Arum Lilies

If beautiful white spathes are wanted at Christmas, the plants ought to have a minimum temperature of 550, and abundance of water. They will live in a low temperature, and retain their freshness (although frost will tarnish them), but they will not bloom.

Biennials And Perennials

All the biennials and perennials which were raised from seed in early summer may be planted in beds and borders in November. Dahlias will now be over, probably, and make room for fresh plants.

Bulbs of all kinds may be planted in beds, potted, put into vases and glasses, and arranged with Wallflowers and Primroses in window boxes, in accordance with the hints given in the last chapter. It is desirable to dispose of all the bulbs this month, as many begin to grow in the store, and that is not desirable. Bulbs that were potted early, such as Roman Hyacinths, Paper White Narcissi, and Van Thol Tulips, and which were plunged, will probably have made abundance of roots by now, and be growing at the tip. They should be brought into the light, put in a warm house, watered, and so brought into bloom.

Chrysanthemums

There should be great pleasure in the Chrysanthemums now. The house in which the plants are flowering will be visited frequently. With skilful management, it can be kept beautiful for a long time. By keeping heat in the pipes and ventilating in fine weather, a free circulation of warm, dry air is maintained, and that has a great influence on the plants, and through them on the flowers. Watering will be required when the soil gets dry, but not necessarily every day. Care should be taken to avoid spilling water about, especially late in the day, as it leads to damp.

Fuchsias

These plants will have gone out of bloom, and become dingy. There is no advantage in trying to keep them growing, but rather the reverse, and the best plan is to put them together in an out-of-the-way corner, free from drip, and dry them off for the winter. As long as they are safe from frost they will be all right until spring.

Zonal Geraniums

We have already seen how young plants for the garden should be dealt with. As regards the old plants from the beds, it is hardly worth while to preserve them if there is an adequate supply of young ones, but if desired they can be kept. A simple plan is to crop the branches and roots to mere stumps, and hang the plants in bundles in a cool, dry, frost-proof outhouse, store, or cellar. Pot plants raised from cuttings in spring, repotted, pinched as required, and disbudded in summer, may now come into bloom, and will greatly enliven the stages of the greenhouse. With care in watering, and picking off fading trusses, they will remain in bloom for a long time.

The handsome hardy border plant Stenactis speciosa.