Indoor Gardens 
Indoor Gardens 
Care and Management of Plants in Rooms 
INDOOR gardening is undoubtedly a subject which commends itself to every flower lover, since it is a hobby which may be pursued with equal success by rich and poor, weak and strong. The invalid who is confined to the house, and unable to participate in the pleasures of outdoor gardening, or even to grow flowers on a window sill, is able to cultivate at least a few plants in the dwelling-room under congenial conditions, while the pleasure derived from so fascinating a pursuit is immeasurable. The writer, in his capacity of Editor of a journal which caters for Amateur Gardeners, has often been deeply touched by the letters of invalids in which the writers have described the unspeakable joy they have experienced in cultivating such simple plants as Musk, Creeping Jenny, and Ivy in their rooms. It is very evident, therefore, that indoor gardening does confer a great amount of pleasure upon those who are so unfortunate as not to enjoy such good health as will permit them to take part in outdoor gardening. To those who enjoy that greatest of all earthly blessings – good health – and are able to cultivate flowers outdoors as well as indoors, the pleasure is of a two-fold nature.
Plants add greatly to the attractiveness and cheerfulness of a room, especially in the case of a cottager’s or artisan’s home, which would oftentimes be dull if it were not for the presence of a few bright flowers in the window. Even in well-appointed rooms a few plants placed about make them decidedly more cheerful, if not attractive. And so, on the whole, it may truly be said that indoor plant culture yields infinite pleasure to those who practice the art, and at the same time adds to the attractiveness of the home.
There are several ways in which indoor gardening may be practised. For example, flowering plants like the Fuchsia, Musk, or Geranium may be grown on the inner ledge of a window; Ferns, etc., cultivated in Wardian cases or under a bell-glass; foliage plants like Palms and India-rubber Plants grown in ornamental pots about the room, and so on.
In small rooms, especially those occupied by the cottager or artisan, the first plan is the one in general vogue. This not only renders the room bright and cheerful from the inside, but also attractive from the outside, and may therefore be regarded as a suitable plan to adopt by those who like to make their windows attractive to passers-by. Indeed, where flowering plants are preferred to those with ornamental foliage, the former must be grown thus on account of the sunlight required to develop and perfect the blossoms. Fern cases should also be placed not too far from the light, although they should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Foliage plants and Ferns will do almost anywhere in a room; Palms doing as well as any in the darkest positions. It should, however, be borne in mind as a general rule that all plants like exposure to light, and therefore should, wherever possible, be placed in a light position.
A vase of chrysanthemums
Supposing, then, that some of the readers of these pages wish to grow plants so as to make the interior of their windows gay and cheerful, the most important point to decide is what to grow. First of all let us say that there are very few flowering plants that will bloom in sunless rooms. The exceptions are the Fuchsia, Musk, Sweet Scented Tobacco, Campanula isophylla alba and Calceolaria. Foliage plants will, however, do well, and the best of these for the purpose are Aspidistra lurida variegata, India-rubber Plant, Fatsia japonica, and Anthericum variegatum, with the following Ferns: Pteris serrulata, Pteris tremula, Asplenium bulbiferum, Cyrtomium falcatum, Scolopendrium vulgare, and Phlebodium aureum. For growing in suspended baskets or pots close to the window, Saxifraga sarmentosa, Linaria Cymbalaria and Creeping Jenny are excellent plants.
Where windows get a fair amount of sunshine flowering plants will do well. Here is a list from which the reader may make a selection to suit his space and pocket. For summer flowering: Fuchsias, Zonal and Ivy-leaved Geraniums, Petunias, Heliotropes, Hydrangeas, Lilium auratum, speciosum and Harrisii, Balsams, Cacti, Vallota purpurea (Scarboro’ Lily), Agapanthus umbellatus – Blue African Lily – Oleander, and Marguerites. For autumn flowering: Guernsey Lily (Nerine sarniensis) and Early Chrysanthemums. For winter blooming: Chinese Primulas, Cyclamens, and Christmas Roses. For spring flowering: Hyacinths, Tulips, Daffodils, Crocuses, Iris reticulata, Snowdrops, Spiræa japonica, Azalea indica, Calla Lilies, Camellias, Cinerarias, and Auriculas. With these may be grown all the year round the Sweet Scented Verbena (Aloysia citriodora), Oak-leaf, Peppermint, and Nutmeg Scented Geraniums; while for suspending in the window, the plants recommended for a shady window are Sedum Sieboldi variegata, Indian Strawberry (Fragaria indica), Othonna crassifolia, Tradescantia discolor and zebrina, Isolepis gracilis, and the Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis cernua).
An elegant flower stand for a hall
The ferns, palms, and foliage plants will require to be watered freely during the spring and summer, and moderately in autumn and winter. In the summer time they may be stood outdoors during a gentle shower to wash off the dust from their leaves, but at other periods the leaves must be sponged with soapy water occasionally. Re-potting will not be required every year, but, when necessary, do it in March or April.
