Other Flowering Plants

Ageratum--Valuable for its bright blue flowers and dwarf growth, going in well with other plants. There is also a white variety. Make cuttings in August, or cut back and pot up old plants. Alyssum--Good with other plants to produce a light bouquet-like effect. White.



Fall and dwarf varieties. Seed or cuttings. Balsam--Beautiful colors. Take up and pot after blooming in garden. Only double sorts worth while. Candytuft--Colors. Good for cut flowers. Seed or cuttings. Cannas--New dwarf hybrids, named varieties have beautiful flowers. Give rich soil, lots of sun and water. Dry off after flowering. Carnation--This beautiful flower is not well adapted for house culture. It may, however, be grown in five-or-six-inch pots, using a heavy soil, keeping in a cool temperature, about forty-five degrees at night, watering regularly and spraying daily with as much force as possible. For further information about growing the plants, see Part II., page 181. Carnation Marguerite--These are much better suited for the trials of house culture. While not as large, they are in other respects fully as beautiful. Take up the best sorts from the flower garden, cut back severely and keep shaded until new growth starts. Chrysanthemum--This is another beautiful flower not well suited to house culture. However, if you have room,--it will take an eight-, nine-or even ten-inch pot for each plant--and want to go to the trouble, you can have it indoors. For cultural directions see Part II, page 185. Daisies, Double English Daisies--The bright little short-stemmed daisies, seen so frequently in spring (Bellis perennis) are not often used as a house plant, but make a very agreeable surprise. Start from seed in August; transplant to boxes of suitable size, and on the approach of freezing weather cover gradually with leaves and rough manure or litter in a sheltered, well drained place. Bring them in as wanted from January on. Daisy, Paris or Marguerite--Beautiful daisy-like flowers, very freely borne, in two colors, pure white and delicate yellow. Root cuttings in spring and keep pinched back for winter flowering. Grow in rather heavy rich soil, with plenty of water. Patience Plant (Impatiens)--This old-fashioned but cheery flowered plant resembles the flowering begonias in looks and habit. It grows very rapidly and is one of the most indefatigable bloomers of all plants. Spring cuttings grown on will make good flowering plant for winter. Give plenty of water. Lobelia--This favorite little plant bears starry blossoms of one of the most intense blues found anywhere in the realm of flowers. Grown easily from fall sown seed, or cuttings. Star of Ishmael and Kathreen Mallard are two named varieties recently introduced and great improvements. Mahernia--(Honey-bell)--Of great value for its fragrance. Grow on from summer cuttings. Mignonette--Another flower owing its popularity to its fragrance. Start winter plants by sowing in two-inch pots in July or August, several seeds to a pot. As soon as well started, thin to the best plant. Grow on, keeping cool and well pinched back. Give support. There are several newer named varieties that are great improvements over the old type, especially in size of spike. Colossal, Allan's Defiance, Machet, are all fine sorts. Pansy--If wanted for winter blooming, take cuttings or start from seed, as described for Daisy (Bellis perennis). The seed bed must be kept cool and shaded. Salvia--One of the most brilliant of all flowering plants. For winter make cuttings in August, or take off suckers with roots at base of plant. They like heat. Keep thoroughly sprayed to ward off red spider. Piqueria or Stevia serrata--Another fragrant flower. Root cuttings in January or February and grow on for blooming from November to February. Stocks--What I said about snapdragons on page 64 might well be repeated here. Start from seed in August or September. They are very easily grown. In addition to their beauty--they resemble a spray of small roses--is their entrancing fragrance. Only the double sorts are good. There are many fine new sorts. Abundance, a beautiful delicate pink, will be sure to arouse your enthusiasm. Verbena--If any of these old brilliant favorites are wanted, start from cuttings, being sure to use strong new growth which may be induced by spading up and enriching the soil in August, and cutting back the plants. There is one thing which the beginner cannot be told too often, and which I repeat here, as it has much to do with the success of many of the above plants. Do not fail to pinch back seedlings and cuttings during their early stages of growth, to induce the formation of stocky, well-branched plants. This must be the foundation of the winter's returns.

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