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When the Christmas roses come to you for fall planting the flower bud is already formed deep down among the black roots. To enjoy blossoms that winter, the plant must be set in a hole much deeper and wider than the roots, generally’ inches deep and a foot wide. At the bottom, place five inches of crushed rock plus a little rotted manure and compost.

After spreading the roots on top of a small pyramid of earth, additional rotted manure and compost and good soil, mixed with a teacup of bonemeal, is pressed around the roots until the hole is full. Water the plant well and add buckwheat hulls for a mulch.

The location for Christmas roses should be east to north so that the handsome evergreen foliage will flourish the year round without burning. Sun or a late spring freezes and lack of quantities of fertilizer and water will cause injury. The best plants I have seen in a Louisville garden were on the northeast side of the house between the base of a picture window and a small fish pool’ inches away. Here dozens of blooms enliven the winter scene two to three months each year.

My plants are against the brick edging of the northeast side of a small rose plot, just outside my study window, where the lovely design of the foliage all year-round and the blooms in winter are a constant source of pleasure.

Success in Michigan

When my mother sent me several small plants of Christmas roses a number of years ago, I knew nothing about them and was frankly unaware of any plant that would flower through the winter months, with the snow on the ground.

To try them out, I selected a moist site in the partial shade where the drainage was good and placed some well rotted manure in the soil which was alkaline. They were planted in early spring, but I have since learned that the fall is a better planting time. When winter came, each plant produced two or three flowers, but the following year they bloomed profusely.

When cut for use in the house, I select any type of evergreen foliage like golden pothos plant, since the plant needs its own leaves for proper development. Blooms may be cut when frozen, then thawed out in the basement. I personally prefer to leave the blooms outside and buy flowers for the house, as the real thrill of a Christmas rose is to admire it in bloom in the snow. The plants actually need little care and no cultivating is necessary, though watering in summer is required.

I have tried dividing my plants, but they resent disturbance, which sets them back several years. I move them only when they are not doing well, being careful to take a large ball of soil. The late summer or fall is best.

The Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) has greenish white or purplish flowers, which hold very little thrill for me, as they appear in the spring with crocus and other early flowers.

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Can orchids be raised in the average home? Yes, if one wants to grow them badly enough and will be content with those which will thrive and bloom under home conditions.

There are a number of lovely types which reward those who care enough about orchids to study and meet their chief needs: light, water, nutrition, humidity and temperature. Here in the United States, most orchids are aliens in a strange and climatically hostile land, but they respond gratefully to efforts to make them feel at home.

Beyond question, orchids grow best in greenhouses. This fact has barred many people from enjoying this fascinating hobby, since they may have neither the means nor the space for a greenhouse. What can be done then? Some success can be had by placing orchid plants in sunny windows and staging them over trays of moist gravel. Though much success has been claimed for this method, I have found results over a period of two or three years most disappointing both in lack of blooms and in a gradual deterioration of most plants. However, the majority of plants can be placed in sunny windows over gravel trays during their blooming period where they can be enjoyed by neighbors as well.

Without a doubt, greenhouse culture gives best results. Since few can have large greenhouses, the answer is to construct little greenhouses – or Wardian cases (forerunner to the modern terrarium) – which can be placed in suitable windows, facing preferably south or east. The plural is used advisedly because once bitten by the orchid bug, no one is ever satisfied with one Wardian case, provided more than one suitable window is available.

These cases are not expensive if they are homemade. They can be built as simply or as elaborately as individual taste dictates. I have six of different shapes and sizes, all built of windows purchased from a hardware store. The general idea is to make a rectangular box with a hinged door and a hinged top which help to regulate ventilation and humidity.

These can come is all sizes and shapes, but just considera wardian case being a big aquarium.

What orchids can the be raised to best advantage in Wardian cases? Here is where opinions differ. Everybody wants the big, showy, gorgeous cattleyas, the aristocrats of the orchid world. However, it is best to stop and think for a moment. Cattleyas are large plants that take up much of the limited space in a Wardian case. That is one difficulty. Furthermore they need more light for blooming than is available in the average home. Then again, for good blooming, they need lower night temperatures than prevail in the average home. If one must have cattleyas, start with very few and see how you fare. The species orchid, Cattleya mossiae, the Easter orchid, is a good one to try. It is forgiving, rewarding and has lovely blossoms. I have had success with the miniature Cattleya forbesi. It is modest in shape.

There are mature hybrids which respond to case culture, but they are expensive and should not be experimented with until this form of culture is mastered. For those who hope some day to construct greenhouses and want to begin building up a collection, cattleya seedlings, which can be purchased at modest prices from any orchid dealer, will grow well in Wardian cases.

One of the loveliest and easiest to raise in Wardian cases is the moth orchid, indoor orchid, or phalaenopsis. It is a superb bloomer if given moderate light, warmth, plenty of water and high humidity. The white ones are best as they produce often two if not three sets of blooms a year. The pinks are very beautiful, but are not so prolific.

Next to phalaenopsis, I recommend cypripediums, or lady slipper orchids, especially the warm growing ones which are readily recognized by their mottled leaves. At the head of the list I place my favorite, Cypripedium maudiae, for it generally blooms twice a year and makes itself readily at home in a Wardian case. It is somewhat expensive, but a healthy plant is worth it.

Another family of orchids which supplies some members responding to Wardian case culture is the oncidiums, or the dancing lady orchids. These are sprightly and fascinating spray orchids. Many types are too large and others put out spikes too long for case culture. However, the family is a large one and many types can be experimented with, producing fair results.

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