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WINDOW GARDENING.

DEVOTED SPECIALLY TO

THE CULTURE OF FLOWERS

AN1>

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS,

JN DOOPV]JSEAND -pARLOH DECORATION,

EDITED BY

HENRY T. WILLIAMS.

FOURTEENTH EDITION.

NEW YORK:

rr_

OFFICK OF THK HORTICULTURIST

1878.

Entered accor ling to Act M Congress, in the year one thousand eight hnndred and seventy on.\

BY HENRY T. WILLIAMS,
in the ofUce of the Librarian of Congress, at W"^L 'ngton, D. C.

PREFACE

THE taste for Window Gardening and the plant decoration of apartments
is becoming universal : scarcely a cottage or villa but has its attempts,
whether simple or elaborate, to decorate the windows, the porch, or the
balcony with some few flower-pots or climbing vines; it is a sign of healthy
sentiment, for the presence of flowers always aids in the development of re-
finement and an elevated taste.

This volume has been written specially as a help and an encouragement to
ladies and all flower- lovers, to assist them with judicious hints and sugges-
tions in their efforts to make home more beautiful by the use of plants
around their windows or balconies.

With the exception of a very lew pages, properly credited to English
writers (Mr. Robinson and Shirley Hibberd, upon subjects as yet unfamiliar
to American readers), the literary matter of this volume is entirely original,
being contributed by the Editor, and assisted by several American writers,
enthusiastic flower lovers, who have cheerfully written articles on special
topics.

The aim has been to produce a volume suited to American uses, which
would be simple, reliable, adapted to the needs of amateurs and beginners
in home plant culture, yet abundant in suggestions of the many ways to
render home attractive.

Previous editions of this volume have been called for rapidly, and received
with marked pleasure, and it is hoped that, in this new edition, where the
errors of former editions have been corrected, the reader will still continue
to show favor toward a work issued rather for the public good than the per-
sonal emolument of the author.

Should the interested reader feel pleased with this little testimonial to one
of the most beautiful of all departments of flower culture, and the desire of
the author to foster the fancy for window ornament, he will not regret his
effort to add some definite encouragement to the more extensive development
of rural taste.

THE EDITOR.

##a«A1te

Fl«. I.— Decorative Bird Cage and Flower Stsu

WINDOW GARDENING.

CHLAJPTER I.

ITS PLEASURES — INCREASE IN POPULAR TASTE — REFINING

INFLUENCES.

No home of taste is now considered complete without its Window Garden.
Indeed it may be said that Window Gardening is one of the most elegant, satis-
factory, yet least expensive of all departments of Rural Taste. As a useful means
for developing a taste for plant-life and a love for flowers, I count nothing so
effective as this simple style of gardening ; for who has not noticed that where
flowers reign, grace of mind and manner soon follow. One of the advantages of
Window Gardening is its simplicity, open to every one and impossible to none.
Thousands of persons confined to their homes for the greater part of their life have
no greater rural estate than that which the Window Garden affords. To watch
the unfolding leaves and budding flowers, the development of branch after branch,
is a study of the reality of plant-life, exquisitely interesting to the soul who find*
in it its only world of pleasure and sentiment.

It is a form of gardening too, of permanent use and value. The Window Gar-
den is independent to a large degree of the varying seasons, for it can be made
attractive every month in the year. The advent of Spring, Summer and Autumn,
only render the plants of the Window Garden more luxuriant and make the flow-
ers more brilliant, but they do not die with the first frost or cold wind in winter
When the prospect without is dreary, we can still look to our fern-cases or
window-boxes or hanging-baskets and behold in them objects of increased admi-
ration, because they are so charming in their contrast with the desolateness with
out, and are genial remembrances of greener days gone by.

The universal popularity of Window Gardens, whether large or small, simple
or elaborate, is the evidence of a growing taste for flowers and ornamental plants
in all circles of society. We have only to notice in all our large cities, towns and
villages, how frequent window decorations have become, sometimes seeming as if
not a single house was without them in many of our most fashionable avenues. IP
European cities the citizens indulge even more extensively and passionately in their
plant pleasures than we do; every home is decorated from the wo^kingman's
window, and its few flower-pots of balsams, to the fernery and tile jardinieres of the
aristocratic mansion.

g WINDOW GARDENING

In Brussels, says M Victor Paquet, " the balconies are turned into greenhouses
and miniature stoves, gay with the brightest and greenest foliage. And in Paris
there are many contrivances in use by means of which the rarest and most
oeautiful plants are produced. Passifloras cling to columns in the upper Jioors;
water plants start into blossom in tiny basins curiously contrived in solid brick-
work, and limpid water flows down a miniature rockery from whose crevices
start up ferns and lycopodiums."

The rooms of the Parisian are gay with flowers replaced freshly every day,
and in the denser parts of London, black with its smoky atmosphere, may be
found some of the choicest of plant-cases. An English writer visiting such a
locality once was ushered into a room where the darkness was almost felt, but
every window was occupied with a plant-case in which plants were growing in
an astonishing manner. Ferns of the greenest and freshest hue, orchids never
surpassed, were there in redolent health and vigor. He was told to his great
surprise that the cases were hermetically sealed, and that no water had been ad-
ministered for months

There is a never-failing charm, too, in the outside decorations of the house or
Window Gaiden. The trellis- work of the balcony may be made ornamental with
green foliage and its homeliness tastefully hidden The ivy will cover the un-
painted wall and make it still more artistic. The verandah can be soon covered
with the xnost luxuriant of profuse blooming creepers. Unsightly objects, bare
gardens, and plain fences can all be relieved. In fact no home is devoid of the
means of tasteful decoration. And so many and easy are the forms of window
embellishments at the present day, that we know of no better device for increas-
ing the elegancies and»attractions of indoor life.

Window Gardens, too, are educators of taste. In our large cities it is noticeable
that the fair occupants of the wealthier homes are themselves practically inter-
ested in window ornament. It is quite the fashion for their own hands to fill
with pretty plants, of their own arrangement, jardinieres of costly die, or else
place them in baskets of rustic yet most artistic make After a little time wher
they have grown to appropriate height, or the drooping plants have attained suffi-
cient length, the full beauty of the Window Garden is apparent. Visitors are
entranced with their wondrous beauty and are free with their exclamations of
delight. The passer-by on the sidewalk stops for a moment to look lovingly
upon the cozy bower of bloom just inside the glazed window pane. When pass-
ing away, he still keeps it in mind, and long afterwards cherishes the memory of
this artistic beauty spot. Flowers and plants, by their beauty and fragrance, are
always in harmony with rich and costly furniture, pictures or statuary.

A simple flower stand near the window, a hanging basket over head, all
shedding their perfume, add day by day brightness to the other genialities of the
home; and all through the wintry months, furnish food for pleasant thoughts ;
a single plant of the Ivy trained on the wail, or festooned over the window, is
ft joy to all beholders

WINDOW GARDENING. 7

Flowers, plants too, often supply the place of children in bereaved homes;
for their soul-refreshing, heart-inspiring, and eye-brightening influences, are
)oys to wean the thoughts from pain or sorrow.

Some mother perhaps cherishes fondlv in her home a few beautiful Fuchsias
placed on a stand upon the window sill She never tires of looking upon their
graceful shapes, or the brightly colored jewel blossoms drooping downwards,
for they remind her of the delight they once gave her little child before it went to its
angel home The value to her of these treasures, with their brilliant colors and
snowy waxen petals, rose-colored or purple corollas, cannot be measured with
the ordinary expression of language

Among the most gratifying signs of flora* taste, is the evidence of their intro-
duction into school rooms. The teacher is perhaps fond of them and knows
their influence. Their very delicacy, forbidding rougn handling, serves to impose
a wholesome restraint upon the children ; if ever they are tired with their study,
a fe\vr glances at the windowsill, and its pots of bloom, wreathe their faces with
genial smiles, and they go to work again with willing hearts and refreshed
thoughts. The curiosity of children, too, is proverbial, and many a girl learns more
of nature from the living specimens before her, than from the dry details of her
book of botany

Not less important can we consider flowers and plants, as the best and most
practical educators of healthy sentiment. They are always suggestive of purity
and refinement. Nothing is so conducive to cheerfulness, or creates efforts to
make home attractive, like their presence in the household. Constant associa-
tions with such objects of floral beauty, fits people to rank high as useful mem-
bers of society. A floral writer has already expressed these sentiments in a
most charming manner .

" They are a spring of sunshine, a constant pleasure. We would have flowers
in every home, for their sunny light, for their cheerful teachings, for their insen-
sibly ennobling influence."

As an amusement for the invalid, Window Gardening through the form of plant
cases, is very appropriate. We call to mind an instance of one compelled in
consequence of a bodily infirmity, to take up a residence in the city.

He had enjoyed for a longtime in the country the pleasures of the green-house,
and endeavored whilst in the city to replace it once more. A small but inexpen-
sive three light green-house was erected in the back yard, open, airy. There
he gratified his taste for floricultural subjects by gathering together an interesting
collection of valuable ferns and orchids. In an upper room was arranged a capa-
cious fern case, and there the invalid would spend many days during the win-
ter recumbent upon the sofa dilating upon the pleasures of being able to watch
the growth of a vigorous intertwining mass of curious forms of foreign ferns, many
of them productions from distant portions of the globe, New Zealand, India,
Mexico, Japan

In our country homes, how common to see the plant stand before the window
with its dozen or so Dots of Geraniums, Primroses, Azaleas, &c., while an inva

g WINDOW GARDENING.

lid sister or mother reclines in the easy chair, watching it for hours with
delight, unmindful of the snow driving past the window pane.

The refining influence of the flowers is no where more apparent than in our
humble cottage homes ; for there it is the young maiden cherishes her few pet
flowers, with a deeper affection and truer love than even the skilled gardener.
Tnere is something so attractive in their very looks that none can resist their
sweet and winning influence. Perhaps it may be because so few are disappointed
in them, or expect them to yield a measured commercial profit. So no one's
enthusiasm is gauged by dollars and cents.

