School and Home Gardens (1913)

8/14/2019 School and Home Gardens (1913)

1/337

m-mI

Jill


2/337

Cotne

mew IPorF? SAq, 500?


3/337

1Cornell university Library

1 SB 55.NI4school and homeg


4/337

Cornell UniversityLibrary

The original of tliis book is intine Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions inthe United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924000519052


5/337


6/337


7/337

SCHOOL AND HOMEGARDENS

BYW. H. D. MEIER, A.M.

HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND SCHOOL GAKDBNINGSTATE NORMAL SCHOOL, FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

AUTHOR OF "herbarium AND PLANT DESCRIPTION""plant study," and "animal study"

GINN AND COMPANYBOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO LONDON

s-


8/337

'^-//vCOPYRIGHT, 1913, BY W. H. D. MEIER

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED6135

1^4

I^Q.5oo"2>

itfte gtliengum gteHKGINN AND COMPANY PRO-PRIETORS BOSTON U.S.A.


9/337

PREFACEThis book gives definite instructions for arranging, plant-

ing, and caring for plants commonly grown in the house, yard,and garden. It tells how to do things in such a way thatgood results will be obtained. It is not a book of experi-ments, nor does it deal with generalities. The difficulties con-fronting the student in cultivating each individual plant areconsidered, one at a time, and definite directions for meetingthem are given. The various planting directions given in thebook have been tested repeatedly by the author in his homegardens, and by pupils in school gardens under his personaldirections. While designed especially to be used as a text-book for grammar grades, " School and Home Gardens " willserve also as a handbook for the home gardener. In districtswhere there are no school gardens, instructions may be givenat school and the lessons put into practice at home. Primaryand intermediate grade teachers will find in it ample materialfrom which they may select for their grades.The numerous drawings and photographs have been made

expressly for this book, under the personal supervision ofthe author. The pen drawings are by C. H. L. Gebfert andF. Schuyler Mathews ; the planting plans by S. A. Arnold

;

the photographs by Newcomb & Robinson, Robert Cameron,G. W. Cokell, and Arden Nortrup.The author is grateful for the help given him by Robert

Cameron, head gardener, and Oakes Ames, director, of the


10/337

iv S(JH()()L AND HOJIE GARDENSBotanic Garden of Harvard University ; also for assist-ance from Dr. C. G. Hopkins, Professor of Agronomy,, Uni-versity of Illinois ; Dr. W. J. V. Osterhout, Professor ofBotany, and B. M. Watson, Instructor in Horticulture, bothof Harvard University ; and Joseph N. Campbell, a practicalgardener at Sanger, California.Among the books that have been useful to the author in

his garden work are the follovi^ing: ''The Home VegetableGarden," Rockwell ; " The Woman's Hardy Garden," Ely ;" Garden-Making " and " The Vegetable Garden," Bailey ;" Experiments with Plants," Osterhout ; " How to makeSchool Gardens," Hemenway ; " Soil Fertility and PermanentAgriculture," Hopkins ; " How to plan the Home Grounds,"Parsons ; " Familiar Flowers of Field and Garden," F. SchuylerMathews ; " Garden Guide," Henderson ; " How to growVegetables," French ; " Trees, Shrubs, Vines, and HerbaceousPerennials," Kirkegaard ; "New Manual of Botanj-," Gray;also numerous state and national government bulletins.

Suggestions from teachers and gardeners toward the im-provement of subsequent editions are cordially invited.

yv. H. D. MEIER


11/337

CONTENTSCHAPTER PAGE

I. The Window Gaedex 1II. The Growing of Bulbs in Glasses . . . 6

III. The Growing op Plants in Pots 9IV. Window Boxes . . .... .... 28V. Hanging Baskets and Porch Boxes .... 31VI. Selection and Care of Decorative Plants . 32VII. Planting Bulbs in the Yard 48VIII. Plan of the Yard 58IX. The Lawn 65X. Annual Flowering Plants . . . . 72XI. Perennial Borders . 102

XII. Biennial and Perennial Flowering Plants . 105XIII. Wild Flowers . 123XIV. Native Ferns . 141XV. Planting Shrubs and Trees . 144XVI. Shrubs .... 147

XVII. Hardy Climbing Vines 161XVIII. EosES .... 169XIX. Shade Trees 177XX. Fruit Trees 181XXI. Small Fruits 190XXII. The Vegetable Garden 197INDEX 309


12/337


13/337

SCHOOL AT^D HOME OARDE^SCHAPTER I

THE WINDOW GARDEIsrConditions required for window plants. In every school-

room one window should be reserved for plants. Theymay be placed on the window sill, on a shelf in front ofthe window, or on a table. A window near the front ofthe room is best. Here the plants may be seen at anytime by every one in the room, and the extra floor spacegives more opportunity for working. It is advisable tohave each room equipped with a table that can be easilymoved, so that a number of pupils may use it at thesame time. On very cold nights the plants may beplaced on this table and moved away from the window.

Light is necessary to the life of all plants ; they can-not develop without it. Such plants as geraniums, petu-nias, lilies, and roses require strong sunlight. Begonias,abutilons, nicotianas, daisies, coleus, and ferns may begrown successfully where there is an abundance of light,but they do not require much direct sunlight ; theyshould be selected for rooms having north windows.Palms and India-rubber plants do well without directsunlight and will thrive in a hall or on a stair landing.


14/337

2 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSAspidistras, sometimes knowa as " iron plants " on ac-count of their hardiness, will thrive in the shadedcorner of any schoolroom.

Light-loving plants, vs^hether they require strongsunUght or diffused hght, should be placed near the

Fig. 1. A Boston Fern and a Palm in a Schoolroomwindowpane, so that they may receive all the lightpossible. This is of great importance during their earlygrowing stage. Much of the subsequent success dependsupon the health and vigor acquired during this stage.Crowding must be avoided; two or three plants in awindow with room to develop are worth more thana dozen which are obliged to struggle for existence.


15/337

THE WINDOW GARDEN 3If plants are to develop symmetrically, they must

be turned frequently, but it is usually best to let theleaves occupy the same position with reference to thelight from day to day. Plants will not thrive if theyare changed so that strong sunlight falls on the under-side of the leaves.

Fresh air containing the required amount of moistureis as important for plants as for children ; neither can bekept in health without it. But drafts must be avoidedno cultivated plant can be submitted to a draft for anylength of time without injury to its foliage or blooms.Special care must be taken in the spring, when theweather may change completely in the space of an hour.

In most schoolrooms the dryness of the air, caused byartificial heat, must be counteracted by keeping thewater pan in the furnace air chamber well filled. Inthe case of steam-heated rooms the normal amount oimoisture may be obtained by allowing steam from theradiator valves to escape at intervals.Dry heat absorbs the moisture from the foliage, andthe fine dust that is always afloat in the excessively dryschoolroom atmosphere fills the stomata (the openings onthe underside of the leaves, through which they obtainair) and causes the plants to become sickly and subjectto the attack of insects.The ordinary temperature of from sixty-eight to

seventy degrees, which may go as low as fifty overnight,is suitable for nearly all house plants. Large schoolbuildings should never be permitted to have a lower


16/337

4 SCHOOL AND HOME GAEDENStemperature than fifty degrees. Even if an effort bemade on Sunday evening to raise the heat of a school-house, the extra amount of extremely hot air needed toobtain the proper temperatiu-e will create an unfavorablecondition for either children or plants on Monday morn-ing. Although hot air forced into a very cold roommay cause the thermometer to register sixty-eight de-grees when hanging against a casing four or five feetabove the floor, this does not prove that the floor andfurniture have the proper temperature.


17/337

CHAPTER IITHE GROWING OF BULBS IN GLASSES

The Chinese Saceed LilyThe Chinese sacred narcissus, commonly known as the

Chinese sacred hly, may be easily grown in water in anyschoolroom or home window. The number of flowerstalks that come from a single bulb and the number offlowers on a stalk, as well as the healthful appearanceof the foliage, de-pend upon thequality of thebulb, the care itreceives, and thecondition of theroom. Much inter-est will be arousedin their culture ifbulbs are startedin different rooms of the same building at one time.A glass dish three inches deep and six inches indiameter is large enough for one bulb with three or

four small ones attached to it. If there are no smallbulbs attached to the larger one, two bulbs may be used.The small ones should be left attached to the large bulb,even if they reach well down into the bowl. Blooms may

Fig. 2. A Vertical Section of a Dish, showingMethod of planting the Chinese Sacred Lily


18/337

6 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSbe expected from all of them. The bulbs may be startedat any time from September to December, but theyare in the best condition when they first arrive in the

Fic 3. Chinese Sacred LiliesTwo bulbs were planted In an eight-inch dish

market. On account of the dry atmosphere in whichthey are usually kept, the later bulbs lose strength.Place a layer of one inch of coarse pebbles in the

bottom of the dish and on this arrange the bulbs. Ifthe side bulbs reach below the level of the large bulb,put pebbles under and around it so that it will stand


19/337

THE GROWINU OF BULBS IN GLASSESup straight. Continue packing in pebbles until the dishis filled, but care must be taken that the side bulbs havean opportunity to work their wayup. Four or five slits about onefourth of an inch deep, cut downthe sides of the large bulb nearthe top, will aid the weak shootsto burst through the tough outerskin.

