Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1875 — Plants for the House. [ARTICLE]

Plants for the House.

A lady writes to me to know what plants I would recommend, and how many, for two south windows of a sit-ting-room. —She wants something of a variety in the collection, and prefers those which give good satisfaction as regards constancy of blooming, and are not very particular as to the treatment they receive. Sixteen well-grown plants are enough for two ordinary-sized window’s. There may be five or six hanging-plants, if desired, and no plants are more ornamental than our best drooping plants are when grown with care. I would recommend four flow’ering geraniums. For scarlet I would take Hector, which is large of flower, has immense trusses, and a very profuse, bloomer. For rose, Master Christine, a very beautiful plant every way. For salmon, Fritz or Mrs. Austin, both desirable. For w’hite, the White Princess or Madame Vancher. For roses I know of none more desirable than Hermosa, bright rose, double and very fragrant, and a profuse bloomer; Agrippina, small, blooming in clusters of very rich, dark crimson, and Safrano, pale sulphur yellow, large, *full and delightfully fragrant. The Marshal Neil and Bon Silene roses are beautiful, but more difficult to grow satisfactorily than the other three mentioned. I have never had any success with the Marshal Neil. You will want two carnations, and among a large number of splendid kinds I know of none better than La Purite, bright, clear rose, and Peerless, pure white, both profuse bloomers and very fragrant. Of course the collection should include a calla and oleander, and an abutilon, and it ought to have a couple of bouvardias, say Davisoni, pure white, and Hogarth, rosy scarlet. Then you want a heliotrope for fragrance, and a rose geranium. This gives you sixteen plants. But if you want some ornamental leaved plants omit a rose or the salmon geranium and put in a coleus, than which noot are better than Setting Sun, bright crimson, edged with yellow, and a plant of abutilon Thompsonii. This.is one of our most striking and effective variegated plants. The leaves have two shades of green and two of yellow, and the colors do net blend into each other, but are clearly defined like mosaic work. For hanging plants take moneywort, Saxifrage, Kenilworth ivy and Wandering Jew. These grow readily and are all fine find effective plants. And you want an English ivy, too, to clamber up between the windows, and a double Chinese primrose. With this collection you ought to have flowers all winter. They are all easily grown in any good rich soil with,, an admixture of sand to keep it light and porous. ’ < » '

There are scores of other plants nearly m desirable, but these are kinds which flourish best under the treatment of an inexperienced person, and.l am quite sure they will give good satisfaction. —Aften B. Rexford, in Western Rural.