In some of the strangest of conditions, there is often the most delightful dis
play of floral bloom ; the prairie log cabin may often contain a flourishing win
dow garden, with as choice specimens as that of the rich amateur.

Few are so poor but they can find room for a few boxes and pots to grow plants
and beguile the long winter hours. They should be in the window of every sit-
ting room, in every school-house, that children, as well as parents, may be educa-
ted to the appreciation of their beauties, and their taste more readily cultivated
and encouraged.

The effects of window gardening become more clearly seen each succeeding
year. Many who have not the slightest idea of how a plant grows will obtain
from the florist a simple basket of Ivy. Once living, it needs little further atten-
tion ; yet the eye of the proprietor often wanders upward to it, and as the tendrils
reach out, twining around the basket, upward or downward, his senses
are gradually interested, and in time other plants follow, who in turn are studied.
These tempt others, mere visitors, to try the same experiment, and so the con-
tagious enthusiasm for flowers steadily spreads. In every state the love for
flowers and plants is on the increase. The business of our florists is three times
larger than five years ago. Our cottagers are devoting more. time to the ornamen-
tation of door yards with these floral gems, and the window sill of many a cot has
its sugar bowl or cracked tea pot, doing duty for a flower pot, while we have
often seen the discarded fruit can, in some wayside ranchman's cabin in the inte-
rior of the Rocky Mountains, blooming with balsams or portulacca. All classes
respond to but one sentiment, " FLOWERS, GIVE us FLOWERS."

Beside the delights of window gardening in opening new res'Hirces of amuse-
ment, recreation and instruction, which nothing else can give to the home circle,
is the added advantage that it is easy; but very little time is required for their
culture. Some window gardens are elaborate, expensive, and are suited only
for those of scientific taste, but by far the most successful are those in our every
lay homes, with the simplest of flowering plants. There are many more easy plana
for house gardening than difficult ones. The little physical exercise needed, is a
relief to mental pursuits, and a variety to domestic duties, while the daily growth
of each plant and flower, which constitutes the chief delight of the young flo-
rist, and the beauty and elegance of his little garden, form a crowning gratifica-
tion for his well spent hours, and stimulate an honest and desirable pride.

In some of tne poorest quarters of London there may be found at any time hand-

WINDOW GARDENING 9

somer Balsams than any professional ever raised, while some of the finest new
Chrysanthemums ever produced it is said have originated in the window garden
of some of these humble citizens.

A quaint old English writer calls this form of home pleasure, " Fenestral Gar.
dening" (Hortus Fenestralis) expressive of the decoration of rooms with green
drapery from the garden. Many are deterred from the commencement of a
window garden, or the care for cases of plants, on account of the supposed trouble.

There are really but few requisites to success. If any are ignorant of the
plants or their proper arrangement, read these pages and learn how many simple
forms may be adopted to make every house garden alive with plant beauty, and
yet require only a half hour per day. A hanging basket or two, a window box or
row of bulb glasses, a wardian case or fernery, att are easy. Once set, they need
little care. In the other departments of propagation and culture, a little time,
patience, and, best of all, trials of experience, will soon render the knowledge easily
acquired.

To have some few choice, fragrant, beautiful flowers in mid winter when there is
no green thing in sight, save the dense evergreen of the forest, or the garden
hedge of spruce, prompts many to an assiduous care, and a hearty devotion to
such plant treasures. Yet the recompense is worth the labor.

The matchless beauty which nature once bestowed on the gardens without, is
now restored and perpetuated within ; and to many a fair finger deftly handling
the tender plant, the exquisite embroidery of the leaf, or coloring of tho flower,
will form objects for the eye to rest upon with unwearied delight.

WINDOW GARDENING.

Fig. 3.- Design for Window Gardeo

CHAJPTER II.

CONSTRUCTION, LOCATION AND DESIGNS FOR WINDOW GARDENS.

The Window Gardener has choice of a great; number of designs for the gratifica-
tion of his taste. The Window Box of Evergreens, Ferns, or Ornamental Plants ;
the Jardiniere, the Hanging Basket, the row of Bulbglasses, the Plant Cabinet,
the Fernery, Wardian Case or Conservatory, may all be his : while Flower
Stands, Etagere and Mantel Piece Gardens, and other floral elegancies, are of
great variety and tasteful construction. Nothing, however, has so decided an
effect as broad leaved plants in the window sill.

Our engraving opposite (Fig. 2) is a sketch of a library window, about 3 feet
wide, and 6 high, with book shelves on either side, and a closet below for pam-
phlets. The window sill is made of extra width, say 14 inches. Here is placed
a simple tray of about 3 inches in depth, made to fit the sill exactly : the in-
terior is coated entirely with tin and rendered proof against leakage. The tray
is filled with fresh mould from the woods, and then the plants are put in. At
each end is an English Ivy, and the spaces between are filled with native hardy
ferns, which usually are found out doors near our woods, remaining green
down to the coldest winds and frosts of Autumn.

If the front of the box is too plain it may be decorated with a few acorns,
and strips of chestnut.

About midway up the window is thrown across a miniature rustic bridge, upon
which is still another but narrower tray, with lighter and more delicate ferns,
such as the maiden's hair. This rustic bridge may be decorated with a lat-
tice of the bright red dogwood, mingled with the white shoots of the linden. On
the top of the window, as a cornice, some rustic branch from one of our wild
forest trees, may be selected, twisted and crooked ; yet affording numerous brack-
ets for climbing plants to rest upon. Upon this moss-covered bark the Ivy of
the lower box is expected soon to grow up to and crawl over, throwing its ten-
drils right and left, and filling it full with green foliage. A little hanging bas-
ket from the rustic archway, fills out the uniqueness of the picture, and the
landscape view beyond is in a measure enhanced by the agreeableness of the
standpoint from which we view it.

In some of the finer parts of London, where Window Gardens are dressed in
highest elegance, there is a very popular form of Window Garden, consisting of
a glass case, projecting beyond the window sashes, somewhat like a little glass
bow-window. (Fig 3, 4.) These are made in every style, with rustic work in
front, or of an architectural character to harmonize with the style of the building.

12

WINDOW GARDENING

The sills, too, are made broad, and thus afford peculiar conveniences for their safe
position. Wealthy citizens who return from the country at close of the summer
find these glass gardens ready filled, and charmingly arrayed with ferns, ever-
greens and flowering plants, which will last throughout the entire winter. In the
spring time these give place to Roses, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, and a variety of
other plants suitable for each season. They are exceedingly simple, and besides
affording a world of gratification to the inmates of the house they are a great
addition to the exterior ornaments of the building. They are not common in this

Fig. 3.

country, and it would be quite an object for some dealer in horticultural elegancies
here to make a specialty of them, for as soon as known they will be greatly in de-
mand. The construction is as follows • The lower window sash, is omitted entirely,
and the glass case inserted in its place, is of sufficient height to reach to the upper
sash. The base should be of one stout slab of slate, resting upon the lower win-
dow sill, and extending outward from 1 foot to 2 feet, and the same distance in-
ward. If the window is large, 2 feet each ssde of the sash will not be too large.
An iron frame is then cast of just sufficient length and width to set upon the slab,

WINDOW GARDENING.

which may be fastened firmly to it. The glass sides are fitted into the frame be-
forehand, which is curved at the top, and a tray inside filled with soil holds the
plants. In many cases the plant case is double, (i. e.,) the lower window sash is
not removed at all, but shuts down upon the slab of slate, and the plant case is
divided into two parts, each rising and curving upward to the window. Such
cases can be made by any manufacturer of glassware and metal casting, but should
be well and tightly fitted ; as, also, very thick glass should be used as a protection
against the weather. For the purposes of examination and cleaning or handling

IMIIIII|W''llllllllllllllllll!illllI

Fig. 4.

the plants, a glass slide or door can be provided in the side within the room. These
designs will be found most suitable in our changeable climate for mild weather
only, as we fear they would not afford sufficient protection against cold. To some
the objection might occur that they hide the view of the street from the interior,
but this, with others, might be just the desideratum wished for; yet it will be
found in time that it excludes light and air to a considerable degree. Another
item must be provided for. Water must necessarily be used for the plants, and
there should be a place of escape. The box for holding the soil should be from
4 to 6 inches deep, and the bottom must be covered with broken pieces of charcoal

14

WINDOW GARDENING

or bricks about the size of walnuts, then a sprinkling of sand and other pieces of
brick broken still smaller to about the size of a pea should be mixed with peat,
and with this compost the box may be filled up. Cases of this kind are usually
found in London, already prepared with plants, only needing the proper dimen-
sions to be soon fitted to any window.

The best plants for these cases are ferns, which require but ordinary attention,
and the cultivator will also observe not to place them in a southern window ; a

Fig. 5.

northern or western one will be much better for they need little or no heat. As
these cases cannot be heated, so no plants should be placed in there which require
artificial warmth.

A very pretty design has been originated by a German gardener of a combined
window case aquarium and fernery. (Fig. 5.) This occupies the window from tne
sill to top of the upper sash The tank within contains slate slabs of consider-
able height, say one-third of the whole window on the autside of the case, the
inner side nearest the room being of glass to afford a view of the interior. This
slab is necessary to avoid the effect of the sun's rays which, when passing through

WINDOW GARDENING.

15

a globe or aquarium of water, concentrate upon the floor and burn the carpet
Specimens of rock work are introduced at the sides or in the rear of the case ; on
their top are placed some pots containing ferns drooping over and covering the
vacancies all up. If conveniences are at hand a little fountain may be introduced,
and be constantly throwing up its tiny streams of water. All this requires great
pains of preparation. The window completely shuts out the street view and is
lighted only from the top, yet is a great curiosity and with some will be worth
the trouble

For planting in such cases as the two just described, the best plants will be the
common English Ivy, (Hedera helix,} which thrives in confined places of this
description and rapidly throws up its green foliage. The Lygodium scandens and
Lyoodium Japotacum a :e lovely climbing- ferns, and n*>*d copper wires to be trained

Fig. 6.

to. Trichomanes radicans, Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, Asplenium /on-
tanum are moisture lovers and generally used in furnishing tanks for the aqua-
rium. A suggestion worth heeding is to be remembered : do not commit the error
of procuring too large fish for the aquarium; small varieties such as the gold carp
are most suitable, and for every two gallon capacity of the water tank, put in
one carp. Of water plants the best is Vallisnena spiralis, which will grow among
pebbles if left undisturbed. Conferva may be introduced and allowed to run
over the rock or sides of the aquarium.

