There are possibilities in the indoor culture of flowers, though it may seem to the casual observer, that only open air culture would justify one in undertaking the growing of a flower garden on any extended scale; but open air gardening, while it certainly makes for unlimited area of flower beds and a great variety of sorts has still its drawbacks of inclement weather, insufficient or too much moisture, much humbling of one's physical self on bended knees and a summer-long fight with the myriad insect pests, from the tiny aphis that colonizes itself on the tip of every green shoot in early spring, to the predatory mole that furrows up paths and beds, making efficient drains to deflect all water intended for the refreshment of the plants.
Such indoor plants as one may elect to grow309 are assured an adequate and continuous supply of moisture, a soft and friable soil, a reasonable freedom from insect pests and a certain amount of protection from burning sun and drying winds. Moreover they are not restricted in their season of bloom to a few months of the year; the indoor garden may be in bloom the year around—a bewitching succession of most of the seasons repertoire of bloom.
The indoor garden may have its beginning in the late days of September, when the hardy spring blooming bulbs come into the market. Nearly all of this class of plants force readily and pots and window boxes may be filled with soil, planted to tulips, hyacinths, narcissi, valley lilies, and the like and set aside in a cool dark cellar for midwinter blooming, requiring no further care for weeks to come. In the meantime their places need not be kept empty waiting their time of bloom but boxes and pots of bright geraniums, cinnerarias, primroses, cyclamen and the like will keep bright every nook and corner one can spare. Nothing is more dainty and delightful310 than a window full of primroses, and no plant will give a more generous and constant succession of bloom from fall until spring.
As far as practicable, the growing of plants in window-boxes instead of pots will be found more satisfactory. Inside boxes which are narrow enough to rest on the window-sill are preferable and the plants may be planted directly in the boxes or, if preferred, in pots and the pots plunged into the boxes with moss packed between the pots to retain the moisture. This gives a better moisture condition than when the pots are stood on a shelf, exposed on all sides to the drying air of the living-room. It has the added advantage of allowing the pots to be lifted from the box for spraying the foliage, a great help to successful growth, and to apply such insecticides as may occasionally be needed. Plants grown in the dry air of the living-room are apt to be affected by red spider; this is especially noticeable with such plants as cinnerarias, calceolarias and a few others. Those who are so fortunate as to possess that modern essential of a311 well equipped house—a sun room—will find limitless opportunities for floriculture, boxes beneath the windows, trellises against the walls and hanging baskets, all affording opportunity for much delightful work with flowers.
One of the most fascinating features of indoor gardening is found in the growing of greenhouse and other flowers from seed, and this is a feature especially suited to the invalid or shut in. The little flats in which seed is started are so light and easily handled and the plants grown from seed so sure to do well that one may depend almost entirely on plants from this source. Almost any light, shallow box may be used, as flat, half size cigar boxes, codfish boxes, or boxes specially constructed to fit the window-sills and divided by strips of wood into several compartments may be used. All require the same treatment—a few holes to insure drainage, a fine mellow soil of fibrous loam, leaf mold and a little sharp sand, filled to within a half inch of the top of the box and well shaken down, and the best seed procurable.
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All begonias, rex, fibrous and tuberous may be readily grown from seed which should be lightly scattered over the surface of the soil, and pressed down with a bit of smooth board, then set in a pan of water till the surface looks dark, surplus water drained away, covered with white paper, glass and set in a warm place till the tiny plants break through the soil, when they should be given air and light gradually and encouraged to make a healthy, sturdy growth from the start.
A low, broad table with a large, shallow drawer and a shelf half way down one side will be found the most convenient place to work and this can be moved as the work progresses from place to place so as to make as little walking and lifting as possible. Another work-table that I have found most convenient consists of a broad shelf—hinged to a strip of wood nailed to the window-casing, as wide as the window-casing and deep enough to reach the floor when dropped down out of use. This is held in place by two strips of metal attached to the window-casing that hook over screw-heads in the side of the shelf,313 but drop down against the wall when not in use. Such a shelf affords an excellent working surface for starting seeds in flats, bulbs and cuttings in pots and is indispensable for drawing plants away from a window on stormy nights. If finished to match the woodwork of the room it will be an attractive feature whether in use or dropped down out of the way and may be used for papers and magazines when not required for plants. For the latter purpose a neat finish is a border to match the standing woodwork and a center of green baize of felt.
There are a number of attractive vines and trailing plants—the Asparagus Sprengeri, Manettia Vine, Thumbergia—that may be grown successfully from seed and add greatly to the interest of the indoor garden.
At this time of the year it will be worth while to start seeds of certain garden annuals for use in outside window-boxes. Nasturtiums, verbenas, candytuft, phlox Drummondii, petunias, coleus, ageratums, daisies, lobelias, all make bright and charming window gardens and when314 the sliding screens are used that may be pushed up out of the way, the boxes may be planted and cared for from the inside with little fatigue.
Hanging baskets add much to the charm of sun room and porch, but are difficult to care for as usually arranged, but if instead of hanging from a short chain from a hook in the ceiling or cornice of porch or sun room, the basket is attached to a stout cord passed over a pulley and the free end provided with a couple of rings to hook over hooks in the side wall or pillars to hold it at the desired height it can be lowered on to a table for attention with little trouble. The moss-lined wire baskets are the best for this purpose; they retain moisture and are free from danger of breakage. If a pail of water is placed on the table beneath them and the basket lowered into this and allowed to remain until the soil is thoroughly soaked, then raised sufficiently by one of the rings to drain away all surplus water, the plants will be in the best possible condition to grow and bloom.
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One of the most fascinating plants for growing indoors is the little Japanese rosebushes, which may be grown from seeds into blooming plants in from six to eight weeks. They make the daintiest, most charming little plants imaginable. Shapely, many branched and loaded with bloom they are the very daintiest "Favors" imaginable for luncheons and other social affairs and are charming gifts at all times. The blossoms are about the size of a ten cent piece, and come in white, pink and red. The seeds may be sown in the pots—three inch ones, in which they are to bloom or may be sown in flats and pricked out into pots when large enough. I have found the seed to germinate very freely and the plants to grow on finely from the start. When planted in pots these should be plunged in a shallow box of wet sand or moss in a sunny window. This is the way to handle all young greenhouse plants, especially cyclamen, cinnerarias, gloxinias, carnations, Lady Washington geraniums and the like. To keep them growing vigorously they316 should not be allowed to dry out, nor to become soggy with too much water.
For starting summer-blooming bulbs the use of moss in shallow boxes or baskets will be found more convenient than the heavier soil. The sphagnum moss used by florists for shipping plants is the sort needed and may be used again and again if necessary, the only merit it has being its retention of moisture, exclusion of air and lightness for handling.
If one wishes to grow from seed for outdoor planting the hardier annuals and perennials, then somewhat larger and deeper flats should be used, but none over four inches in depth should be undertaken. In these such readily salable plants as asters, salvias, balsams, cob?a scandens, Shasta daisies, pansies, and the like will prove a veritable little pin-money mine and equally profitable will be found peppers, cauliflowers, bush musk-melons and other of the choicer vegetables, all requiring, practically, the same treatment.
The shut-in who wishes to specialize in the317 unusual might make an attempt to imitate the dwarf trees of China and Japan. This is not so impossible or difficult as it appears as the appearance of great age is more often the result of skill than of many years.