Put enough water into the dishto cover the lower part of the bulb.More may be added from day today as the small bulbs make theirway up. Overflow the dish withfresh, warm water every day or twoby letting it flow gently in on oneside and out on the other, so thatall the water will be changed. Theblooming period will be hastened iftepid water is used each morning.Keep the dish in a warm place,where the sun does not reach it,for two or three weeks ; then giveit an abundance of sunlight.The giant golden sacred lily and

the paper-white narcissus may begrown under the same treatment as the Chinese sacredHly. If the bulbs are small, as many as half a dozenmay be placed in a single dish. Place small bulbs near

Fig. 4. Roman Hyacinthsgrowing in Glasses


20/337

8 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSthe top of the dish and use finer pebbles than for theChinese sacred hly. Keep them in weak hght until theflower stalks are well developed.

Culture of hyacinths in glasses. Single varieties arebest adapted for growing in glasses. Roman hyacinthsmay be placed in glasses in September, the other vari-eties at intervals during October and November. Userain water and place a piece of charcoal in the glass tokeep the water pure. Place the bulb so that the baseis just in contact with the water until roots are formedthen leave an air space of a quarter of an inch betweenthe base of the bulb and the water. "Without the air spacethe bulb will decay. Keep the glass in a cool, dark closetfor two weeks, until roots are formed, and then exposeit to the light and air. Change the water every two orthree days. The bulbs of plants that have been grownin water will be of no further use.


21/337

CHAPTER IIITHE GEOWING OF PLANTS IN POTS

TulipsThe soil must be loose so that the roots can workdown easily. A good bulb soil is made from a mixture

of one part clean sand, one part coarse manure, and twoparts garden soil, or from a mixture of one part cleansand and three parts soil containing rotted sod.The single tulips should be used for potting. They

can be brought to flower more easily than the doublevarieties. Plant them in flowerpots, bulb pans, or boxes.Five bulbs may be put into a six-inch pot ; a ten-inchbulb pan is large enough for a dozen bulbs.Put a layer of pebbles or broken pieces of flowerpots

over the entire bottom of the pot to a depth of half aninch, then put soil into the pot to within two inches ofthe top. Arrange the bulbs in rows and begin plantingthe row farthest from you. After all have been put inplace, fill soil around the bulbs and press it down withthe fingers. The soil should just cover the tips of thebulbs after it has been made firm. This will leave aspace of half an inch or more for holding water. Waterthe bulbs thoroughly with a sprinkler. They are nowready to be put away while forming roots.


22/337

10 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSBulbs have two distinct periods of growth : they

must first form roots and later leaves and flowers. The

Fir:. 5. Single Tulips

success of the latter depends entirely upon the strengthof the roots. During the rooting period they mav beplaced in a dark corner of a cool cellar or buried in


23/337

THE GKOWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 11a trench in the yard or garden. Packing them withleaves in a cold frame is an excellent way to keepthem. Bulbs that are kept in a cellar must be examinedfrom time to time. If the soil becomes dust dry, theyshould be given a little water. After the tops appear aninch or more above the soil, the supply of water maybe increased. During the rooting period they must be

Tig. 6. Tulip Bulbsu, bulbs arranged in a pan ; b, vertical section oi a bulb pan, with dotted lines

showing depth to which bulbs should be covered

kept out of the light. After flower stalks begin to formthey must be broxight to the light gradually.

If the bulbs are to be kept out of doors, dig a trenchabout fifteen inches deep near a fence or at the edge ofa border, where it can be covered without being in theway. Put a layer of leaves two inches deep in the bottomof the trench ; on this put the pots. Before the potsplace markers made of laths having the names of thebulbs written on them, so that they may be read above-ground after the trench is filled. Then pack leavesaround and over the pots and fill the trench with soil.


24/337

12 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSAfter the ground freezes, cover it with leaves or strawto a depth of five or six inches. This cover may beheld down with strips of board or with brush.Pots may be taken

from the trench at anytime from Februaryuntil spring when theground is not frozentoo hard. When theyare taken up, a holeshould be dug in frontof the markers. Liftthe soil carefully awayfrom above the potwanted, so that youngshoots which havestarted will not be in-jured. Water them andbring to warmth andlight gradually.

The narcissiis, hya-cinth, scilla, snowdrop,and crocus may all be

potted successfully in the fall. A six-inch pot is suitablefor three large narcissi or hyacinths. A five-inch pot islarge enough for six scillas. Crocuses and snowdropsneed thick planting ; two dozen bulbs can be put intoan eight-inch bulb pan. Use the directions given forthe planting and care of tulips.

Fig. 7. Cross Section of a Trench, show-ing Method of keeping Bulbs througli the

Winter for Spring BloomingNames of the variety in each row of pots may

be placed on the markers


25/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 13If the results are unsatisfactory it is usually owing to

the fact that the bulbs are larought to the light too sud-denly. They must be kept in subdued light until the flowerhead can be seen distinctly, when they may be given sun-light to hasten blooming. Hyacinths should not havestrong sunlight until after the stem beneath the flowerhead can be seen. It will help the hyacinth if the flowerstalk is protectedwith a paper tubeuntil the flowersare ready to open.Tulips, crocuses,and narcissi needstrong sunlightthe other bulbswill give excel-lent results innorth windows.

After the bulbs are done blooming, the leaves may bepermitted to die down gradually. If they are kept in adry, cool place during the summer and planted in bedsor borders in the fall, some of them will bloom thenext spring.

Early bulbs. The Roman hyacinth, the polyanthusnarcissus, and the freesia may be potted early in Sep-tember and brought to bloom in November or December.Six Roman hyacinths or four narcissi may be put intoa five-inch pot. Keep them in a cellar, basement, orstoreroom in subdued light until the flowers are ready

Fig. 8. Diagram showing Method of placing theSolid Bulb of Crocus, called Corm, in a Pot


26/337

14 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSto open. Give them plenty of water. Bring the plantsto the light and sunshine gradually.

Having learned the method of potting bulbs, pupilsmay be given some to pot at home. The kinds of bulbs

used for this purposemay vary in differentrooms, but it is ad-visable to let a numberof pupils experimentwith the same kind.Some will find it con-venient to store themin cellars, others incold frames, and somewill find it necessaryto put them into atrench. Flowers fromthe late bulbs may beexpected in Februaryand March. Resultswill vary all the wayfrom brilliant successto absolute failure.This will give an op-portunity to consider

the conditions under which the plants have been grown,and to work out a successful method of culture. Itwill also provide plants for the schoolroom window.

EiG. 9. A Hyacinth Bulb that formedStrong Roots while it was in the Dark


27/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 15The Calla

The calla is a plant that can be easily grown, but thedegree of success will depend largely upon the attentionit receives. Three strong bulbs planted in an eight-inchpot in Septem-ber should give c_-i_-^ ,m -=~-^a succession ofblooms for sev-eral months dur-ing the winter.When the plantsare not in bloomthe foliage willmake a neat andattractive appear-ance in any win-dow, if the plantis kept clean andin a healthy con-dition. The smallvarieties are bestfor either school-room or homewindows. Selectthree-year-old bulbs. The bulbs can be used from year toyear ; the large, strong ones will give the best results.

Prepare the compost for potting the bulbs by mixingequal parts of well-rotted barnyard manure, garden soil.

Fig. 10. A Calla Plant


28/337

1(3 SCHOOL A^D HOME GARDENSand sand. If the mixture is coarse, pass it througha quarter-inch screen. Coarse pieces of manure may bebroken by rubbing them on the screen.

Over the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot placea piece of broken pot or crockery, with the hollow sidedown ; then put in at least an inch of broken stone orpebbles, for drainage. On this place a layer of two

inches of well-rotted barnyardmanure, whichshould be wellbroken. Then fillsoil into the potso that the bulbsare within oneinch of the topafter a half-inchlayer of sand isput under them.Press down the

soil and sand. Place the bulbs in the form of a triangleand press soil around them, leaving the tops Ixirely cov-ered. With a garden sprinkler water the pot thoroughlyand set it aside for roots to form. Any place in theschoolroom or in a storeroom will answer the purpose.Callas need not be in sunlight until after growth reallybegins. Give them very little water during the root-forming period, but gradually increase the amount asthe buds appear.

Fig. 11. A Section of a Flowerpot containingCalla Bulbs


29/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 17After the buds have grown to a height of about two

inches, bring them to a window and give them plenty ofsunUght. Instead of the usual saucer use a granite-ironpan or a half-gallon crock to catch the drainage. Waterthe plant each morning, putting enough water into thepan or crock so, that the pot will stand in water to adepth of about two inches. When the leaves begin toform, hot water will help bring out the blooms. Keepthe pan or crock clean by washing it frequently. Plantsmay be wateredfrom above in the "'^ ,fk.ordinary way, buthot water will in-jure the stems if -it comes in con-, , .,1 ,1 Fig. 12. A Calla in the Corner of a Gardentact With them. , . ., - ,. j .i cduring Its nesting Period in the SummerOccasional appli-cations of liquid manure will make the plants morethrifty after they begin to bloom. After applying themanure, water well from above so that the nourishmentwill soak down to the roots.