A very pretty home design, hardly called a Window Garden, yet affording room
for some decoration, is that of a bee hive in the window. Such a hive was actually
placed in front of one of the library windows of the late J. C. Loudon, the famous
landscape gardener. This window was protected by a verandah, and the front of

16

WINDOW GARDENING.

the hive was placed on a line with its pillars, and was consequently protected
from perpendicular rain, but as the excessive heat of summer is equally injurious
as rain, he had the hive protected from that and from the sudden influence of
either heat or cold, by a casing of broom and heather intertwined. For exainin
ing the bees at work, the back of the hive nsxt the window had a sliding door of
wood covering a square of plate glass, so that when the door was lifted the bees
could be seen at work. The engraving (Fig. 6) also affords to any one an idea
of decorating the outside of the window with climbing vines; the Wistaria being
v dch the most permanent and rapid growing. This will be found a most inter-

esting feature to children and visitors, and it will add much to the convenience
of position if the window is low and near the ground.

One of the problems every window gardener has to solve is, to allow his plants
all needful light, air and warmth, and yet protect them on the one hand from
either the dry heat of the living room warmed by a furnace or stove, and on the
other side from penetrating draughts of cold air

This has been solved in many cases already, by the building of plant cabinets,
occupy not only the whole recess of the window, but are built out some-

WINDOW GARDENING.

17

what into the room, and the entire interior inclosed with glass sides or doors as a
partition from the room. In every case that has come to our notice, where plants
have been separated alike from the dry injurious air of the living room and the
outside atmosphere, there has been the highest success. It is easy to attain a
good uniform temperature, and the noxious fumes of the gas from stove, grate or
gas burners, are fully protected against. The design introduced here, (Fig. 7,)
is a glass case constructed in front of a window and projecting into the room with
a door opening into it so that it can be easily entered. It would be well to build
the floor of this house of wood, and a little higher than that of the room so that
if necessary it can be removed without injury to the house. The lower portions
of the case to the height of about two feet should be of wainscot. Inside the

Fig. 8 Fig. 9.

cabinet this patieling is lined with leaden troughs communicating with each
other, and having a slight slope towards another trough lower than all the rest;
it should be so contrived, that any water drainingfrom the pots or boxes containing
the plants, may run off into the lower trough which should have no flower pots in it.
In these troughs should be placed wooden or slate boxes filled with earth in
which climbing plants are placed alternately with Orange Trees, Camellias or
flowering shrubs, so that they can be seen from the room. It is supposed, also,
that the outside window is a bow-window or at any rate projects beyond the sides
of the house. It should also have a sliding window at the top or bottom in case
ventilation is desired, but cold air must not be admitted without imperative neces-
sity. This design may be on too large a scale for ordinary purposes, but it serves
to illustrate the idea that plants always thrive best when placed in rooms entirely
by themselves. In such a cabinet a most glorious opportunity is afforded for
decorating the sides of the interior with climbing vines, the ivy, convolvulus, or any
other with showy colored flowers.

18

WINDOW GARDENING

Ffg. 10.

Fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is still another design actually in use in one of our central New York
homes. Here is a bow window filled with two boxes supported by legs, each box ten
inches deep and filled inside either with earth or separate pots, the interspaces
being filled in with moss or earth. The aim is to give a chance to plants with fine
contrasts of foliage ; Pelargoniums, Petunias, Heliotropes, Fuchsias, Amaranth,
Coleus, Begonia, Geraniums, &c. In one end is a Maurandia climbing vine ; in
the other is a Mexican Cobcea, both twining and drooping over the wires which
rise from the centre of the box, and curve towards the sides aifording a delicate dra-
pery of green. A hanging basket of moss hangs over each box, the one filled
with Oxalis and Tradescantia, the other with Ice Plant. In the vase hanging just
over the middle is placed a Kenilworth or Coliseum Ivy. On various brackets
below are placed dishes of Ivy, Ferns and Moneywort. A few tall plants may
be introduced to advantage, say one large pot full in the centre of each box. In
one pot Caladiums, in the other Calla Lilies

WINDOW GARDENING

19

Belgian Window Gardens.

These are built outside the win-
dow altogether. A slab runs out
directly from the window sill sup-
ported by brackets, and upon this ^
is put a miniature green-house, con- ,,.,...

structed of glass roof and wooden

sides like designs Nos. 8 & 9. These •-

brackets below are generally very —

ornamental. Two or three shelves j
are placed inside on a row next to
the window well supported and
covered with pots. Care is taken
not to let the case go too high to ob-
struct the light from entering the
room, and ventilation is secured in
Fig. 8, by lifting up slightly the
lower portion of the glass roof.
The plants are watered and arranged
from the rooms within, as the win-
dows do not slide up and down, but
open inwardly on hinges.

Fig. 9 is ventilated by a door at
the side or in front. An awning
may be provided in case of unusual
heat from the sun, which will aid in keeping the atmosphere cool, and prolong
the flowering considerably during the winter time. A thick covering is needed
in cool days, or a vessel of hot water may be placed inside, whose vapor will
warm the little room greatly.

Figs. 10 & 11 represent a good continental style of a bow-window, where
olants are out of the way of ordinary passing about in the room. Shelves are
arranged around the entire window, and upon them are placed the pots of plants.
In this case they should be of highly ornamental foliage, and free growth. A
curved settee is placed just inside the row, and in front, just at the entrance of
the recess, is a table for books.

Fig. 12 is a design for a rustic window box, permanently fastened to the outer
side of the window case, decorated with Fuchsias, Ivy, Achyranthus, and droop-
ing vines. An awning with brightly colored strips .Ids greatly to the beauty.

Among the more wealthy residents of German cities, a plant cabinet is often
found like Fig. 13. This is so made that its back is entirely open, and it can be
pushed up close to the window, fitting it snugly. It is elaborately decorated, and
quite costly. The door opens into the room, and the tops are ornamented with
pots of Cacti and Agaves. This is much the handsomest design for a plant cabi-

Fi«. 12.

20

WIND OW GARD ENIXG

net ever illustrated. The in-
terior is filled principally with
plants of stately growth, Coleus,
Calla Lily, Canna, Maranta,
Dracaena, Dieflenbachia, &c.

There are other designs of still
more simple nature, which may
be found in succeeding pages of
this book. Window boxes are
by far the simplest and most
popular, but are adapted mostly
to the indoor culture of bulbs
We have noticed frequently the
late introduction of tile boxes,
rilling the entire width of the
window, and placed just inside
the panes of glass, filled with
nothing but young plants of the
Arbor Vitae. Their delicate,
feathery green foliage contrasts
well with the white curtains
just behind, and the whole form
one of the easiest, yet most
unique styles of window garden-
ing.

Fig. 13.

The Location of the Window Garden.

A good location or exposure is desirable. There are plants which love the shade.
Pansies, Sweet Violets, and some of the variegated plants, will grow and bloom if
not placed directly in the sun's ray ; but Roses, Geraniums, Heliotropes, Verbe-
nas, Daphnes, Azaleas, &c., must be near the glass, and under the direct influence
of the light, if we would have them flourish. An exposure where the sun can
strike unobstructed from its first appearance above the horizon in the morning,
until one or two o'clock, p. M., is much the most desirable. A southern or south-
eastern window is the best, next is an eastern exposure, then a western one,
and the north worst of all. At a northern one, little but Pansies and Sweet
Violets will grow, though Camellias delight in a cool, inoist atmosphere, and
will often flourish at such a window with but little sunshine. The plants must
have all the sunshine you can bestow upon them, but at night they should be
kept in the dark; and as all plants in summer are cooler at night than in the
day time, those that are grown in windows should also be cooler. This point is
perhaps not as well understood as it should be, for there are persons so fearful

WINDOW GARDENING.

21

Fig. 14.— A Sitting Room Window.

22 WINDOW GARDENING.

that their plant ; will become chilled, that they turn all the heat of their fur-
naces upon them at night, and the gas-light joined with it, increases the irrita-
tion ; so that the plants are kept in an unnatural state when they ought to be
at rest, for plants need sleep and do sleep ; so the effect of unreasonable light
and heat is very exhausting. Drop the curtains over the plants to exclude them
from the light of the room, or pin newspapers around them during the evening.
Nothing is so handy and useful in protecting them from frost as newspapers.
They will frequently preserve a plant when the mercury falls nearly to free
zing point. Neither should plants be chilled. Avoid the extreme of rendering
them too cool, but maintain a good medium temperature. Rooms whose ther
mometer reaches 80 to 85° during the day, and then falls to 30 or 35° at night,
will never keep plants in good health.

Size of Windows.

The larger the better if you want to grow many plants. Bow windows are
always liked, and generally considered the best, as they afford exposure to the
sun at all hours of the day, if they face the south. The larger the panes, also
the better. The best style of window, not bow, is to have a good sill, say not
Aess than six inches wide on each side of the sash ; if eight or ten inches, so much
the better ; this affords room for a fine sill or rustic window box, which may be
changed at intervals from the inner sill to the outer one jutting beyond the
edge of the sash. Boxes for this style of window should be six inches deep.
Sometimes double boxes may be desired, one on each side of the window, in
which case the outer box should contain low growing evergreens, and the
interior one bulbs. It is usual, also, to cover the sills with paper before setting
the boxes down. Still this is not necessary where there is no danger from leak-
ing. If the window is low, and near the ground, climbing vines may be trained
upward over the window ; this is more fully described under head of balcony
gardening.

Our windows differ so much in size that every one must shape their prepara-
tions entirely according to their conveniences; but if a sill, either permanent
or temporary, can be constructed on the outside of the window, it will be found of
convenient and constant use

CHAJPTER III.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF WINDOW GARDENS.

