Vegetable And Bedding Plants For Spring

While it is true that there are many ways in which one may save money

with a small greenhouse all through the year, the best chance for making

money is by growing vegetable and bedding plants in the spring. Bedding

stock is what the florists term geraniums, coleus, begonias and other

plants used for setting out flower beds in the spring.



In every community a large number of such plants are used and the case

will be rare indeed in which one will meet with any difficulty in

disposing of quite a number of such plants among immediate neighbors and

friends.



The number of plants which can be grown in the spring with even a very

small house and a few sash is quite surprising. The secret of the

mystery lies, of course, in the fact that in their early stages,

seedlings and cuttings, the plants occupy very little room; while as

soon or soon after they are transplanted or shifted to large pots they

are shoved outdoors into coldframes. As the tender vegetables, such as

tomatoes, peppers, egg-plant, etc., are not started until after the

hardier ones, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, etc., the frames can be

filled up again usually as fast as emptied. In the same way heliotrope,

salvia, coleus and other tender plants follow pansies, daisies,

carnations, etc.



It will thus be seen that to grow these plants to the best advantage, a

coldframe, or better still, both a coldframe and hotbed, will be used in

conjunction with the small home greenhouse.



Directions have already been given (see Chapter IV) in these pages for

sowing, starting and transplanting seed.