In May or June turn the pot on its side in the shelterof a shrub in the yard or garden. The plants should bekept dry until September, when they will be ready forrepotting. Shake the soil out of the bunch and removeall roots and the bulblets that may have formed on thesides of the large bulb. Wash the pot and drainagematerial and plant the bulbs in a new supply of manureand soil.


30/337

18 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSThe bulblets will produce plants that will flower the

second year, but they will not be prolific bloomers untilthe third year. Space in a schoolroom window is toovaluable to wait so long for results. If pupils can findroom for them at home, the experience of bringingthem to bloom will be ^-aluable and interesting. Onlythe strongest bulblets should be used. A five-inch potwill be large enough for three of them. Plant in thesame way that the larger bulbs are planted, and givethem the attention usually given to window plants.

The Easter LilyAny one who has had some degree of success in culti-

vating bulbs may try the Bermuda lily [Liliinn harrmi),generally known as the Easter lil}'. Use the same kindof soil as for other fall bulbs. Select large bulbs ; thesmaller ones will bloom, but they seldom give satisfac-tory results. One bulb may be put into a six-inch pot. orthree may be planted in a ten-inch pot. Place the bulbsso that the tops will be three inches below the edge ofthe pot ; fill soil around them firmly and barely coverthe tops of the bulbs. This lily produces two sets ofroots : One set comes from the base of the bulb ; itfurnishes nutriment for the development of the plant.The other set is tlirown from the stalk sent up by thebulb ; the office of this set is to provide support for theplant. After the plants are taken from storage, soilshould be filled in around the stems until each pot is


31/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 19nearly full. This will give the stem roots an oppor-tunity to penetrate the soil for support. Stakes willseldom be needed if this method is followed carefully.After planting, water the bulbs thoroughly with asprinkler, cover, and put in a cool place for storage, hkeother bulbs, but do not allow them to freeze. Rootsshould form in ten or twelveweeks and the bulbs shouldthen be kept in a cool placewhere they may grow slowlyfor another ten or twelveweeks. At the end of thistime they may be placed ina warm room for blooming.Liquid manure may be ap-plied freely when the plantsare in bud.The plants should be en-

couraged to make a thriftygrowth after blossoming. Letthem die down gradually.Each pot may then be laid on its side out of doorsuntil fall, when the bulbs should be shifted to pots onesize larger. Pick the pebbles away from the ball ofroots but do not pull it apart. After placing drainagematerial in a pot, cover with a half-inch layer of sandand a small quantity of soil ; on this place the bulbwith its unbroken mass of roots and fill soil aroundit firmly.

Fig. 13. An Easter Lily in aHome Window


32/337

20 SCJIOOL AXD HOME (JARDEXSPrf)PAGATiO]sr OF House Plants

Cuttings. Stem cuttings of herbaceous wood, such, asgerauium, coleus, aud plants of similar nature, areknown as slips. Those from three to four inches inlength, taken from the ends of new shoots, are best; theyshould have at least two nodes aboveground and onebelow. The slip should be removed from the plant with

an upward-drawing motion of a sharpknife. Take off the shp just belowa node and trim back the wood onthe stock from which it has been re-moved, to the first node below. Thatpart of the stem above the node, ifnot removed, is likel}' to deca}' andinfect other portions. Parts of youngstems that are not taken from endsof shoots may be used if the woodis trimmed back to the first bud.

Reduce the foliage one half by cutting off either entireleaves or parts of large leaves. Always remove the leaveswith an upward motion of the knife. If the parts aretaken off with a clean cut, the wound will heal moreeasily than when ragged edges are left.

Materials needed. The materials needed are well-rotted barnyard manure, leaf mold, soil, sand, smallstones or broken pieces of flowerpots, six-inch flower-pots that are four or five inches deep, and china orgranite-iron plates or indm-ated-fiber flowerpot saucers

Fig. 14. A (iuraniumSlip in Soil


33/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 21

Fig. 15. A Table for growing Plants from Cuttingsto receive the drainage from the pots. Wooden boxes,eighteen inches long, six inches deep, and six inches wide,provided with zinc trays for the purpose of catching thedrainage, may take the place of the flowerpots.


34/337

22 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSPreparing the soil. "With a screen that has a quarter-

inch mesh, screen separately manure, soil, and sand;then mix them thoroughly so that the mixture willcontain one third of each.

Place broken pieces of stone over the entire bottomof the flowerpot to a depth of half an inch. If care istaken not to close the hole in the bottom of the pot,

'V/^^li--^'^

Fig. 16. Leaf Mold and SodThe leaves should be placed in a heap and covered with manure or soil. Cut thesod two or three inches deep and place the pieces upside down, layer upon layer

this layer will provide ample drainage. Over the drain-age layer place half an inch of small pieces of brokensod or leaf mold, to help hold the moistm-e and preventthe sand and soil from passing out of the opening inthe bottom of the pot. Sphagnum moss, which may beobtained from dealers in garden seeds or from green-houses, is excellent for retaining moisture. Press thelayer down firmly and place over it one inch of the pre-pared soil. This will give nourishment to the cuttiacrs


35/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 23after they have formed roots. Finally, put in moist sandand pack closely until the pot is filled to within onefourth of an inch of the top; then water thoroughlywith a garden sprinkler.

Planting slips. A stick, called a dibble, about sixinches long and having its diameter a little larger thanthat of the slips to be planted, should be used to makethe holes. For geranium slips four inches in lengthmake holes two inches deep, in rows oneand one-half inches apart, straight acrossthe pot. Make the holes one and one-halfinches apart in the row, but let themalternate with those in adjacent rows.The holes may be close to the sides of thepot, but they should be made so that theslips will stand vertically after planting.Have all the slips prepared and sortedbefore beginning to plant. Place smallones on the outside and large ones inthe center of the pot so that the whole will have aneat appearance after the work is completed.

Begin planting in the holes farthest away. The slipsshould reach to the bottom of the holes, and the edgesmust not be injured. With a finger on each side of theslip, press the soil down firmly. By planting across thepot and setting the shps in the rows farthest away first,the danger of loosening those already in place is reducedto a minimum. This method also makes it easier tograde the sizes.

Fig. 17. A Dibble


36/337

24 SCHOOL AKD HOME GARDENSWater the pot thoroughly after all the slips have been

planted. The sprinkler should be held at some distanceabove the pot, so that the water will come down withsome degree of force and cause the sand to settle aroundthe slips. The pot is now ready to be placed in a win-dow. A china plate or a granite-iron or fiber pan shouldbe put under it to catch the drainage. The ordinaryclay saucers used under flowerpots are so porous thatthey allow moisture to pass through and injure thewindow sill or the table.

Geranium slips will do well in the usual house tem-perature of from 68 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.They should be watered daily, but water must not bepermitted to stand in the pan, thus keeping the soilsoaked. Protect from strong sunlight for several days.

Leave the slips in the pot until they have grown twoor three inches, when they may be transplanted to three-inch flowerpots and distributed among the pupils. Ifan attempt is made to stai-t a shp for each pupil in theroom, there must be several extra ones, as some usuallyfail to grow.

Potting PlantsGeraniums grown from slips. The materials needed are

four-inch flowerpots, pebbles for drainage, and fine soilconsisting of equal quantities of garden soil, well-rottedmanure, and sand. After the compost is well mixed itshould be passed through a quarter-inch screen, in orderthat all the lumps in it may be removed or broken. The


37/337

THE GROWING OF PLANTS IN POTS 25soil should contain some moisture, but not enough tomake it stick to the hand. If the pots are new, soakthem before using; old pots should be washed. Theplants must be well watered two or three hours beforetransplanting.

Place a layer of pebblesin the pot, then half aninch of the coarse mate-rial that would not passthrough the screen. Addenough soil so that thepot will be half full afterit is well packed. Witha table knife lift a plantfrom the pot in which theslips have been growing,taking up as much earthon the roots as possible.Set it in the middle of afour-inch pot and fill inwith soil. Push the soil down with the thumbs so thatthe plant will be between them. Give it an even pressureon all sides, taking care to disturb the roots as little aspossible while the soil is being packed in firmly. Leavehalf an inch at the top for holding water. Water theplant with a garden sprinkler and set it in the shadefor several days.