In-door plants naturally require more care than those grown in the open air,
for nature supplies all the needs of the latter ; but the secrets of successful growth
and profuse blooming in the house are enumerated in the following few essential
rules of management :

1st. Give them plenty of light during the day, and darkness with a cooler
temperature at night.

2d. A good supply of fresh air, when the sun shines brightest and warmest;
in mild days the upper sashes may be lowered a little, and the cool air will blow
over the plants instead of directly upon them.

3d. Perfect cleanliness, which is very important, for if the plants are covered
with dust, they cannot grow, and will frequently die; their leaves are their
lungs; frequent syringing will keep the leaves moist and clean.-

4th. A proper amount of moisture ; a dry atmosphere is fatal.

5th. A good compost or soil, in which their roots can luxuriate and send forth
vigorous branches, leaves and flowers.

6th. Get good healthy plants to start out with ; plants that have been bloom-
ing all through the summer, or for several months previous will not do well ;
new ones are best, or plants that were used the previous winter, and have rested
during the summer, will also answer, but in general it is best to get new plants.

7th. Keep only a few plants ; too many in the window will make close crowd-
ing ; pots should never be set two or three deep on top of each other.

8th. A uniform temperature of 60° to 70° in the day time and 40° to 45° in the
night, should be steadily mantained.

9th. Different places should be provided for different plants. A sunny win-
dow with a temperature of 45° to 50,° will suit roses, geraniums, &c., best ; Bego-
nias, Coleus, Cissus discolor, want a still warmer place of 60° to 70°, and yet but
little or no sun light directly upon them. On the other hand, Heliotropes, and
Bouvardias want all the sun possible, with a temperature in the daytime
of 60° to 75°.

Sunlight.

Plenty of sunlight is the gardener's first requisite. If the location for this pur-
pose is not right, the plants will not be healthy. If the plants are well placed in
a good light, then the pots must be turned occasionally so that all sides may
receive it equally. It will be well also to put flower stands or racks of pots on

24 WINDOW GARDENING.

•wheels, so that t*ie whole maybe changed at once, or wheeled away, if the room
needs cleaning. Care must be taken to avoid rapid transition from darkness to
the light, for sudden and violent changes are as trying to plant life as human life
Too much warmth will destroy tender leaves nearly as soon as too much cold.
Then again, plants should be placed as near the light as possible ; in rooms far
away from the glass window, the plants will be weak, pale and of spindling
growth. If they could receive light directly from overhead, they would be bet-
ter than from the side. The ordinary variations of day and night have their
corresponding effects on plants, since it is said that they inhale under the iuflu-
ences of light, and respire in the dark. The glass of the window should also
be rubbed or washed clean. The most gaily colored flowers will be produced at
a south window, but a north window has its advantage, in that it may be used
for plants already in bloom, and will keep them much longer in perfection. For
north windows, Camelias, Cytisuses, Primulas and Alpine Auriculas, will find the
cool moisture they need, and will bloom in great beauty if properly attended to
and kept from frost. Bulbs, if placed in the sunlight, will have their brilliancy
of color greatly enhanced, yet if not changed occasionally in position, their
flower stems will bend over and have an unsightly appearance.

Temperature.

The greatest success will be found to come from a uniform temperature of 45
or 50° at night, and 60 to 75° in the day time ; 80° is too hot except for only some
plants of semi-tropical character. Under no circumstances should the tempera-
ture go below 35°. If your living rooms, where your plants are placed must be
considerably warmer than this in the former part of the night, then set the plants
on the floor, shade from the light until the time of retiring, and then return them
to the window sill or flower stand. Perhaps from no other cause than this, too
great heat, during the day and long continued at night, our city grown plants
grow so sickly and lanky in appearance. Once or twice a week will be suffi-
cient for turning pots around. If this little item is not attended to, you cannot
grow finely formed plants, and more than half their beauty depends upon their
shape. If a closet or small room opening out of the sitting room can be devoted
to plants and yet be well lighted, they will flourish far better than in the com-
mon room, for they can have a cooler atmosphere and less dust.

The same object could however be accomplished in a far more tasteful manner
by enclosing the window recess with another glass window or partition. The
outside glass protects the plants from the cold, the inside ones from undue heat
and gas, while between the two there is a happy mean in which plant culture can-
not fail to be successful. If however this is not done, and the window panes are
made of double glass there will be little danger of their freezing on a cold night.
It would be well to have one pane fitted with a hinge, which can be opened to air
•the plants. But to avoid this a heavy curtain can be placed at the window, and
pulled down at night, to protect from cold air, while newspapers may be pinned
around the plants to protect them from the bright light of the evening. The

WINDOW GARDENING <25

amateur must also study the characteristics of his plants, for one temperature
will not answer for all. The Rose needs a cool atmosphere, yet moderately rnoist.
The Fuschia is fond of both warmth and moisture, but needs occasional shading
when the sun is too hot. The Coleus prefers plenty of heat and moisture, and
would be satisfied never to have the thermometer go below 70° by night or day.
The Geranium seems to accommodate itself to all circumstances, being the most
easily grown of all window plants, and apparently needs only plenty of light and
air, and average warmth.

Plants at night.

Plants need rest. Uniform darkness at night with lower temperature, is one
of the conditions of treatment, but sometimes there may be a sudden change
of temperature in the outer air, and in consequence thereof some one or more
plants of the window garden may be frozen. Do not throw them away, but
cut the branches back as far as frozen, or near to the soil, then water slightly
and do not let the plant get quite as warm as before ; if it has any life it will soon
show buds and branches. Plants should be treated very much like human
beings; a frosted finger should be warmed gradually, so should a frozen plant.
Some plants if frosted, like Fuschias, will sprout from the roots and make a
strong growth ; others will send out strong, healthy flowering branches from the
stem near the roots. A very simple plan to restore frosted plants is to transfer
them at once to a dark cellar and shower them plentifully with water; keep
them here two or three weeks and they will gradually recover their health again.

Another point is often discussed, whether plants are injurious inrooms at night.
We think it unwise to have too many in a room ; a few here and there are of little
influence. Strong scented plants are injurious to have in the room at night. The
Tuberose, Hyacinth and Jessamine, &c., are too sweet to be allowed to remain in
a bedroom at night, and should not be patronized for this purpose by invalids.
The sensations of the individual are often a good guide. After sleeping in a, room
with plants, the'morning finds the sleeper inactive, feeling as if his night's rest
had Jaeen heavy, the air of the room also does not seem pure, and the perfume
peculiar. All the indications are sufficient to show the air is vitiated, and fresh
air is needed as much by the individual as the plant.

Fresh Air.

Ventilation is absolutely necessary ; therefore give it. Whenever the weather is
mild open the window. Too little fresh air and too much warmth are formidable
obstacles to success in house gardening. Plants that are kept shut up in warm
rooms become very sensitive and are far more liable to suffer from a sudden fall
in the temperature ; but if they are frequently exposed to the fresh air they ar<»
better able to bear these changes ol climate which often occur &o unexpectedly .
Those who live in close heated rooms can never make their flowers bloom in
winter with any vigor. Some think that any atmosphere not inconvenient to
men and women is good enough for the plant. It will live just as the human
being lives, but it does so in sufferance rather, for it will not grow and bloom

26 WINDOW GARDENING.

in perfect beauty. A very few handsome flowering vines are much to he prefer-
red to spindling plants , pictures of misery, like their owners, overheated and
crowded into close unhealthy unventilated quarters. In our fever to provide suffi-
cient warmth in our rooms against the cold, we stop up every crack in our win-
dows, every crevice of our doors; then with furnaces, grates or stoves at almost
fever heat we get warmth enough to bid defiance to the chilling atmosphere.
Rarely are we satisfied with a temperature in the room of less than 75°, and this
must be constantly maintained from early morning till late at night. A draught
of fresh air would quicken your blood and put a little more spirit into your coun-
tenances; still you aim to avoid it. Yet for the sake of your plants do it at least
once a day. Throw open the doors and air the room thoroughly. This can be
done at time for meals when it is usually vacant. The windows should not bo
opened directly upon the plants. Some other window or door away from the
plants may be opened. It should be done also at the middle of the day when
the outer air is mildest.

Cleanliness.

Here close attention is again required. Plants require regular care. They
cannot be watered and cared for once a week and the rest of the time left to them-
selves, but they demand a daily amount of time to be spent upon them. Every
morning when house cleaning is in order, the plants must be watered and cleaned.
You will see how necessary this is, if you look at the nature of the plants, how
they live. Like our skins, the leaves of plants are perforated with hundreds of
minute pores through which they breathe, exhaling oxygen and inhaling carbon,
and also giving out and inhaling moisture. If these pores are filled up with dust
the plant cannot perform these functions and its life either ceases or stands still ;
it is not possible for it to grow or bloom. The dust of our living rooms is very
injurious to the health of every plant. Unless it is removed, you may as well give
up all hope of making your window favorites succeed. Frequent washing and
watering are absolutely essential. For close handling of leaves, a soft sponge is of
great service, for it can be used in the parlor without danger of dripping from the
watering-pot. Wash each leaf separately and see that both sides of it are clean.
To shower a plant turn it sideways over a tub of water or a sink ; sprinkle it
thoroughly with the watering-pot. If the plants are too large to handle in this
manner set the pots or tubs into a larger one and either sprinkle or syringe every
branch and leaf. You must improvise summer showers if you would induce summer
growth. It is not enough to water the earth in the pot. The whole plant requires it.
Frequent waterings are the most beneficial culture that you can bestow upon your
plants. To be sure they are not easily given and will entail upon you some work.

When sweeping and dusting your rooms, throw newspapers or a light cloth
over them ; this will prevent the dust from settling upon the leaves, and help
materially toward keeping them clean.

Whenever a warm ram falls, and the temperature stands at 50° or 55,° set
all the plants out of doors, and they will be greatly refreshed and strengthened.
It does not follow, however, that the whole plant is watered by being thus placed

WINDOW GARDENING. 27

out doors ; the leaves of the plant may be broad and shield the pot and roots ;
so do not forget to give these a chance also. If the leaves of plants are very
dirty, warm water with a little soap and the use of the sponge or syringe, will
remove all dirt. Exposure to the fresh air is not as dangerous as many would sup-
pose, provided the temperature is mild. They are, in fact, benefited by such
exposure and become far more hardy and able to resist sudden changes of tem-
perature, much better than if kept constantly confined to the room.

