Gardening Indoors and Under Glass | Page 3

the growing of a
few more plants. From the actual accomplishments described in the
second part of this book, the reader must see that it is entirely possible
and feasible for one with only average advantages to have during a
large part or even all of the year not only flowers which cannot be
grown to advantage in the house, but also such vegetables as lettuce,
radishes, tomatoes and cucumbers, and others if desired; and also to
give the flower and vegetable gardens such a start as would never be
possible otherwise.
Do not attempt too much, but do not be content with too little, when
only a slight increase in planning and work will bring such a
tremendous increase in results and happiness. I feel confident that there
is not one home out of ten where more thought and more information
brought to bear on the things whereof this book treats, would not yield
a greater return in actual pleasure than any other equal investment
which could be made.
Do not be impatient to get to a description of all the results at once. Do
not skip over the chapters on dirt and manures and pots and other
seemingly uninteresting things, because in a thorough understanding of
these essentials lies the foundation of success. And if a condition of soil,
or an operation in handling plants does not seem clear to you as you
read it over, remember that in all probability it will become so when
you actually attempt the work described. Nothing worth while is ever
won without a little--and often a great deal--of patient work. And what
is more worth while than to keep busy in the constant improvement and
beautifying of one's daily surroundings?
CHAPTER II
THE PROPER CONDITIONS:--LIGHT, TEMPERATURE AND

MOISTURE
After so much advice as to the possibility of making conditions right
for the growing of plants in the house, the inexperienced reader will
naturally want to know what these conditions are.
LIGHT
In the first place, almost all plants, whether they flower or not, must
have an abundance of light, and many require sunshine, especially
during the dull days of winter. Plants without sufficient light never
make a normal, healthy growth; the stems are long, lanky and weak, the
foliage has a semi-transparent, washed-out look, and the whole plant
falls an easy victim to disease or insect enemies. Even plants grown in
the full light of a window, as everyone with any experience in
managing them knows from observation, will draw toward the glass
and become one-sided with the leaves all facing one way. Therefore
even with the best of conditions, it is necessary to turn them half about
every few days, preferably every time they are watered, in order that
they may maintain an even, shapely growth.
As a rule the flowering plants, such as geraniums and heliotropes,
require more light and sunshine than those grown for foliage, such as
palms, ferns and the decorative leaved begonias. It is almost impossible,
during the winter months, to give any of them too much sunlight and
where there is any danger of this, as sometimes happens in early fall or
late spring, a curtain of the thinnest material will give them ample
protection, the necessity being not to exclude the light, but simply to
break the direct action of the sun's rays through glass.
A great variety of plants may be grown in the ordinary window garden,
for which the sunniest and broadest window available should be
selected. There are two methods of handling the plants: they may be
kept as individual specimens in pots and "dishes" or "pans" (which are
nothing more or less than shallow flower pots), or they may be grown
together in a plant box, made for the purpose and usually more or less
decorative in itself, that will harmonize with and set off the beauty of
the plants.

The latter method, that of growing in boxes, offers two distinct
advantages, especially where there is likely to be encountered too high
a temperature and consequent dryness in the air. The plants are more
easily cared for than they are in pots, which rapidly dry out and need
frequent changing; and effects in grouping and harmonious decoration
may be had which are not readily secured with plants in pots. On the
other hand, it is not possible to give such careful attention to individual
plants which may require it as when they are grown in pots; nor can
there be so much re-arrangement and change when these are
required--and what good housekeeper is not a natural born scene shifter,
every once in so often rolling the piano around to the other side of the
room, and moving the bookcase or changing the big Boston fern over
to the other window, so it