Repotting geraniums. Geraniums bloom best in smallpots, but plants that have been growing in four-inch

Fig. 18. Section of a Flowerpot con-taining a Geranium Plant


38/337

2G .SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSpots should be shifted to pots a size larger the secondyear. Geraniums in five-inch pots are excellent for school-room windows. They will form roots enough to grow con-siderable fohage and

will also bloom well.If large plants are de-sired, select slips fromtall-growing varietiesand increase the sizeof the pot from yearto year. Some kindsmay be made to growfive or six feet high.Water the plant two

or three hours before itis to be shifted. Placedrainage material andenough soil in the potto laise the ball ofeartfi to within half aninch of the top. In-vert the pot containingFig. 19. Section of a Flowerpot, showing

liow a Geranium is pottedThe potting stick is used in packing tlie eartli

about the plant

the geranium, hold-ing the plant, with itsIxiU of soil and roots,

in one hand. Strike the edge of the pot against a table,remove the plant, and pick out the drainage materialif it adheres to the roots. Without brealdng the ballset the plant in the larger pot and fill soil around it


39/337


40/337

CHAPTER IVWINDOW BOXES

Boxes that can be placed on the inside window sillduring the winter and moved to the projecting ledgeoutside in the summer are convenient for teachingpupils how to use and appreciate the value of wiadowboxes, as well as porch boxes, which are becoming very-popular in many cities, where they frequently providethe only opportunity for cultivating house plants iathe open air.The box should be made from wood and should beseven inches deep and eight or ten inches wide. Thelength may be made to fit the width of the window.Six or eight inch holes should be bored in the bottomof the box for drainage.A zinc tray one inch deep and an inch wider andlonger than the box must be made, to receive the draia-age. This should be used outside as well as in the room,for drainage from plants will leave streaks on the wall ifpermitted to run down on the outside. The box shouldbe raised a fourth of an inch from the bottom of thetray to allow space for water below.A compost consisting of one third garden soil orfibrous loam, one third well-rotted barnyard manure,and one third sand, sifted through a quarter-inch screen,

28


41/337

^vmD0^v boxes 29will make a good soil for the box. Put a piece ofbroken pottery or flowerpot with the hollow side downover each of the holes ; then place a layer of half aninch of pebbles or crushed stone over the entire bottom

Fig. 20. An Outdoor Window Boxof the box. On the drainage layer place an inch of thecoarse material that would not go through the screen.Have enough soil in the box to reach to within halfan inch of the top after settling. Water thoroughlyand add more soil if it settles too much. Let it standfor two or three days before planting. When the soil


42/337

30 S(JHOOL AND HOME GARDENSbecomes mellow so that it falls apart when a handful ispressed together lightly, it is in the right condition.

During the early part of the winter the box may beused for propagating plants by means of cuttings. InMarch the cuttings may be transferred to pots so thatthe box may be used for growing plants from seeds.After the seedlings are ready to transplant, the boxmay be set outside on the window ledge.

For home use it is sometimes desirable to keepwindow boxes exclusively for decoration, without givingany attention to plant culture. For this purpose put alayer of pebbles in the bottom of the box, arrange thepots in the box, and fill in with clean pebbles and sand.The pots can then be lifted out easily when others areto take their place.

Plants that are in pots or boxes out of doors must bewatered . eaqh evening. All of the soil should be satu-rated; moistening the topsoil is not sufficient to -keepthem in good condition. The leaves should be sprinkledoften to remove dust, but the flowers should be kept dry.


43/337

CHAPTER VHANGING BASKETS AND POECH BOXES

The compost for the hanging basket must be made sothat it will retain moisture. This may be done bymixing about equal parts of leaf mold and garden loam.Place moss or some coarse material in the bottom of thebasket. If it is to be usedout of doors, hang in alight place, but do not ex-pose it to the direct raysof the sun except duringafew hours in the morningor late in the afternoon

;

keep it in a protectedplace where it will not beexposed to drying winds.Give indoor baskets thesame attention given toordinary potted plants.The following plants are well adapted to either porch

boxes or baskets : plants of drooping habit variegatedperiwinkle, English ivy, maurandia, Asjjaragus sprengeri,German ivy, trailing fuchsia, wandering Jew, and oxahs

;

erect-growing plants sweet alyssum, petunias, begonias,pansies, and many different varieties of geranium.

31

Fig. 21. A Porch Box containingPetunias and California Poppies


44/337

CHAPTER VI

Fig. 22. A Single Geranium Flower

SELECTION AND CAKE OF DECORATIVE PLANTSPlant Names

Plants may be designated either by their commonnames or by scientific names. The scientific name is

made up of two words

:

fStamensthe first that of its genusand the second that of itsspecies. The name of thegenus unites into groupsthe plants that are closelyrelated, while the name ofthe species distinguishes

the particular plant in the group. The early spring flowerknown as bluebell has for itsscientific name JMcrtem^ia virgbi-ica, of which Mcrtensia answersvery nearly to the surname of aperson, as Jones or Smith, andvirginica to the baptismal name,as John or James. Sometimesan adjective that describes thevariety is added, as in Eosarugosa alba and Eosa rugosa rubra, the former beinga white variety and the latter a red of the same species.

32

Fig. 23. A Bouble GeraniumFlower


45/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 33To avoid errors in ordering plants from dealers, the

scientific name should be used if the plant is so desig-nated in the lists.In descriptions of plants the names of parts of flowersare frequently given. The single geranium is a goodplant to use as a type. The flower is formed by alter-nating whorls, or cycles, of modified leaves. The outerwhorl is the calyx. Each of the five separate parts ofthe calyx is known as a sepal. Inside the calyx is thecorolla, consisting of five parts, each of which isknown as a petal. The corolla incloses the stamens, thefertilizing organs of the flower. In the center of theflower is the seed-bearing organ, or pistil. In somegeraniums there are several whorls of the corolla, andsuch flowers are known as double flowers.

The AspidistraThe aspidistra is the hardiest of all plants for house

decoration and is well adapted to north windows or tocorners where there is little or no direct sunlight. Theleaves are strap-shaped or lanceolate, and the color is deepgreen or variegated. The arching habit of the leavesmakes the plant attractive when placed on a small stand.After it has become of suitable size, it may be kept in acorner of a room in a six-inch pot for three or four yearswithout being repotted. During July and August itshould be kept on a porch or under a shade tree whereit will have direct sunlight during a part of the day.


46/337

34 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSIn order to keep the plant in good growing condition

it should be repotted each year. As the plant grows the

Fig. 24. An Aspidistrasize of the pot may be increased. If it is desired to keepthe plant small, it should not be repotted so often.

In repotting an aspidistra use one third fibrous loamor garden soil, one third well-decayed manure, and one


47/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 35third sand. The plant must have plenty of moisture, butthe water must not stand in the saucer. The leavesshould be kept free from dust by washing them witha garden sprinkler at intervals. Occasionally removesome of the topsoil, fill in half an inch of powderedsheep or cow manure, and then cover the manure witha layer of loose soil. This will keep the plant in athrifty condition.

Aspidistras are propagated by means of cuttings takenfrom the roots.

FernsThe Boston fern is a graceful, rapid-growing, and

healthy house plant. It thrives in any room, but is mostsuccessful in placeswhere it does notreceive much strongsunlight. During thesummer it should bekept on a stand outof doors in the shade,where it will have afree circulation of airfrom all sides.A fern will makeits best growth dur-ing the summer ifrepotted immediately after it is taken out of the house.It should have a liberal supply of moisture, but the pot

Fig. 25. A Boston Fern


48/337

36 SCHOOL AXD HOME GAKDENSmust be well drained, so that the water will run awayfrom the roots easily. There should be a space of at leastan inch above the soil in the pot so that it may be givenan occasional dressing of well-decayed leaf mold. Thiswill supply the plant with some nourishment and helphold the moisture. Ordinarily the leaves need not bewatered, but they must be washed when they becomedusty.

In repotting the plant use well-rotted manure, leafmold, soil, and sand, one part of each. The soil mustbe well mixed but should not be too fine.

Ferns are reproduced by means of spores that growon the underside of the leaves, but this cannot be donesuccessfully in the house without the help of a glasscase to retain the moisture. New plants which come upfrom the roots may be obtained from a thrifty fern in alarge pot.

PalmsKentia helmoreana, one of the erect-growing, feather-

leaved palms, is the most beautiful and successful plantfor halls and other places in school buildings wherelight is not abundant. The foliage is dark green and theleaves are wide and gracefully recurved. It does notneed any direct sunlight and will stand a temperaturenearly as low as freezing or the usual hving-roomtemperature.

For a low-growing variety the fan palm {Livistonasinensis) is the most popular. It is of a compact and


49/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 37robust habit, and grows rapidly, but the leaves aremore easily injured than those of the feather-leavedvarieties. Palms make very little growth while they arein the house. They do not need so much water duringthe winter, but the soil must be kept moist. During thesummer they should be kept out of doors in the shade,and they must have an abundant supply of water sothat they will form new leaves.Palms should be put into comparatively small pots,which may be increased in size as the plants grow,although they may be kept in good condition in thesame pots for several years. In repotting use equal partsof fibrous loam and garden soil. Do not tear the rootsapart or place much soil above them. If the plants arenot to be repotted for several years, they should be givena rich top-dressing of cow or sheep manure or bone mealand dried blood each year, when they are placed out ofdoors. One inch of manure or a pint of equal parts ofbone meal and dried blood is sufficient for a large plant.Place a layer of soil over the dressing.