Very few have any idea of how fast the dust accumulates in a room ; it is in
fact one of the greatest enemies the housewife has to contend with. A short
time only, suffices to see the leaves of a plant covered with dust; if it is not re-
moved, they soon get brown and wither ; and it is really delightful, after giv-
ing them a good washing, to see how bright and shining are the leaves and how
greatly they have been invigorated.

Watering Plants.

When sJiall I water my plants ? is a vexed question, asked perhaps more
frequently than any other by the beginner. This depends entirely upon the
nature of the plant, for some need more water than others, and yet a soil thor-
oughly wet is totally unfit for plant-growing. The real idea each cultivator
should aim for is to supply the plants with water, which may drain rapidly
through the pots, yet sufficient be retained to give a good moist soil for
the plant to live in. If the water passes away rapidly it will need replacing
frequently. It is generally a sign of health when the soil is well drained and the
plant uses up the supply of water quickly.

Watering should be supplied with a careful hand, for many parlor gardeners
have an unrestrainable belief in the hydropathic process. To them there is
only one orthodox rule : if the plants will wither up or are troubled with insects
and do not grow as healthy and freely as they might, they drench it with a flood
of cold water; so it is a fact, that more plants perish in the hands of the inex-
perienced, from having too copious a supply than too little. There are others
again more cautious in their applications of water, who are, on the other hand,
totally heedless of drainage, and let the water stand in the saucers under the pots,
or in boxes without drainage, causing mould and sogginess of soil, rendering the
roots weak and unhealthy.

The purposes of watering should be better understood. 1st. "Water supplies
to the roots fertilizing matter, contained in itself, and 2d. It converts the nour-
ishment of the soil into a liquid form more readily fit for absorption by the
roots. The roots can obtain it only when the soil is dampened.

Never give water when the soil is moist to the touch, but wait until it is dry.

Few plants thrive if water is around them constantly; yet Lobelias, Callas,
Ivies, etc., are very thirsty and like to drink at their own will. Indeed they
will not bloom or grow well unless you allow them so to do.

The healthiest plants require water the most frequently; and yet it may
appear a contradiction to say that the plants which contain the most waters

28 WINDOW GARDENING

tissues, grow in the dryest places. The Cacti often supply moisture to the wild
cattle of the plains of Mexico ; the animals break through their thorny exteriors
with their hoofs, and then eat the moist morsels contained within, which quench
their thirst.

Water, cold from the well or pump, is not suitable for plants, unless of a tern
nerature of GO0. Rain water is best, for this is supposed to contain some little
immonia from the sky.

The best rule in all cases is to use water warm to the hands. Some florists
»dvise water no colder than the atmosphere. We believe it generally best to use
it warmer. In cool mornings it should be lukewarm, say not under 55°. Some
cultivators say they have used hot water for sickly plants heated to a tempera-
ture from 200° to 250°, and have believed this to be the cause of their subse-
quent luxuriant growth and production of flowers of the greatest beauty ; but
trials like this are not to be encouraged, and warm water of 75° to 150°, will do
just as well and have far less danger from scalding. Over 150° is neither neces-
sary nor safe. A lady is said to have once watered her plants with the tea that re-
mained in her pot after the breakfast was finished. Her plants grew in wonder-
ful beauty and luxuriance, and she attributes it to the magic effects of the tea;
yet she has forgotten it was better due to the warmth of the water than any fan-
cied virtue. Some plants demand more water than others. Fuchsias, for instance,
while in bloom often require water both morning and evening, and nearly all plants
desire more when in flower than at any other time. The supply of water must be
regulated according to the demand of the plants. Calla Lilies will absorb water
two or three times as quickly as any other plant of the Window Garden. If
rainwater cannot be easily obtained and hard water is the only source at hand,
add a little soda to it and let it stand for a while; use a small piece, say a small
nugget of the size of a pea, to every gallon ; on that pour about a pint of boiling
water and then fill it up with cold water. It will be quite warm, and a thorough
drenching overhead and in the pots will vastly improve their color and health. A
drop or two of hartshorn will also correct hard water somewhat. In watering, never
wet merely the surface, but moisten the whole ball of earth in the pot. If the
ball should yet be very dry set the whole pot in a pail of warm water till it is
soaked through. The morning is the best time of the day for watering. A com-
mon hand-brush made of broomcorn dipped into warm water and shaken over the
plants will imitate a summer shower, but its tiny drops may spatter against

the window glass. A toy watering-pot,
such as is used for children, is very use-
ful for Window Gardening. If oil cloth
is laid under the stand it can be used
without much if any injury to the car-
pet or furniture. Care should be taken
that the pots have good drainage, for
'then all surplus water will run into the

Fig. 15.

GARDENING. 29

saucer, which may be emptied as fast as filled. In warm mild weather when plants
absorb a great deal of moisture it will do no harm to leave a little in the saucer.
Among other details to be observed in watering, the following items of caution
are to be observed : Some plants should never be wetted on the leaves. Take the
Begonia Rex, whose foliage, so large and grand, has an exquisite coloring; if its
leaves were to be sponged with cold water, and the plant left out on the balcony
or open air, it would probably die very soon ; but a Camelia can be treated the
same way and not be injured in the slightest. The reasons for it are good. The
last plant has a hard shiny leaf, which can resist rough treatment ; but the other has
a succulent tender leaf easily affected. The novice then may generally find it
true that plants with soft porous and hairy leaves should be very cautiously wet-
ted overhead, but plants with hard varnished leaves may be watered frequently.
Tepid water should be invariably used even down to the height of summer. If
plants get infested with vermin, a sponging with soap and water made into a lather,
will clear them. Then follow with clear water to remove the soap. It is also a
good rule to observe that the colder the weather the less water must be given ;
and when plants are at rest, done growing, they need very little indeed

Plants in cases may be watered once a week, for evaporation there is confined,
but in open rooms once a day is sufficient. Some plants, who delight in very
moist situations, need it twice a day. Never water when the sun is hot.

If the soil of the pot gets too hard, loosen it a little with a fork, or plunge it
into a tub of water. Take pains to have good drainage, and beyond this little
trouble will be experienced.

The Philosophy of Watering

is worth studying. Plants are constantly throwing off or evaporating moisture
from their leaves, and at the same time the roots must be taking up an equal sup-
ply. If then on examining the soil in a flower-pot, you discover that it is moist
for an unusually long time, you may be sure that something is Wrong, either the
roots do not take it up readily, or drainage is imperfect. Healthy plant action
needs -ir as well as moisture. A soggy soil excludes air, and, as a result, our
plants soon show drooping leaves and unhealthy branches. Drainage is to plants
what digestion is to the human system, keeping everything in perfect action.
Water and air enjoy a healthy circulation unimpeded, and plants which are
growing freely and vigorously, with strong roots, will take up the moisture of
the pots regularly. Mr. Meehan, who has studied plant physiology more thor-
oughly than any other American, sums up this subject in the following concise
paragraph :

" A wet soil is totally unfit for plant growing. A plant standing 24 hours in
water is irreparably injured. A Hyacinth, to be sure, will live one season in
water; but all the matter of the flower which goes to water is prepared the year
before, and after flowering, the bulb is exhausted and almost worthless.

"A good soil for plant growing, therefore, is not one which will hold water,
but one in which water will pass away.

30 WINDOW GARDENING.

%

" The soil itself is composed of minute particles, through which air spaces
abound. The water must be just enough to keep these particles moist, and the
air in the spaces is thus kept in the condition of moist air. The roots traverse
these air spaces, and it is, therefore, moist air which roots want, and not water.

"If it were water simply which plants wanted, we should cork up the bottom
of the hole in the flower pot, and prevent the water getting away. Instead of
this, we try to hasten the passing of the water through as much as possible, by
not only keeping the hole clear, but often by putting broken pieces in the bottom
to hasten the drainage. A plant will generally be the healthiest, therefore, which
wants water the oftenest. If it does not want water, it is in a bad way. And
more water will make the matter worse.

" How often to water them, will be according to how easy the water passes
away. If, when you pour water on earth it disappears almost instantly, it would
be safe to water such plants every day.

"The constant aim of the cultivator should be to keep the soil of such a con-
sistence that a moist atmosphere shall always be present in the air spaces exist-
ing through it.

Moisture of the Atmosphere.

The atmosphere of our houses, as we have intimated before, is not only too
dry for successful plant culture, but it breeds insects of various kinds which
will injure their growth.

We have noticed that plants kept in kitchen windows where the air is
charged with moist vapors from the boiling of water over the stove or range, and
where the outside doors are frequently opened, and fresh air supplied, will
often develop into surprising luxuriance and beauty. We can call to mind
even now a farm kitchen in the coldest portion of our most northern states,
where Roses, Carnations and Verbenas, grow finely, and are covered with a sum-
mery profusion of buds and flowers. These are usually the most difficult plants
to bring into bloom in parlor windows, because they are apt to be so infested
with minute red spiders, and the preen aphis, scale or mealy bug.

It is the moisture in the air which tends to restrain and drive away such dis-
agreeable intruders. The heated air of the house can be kept moist by placing an
evaporating pan upon or in our iuraaccs, and over our stoves we can place a
large fire-proof dish that must be iaily filled with water.

If the surfaces of the soil in pots is covered with moss, it retards the evapo-
ration of water; this practice is generally advisable only for those plants which
require much water, such as Calla Lilies, Fuchsias, Camellias, &c. Pots that are
imbedded in moss are always kept moist, and if a table is constructed just the
height of the window, with a rim fastened around each side three inches in
depth, and the whole lined with zinc, the pots can be set in it, and the moss
stuffed in on all sides. When watering is needed, set it back from the window
and sprinkle with a fine watering pot.

