The winter windowsill gardener, working to refute the snowy weather outside, does not usually like to cut the sparse blooms from a cherished house plant. The right flowers are not always obtainable, nor does everyone have a greenhouse in which to grow.
Yet, it is fairly easy for most of us to grow flowering plants indoors to have blooms for bouquets during the winter.
Annuals or perennials may often be lifted from the garden at the end of the growing season, potted, and brought into the house.
On the other hand, I have found it far more satisfactory to plant seeds, which result in better shaped, more vigorous, and sturdier plants.
Kinds that have proved themselves and which I plant year after year are nasturtiums, marigold, and sweet alyssum.
Although those who prefer large mass arrangements will find little satisfaction in these small flowers, it is remarkable how a few nasturtiums and marigolds, against well-arranged greenery, will create a summery and delightful picture. Then, too, their bright bits of color is unsurpassed for nosegays.
Marigold In a Pot
I sow marigold seed in a flat. Then, when the second leaves appear, I plant one, two, or even three in a small pot.
If the plants are kept slightly potbound, they grow better. Of the various kinds, any of the French marigolds are good.
Seed of the variety Lemon Drop, sown in October, started to bloom 6 weeks later and continued until April.
A grouping of small pots of marigolds can also be used as a distinctive lunch table arrangement.
Hospital patients, or anyone confined to the house, delight in the gift of a potted marigold.
For a succession of varieties, sow seed every 3 or 4 weeks throughout the winter. For compact, bushy plants, turn the pots periodically.
Since nasturtiums are more temperamental, it is best to sow them in the pot where they are to grow and move them no more than essential.
Three seeds of dwarf varieties in a pot are best. Their leaves will be fairly small, with long petioles, while plants will tend to climb.
However, the ragged effect does not matter so much since it is blooming rather than the foliage you want.
Plants sown in October flowered all winter for me. The same plant set out in the spring survived until fall.
Sweet Alyssum
With sweet alyssum, sow sparsely in a low flat pot or bulb pan. Treated in this manner, plants will not have to be shifted into another container.
The delicate white or lavender flowers add much to a small bouquet.
House-grown annuals need plenty of sunshine, though not too much, not too great a range of temperature and humidity.
I raise them in an unheated sunporch, where the temperature does not go below freezing in this climate.
A room where geraniums flourish is also a good place for these and other annuals. Remember that a cool growing temperature is their most important need.
It is fun to experiment with different kinds and varieties. Climate and the amount of sunshine govern choice, but there are no hard and fast rules for success.
Even with the humble marigold, there is a distinct thrill in growing, under ordinary conditions, flowers to cut for winter bouquets.
44659 by Sarah P. Stetson