Large plants in halls should be kept in oak or cedartubs with handles, so that they may be carried to a con-venient place where the leaves can be washed with asprinkler. In order to keep the floor in good condition,an indurated-fiber flowerpot saucer or a zinc pan shouldbe kept under the tub to catch the drainage.


50/337

38 S(JH(30L AND HOME GARDENS

Fig. 26. A Begonia and a Rubber Plant in a Dining RoomThe Rubber Plant

On account of its fleshy, dark-green leaves the rubberplant {Ficus elastica) is excellent for a corner in anyroom. It does not need much sunlight while in the house.During the summer it will grow rapidly out of doors inpartial shade. To keep the plant in growing condition


51/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 39repot it annually. Use soil consisting of equal parts ofwell-decayed barnyard manure, garden soil, and sand. Ifit is desired to limit the size of the plant, it should not berepotted so often ; it should be given plenty of moistureand an occasional top-dressing of manure. The leavesmust be washed or sprayed frequently.New plants may be rooted from the tops or branches

of old ones in the following manner : Select a goodbranch with several leaves and remove a ring of barkjust below the lowest leaf. Split a small flowerpotlengthwise and place it round the branch. Tie the partsof the pot together and fill it with sphagnum moss orfibrous soil. Keep the soil moist until the branch isthoroughly rooted, when the top with the roots may beremoved and potted.

BegoniasBegonia rubra is very easily grown, either in school

or at home. A strong plant kept in partial sunlight willbloom continuously for several years in succession. Keepthe soil moist and the leaves free from dust, but do notspray the plant more than is necessary to keep it clean.It will do well in a low temperature but must be keptaway from drafts.The soil for Begonia rubra should be porous. A goodcompost is made of equal parts of fibrous loam, leaf mold,and sand well crushed and mixed but not sifted. Alittle charcoal added to the soil will help make it porousand will benefit the plant.


52/337

40 SCHOOL AND HOME GAKDENSAs the begonia grows it should be repotted and the

size of the pot increased. When repotting, disturb theball of earth as little as possible. The soil should con-tain no manure, nor should liquid manure or otherstrong fertilizers be added. If the plant needs fertih-zation, remove some of the topsoil and replace it witha mixture of equal parts of leaf mold and garden soil.Provide plenty of moisture and give it strong sunlightsparingly.Use the same method for propagating Begonia 7'ubra

as for geraniums. Remove most of the foHage by cut-ting away entire leaves or parts of large ones. The smallleaves on the ends of slips should not be removed.

Begonia rex is more difficult to grow than the othervarieties of begonia, but there is no plant which hasmore beautifully shaded foliage. It is one of the mostpopular decorative plants for north windows. The leavesshould be protected while the room is being swept, sothat they will not need washing. In schoolrooms theplant may be kept in its best condition if placed under abell jar overnight. If too much moisture collects underthe bell jar, it should be raised slightly for ventilation.

Begonia rex is reproduced by means of leaf cuttings.Cut off the leaf stalk near the blade. Prepare the soil andsand in a pot as for geranium cuttings. Cover the baseof the leaf with sand to a depth of half an inch. Keepthe sand moist but do not allow drops of water to re-main on the blade of the leaf. The cutting will do bestif kept in a warm room under a glass cover.


53/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 41Tuberous begonias have large, bright-colored flowers

during the summer and fall months. They are excel-lent plants for window or porch boxes or for beddingin either school or home yards. In school yards they

Fig. 27. Begonia Rexmay be planted in tulip beds after the tulips have beentaken up. The plants are reproduced by means of corms.The corms may be started in any kind of soil that isporous. Place them in three-inch pots, barely coveringthe crown. Keep in a warm place and give them ascant supply of water until they begin to grow; thenwater liberally. Plants started the first of May will be


54/337

42 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSready to be shifted to five-inch pots, window boxes, orbeds by the middle of June. They will bloom well ifplanted in the soil used for window boxes. Give themsome shade from the hot sun. Let them dry gradually inthe fall and keep them in soil in a dry place over winter.

The CyclamenThe cyclamen is one of the most beautiful flowering

plants for either schoolroom or home windows. Manycolors may be obtained. It may be reproduced by meansof seeds or bulblike, fleshy stems known as corms. Onaccount of the length of time required to reproduce theplant from seed, it is advisable to purchase corms orplants that are in bloom.

Plant one corm in a four-inch pot. The soil shouldconsist of equal parts of fibrous loam, leaf mold, andsand. The corm must be firmly placed in the soil nearthe surface. As the buds begin to swell, place the plantnear the windowpane and give it an abundance ofwater. Cyclamens stand extremes of temperature butwill bloom best if not kept in an excessively warmplace. The plant may be grown a second year. Afterblooming, remove it with the ball of earth from the potand plant in a shady corner, giving it no further atten-tion until fall. It will not suffer injur}- if the leaves diedown entirely. Before active growth begins, repot theplant, water it sparingly for a few days, and then giveit an abundance of water.


55/337

DECORATIVE PLANTSThe Fuchsia

43

The fuchsia is best adapted to summer and fall bloom-ing, although there are some good winter-bloomingvarieties. When the plant is three or four inches high,it may be placed in a four-inch pot. One potted in March

Pig. 28. Fuchsia

should bloom in August. The soil should consist ofequal parts of rotted manure, loam, and sand. Sift thesoil and put an inch of the coarse material, mostly ma-nure, in the drainage layer in the pot. Place the plantin the fine soil so that the roots will be an inch belowthe surface. Leave a space of half an inch for water.At least once a month, after the plant is well started,


56/337

44 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSgive it a top-dressing of cow or sheep manure, or worka tablespoonful of fine bone meal into the soil two orthree times during the summer.Keep the plant in a partly shaded place out of doorsafter danger from frost is over, and shower the foliageoften. When hard wood begins to form, the yellowlower leaves should be picked. Make the plant symmetr

rica-l by cutting out the end, or terminal,bud if it grows too slender. Ifthe plant isthrifty, two branches will appear wherethe terminal bud has been removed.

Plants intended for summer and fallblooming shoiild have their water sup-ply gradually reduced after blooming.When the wood is well hardened, placethem in a cellar for two or three months

to winter unwatered. If they are placed in a basementcontaining a furnace, they must be given some water.Bring them up to the light in February or March, and asleaves begin to grow, remove the plants from the pot, pickout all old earth, and repot with fresh soil. The top may becut back if desired. Water moderately at first, but aftergrowth begins, give the plant a liberal supply of water.

Winter-blooming varieties should be given a scant sup-ply of water during the summer. In the fall give theman abundance of both food and water.

Fuchsias are propagated by cuttings. Branches forcuttings may be encouraged to form by removing endbuds freely during the summer. This will cause a bushy

Fig. 29. FuchsiaCutting


57/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 45growth. Instead of letting the plants die in a cellar,continue to give them a limited amount of water dur-ing the fall. In December give them plenty of dressingand moisture andthen keep them ina warm room, topromote growth.A slip threeinches in length

will make a goodcutting. Cut backat least half ofthe leaves.

The AbutiloxThe abutilon, or

flowering maple,which bears large,bell-shaped flowersof various colors,will succeed underthe same generaltreatment as thefuchsia. It may be used either as a winter or as asummer plant, and may be grown successfully in anywindow that does not have much sunlight.The plant is propagated by means of cuttings, which

may be taken at any time of the year.

Fig. 30. An Abutilon


58/337

46 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSThe Coleus

On account of its beautifully colored foliage the coleusis valuable as either a decorative or a bedding plant. Itwill thrive in any schoolroom or home vs^indow. Sinceit cannot stand an excessively lovr temperature, it shouldbe moved away from the window on cold nights ; itmust not be subjected to drafts. The foliage should befrequently washed with a sprinkler to remove dust, butthe plant must not be set out in cold rains when it isaccustomed to being indoors. The plants may be propa-gated by stem cuttings at any time of the year. Thosestarted in September may be used for potting duringthe winter. Plants for bedding should be started inDecember or January. Small ones may be placed inpots with other plants, with excellent effect if the colorsare selected carefully.

In preparing the slips, cut back the leaves liberally.Soft end slips must be avoided. A slip three inches inlength, with the upper cut near a bud, will prove mostsuccessful. Prepare the soil as for geraniums and plantthe slips one inch apart and one and one-half inchesdeep. The soil must be kept moist. Protect them fromthe sun for eight or ten days, when they may be givena sunny place. If the plants are to be propagated athome, they will thrive best in a sunny kitchen window

;

the air in that room contains more moisture than thatof other rooms.


59/337

DECORATIVE PLANTS 47The Azalea

The azalea is difficult to propagate in the house butis a very desirable plant to purchase from dealers, onaccount of the numerous rich-colored flowers that it pro-duces. Azaleas taken from the greenhouse in Decembershould bloom during the greater part of the winter.

It is best to water the plant with soft water. Limewill injure it so easily that even the small quantity con-tained in hard water will hinder its proper development.It should be watered freely, so that the water will pene-trate the thick mat of fine roots, and should be kept cleanby showering freely when not in bloom.

