Flowerpot

“ If you buy Roses in pots, you can put them out at any time except during a frost. In hot summer weather you would naturally watch them at first, and give them shade if they seemed to flag. When you put a plant out of a pot, you must be careful not to disturb its roots and to give it plenty of water. If necessary, break the pot, as that would disturb the Rose less than shaking and shoving it. Go to a good firm for your Roses, and, if possible, one that will sell you Roses on their own roots. ”

“ Good crowns potted in rich fibrous loam and plunged in sand, fully exposed, with an unstinted supply of water, is the substance of the simple treatment my plants receive the year round; they are still in the 3in. and 4in. pots in which they were placed three years ago, and during spring they are covered with flowers. When a pot is lifted out of the sand in which it is plunged, the fine long silky roots are seen to have made their way through the hole. Spring is the best time to plant. ”

“ To the Editor of the Florist, Sir: As you invite communications from practical gardeners, I offer a few remarks on the above; as I think it a much rarer plant than it ought to be—few plants excel it in simple beauty, and by proper management it may be had in bloom every month in the year. Being double, it can only be propagated by cuttings, which may be taken off at any time, and readily struck in sand under a bell glass. In about three weeks they are sufficiently rooted to pot into single pots. I find them to thrive best in a compost of rough leaf mould and sandy loam, in well drained pots. ”

“ To carry on hot-beds on a large scale successfully is almost an art in itself, and for fuller details I will refer my readers to works on gardening. Early plants, in a small way, may be raised in flower pots or boxes in a warm kitchen window. It is best, if practicable, to have but one plant in each pot, that they may grow short and stocky. If the seed are not planted earlier than April, for out-of-door cultivation, a cold frame will answer. ”

“ Lilies make beautiful pot plants, and in pots their cultivation is very simple. Fibrous loam, peat, and a little decayed manure and sand will grow them well. It is a good practice not to cover the bulbs too deeply at first, and to add soil afterwards as growth is made and roots formed at the base of the stems. Watering must be carefully applied, so as to give enough without souring the soil. Plunge the pots in frames, and bring them in when growth is so far completed, or place outside in sheltered positions until they show flower. Repotting is best done as soon as the stems are quite withered. ”

“ It is at home in full sunshine where it will form a broadly rounded, bushy plant about three feet in diameter and, when in full bloom, with its myriad of black-eyed flowers, it can dispel the worst case of melancholia a dyspeptic ever enjoyed. It requires a good open, rather light soil to do itself justice. If lifted when in full bloom, put into a ten-inch pot, well soaked at the roots, and set aside for a few hours away from sun and wind, it will last for two weeks as a porch or house plant. ”

“ Tritonias.—These somewhat resemble miniature Gladioli, and are among the most useful bulbs for pot-culture. Plant from September to December, placing five or six bulbs in a 5-in. pot, and using a compost of loam, leaf-mould, and silver sand. Plunge the pots in ashes in a cold pit or frame, and keep them dry until the plants appear. When in full growth they may be removed to the conservatory, placing them near the glass, and giving careful attention to watering. For outdoor cultivation choose a sunny, sheltered position, with a light, rich, sandy soil. ”

“ For ordinary flower-pots a mixture of leaf-mould and sand is good, and while these are in the dark you must not water much, or the soil will get [204] sour and unhealthy. In planting bulbs for a room garden, do not set them deeply in the gravel or moss-fibre. The point of the bulb should just show above ground. This applies also to bulbs grown in ordinary pots. Whatever medium you use should be damp when you finish your planting. Your bulbs must then be put into a dark, cool place for four weeks to make their roots. An airy cellar is good, but many people use a cool cupboard. ”

“ Geraniums and other hanging plants tumble over the edge of the flat roof tops, looking as though they lived on air, as the boxes or tins they are grown in are out of sight. Here the humblest cottager grew carnations, fuchsias, begonias, and pelargoniums with loving care in every old tin box, or saucepan, that he could lay hands on. One reason that pot plants are scarce is the enormous cost of flower-pots, which are mostly imported, and often if I wished to buy a plant, the price was more than doubled if the precious pot was to be included in the bargain. ”

“ Some growers set the pots on shelves in cool, dark corners of the basement, but our cellars have always been much too warm. Soil should be kept moist, but not wet, during the rooting period.
When the pot is completely filled with roots, and a few stick out the drainage hole in the bottom, the potted bulbs are moved to a cool, shady spot in the house or greenhouse for just a few days. Then they are brought into the sun for growth and flowering. For the best and most lasting flowers, try to provide temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees by day, five degrees or more cooler by night. ”

“ They should be planted in the late fall, 4 in. below the surface, in soil that has been enriched 8 in. below the bulb. They increase rapidly, and do not have to be taken up, or even divided for years. If set in a border where their room is needed after they bloom, simply turn the tops down under the soil, and sow over them any low-growing annual, such as candytuft or poppies. My friend of the tiny "handkerchief" garden described in Chapter II, has—think of it!—over 1500 of these various spring-flowering bulbs in her border that are treated this way, and never taken up! ”

“ The upper part holds the flower-pot, and the lower collects the water that trickles through the pot, and keeps it away from the roots of the flower, thus preventing the plant from standing in water and rotting. ”

“ Just at the time that it begins to gather together its flowering energies the best of our season fails, and the plant must soon fail too, if not immediately taken up and placed in a well-lighted and warm greenhouse. If plunged out in a large pot or tub during the summer, it may be taken up without injury, and will in all probability flower under glass in the autumn, and prove a magnificent ornament. ”