The Soil.
The most easily available material for a compost by the ordinary gardener, will

WINDOW GARDENING. 3J

be rich loam, sand, and thoroughly decayed cow manure. This should be mixed
in the proportion of one half of the loam to one quarter each of the sand and ma-
nure. Leaf mould is also another grand material which every plant loves to grow
in, and it will pay to secure a good quantity of it. The older and more decorn
posed the manure and leaf mould, the better they are, and every plant grower
should keep a well prepared compost heap for his plants. A good compost,
when all the material is handy, is composed of one fourth of the above elements
of leaf mould, sand, loam and manure. To those who live in cities and can not
get this conveniently, it is best either to buy your plants already potted, or go
to a good florist and buy a good quantity of right compost; he can usually supply
it at cheaper rate than it can be purchased anywhere else.

Keep this heap well filled, and no one must fail to bear in mind that the soil of
every one of his pots needs changing and replenishing, or else it becomes ex-
hausted, and the plants dwindle and languish for needed food.

Garden loam is often used by those in the country and found to answer^
but if it should contain any clay, a little sand must be added. The sand itself
is oi no fertilizing effect, but is valuable in assisting the aeration of the soil
and helping the drainage. Well rotten turf is another handy and valuable mate
rial, containing considerable quantity of vegetable mould. If used, put the
coarser pieces at the bottom along with some pebbles or broken pieces of crockery,
then fill in the finer mould to about half an inch from the surface. The soil must
not be allowed to cake up, but be occasionally stirred up deep, so that air may
have access to the roots.

Leaf mould is more highly prized by gardeners than anything else that can
be procured. Every autumn the leaves are gathered in heaps, wheeled by the
barrow load to a good location, and there left exposed to the rain and the action
of the weather for sometimes two or three years. Here it decomposes and
becomes rotten. Then it is mixed with good turf mould, also left to rot for a
year or two, and finally chopped up; then add the sand, decomposed manure and
some peat well minced to small pieces. This is considered the very best mate-
rial for pots, or borders in green-houses or conservatories. A good pile of it is
always maintained. It is rather an advantage than otherwise to have a few
lumps in each pot ; they prevent the soil from becoming too solid.

A compost for Camellias, Roses, Geraniums, c£c., should be one part river
sand, one part leaf mould, two parts turf or garden mould. For Cacti, use
two parts coarse sand, three parts leaf and turf mould, one part peat, and a lit-
tle broken plaster.

For Azaleas, Ericas, and most New Holland plants, take four parts peat,
two parts sand, one part garden or turf mould, one part leaf mould.

Soil for bulbous roots should be light ; place them in the centre of the pots,
about half imbedded in the light earth, then cover them with leaf or fine turf
mould.

For drainage purposes, put in the bottom of each pot either a layer of pow-
dered charcoal, or small broken pieces of brick or old mortar t3 the depth of at

32 WINDOW GARDENING.

least an inch ; over this there may be a slight sprinkling of sand ; still it may be
omitted if it has previously been well incorporated in the compost. In general
it should never be les* than one fifth the whole material of the compost, and one
fourth will be best in most cases.

Forest mould scraped up under the branches of pine or other forest trees,
or the soil taken from under the soda of droppings in cow pastures, will be found
useful in imparting a vigorous growth to plants.

Amateurs sometimes choose earth from the back yards of their city residen-
ces ; this is rarely ever suitable, and often its effects can be seen in the half dead
and weak look of the plants, who seem £o be languishing for nourishment.
This soil is rarely ever fertilized, and usually is either the filling in from tho
street or cellar. It may be fit to grow grass upon, but not to put in the pots of
house plants.

There are some plants which require an imperative admixture of peat and
ioam, such as Ericas, Azaleas and Daphne. There is no substance which
can be substituted for it, and produce success. Earth for pots should
rarely ever be sifted, put it in just as it is; lumpy and crude, so much the
better.

In potting your plants and planting them out, be very careful to press the
earth very tightly and closely around the roots and stalks of the plants ; half the
secret of successful pot culture lies in potting plants.

Hard wooded plants should be potted rather firmly, and soft wooded ones
should be l&ft rather free and loose.

In repotting plants, take the plant that is to be repotted, turn it upside down,
with your left hand across the mouth of the pot, and the stem of the plant be
tween the fingers, give the pot a few raps on a pan on the table, lift up the
pot and you have the plant and the ball of earth in your hand.

Examine it carefully, and if any worms appear, pick them out, or if the
earth is full of healthy roots, and they are matted around the sides of it, the
plant requires a pot one size larger than that in which it has grown.

Place the ball of earth and the plant directly in the centre of the new pot,
and fill it up all around with fresh soil, pressing it firmly down either with
the fingers or a flat stick; cover the " ball " with fresh earth half an inch in
depth; strike the bottom of the pot several times against a flat substance, and
again press the soil tightly around the roots. Loose planting is a fruitful source
of the non-success attending the gardening of amateur florists. Place your
plants in the shade for t\\o or three days to allow their roots to become accus
tomed to the charge of quarters. A healthy, abundantly rooted plant, requires
a pot one size larger, but, if the plant you turn out should not show its roots
on the outside, it needs no change of quarters, still it may need fresh soil, and if
the earth seems poor and gritty it is best to give it..

If in examination of your pots you should find some plant injured by in-
judicious waterings, its roots rotten, and soil soddened, then cut or tear away
the decayed parts, turn out the wet soil, take a pot of the smaller size, and

WINDOW GARDENING. £$

with 4 iigniei soil give it another chance for life, watering it sparingly until tho
foliage shows its return to health and strength.

Never pot a plant that has its ball of earth quite dry, for you cannot give it
water afterward. All the water you pour upon it will run down the fresh soij
at the sides of the pot, leaving the plant to perish with drought. Sometimes
in potting plants, you will find a large brown root coiled up in the pot like a
snake. Cut it off close to the mam root and put this plant in a pot of smaller
size, and very soon fresh and more nourishing roots will take its place. Such
roots are often found in pots of Geraniums. This piece of root can be made to
grow by cutting it into 3 inch lengths, and planting them in pots of sandy loam,
leaving a quarter of an inch of the root uncovered, and keeping them warm and
moist.

In placing plants in pots in the open air, either sink them in the borders or on
the grass. Be sure to scatter coal or wood ashes underneath them, to prevent
\vorms from entering the pots and the soil from becoming clogged.

Fertilizers for Stimulating House Plants.

All plants will grow much liner if stimulants are given, say at least once a week.

A very fine liquid fertilizer can be made out of horse and cow manure. Take
an old bucket for the purpose, put into it several shovels full of manure, to
which add one pint of charcoal dust, this neutralizes its odor, add to it plenty of
boiling water, let it cool, and apply to the plant. It should not be given too
strong, but about the color of weak tea. The bucket can stay filled up with
water for six weeks or two months as it is needed, then throw away its contents
and begin again.

Guano water, a decoction of Peruvian guano, makes a good stimulant. It
should be applied once a week to the roots, taking care not to touch the leaves
with it. To one gallon of hot water, add one large tablespoonful of guano;
stir until it is dissolved. Hen manure may be substituted and used in about
the same quantity.

When used carefully, either are excellent, and give the plants a bright,
vigorous green.

Ammonia water stimulates growth very satisfactorily. Dissolve 4 ounce of
pulverized ammonia in a gallon of water, and it will prove more grateful to the
plants even than rain water which also con tains ammonia. A teaspoonful of aqua
ammonia added to a gallon of warm water will be of same efficacy. Flour oj
bone, when it can be obtained in the form of powder, easily soluble in water, is
still more suitable, for it contains other elements of plant nutrition. Used in
moderate quantities, not over a tablespoonful to a gallon of warm water, it will
give the plants a healthy impetus; give a sufficient quantity to wet the whole ball
of earth and pour off the surplus water that runs into the saucer. A special
fertilizer used to advantage by some, is composed as follows : take of sulphate
of ammonia four ounces, nitrate of potash two ounces, white sugar one ounce,
add one pint of hot water; when dissolved, cork tightly and add a teaspoonful

34 WINDOW GARDENING.

to every gallon of water used for watering; six or eight drops of this liquid can
be poured into the water of a hyacinth glass, and the flowers will be much finer
All these special stimulants must be used with caution, be well diluted, applied
not oftener than once a week and once in three weeks will be sufficient for the
hyacinth.

Pinching

Plants should be kept in good shape by pinching off their shoots from time to
time, so as to avoid an outward spindling appearance , straggling branches can
never be handsome ; but if their shoots are nipped or pinched in every month
or so, they will grow bushy and have many more blossoms and leaves. Fig 16

Pig. 16.

shows a good pruning scissors Fuchsias and Pelargoniums are generally
stopped once or twice before they flower. When the shoots have grown about
three leaves their ends are pinched out; this gives three or four shoots instead of
one, and increases the proportion of blossoms, but keeps the plant dwarf The
training of piants is aiso a matter of taste, usually the form of a half circle is
most preferred. Fuchsias trained to single stakes and allowed to droop down
are natural objects of beauty Every gardener has his fancy. Nothing is so pleas-
ing as to see a rose trained to stakes in pots bent completely back to the pot, in the
shape of a semi-circle — every branch covered with buds just ready to bloom.

General Suggestions.

1. All plants have a season of rest ; therefore discover what season is peculiar
to each, and transplant at that time. 2. The best time for taking cuttings is
when the plants are in their most active state of growth, and this is be-
fore flowering. 3. Profuse bloomings exhaust the strength of plants, there-
fore cut off all flower buds as soon as their petals fall, and do not let the
seed pods mature unless you desire to raise seeds. 4. All bulbs and tubers
should be planted before they begin to shoot ; if suffered to form leaves and roots
in the air, they waste their strength. 5. Never remove the leaves from bulbs
after flowering until they are quite dead. As long as the leaves retain life they are
employed in preparing nourishment and transmitting it to the roots. 6. Window

WINDOW GARDENING 35

plants are more liable to be injured by frost than plants in the ground, because
the fibres of the roots cling to the sides of the pots and are more quickly affected
by the chilling air. 7. The faster a plant grows, the farther apart are the
leaves, the more distant the side branches, and the more bare appears the stem.
Richness of foliage can never be attained when leaves become thus scattered.
By keeping a lower temperature, especially at night, there will be a slower and
more desirable growth, and conducive to compactness of habit in plants. 8. No
plants can bear sudden contrasts of temperature without injury, therefore bring
nothing directly from a heated room to the cool open air 9. By checking the
growth of leaves and branches you throw more strength into the flowers ; this
is why the terminal shoots of many plants should be pinched off to increase their
vigor. 10. Avoid excessive heat. Plants often languish in a hot temperature
while their owners cannot imagine why they do not grow, forgetting that the at-
mosphere is already too warm for even human beings. Suggestions like these
will show that although Window Gardens require some skill and experience in
good management, yet there is nothing abstruse or difficult to prevent any one
from undertaking the care of one which needs only a reasonable degree of thought
and attention to make it a constant delight.