For repotting, use two thirds fibrous loam and onethird sand. The plant should be repotted late in winter,but need not be repotted often. During the summer keepit out of doors in a cool, shady place, but give it anabundance of water.

The OxalisThe oxalis may be produced easily in either the school-

room or the home window. The bulbs may be plantedin either spring or fall. A dozen may be planted in asix-inch pan that is three inches deep. The pan may besuspended from a bracket fastened to the window casing.The bulbs must be watered sparingly at first, but afterthey begin to grow, plenty of water must be given them.When they are done blooming, let the soil dry outgradually and repot them after they are entirely dry.


60/337

CHAPTER VIIPLANTING BULBS IN THE YARD

Preparing the soil for bulbs. The necessary tools forpreparing the soil are a spade, a rake, a yardstick, agarden line, and a dibble about four feet long and two

inches in diameter. Stakes should be placed afoot or more from the edges of the beds, toavoid loosening them while digging. AVith asharp spade cut the soil along the edges of thebed, so that the sides will not appear irregularwhen finished. The bed should then be spadedto a depth of at least eight inches. "Whilespading, work in \\ell-rotted barnyard manure

;

a A\heelbarrow load for a bed four Ijy elevenfeet is sufficient. The first soil taken out mustbe put in a heap on the lawn or loaded onto awheelbarrow, so that it may be used to fill the

trench at the other end of the bed after it has beenspaded. The soil should be turned while it is beingspaded so that the topsoil will be at the bottom ofthe bed. Break large clods with the spade while work-ing. After the bed has been spaded, break all smalllumps and level it with a garden rake.

The beds should l)e prepared during the early part ofSeptember. This will gi^-e ample time for the fall rains

7

Fig. 31.A Dibblefor mak-ing Holesfor Bulbs

48


61/337

PLANTING BULBS IN THE YARD 49to settle the soil. The time for planting bulbs dependson the climate and the season. It is usually best to waituntil some time in October or early in November, whenthe temperature begins to fall below the freezing pointduring the night.

TulipsVarieties. If there is room for more than one bed,

varieties may be selected to give a succession of bloomsin the different beds. The May-blooming tulip, because

Fig. 32. Diagram showing how to plant Bulbsof its large, rich-colored flowers on a long stalk, is welladapted to planting in long rows. Four rows six inchesapart make a pretty bed.

Planting the bulbs. Rake the soil to a depth of abouttwo inches, so that all crusts and clods will be broken.Measure off rows six inches apart at each end of thebed. The outside rows should be close to the edge, sothat the entire bed will be covered with plants whenthey come up in the spring. Drive a stake for stretchinga line a foot or more beyond each end of the bed. Firstmake holes for the middle row. They should be six


62/337

50 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSinches apart and of sufficient depth to have the tops ofthe bulbs five inches below the surface of the soil whenset (see Fig. 32).Place the bulbs right end up and, after they have allbeen set in the bed, fill the holes with a rake and make

the bed level. Whenthe ground is frozenhard, cover the wholebed with barnyardmanure to a depthof two inches ormore. If this is notdone, there is dangerof the ground thaw-ing when warm dayscome during the win-ter. Alternate freez-ing and thawing willcause the roots thatform in the fall tobreak away from thebulb. The manure,

excepting some of the fine material, must be removed inthe spring as soon as danger of freezing the bulbs is past.

Daisies or pansies in the tulip bed. After the tulipscome up in the spring, daisy or pansy plants that havebeen grown in a cold frame may be planted betweenthem. If carefully selected, they will bloom with thetulips and help fill the bed with leaves and blossoms.

Fig. 33. A Tulip Border


63/337

PLANTING BULBS IN THE YARD 51Crocuses

Crocuses should be planted in September or October.They may be brought to their highest degree of perfec-tion when grown in well-j)repared beds and planted to adepth of three inches, twoinches apart. A circularbed two or three feet indiameter makes a prettyappearance. In such abed the rows should becircular, so that differentcolors may be used inthe different rows withgood effect. Crocuses arealso attractive in borderbeds that contain peren-nials. School yards thathave no beds for plantscan be made very inter-esting by planting cro-cuses at random in thelawn, in clumps of a dozen or more. Planted on thesunny side of the building, they will make their appear-ance soon after the spring snows disappear. Some ofthe winter-blooming varieties may be expected to bloomwhenever the ground thaws.The only tool needed is a dibble. The holes should be

three inches deep and scattered irregularly. Some may

Pig. 34. Crocuses in the Lawn


64/337

02 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSbe placed where the lawn is somewhat shady ; thiswill insure a succession of blooms. Care must be takento place the bulbs right side up. Fill the holes withsoil consisting of at least one third well-rotted manure.

Fig. 35. Planting Crocuses, Snowdrops, and Seillas in tlie Lawn, StateKormal School, Framingham, JlassacUusetts

This manure must contain no coarse material ; it mustbe thoroughly mixed with the soil. Care should betaken to put enough soil into each of the holes so thatno depression remains after it settles. The extra fertili-zation given to the earth surrounding the bulb will alsostimulate the growth of grass.


65/337

PLANTING BULBS IN THE YARD 53Hyacinths

The single varieties of hyacinths are best for bedding.As with tuhps, care must be taken to select varietiesthat are of nearly uniform height and that bloom at thesame time. The colors must have shades that will admitof artistic grouping. Tulip bulbs hold first rank forschool-yard planting, on account of their brilliant colorsand moderate cost, but if the same Ijeds are in use fromyear to year, hyacinths will give an agreeable change.Pupils should become familiar with their culture,although this may be accomplished with beds smallerthan those intended for the principal ornamental beds.A small circular space that will contain two dozenbulbs will serve the purpose as well as a larger one.

Spade up the soil to a depth of twelve inches andwork in two inches of well-rotted manure, which mustbe well mixed with the soil, so that lumps of coarsematerial will not come in contact with the plants. Plantthe bulbs seven inches apart, with the tops six inchesbelow the surface of the soil.

Hyacinths may be planted from the latter part ofSeptember until winter sets in. If there should be atime when the ground is not frozen, they may be plantedduring the winter, provided the bulbs are in good con-dition. Those planted in the fall will form roots imme-diately and make an earlier growth,- while the bulbs putin during the winter will make roots in the spring andbloom later than the fall-planted ones.


66/337

54 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSAfter the ground is frozen, cover the bed with a thick

coating of coarse manure, straw, or leaves, which mustbe removed in the spring when all danger of freezingthe bulbs is past. Occasional crusts that may be formedon the surface during cold nights in the spring willdo no harm.

Narcissi

The daffodil, the jonquil, and the poet's narcissus shouldbe planted in clumps of a dozen or more in convenient,

Fig. 36. Trumpet Narcissisunny places, prcierably in the front of a border thatcontains hardy, herbaceous plants or shrubbery. Theymay be left in the ground from year to }-ear, but should


67/337

PLANTING BULBS IN THE YAKD 55be lifted every three or four years, so that the clumpsof bulbs that form may be separated and replanted.

In preparing the soil, spade it to a depth of at leasttwelve inches. Work in two inches of well-rotted barn-yard manure. Plant the daffodil and poet's narcissusbulbs so that they will be twelve inches apart, with thetops five inches below the surface of the soil. Jonquilsshould be six inches apart, with the tops four inchesbelow the surface.The bulbs are perfectly hardy, so that no protection

is needed, but they will make an earlier and strongergrowth if they are given a thick coating of coarse ma-nure just before winter begins. In the spring the finepart of the dressing may be left on the bed. The extranourishment will help in making larger flowers, andstronger bulbs for the next season's growth. After theleaves die down in July or August, the ground maybe loosened above the bulbs with a hoe or spade.

Narcissi are the most inexpensive of the hardy bulbs.A single bulb will form a large clump in a few years.The varieties should not be mixed. A very pleasing effectis secured by planting a number of kinds, each in aseparate place.

Snowdrops and ScillasSnowdrops are the earliest of the spring-flowering

bulbs. They may be seen peeping through the groundeven while it is covered with snow. They are closelyfollowed by the blue Scilla sibirica.


68/337

56 SCHOOL AND HOME GAEDENSPlant the bulbs in the lawn the same as crocuses,

or in small l)eds in protected places. A circular spaceeight inches in diameter is large enough for a dozenbulbs. Take out the soil to a depth of six inches. If it ispoor, mix it with sand and fine manure, so that it willM^^UfZ


69/337

PLANTING BULBS IN THE YARD 57September or October is the proper season for plantr

ing. This will give the bulbs an opportunity to make astrong growth of roots before cold weather. They maybe left undisturbed for years. The dressing i;sually givenla-\vns is sufficient to stimulate their growth.

Taking up BulbsTulips and hyacinths should be taken up after the

leaves die, so that they may be sorted and replanted inthe fall. They will come up for several years in succes-sion if left undisturbed, but a more even growth is as-sured if new bulbs are used and if the beds are madeover each year. The old ones may be planted in irreg-ular clumps in borders, where they should remain.The leaves of the bulbs should die down naturally

before they are taken iip, or, if the beds are wanted im-mediately for other plants, the bulbs may be taken upas soon as the leaves turn yellow, and may be " heeled in "(planted close together in some out-of-the--ffay corner)until they have ripened naturally, after which they maybe placed in a cellar or some dry, cool place until wantedin the fall.