“ When the plants are large enough to handle, pot off into small pots and plunge in the sand-box, if the weather is warm enough, or in a sunny window if cold. Winter in a frost-proof cellar the first winter, putting them in the open ground where they are to remain till the following spring. The plants will give a few blossoms the second season, enough to show the variety, and the next year may be expected to bloom freely. Plants raised from seed are more likely to bloom and do well than those from cuttings. ”

“ These elegant little greenhouse annuals are unrivalled for affording choice, neat sprays for bouquets during the winter and early spring months, or for growing as pot plants, to furnish warm greenhouses or sitting-room windows. Many of the species and varieties are largely employed for summer decoration of the flower garden, with highly satisfactory results; for this purpose, seeds should be sown in gentle heat early in spring, and the plants transferred to the flower borders late in June, or early in July, having been previously encouraged in pots, and well hardened off. ”

“ Occasionally, I give the pot a little shake, which settles the soil into crevices and crannies. But never do this jerkily or violently. When the soil is within a half inch of the top of the pot, press it down all about the plant stem; that is, firm the plant. You should be able to take up a potted plant by the plant stalk without uprooting it. The florist can do this with any of his potted plants. If the plant is loose in its new home it will not do well. ”

“ Winter Aconite, Snowdrop, Crocus, Scilla, Chionodoxa, Daffodil, Fritillary, Anemone, and Tulip are among the greatest treasures of the spring garden, and though these are not all strictly bulbous plants, they all have either bulbous, tuberous, or other enlarged form of root or underground stem which serves a like purpose. Even those early flowers, the primroses, are borne on plants whose thick, fleshy, underground parts are almost tuberous in appearance; and it will be found that all the earliest blooming plants of spring are furnished with large stores of nutriment in root or stem. ”

“ Strong, healthy, pot-grown plants can be planted throughout the season in almost all areas. They transplant easily, with little disturbance and shock. In fact, whenever we acquire plants during the fall, we keep them in their pots or pot them up, and protect them in the cold frame during the winter. One of my favorite and most knowledgeable rock gardeners tells me that he always pots tender or difficult plants, and keeps them potted until their roots are fully developed, before he sets them out in the garden, no matter what the season. ”

“ The soil may have a little extra leaf-mould and should slope toward the edges of the pot, to prevent the possibility of any water collecting at the crown of the plant, which must be left well above the soil when potting.
The easiest way to get plants is to buy small ones from the florist every spring. They may be raised from seed successfully, however, if one will take care to give them a shaded, cool location during the hot summer months, such as a coldframe covered with protecting cloth, or any light material that will freely admit air. ”

“ When settled fine spring weather has arrived, every plant which inhabits a pot should be brought at once under review, and put in proper condition for the growing season. No fear need then be apprehended from potting. Keep up a moist atmosphere by sprinkling, &c., and admit plenty of air, bearing in mind former directions as to draughts, &c. If the plants in the borders, or any of the climbers, are dry, give them a good soaking of weak, tepid manure water. Trellis climbers to be frequently attended to—stopping, training, and arranging their shoots. ”

“ Culture.--It would not be safe to trust this plant in the open ground except during a very short period of the early part of the cold weather, when the so doing will give it strength to form blossoms. In January, however, it should be re-potted, filling the pots about half-full of pebbles or stone-mason's cuttings, over which should be placed good rich vegetable mould, mixed with a large proportion of sand, covering with a thin layer of the same material as has been put into the bottom of the pot; a top dressing of ground bones is said to improve the fineness of the blossoms. ”

“ For a centre to a circular bed nothing can surpass it in the summer and autumn flower-garden, while numerous other charming uses may be made of it. Not the least happy of these would be to plant a tuft of it on the green turf, in a warm spot, near a group of choice shrubs, to help, with many other things named, to fill up the gap that is now nearly everywhere observed between ordinary fleeting flowers and the taller tree and shrub vegetation. It is better to leave the plant in the ground, in a permanent position, than to take it up annually. ”

“ Good-sized pots are also necessary, with a mixture of loam, peat, and sand, in equal parts. They are usually confined to the greenhouse, or warm conservatory, but are sometimes successfully grown in a south border at the base of a wall, planted out in a pit, upon which the lights may be placed in winter, and matted if necessary, as they cannot endure frost. A good depth of soil, consisting of fibrous loam, peat, and sand, in equal proportions, with good drainage, should be prepared. In all cases, the bulbs should be planted somewhat deeply. ”

“ As long as they continue looking fresh, they are doing well; and as soon as they begin to grow they should be transplanted into small thumb pots, and supplied moderately, but regularly, with water; changing the pots for larger ones as the plants increase in size, and according to their nature. Sometimes the pots are sunk into a hot-bed, to induce the cuttings to take root, and this is called applying bottom heat; and sometimes one flower-pot is placed within another a size or two larger, and the outer one filled with water. ”

“ When the plant flowers, which it does only once, and after several years’ growth, it sends up a flowering-stem{52} from 26 ft. to nearly 40 ft. high. The flowers are of a yellowish-green colour, and are very numerous on the ends of the chandelier-like branches. It will grow in any moderately dry greenhouse or conservatory in winter, or even in a large hall, and may be placed out of doors at the end of May and brought in in October. All the varieties are easily increased from suckers. ”

“ If people will use a little forethought, they can practice summer and autumn planting with double success, independently of the plant grower. We have shown that there is no mystery in raising potted plants. Moreover, in the hottest summers there are showery, cloudy days when ordinary layer plants can be set with perfect safety. If the field or garden bed is near where the layer plants are growing, the latter can be taken up with earth clinging to their roots, and thus have all the advantages of potted plants. ”