CHAPTER

CARE OF WINDOW GARDENS.
In Winter.

The beauties of the flower garden are gone, and we are now left to solace
ourselves with any green thing we can coax by artificial help to grow and bloom
during the long winter months, till spring returns again. Naturally enough we
hate to lose the sight of the flowers, and graceful flutter of the green leaves, so
we strive to prolong our joy, as far as possible, under many difficulties through
unsuitable seasons.

During the winter seasons the chief requisites of success, are plenty of sun-
shine, an atmosphere not too dry or close, a mild uniform temperature, and
especial attention to cleanliness, watering and daily care.

Plants which receive only a few moments of attention a day and then forgot-
ten, soon become a disgrace, and the window garden becomes a nuisance.

In the open ground plants will flourish if left to themselves, but when grown
in a pot, they are under artificial restraints and conditions, and must become
an object of constant attention. This very necessity of the case renders window
gardening of so much greater interest than out door gardening.

Plants at night should be in the dark, as that is their natural condition so
that they may rest, and yet it is equally important that they should be freely ex-
posed to the sun as long as light lasts.

So, especially in the winter months, when there is comparatively so little
sunlight, place them as closely to the windows as they can be well managed, if
not, they will become unsightly, drawn and weak. The more light that a plant
receives the more freely can it absorb carbon and breathe out oxygen; so if you
wish your plants to be purifiers of the air, be sure that they have plenty of light,
and keep both blinds and curtains from obstructing it.

The necessity for air in the winter is no less imperative than the demand for
light. In order to cultivate Geraniums successfully, a constant supply of fresh
air is very needful. Roses, Verbenas, and indeed all plants demand it.

When plants are first brought into the house they should not be stimulated, but
allowed a little time to become accustomed to their new quarters ; and they will
often wither a little from the want of fresh air, so let the windows be open all
day, if it is sunny, and accustom them by degrees to the change of temperature.

It is not desirable to allow them to remain out too late in the season, but they
should be housed before any danger of frost arises ; a slight chili will frequently

WINDOW GARDENING 37

injure them greatly, especially the Coleus, and all sub tropical plants unused
to our cold autumn winds.

They can be placed on a protected piazza, and covered at night with some mats
or sheets, but the true lover of house plants does not feel at ease until all her pets
are standing in their winter quarters ; then the cold chilly winds may blow, and
Jack Frost's icy fingers pinch with blackening touches all that they can reach;
the household flowers are safe beyond his dreaded touch.

Do not crowd your plant stands or windows, give to each plant room to stretch
forth its branches and leaves, if you would have it bloom in vigor and beauty;
untidy straggling plants are always detestable.

Every dead leaf must be removed and every fading flower, and the leaf must
not remain in the pots, but be taken away; cleanliness is so important that no
damp leaves or decaying flowers should be left. Window plants suffer chiefly in
the winter months from indiscriminate waterings, allowing them to go dry for
two or three days and then soaking them for a week.

Many a lady cannot imagine why her plants do not grow and bloom as luxuriantly
as at her opposite neighbor's. But it is the lack of daily atttention that makes the
difference. One lady buys her plants because it is the fashion to have them in the
windows; the other»loves her plants as a part of herself, sees in them an individu-
ality ; a glimpse perhaps of something beautiful beyond this world's plain reali-
ties, and it is not a care for her to attend to their necessities, but rather a privi
lege.

In the winter time the familiar question is asked over and over again: " How am
I to know when my plants need watering?" Watch them carefully, and they
will tell you; wilted leaves, drooping branches, and yellow shades show that
they are water-clogged ; they must be allowed a respite.

Turn up the soil as heretofore directed, with a stout hair pin, and if it is dry
give more water ; if not, abstain from it.

Success in window gardening depends greatly in never permitting the plants
to suffer from any neglect.

When you water, give it copiously, and if the next day the plants have
enough pass them by ; but there are always some in a window or a stand of
plants that desire it, so carry round the watering pot every day, take the time
either before or after breakfast, have a special hour, and never forget it. There
is more danger of giving too much water during the winter, than in the spring
and summer, because the evaporation is much less.

In winter there should be no water left in the saucers ; with the exception of
aquatics, who require it.

A small toy watering pot such as are sold for children's use, is of the greatest
assistance ; it will sprinkle the surface of tiny pots without wetting either stands
or window glass.

A piece of oilcloth is an excellent protection to carpets, and should always be
placed under every window and plant stand.

It is best to select a cloudy day for giving your plants ft thorough cleaning,

38 WINDOW GARDENING

thereby imitating nature, as she seldom washes her vegetation with the SUP
shining upon it.

A pail of warm water can be brought into the parlor, and each plant thoroughly
wetted in it, the surface of each leaf well moistened, without making any dis-
turbance with the arrangement of the room.

Plants perspire like human beings, only the amount is seventeen times as great,
according to Mr. Halo's computation

In the Hydrangea, the minute orifices in the space of an inch, are found to be
one hundred thousand.

Protection from Frost.

During the winter our tender plants are liable to become frost-bitten in spite of
every precaution we may take in their behalf. When the mercury out of doors
settles to 25° and 30°, some little branches and leaves will droop, and the soil in
some pots may become solid in doors.

If this happens, all is not lost. Take the blighted plants tenderly, and dip
them into cold water, not icy cold, but drawn from hydrant or cistern; then place
them in complete darkness where not a ray of light can penetrate, and in three
days at the utmost, you will find them fresh as ever, every leaf upright and
green, while if they had been left in the light, every leaf would have fallen. Sev-
eral times we have had this experience with our plants and have always revived
them

If the pots are set back at night from the windows on a piano or table, they
will often escape freezing.

If a window opens on to a piazza, the plants can be protected by pinning a
thick comforter outside of the window, or tucking it into the blinds.

Double windows are highly essential in a cold climate to keep off the intense
cold, but they should always have an opening, a pane of glass with a hinge, or some
means by which the room can be aired daily ; the weekly cleaning is not often
enough to open the windows.

Do not forget to shade them from too much light and heat in the early part of
the evening.

The great secret of success in window gardening, consists in overcoming as
much as possible the disadvantages under which the plants labor, and rendering
their position and treatment as much as possible like those growing in the open
air.

Spring Culture of B 'indow Gardens

March is the first month that treads upon the flowery border of spring ; it
is the beginning of the sunny season which shall awake the sleeping bulbs,
plants, shrubs, and indeed all vegetation

March, April, May and June, are very busy months, for in them we make
large additions to our collections of/alants by propagating new varieties, both by
seeds and cuttings.

WINDOW GARDENING. £Q

Of course with all your fancy for new things, you will not forget to secure
some few pots of good old fashioned flowers. They may be dear to many from
only childish associations, having proved their value by the many years in which
they have been cherished. No true lover despises them

The culture in the spring months differs but little from that of the winter ;
more air can be given, and often the windows can be let down from the top for
the whole day. Remember that if the thermometer stands at 55° and 65° out
of doors, and the sun shines brightly, too much fresh air is impossible; but have
the windows closed by three o'clock, for by that time a chilly wind often iprings
up in April, which would prove injurious to many tender plants, in a rapidly
growing condition. Later in the season there is no danger. Great attention
must be paid to general cleanliness; now is the season to promote rapid growth,
but if the plants cannot breathe freely, they are in a decidedly consumptive
state, and must pine away To prolong the blooming of plants, every fading
flower, even if it is but one in a cluster, should be cut away.

To keep the flowers of Azaleas from failing, it is an excellent plan to drop a
single drop of gum water underneath the flower, where it sinks into the calyx;
now is the time for their most profuse bloom, and they can be made more orna-
mental by this process.

No flowers should be left with water standing in their saucers, but if the
plants are sunk in boxes or moss, there is no need of using saucers, which are
hard to keep clean.

Be sure and attend to the weekly washing , it is quite as essential to your plants
as to your household cleanliness

A small sized brush such as painters use, will be found of great service as it
will wash off the tiniest leaf and stem.

Water must be given plentifully during the spring months, and it is well to
supply it till a few drops ooze out from the bottom of the pot ; but don't water
while the sun shines full upon the plants.

Rain water is always the best for all vegetation. We especially recommend
warm water in cold latitudes, as it cannot help but prove more invigorating to the
roots. The sun does not shine every day ; often it is withdrawn for a week, but
if the soil is warmed with the water, it will not check the growth of the plants
as much. This rule does not apply so closely to conservatories ; there the plant
can be sprinkled as though they were growing in the open ground, and warm
water is not so much of a necessity in a greenhouse, where the whole tempera-
ture is adapted to the needs of plant-life. But this is not the case in window
gardens, and we think its use the greatest benefit to them. Early in April, or in
the later days of March, the plants that were stored in the cellar for safe keeping
should be brought to the light ; the decayed leaves and dust must be carefully
brushed away and picked off, and the plant repotted, ready to start forth afresh.
The more hardy plants, like Roses, Geraniums, Pansies, etc., etc., can be put
out of doors on warm days to enjoy an hour or so of fresh air and sunshine, at
noontime; or if a warm rain falls, all the plants can go out and drink in fresh

40 WINDOW GARDENING.

life with every drop. But don't let them remain out too long; a ;hill in April
is often fatal to Heliotropes, variegated leaved plants, Fuchsias, etc. One must
be governed by the climate

In March or April, according to your latitude, it is well to look into the subject
of repotting the plants that have stood in the window. If the plants have had
the requisite care and attention during the winter, they have made many new roots
and must now have larger pots if you would have them grow to the best advantage.