We will next deal with ornamental leaved and other plants grown in ordinary pots and stood in fancy receptacles about the room. Those in general use for this purpose are the India-rubber Plant (Ficus elastica); Parlour Palm (Aspidistra lurida variegata; Fig-leaf Palm (Fatsia Japonica), frequently called the “Castor Oil Plant,” and “Aralia”; ordinary Palms, as Kentia Belmoreana, Areca lutescens, Phœnix dactylifera (Date Palm), and rupicola; Latania Borbonica, Areca sapida, Cocos Weddelliana and Corypha australis; Grevillea robusta; Blue Gum Tree (Eucalyptus globosa); Elephant’s Ear Begonia (Begonia Rex); Dracæna indivisa; Araucaria excelsa; Dracæna Bruantii; Japanese Hyacinth (Ophiopogon jaburan variegatum); Club Grass (Isolepis gracilis); and ferns, as Pteris tremula, Pteris serrulata, Nephrodium molle, Adiantum cuneatum, Asplenium bulbiferum, and Phlebodium aureum. All these are remarkable for their handsome foliage, and the greater portion of them may be grown for many years in rooms in which gas is not consumed regularly. Where gas is used daily the Aspidistra, Fig-leaf Palm, and Kentia Belmoreana are the only plants that can be relied upon to succeed regularly in rooms. Those, however, who have a greenhouse, and can change the plants every three days, may grow any of the foregoing which I have mentioned, with fair success. Flowering plants may only be grown in the room when in flower; at other times they must be grown close to a window or in a greenhouse.
We have now to deal with Ferns in Wardian cases, and under bell glasses. This is a delightful phase of indoor gardening. Cases can be purchased ready made through the medium of the Agricultural and Horticultural Association; or they may be constructed by anyone skilled in joinery. They are made in all sorts of shapes – plain and ornamental. They are usually fitted with a zinc tray at the bottom, a hole connected with a small pipe fitted with a tap being made at one corner to carry off superfluous moisture. On this tray a layer of stones or crocks has to be placed to serve as drainage. Some moss should overlie this, and then some four to six inches of compost be put on the top. To relieve the flatness of the surface pieces of tufa or sandstone rock should be embedded in the soil to form a miniature rockery and little beds or ledges for the ferns. Smaller cases, consisting of an earthenware base forming a kind of pan, with a rim to receive a glass globe, or shade, are also employed for the same purpose, and the pan is drained and filled with soil and compost in the same way as advised for the Wardian cases. In both instances the compost should consist of equal parts of loam, peat, leaf-mould, and charcoal, with a little silver sand or Jadoo fibre.
Wardian case for ferns
The Ferns usually grown in such cases are as follows: –
BRITISH: Hart’s tongue (Scolopendrium vulgare and its numerous kinds); Polystichum angulare cristatum (Shield Fern); Welsh Polypody (Polypodium cambricum); Crested Male Fern (Lastrea Filixmas cristata); Black Spleenwort (Asplenium Adiantum nigrum); Asplenium trichomanes and the Native Maidenhair (Adiantum capillusveneris).
EXOTIC: Davallia alpina, Asplenium fontanum, Doodia caudata, Blechnum gracile, Pteris cretica, Davallia bullata, Lomaria Alpina, and Asplenium fragrans. With the Ferns are generally grown a few mosses, as Selaginella Kraussiana, denticulata, amœna, grandis, and Victoria.
Another way of growing Ferns in a room is worthy of note here, and that is planting tiny kinds in small ornamental, Jars bowls, and other bric-a-brac. Ferns grown thus do not, however, last in good condition very long, mainly owing to the fact that these receptacles contain no provision for the escape of superfluous water. However, they are pretty, and as the Ferns are not expensive it does not signify about the short duration of their lives when grown thus. These little ornaments can be stood about the rooms on tables, mantelpieces, and so on. When a fern becomes sickly, turn it out and put another in its place. When moisture is needed stand the jars, etc., in a bowl of water for a few minutes.
Yet another novel mode of gardening is that of growing acorns in bottles. The acorn is, of course, the seed of the oak. If one of these can be obtained, pierce it through the centre with a stout needle containing thread. Arrange the thread so that the acorn is suspended point downwards midway in a bottle. Add sufficient water to just touch the point of the acorn, and cover the mouth with a paper capsule. Stand the bottle in a warm place; then in due course the acorn will vegetate and put forth roots, which will coil round the interior of the bottle, also a stem which will ascend through the neck and bear foliage. The chestnut and horse-chestnut may also be grown in bottles. The bottles in this case should, however, be wide-mouthed ones, so as to allow the nuts to rest in the neck, and permit the water to rise and just touch their undersides. Trees so raised will grow for a number of years in bottles provided the water is changed sometimes.