The late tulips and the crocuses, narcissi, snowdrops,and scillas should be left in the ground undisturbed.The bulbs in borders are all planted so deep that the

ground can be cultivated above them after the leavesdie down. The smaller varieties of annuals may beplanted above them.


70/337

CHAPTER VIIIPLAN OF THE YARD

Plants intended for adornment should generally bearranged irregularly and in subordinate positions, in theschool yard as well as in the home lawn. Single plantsmay be used for the purpose of breaking up the monot-ony of the surface of the lawn ; groups may be placedon the border near walks and drives and about thebuilding.

In a school yard a plot for studying the method ofplanting and cultivating flowering plants may run par-allel -with the front walk, where it will also serve todecorate the yard. There should be a strip of grassbetween it and the walk. After the bulbs are doneblooming, the same space may be used for summer-blooming plants or for crimson clover, buckwheat, orsome other green crop that will fertihze the soil andkeep the plot looking well during the summer withoutrequiring any further attention before school opens inthe fall.

Perennial flowering plants may be planted in a plotthat runs parallel with a drive leading to the rear of thebuilding. This should be separated from the drive by astrip of lawn. The dimensions of the plot will dependto some extent upon the size of the yard.

58


71/337

Fig. 38. Suggestion for planting School GroundsA planting list may be made from plants described in the text

59


72/337


73/337

PLAN OF THE YARD 61ssI i^

u a ^.\

St~i ^ =.-! OJ.O t-"-! S^=3 fl

qH o'^1-1^

o3


74/337

62


75/337

PLAN OF THE YAED 63A bed for wild flowers may be made in some con-

venient corner, or may form a prominent feature of theperennial border. The plot should be of some form that issuited to the plan of the lawn. Circular beds or bedsirregular in form are sometimes useful for the purposeof breaking up the regularity of the general plan.

Fig. 41. A Bed of GeraniumsTulips or hyacinths may he planted in the hed in Octoher

Front fences may not be needed, but corners shouldbe protected by shrubs extending along the walk on eachside, the distance depending upon the size of the lawn.The Japanese barberry is excellent for this purpose.Rosa rugosa may be planted in the angle formed bythe barberry bushes.The lawn may be separated from the adjacent prop-

erty by annual or perennial flowering plants of the taller


76/337

64 SCHOOL AND HOME GAKDENSkind or by hedges of privet, lilac, barberry, Japanesequince, or some other plant that grows well in the locality.

If the front yard is large, it may be well to plant atree near the center or in some convenient place whereit will be in harmony with the general landscape. Forthis purpose the Ginkgo, or maidenhair tree, the Norwaymaple, Japanese maple, horse-chestnut, and the purpleand copper beech are very satisfactory.

For ornamenting the lawn itself, selection may bemade from the numerous varieties of spirea, lilac, hibis-cus, magnolia, hydrangea, and other shrubs adapted tothe chmate. They may be used either singly or in clumps.Although it must be borne in mind that grass is themost prominent feature of the lawn, trees and shrubber}-are placed there for the purpose of giving an artisticeffect to the whole.

If it is necessary to have a back-yard fence, pahngsshould be used, for they are well adapted to supportVirginia creepers or other climbing plants.

Buildings constructed of brick or stone may have theirappearance improved by hardy climbing vines. TheBoston ivy is excellent for this purpose.

Large trees should be planted to protect the southand west windows from the hot sun, as well as to pro-vide shade for the back yard. Arrange trees there irreg-ularly and on the border as far as possible. If there isto be a garden or an orchard, large trees must be keptout of the way and fruit trees planted instead of theregular shade trees.


77/337

CHAPTER IXTHE LAWN"

Grading. In order that the lawn may be well drained,it should have a gentle slope toward the street. If it isnecessary to remove elevations, the topsoil should firstbe taken off in such a manner that it can be replaced.A good lawn needs at least five inches of loam ; for agood growth of shrubbery there must be twelve inches.In case the topsoil has been disturbed in making ex-cavations for constructing the building, new soil mustbe provided. Three inches of clayey loam should beadded if the soil is mostly sand.A lawn that is elevated eight or ten inches above thewalk and held in place by a cement curbing usually hasa neat appearance, especially if the front yard is small.Terraces in which the soil is held in place with turf areattractive for home yards, but they should, as a rule, beavoided in school yards.

Manure. After the yard has been given a uniformslope, spread over it a layer of from one to two inchesof well-rotted barnyard manure from which all coarsematerial has been removed, so that the entire yard willget a uniform coating of the good material. Manuretaken from cow barns is best. Fresh manure shouldnot be used; it may contain weed seeds that will be

65


78/337

<

66


79/337

THE LAWN 67troublesome in the lawn. Manure that is taken fromhenhouses is so strong that it must be used sparingly.

Preparing the soil. Spade the yard to a depth of sixinches. While spading, the manure must be worked intothe soil uniformly. Large clods must be broken with

m^v s'^>e* = r^W^y>'^> ^* i

.-^

4 *J^ ^"C^

Fig. 43. Buckwheat Seedthe spade. If the soil is prepared in April or May, itmay be seeded immediately, but it is usually advisableto use the land for the production of a crop that willgive an abundance of vegetation and at the same timeprovide the soil with a supply of nitrogen to serve asfood for the young grass. In latitudes south of Wash-ington, D.C., cowpeas and soy beans may be used ; indistricts north of this, crimson clover, vetches, Canada


80/337

68 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSpeas, and buckwheat are suitable. These crops shouldremain on the land until August, when the whole yardshould be spaded again. Some vegetation may be re-moved if the growth is very prolific, but a considerablequantity of it should be spaded in ; it will make the soilmore retentive of moisture and better able to hold thefertilizers applied to it. After spading, all low placescaust'd by unequal settling must be filled in. Make thesoil firm with a roller or with the back of a spade; thelatter usually gives the best results.

Varieties of seed. It will be advisable to find out thevarieties of seed best adapted to each particular locality.Mixed seed is better than any one kind. This will pro-vide for the difiierences in light, soil, and moisture foundin small areas. Mixtures for different purposes may beolitained from dealers. The seed should be used at therate of one quart for each three hundred square feet.For spring sowing one eighth of this should be whiteclover. This is nearly double the quantity of seed ordi-narily required for large areas. A smaller amount wouldcover the ground, but it is better to let the ^veak plantsbe eliminated as the stronger ones make their growththan to give weeds an opportunity to gain a foothold,as they will if some of the ground fails to be covered.

Sowing the seed. If the ground cannot l)e watered,the seed should be sown before a shower. A uniformdistribution of seed may be obtained by sowing in twodirections : half should be scattered in one du'ectionacross the land and the other half at right angles to the


81/337

THE LAWN 69first. This method will prevent streaks and thin placesin the lawn, caused by unequal distribution. After scat-tering the seed, pass over the ground with a garden rake.Care must be taken to cover none of the seed to a depth ofmore than one inch. Where it is convenient to water thelawn it should besprayed each even-ing, so that the soilwill keep moist toa depth of five orsix inches, until thegrass is well started.

A little spraying thatmerely moistens thetop and dries out thenext day in the hotsun is of no value.Later the lawn neednot be watered sofrequently. After theroots have acquiredconsiderable length,the grass will make a stronger growth if the topsoil issomewhat dry, so that the roots will be obliged to reachdown for moisture.

Sodding. For sloping banks it is often necessary to usesod, as the rain will wash away grass grown from seed be-fore the roots have time to gain a foothold. In soddingsteep banks, wooden pins may be used to hold the sod

Tig. 44. Lawn Decoration in the BostonPublic Garden


82/337

70 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSin place. For quick results small yards are frequentlysodded entirely, but this plan is not so successful as seed-ing ; sodded yards are likely to be uneven, and it is difficultto find turf suited to the conditions found in most yards.

Fig. 45. A Century PlantThe tub containing the plant is set in the lawn. Foliage plants are growing in themound of good .soil that covers the top of the tub

Mowing. The lawn should be mowed regularh' thefirst summer, care being taken not to clip it too fre-quently during the dry season. The general rule ofkeeping a lawn mowed to a height of two inches is a


83/337

THE LAWN 71safe one to follow. There is nothing more trying forgrass than to let it go to seed, but if the lawn is clippedcloser than two inches, the plants will not have sufficientleaf area to carry on future growth successfully.

Destroying weeds. Annual weeds are usually keptdown by mowing. Such plants as dandelion, dock, andplantain must be removed by cutting them out witha knife. The crowns of the weeds should be cut justbelow the surface, before the plants scatter seeds. Thiswill.remove the bud from which new growth would start.

Renovating lawns. Lawns that have patches of soil onlypartly covered, or lawns that have a thin stand of grass,should be raked over with a sharp iron garden rake inthe spring or fall, when the soil is saturated with moisture.All uneven places should be filled with good rich soil;then the required amount of seed should be sown andraked in. The yard may then be given its usual care.

