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.