are apt to seem poorer by con-
trast. Most of us, however, usu-
ally have some standbys that
are sure boomers and that give
much pleasure from year to
year with very little trouble.
Begonias are winter bloomers
and make good house plants,
because they are easy to care
for. Give them plenty of sun
clean moist air and a temper.
ature of 80 to 65. They like a
fibrous soil with sand and loam
mixed in. Keep fairly moist but
not wet and water from below,
or soak by setting the pot in
water until soil is moist to the
top, then allow to drain thor
oughly before putting the pot in
its saucer again. When dry,
soak again.
Christmas cactus likes sun
and plenty of water while it is
setting it's buds and till the last
bud is set. Gradually withhold
water as soon as the last bud
is formed until blooming is over
when it should be kept dry for
its rest period, otherwise it will
rot at the surface of the soil.
Repot in good soil with some
sand and a little plant food
mixed in, or give a plant tablet
or liquid manure when it is
growing we'll and begins to set
buds.
Geraniums, if they haven't
worn themselves out blooming
all summer, will bloom in any
sunny window. Cuttings planted
in June give the best winter
bloom. Use rather small pot
SO that the roots will be pot
bound and do not water very
freely nor feed heavily.
Christmas or Jerusalem cher
ry is decorative form of the
poisonous weed, nightshade,
and has red or yellow ber-
ries." It grows readily out of
doors here from seed planted in
spring. Plants can be lifted in
full fruit just before frost and
brought into the house provided
the change is made gradually.
It is best to throw away the
old plant and start seedlings
each year. Any good garden
soil suits them.
Poinsettia is not hard tc
handle if one but remembers
that it must have extra gooo
drainage, plenty of water, nj
drafts or sudden change of tenn
perature and a not too sunny
window. If brought into TIL
close heated house very gradu
ally it will hold its leaves ant
color up in November. Poo
drainage and sudden change
of temperature will cause tn
leaves to yellow and fall.
Cyclamen are more difficult
They require much water AM
it should be given from below
so that the foliage will not b.
wet, and should be kept out o
direct midday sun while il
bloom. Dry off the bulbs il
summer and repot in the fall
Bring to the light when new
leaves start.
BULBOIS IRIS
The bearded iris ESQ callet
German iris) are well known
and among our most popular
spring flowers. The beardles'
(Siberian and Japanese) arr
also much planted now. A thirt
type which have bulbs instead
of rhizomes like the bearded OF
fibrous roots like the beardiess
type, is not yet so well known
as they deserve to be.
The bulbous iris English
Dutch and Spanish) bloom after
tulips and because their bulbs
are small, they may be planted
among tulip bulbs to bloom
when the tulips have finished
blooming and give color for
longer period in the bed. The.
come in bronzes, lavenders, vio
let, all shades of yellow, II
white and variations of these
colors. The bloom stalks are
often feet high and the colors
are gorgeous, with orange
splotches on the fall. Th'
blooms last two weeks aftel
opening.
The bulbs are small, much
smaller than bulbs of tulips ane
hyacinths, but are planted JUS
the same except that they
should be only 3 inches under
the soil and spaced S inches
apart. Prepare the soil as fo1
tulipS and hvacinths with ma