Top-dressing. Well-established lawns will be improvedif given a mulch of well-rotted stable manure in Novemberor December. If the soil is good, a coating every other yearis sufficient. It should contain much fine material, whichwill be carried beneath the surface of the grass by therains and snows of the winter. All rough material must beraked off in the spring, when the grass begins to grow.Instead of the top-dressing of manure, fine bone mealmay be used at the rate of about two pounds for onehundred square feet. The fertilizer will be improved ifan equal part of finely sifted coal or wood ashes is mixedwith the meal. Use a screen as fine as a flour sifter.


84/337

CHAPTER XANNUAL FLOWERING PLANTS

Annual flowering plants, or plants that must haveseed sown every year, fill an important place in boththe school and the home garden.Where there is a scarcity of shrubs, the larger kindsof annuals, such as the castor bean, sunflower, cosmos,aster, zinnia, marigold, and salvia, may serve as sub-stitutes, either in clumps or as single plants, until theplaces are occupied by shrubbery.Broad-leaved, tall-growing plants, like the castor beanand sunflower, make efficient screens for fences, outrbuildings, or other unattractive objects. Tall plants maybe massed near the objects to be screened, with a grada-tion of lower-growing plants in the foreground.The medium-sized annuals may be grown in clumps

near buildings. The four-o'clock, aster, petunia, zinnia,marigold, and gaillardia are suitable for such spots. Byplacing the sweet William, verbena, pansy, and sweetalyssum in front of them, a beautiful border effect maybe obtained.

Vines may be planted where they will climb on porchtrellises or wire fences. The moonflower, morning-glory,cypress vine, and climbing nasturtium should be plantedwhere they will receive careful culture. For covering

72


85/337

ANNUAL FLOWEEING PLANTS 73old fences, sheds, and neglected places in back yards,nothing is better than wild cucumber vine.

For cutting, annuals should be planted in specialplaces in the vegetable garden or in flower gardens

Fig. 46. A Bed of PoppiesThis bed is in the center of a flower garden on the estate of Edwin Ginn

Winchester, Massachusetts

where they can be given the room needed for full de-velopment. To insure the best results, soil adapted tothe particular plant, ample space, and careful cultivationare necessary. In the vegetable garden they may beplanted either in beds or in long borders beside walks.

If there is to be a separate flower garden, it shouldbe carefully planned before any planting is done. The


86/337

74 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSstraight rows may give way to graceful curves or toangles. The small space may afford room for the lowvarieties, while the larger one is planted with the tallerkinds. Provision must be made for a succession and forharmony in color. If the flower garden is to be a per-manent feature of the place, walks should be arrangedto conform to the contour of the land, or, if the garden islevel, it may be given some geometrical design by theuse of gravel walks and grass borders. The soil in thevarious plots may be modified by the addition of sand,leaf mold, or clay, and by the use of plant foods, in orderto prepare the soil for the needs of special plants.

The AsteeThe aster is one of the best annuals for cutting. For

early flowers the seeds must be sown in boxes or coldframes. Sow in the open ground for late summer andautumn flowering.

Sowing in boxes. Prepare a compost by mixing leafmold, soil, and sand. The mixture should be fairty firmbut in good condition for drainage. If leaf mold cannotbe obtained, well-rotted manure will answer the purpose.Use one part of manure to one of soil and one of sand.Place considerable coarse material in the bottom of thebox for drainage. Fill with the prepared soil to withinhalf an inch of the top ; press down lightly with a board

;

sow the seeds and sift over them a layer of soil about twicetheir own thickness. Water through a cloth and cover the


87/337

ANNUAL FLOWERING PLANTS 75box with a pane of glass. When the seeds come up, removethe cover and place the box very near a window. Anyschoolroom or home window where there is an abundanceof sunlight will answer the purpose. Give them plentyof air and do not let the temperature go above seventydegrees. Transplant to other boxes when the second leafappears, setting them two inches apart each way.

Soil. Well-decayed manure may be mixed with thesoil. A small quantity of wood ashes will serve as atonic for the plants and keep disease and insects awayfrom the roots. Make the bed six or eight inches deep,to give the roots room to reach down for food and mois-ture. The subsoil must be well drained.

Planting. After all danger from frost is over, set outthe plants twelve inches apart each way. If the leavesare large, remove some of them. Shade the plants fortwo or three days.

Culture. Keep a dust mulch on the soil during theentire summer. A top-dressing of rotted stable manurewill help keep the ground moist. An occasional applica-tion of liquid fertilizer or manure water will help theplant to produce large blossoms.To produce large flowers with long stems, allow only

five or six shoots to grow, and remove all side branches,leaving only the terminal flowers.Window boxes. Asters are very decorative in window

boxes or in pots. If the ball of earth on the roots is notdisturbed, they may be lifted while in bud. Water lib-erally and keep them shaded for several days.


88/337

76 SCHO(JL AND HOME GARDENSBalsams

Balsams are quick, sure growers, and seeds sown inthe open ground in May soon produce handsome, bushyplants thickly massed with large, roselike flowers. Theblossoms grow on the underside of the leaves and showto best advantage when gro^n on a terrace or at theedge of groups of other annuals. The plants grow to aheight of about two feet.

Sowing. In March sow the seeds in boxes and trans-plant two or three times in order to make strong plants.Give them plenty of light and water. Stocky, symmet-rical plants jjroduce the best flowers.When transplanting to the open, set the balsams from

twelve to fifteen inches apart each "way.

Caxdvti'ft

Candytuft is one of the best white flowers for edgingbeds, for massing, for rockeries, and for cutting.The soil should be rich and the plants must have an

abundance of water. They branch freely, and if someof them are removed, the size of the flowers will beincreased.Sow the seeds out of doors in April, where the plants

are to bloom, and thin them -when an inch high. Sowin July for fall flowering.


89/337

ANNUAL FLOWERING PLANTS 77The Castor Bean

The castor-oil plant (Hicimts), commonly called thecastor bean, grows very rapidly to a height of five or sixfeet. It is often used as a screen and often also as the

Fig. 47. A Screen for a Barnyard FenceCastor beans near the fence, with caladium and other low-growing plants

in the foreground

principal plant in groups where a rich, luxuriant growthis required. The variety of color in the foliage of differ-ent sorts of castor beans is valuable in giving con-trast. When they are grown in combination with thecanna, caladium, coleus, salvia, and aster, a pleasingeffect may be obtained.


90/337

78 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENSPlanting. In March plant seeds in boxes and cover

one inch deep. Keep the soil moist but not too wet.Place the boxes in a sunny window and keep at living-room temperature. As soon as the first true leaves haveformed, transplant to flowerpots or other boxes. Set asingle plant in a four-inch pot. Plants in boxes shouldbe set four inches apart. When all danger from frost isover, transplant out of doors. Set the plants from oneto two feet apart, according to the variety, or, when theground is warm, plant the seeds in the open where theyare to stand. Seeds planted as late as June will makegood plants for August.

Culture. Keep the soil well cultivated and moist. Adressing of decayed stable manure will encourage theplants to make a strong growth.

Centaueea, or Bachelor's-ButtonCentaurea is also known as bluebottle, ragged sailor,and Kaiserblmnen. It is one of the most attractive and

graceful of the old-fashioned flowers. If placed in water,the blossoms increase in size.Sow seeds of the annual varieties when all danger

from frost is over. Make the rows one foot apart andthin the plants to from four to six inches apart in therow. Sow seeds of the perennial varieties in boxes inMarch and transplant in May or June.


91/337

ANNUAL FLOWERlIsG PLANTS 79CUSMOS

Cosmos is one of the leading fall flowers. It is astrong, tall-growing annual, with bright, dainty flowers,and is most effective when planted in masses whichserve as a background for low-growing plants. It has arobust, branching habit and will grow from four to sixfeet high.Sow the seeds in boxes in March. Transplant to the

open when danger from frost is over. When grown ongood soil, the seedlings should be set eighteen inchesapart each way.

The Cypeess VineThe cypress vine is a fine plant for training on small

trellises, poles, or strings. It is thickly covered withdark green, feathery leaves and is dotted with intenselybright, velvety flowers. The general appearance of theplant is light and airy.

Sowing. Sow the seeds in the open in rich soil whenall danger from frost is over. Thin the plants to standfrom four to six inches in the row. Keep the soil wellcultivated.

The Four-o'Clock, or MirabilisThe four-o'clock is so called because it opens its flowers

only late in the afternoon and on cloudy days. It is oftenused as a low summer hedge or screen. The plant is quickgrowing, erect, and bushy. Some of the low varieties


92/337

80 SCHOOL AND HOME GAEDENSmay not grow over twelve inches high, but the ordinaryones attain a height of from two to three feet. Theblooming period is during the late summer and autumn.In Southern states it is a perennial and develops rootssufficiently large to be taken up and stored for springplanting. In the northern part of the United States andin Canada it is a tender annual.

Sowing. Sow four-o'clock seeds in boxes three weeksbefore th

Documents

School and Home Gardens (1913)