If variety is not always the spice of life, it certainly is in the case of the window garden. Most of us have our favorites, without which we could not be entirely happy.
We all want something new to keep us on our toes. Among recent offers, I have selected a few of special interest to me.
Banana Plants
I never expected to offer any serious competition to Central American banana growers by my window garden banana plants. Still, they have given me a lot of pleasure and some nice foliage effects.
Plants for your experiment are offered by Everglades Enterprises, Box 509, Miami Springs, Fla.
Venus Flytrap
For an interesting adventure in window gardening, try a few plants of Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), offered by John Sclieepers, Inc., 37 Wall Street, New York 5, N. Y.
Tulips
Tulips being one of my favorite winter cut flowers, I have been to some pains working out the following schedule for a continuous supply.
Pot up precooled varieties as soon as received and grow them in a temperature not over 48° degrees Fahrenheit until the top growth is 3” inches tall; then step up the temperature to about 55° degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks and then to GO0, but never over this.
Precooled bulbs come into bloom more rapidly than regular ones and may safely be planted earlier.
Thus, precooled William Copland, ready for a 00° temperature on December 7, should be in bloom by January 7.
Bulbs not precooled are handled the usual way. Dusting after each overhead watering until the pots reach the temperature stage with a mixture of half-and-half of sulfur and hydrated lime is useful in the control of fungus diseases.
If you cannot get pre cooled bulbs from your favorite florist, try Vaughan’s Seed Store, G01 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago G, 111., or 47 Barclay St., New York 7, N. Y.
Blood Lilies
All blood lilies that I know are interesting and most are highly ornamental when in bloom.
One of the best of the latter is Haemanthus katharinae, if one has room for a plant close to 3 feet in height and a pot at least 14” inches across.
The reward for that much room is balls of bright red flowers, every 2” inches or longer, the umbels 8” or 9” inches across, making it quite the most spectacular house plant that I know.
Although seldom entirely dormant, they are safely moved in winter, but one should make arrangements in advance. It is listed by Cecil Houdyshel, LaVerne, Calif.
Self-Watering Pot
I have long wanted a self-watering flower pot that could be trusted to satisfy plants with decided ideas about their water supplies, not only over the weekend but for longer periods.
All so far tried have had some weakness, but it looks like the answer has been found in the new “Wik-Fed” pot announced recently by the Harmon Nursery, Prospect, Ohio.
In addition to a constant water supply, wick-feeding offers a good method of supplying fertilizer.
Brass Plant Trough
If one is fussy about the appearance of plant containers in the window garden (fortunately, I have not yet reached that point), the solid brass flower trough offered by Dale Joyce, Box 14, New Hyde Park, L. I., N. Y., should be of interest.
44659 by Na