Water the pots freely so that the ball of earth will slip out easily, and have
your fresh potting soil moist to the touch. Never pot a plant with its ball of
earth quite dry, for you cannot give it a good watering in that state. All the
water you may supply will run down the fresh soil at the sides, and the plant
will experience the fate of Tantalus of old, and literally starve to death, although
its nourishment is in sight. If you use new pots, let them be soaked in water
over night if possible, and at least three or four hours before using them. If
your pots are old, let them be thoroughly washed, and cleansed from all green
mould and soil.

• It is not needful to provide larger pots when the first roots show themselves;
but when they have twined and interlaced their tiny fibres, then they require
more room. Often a light rap upon the edge of the pot, will be sufficient
to turn out the ball of earth ; but if not, a thin bladed knife can be run
around close to the pot for an inch or two from the top, and this will bring it out
easily. Turn it out with your hand and examine the roots ; if they are closely
curled about it, the plant requires a pot one size larger. Fill the pot with rich
compost and put in the ball and plant directly in the centre, for a plant growing
sideways in a pot looks very badly; fill up all around the sides of the pot,
packing the soil down firmly with the fingers, cover the ball to the depth of a
quarter or half an inch, leaving a vacant space of half an inch more to the edge
of the pot for the purpose of Catering to advantage.

When you turn out the plant, the roots will sometimes appear decayed, and
the soil poor, dried, and gritty ; then wash it all away, removing the dried roots,
and give fresh, rich soil, pressing it firmly about the roots, but keep the same
sized pot.

Perhaps you will find your plants injured by injudicious watering, the roots
rotted, and the soil sodden. Cut off the roots as much as possible without remov-
ing the whole of them, and plant them in much smaller pots with a sandy soil,
and they will regain their health.

As the weather grows warmer in May, many plants can be placed in balconies
or on piazzas, and shielded from chilly winds and cold nights by mats or blan-
kets, or they may be removed to cooler rooms where the sunshine will be suffi-
ciently warm to keep them healthy. This is far better than roasting them in
the hot rooms that many will live in, spite of all remonstrances to the contrary.

Sweet Verbenas should be brought from their winter quarters early in March,
and they will soon put forth their light green, deliciously perfumed leaves.

WINDOW GARDENING 4 ]

The plants that will flower most profusely in these months are :

Azaleas. Heliotropes.

Abutilons. Lantanas

Acacias. Libonia floribunda.

Anemones. Lobelias.

Auriculas. Mahernia odorata.

Achimenes. Maurandias.

Boumrdias. Myrtles.

Begonias Oranges.

Ca lla A ethiopica. Oleanders .

Cinerarias. Pelargoniums.

Cyclamens. Primroses.

Daphnes. Petunias.

Dielytra. Pansies.

Epiphyllum Truncatum, etc. Eoses. Tea. Hybrids. Bourbons

fuchsias. ' Bengal Hoses.

Gardenias. Verbenas.

Geraniums, in all varieties. Violets.
The Mush plant (Mimulus moscliatus} is an universal favorite.

For culture in outside window boxes, the best are Violets, early flowering
Snow Drops, early flowering Anemones, Forget-me-Nots and Primroses.

Summer Culture of Window Gardens.

June, July and August, do not require as much labor as the busy months of
springtime. To be sure the cultivator needs to give daily attention lest the
plants should become dried up from want of water; and must also tie, stake,
prune, air, and weed with great care.

Water will now be required in greater quantities, and it need not be any
warmer than standing in the sun will make it. The evening is the best time to
apply it, because the plants will drink it up during the night to their great ad-
vantage, while if given in the morning, the sun's rays will claim their share, and
by quick evaporation much -will be lost in the atmosphere. There are some
plants that will desire, and must have water twice in the twenty- four hours.
Fuchsias, Callas, Lobelias, etc., should have water both night and morning.

After the first of June, the plants will enjoy all the fresh air that can be given
both night and day, in nearly all latitudes. Calceolarias and Cinerarias will be
benefited by being kept cool, which can be done by placing them on damp moss,
or refuse tan bark, and covering the surface of the pot with it. By the middle
of June thev can be placed in a cool, shady window, and all the stems that have
flowered should be cut off, or if planted in a cool border, they will furnish more
roots which can be divided in September or October.

By the end of May, in many localities, many plants will flourish better out-
side the window than inside ; Geraniums, Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Roses, Helio-

42 WINDOW GARDENING.

tropes, etc., etc., can be placed in boxes and vases on piazzas or balconies, or a
garden can be made on the roof.

Large strong boxes can be attached to the outside of the windows, and all
the plants set into them. In this way much care is avoided, for the plants can
be watered with a syringe or watering pot, and the debris of withered leaves and
stems is more easily cleared away. The plants can also be kept much freer from
insects, and will grow more luxuriantly. Manure waterings can be given weekly.
A tablespoonful of guano in a gallon of water, which should stand in the sun two
or three days before being applied, is the easiest to procure, but all or any of the
manures alluded to before, can be employed. When the flower buds appear,
stimulants are much needed ; and if no other can be procured, try this. Put a
teaspoonful of aqua am)nonia into a gallon of water, and sprinkle it all over the
leaves and surface of the soil. Cut off all faded flowers ; this greatly helps to keep
the plants free from mildew, and increases their healthy condition ; every yel-
low leaf should be taken off as soon as perceived.

If ever a plant becomes thoroughly dry from oversight or neglect, place it in a
deep pan of rain water (if possible,) and let it remain for an hour or longer, until
it is thoroughly soaked, but do not let the pot be entirely covered with the water.
Hot water will frequently revive faded cut flowers ; cut off a small bit of the
stein, and then immerse the end into very hot water; you can see the petals
smooth out from their crumpled folds, the leaves uncurl, and the whole branch
and flower resume its beauty. Colored flowers revive the most completely.
White flowers turn yellow, and the thickest textured petals come out the best
from this hot foot bath

For preserving flowers in water, there is nothing so good as finely powdered
charcoal. It keeps the water from all obnoxious odors. As a general rule too much
air and too much light can not be given ; yet when m full bloom the direct rays
of the sun will cause delicate flowers to fade rapidly, while if they are shaded
from the noon-tide heat, their beauty will be much prolonged ; but during the
night the more fresh air they breathe is the better.

If house-plants are plunged in pots into the borders, care must be taken to
either close up the outlet at the botom of the pot, or else to put bits of plank or
shingles under them, or set them upon small stones. This is needful on account
of the tendency of their tiny rootlets to force their way out of the pot, and when
the plant is removed, they must necessarily be cut off, thereby causing it to
droop or wither, and greatly injuring its growth.

It is not advisable to let your plants run to seed. You desire to secure flowers,
and to do this you must not let the plant fulfil its mission of leaves, buds, flow-
ers and seeds in natural order, but by cutting off all the faded blooms, stimulate
it to shoot forth fresh branches and buds, and strive to do its duty.

In order to secure seeds that are worth planting, it is needful to pick off al'
the later buds, and throw the whole strength of the plant into forming seed tha>
will prove worth the raising.

WINDOW GARDENING 43

Do not omit the practice of washing your pot plants in the summer, thinking
that the rain will do it for you. It will help you doubtless, but if the leaves are
bushy, many of them will not have their full share, and should still be syringed
and washed with all the help of thumb and finger, sponge, brush, or garden syringe

Keep the soil well stirred up in these months, for if you desire healthy plants
the air must have access to the roots, and the surface of the pot must not be
allowed to cake. There are many annuals that make fine pot plants both in
summer and winter, but in June, July and August, they will give you most
brilliant flowers at a very small cost. Boxes of Portulacca, Asters, Phlox, Stocks,
Balsams, Pinks, Schizanthus, Zinnias, etc., are highly ornamental and within the
reach of all flower lovers, while each of the above named flowers make handsome
single plants in pots.

We can hardly give a list of flowers that bloom in these months, for their name
is legion, and embraces many of those mentioned heretofore.

The Lilies are in their glory, and there can be no finer pot plants raised than
the various varieties of Japan Lilies, Tigridias, Amaryllis and Vallotta purpurea
vuperba, all of which are mentioned in the chapter upon bulbs.

Late in August, cuttings can be struck from all bedding-out plants that are
desired to be kept during the winter. At this season they strike root very freely,
and will frequently become fine plants by December.

Gloxinias and Achimenes are most desirable additions to summer blooming
flowers. The Gloxinias are particularly beautiful and brilliant. Their exquisite
coloring and freshness is unequaled.

Achimenes are, also, a genus of splendid plants, which will be described in
Part II. They are unrivaled in beauty of coloring and form. They produce
the most beautiful masses of blossoms in vases and baskets, over which they fes-
toon their glorious flowers and trailing branches.

Autumn Culture of Window Gardens

For this season there is little to be added to the directions already given for the
culture of house plants in previous months The plants that are intended for
winter flowering should all be repotted and prepared for their permanent quarters
early in September, so as to become fully established in the pots before the season
is cold and gloomy. The roots must be attended to as heretofore directed, and
if they cling to the surface of the pot, one of a larger size should be substituted,
and fresh earth given. Be sure to procure good soil, and to press it tightly about
the roots, and crown of the bulb, or stem of the plant

Do not attempt to cultivate too many plants, remembering that o*.e strong,
handsome shaped healthy plant is worth more than ten or twelve sickly things,
that are lanky, scraggy and never blossom

Give your plants the morning sunshine. It is far better than the afternoon,
and if the windows open, both to the east and southwest, so much the better for

44 WINDOW GARDENING.

the plants at both windows ; yet, if no other location can be procured, the after
noon sun is far better than none at all.

Never use glazed pots or crockery and painted ware, unless the common pots
are set into them for ornamental purposes.

Stimulate once a week with some one of the various liquid manures alluded to

Avoid extremes of cold and heat, and give all the air that is allowable, accord
ing to the temperature out of doors.

Of course, each gardener must regulate her plants, according to the latitude in
which she lives. If, on the Pacific slope, the dust that is so tenacious during
summer and autumn must be the greatest enemy to contend with, while on the
Atlantic coast the chilly, bleak east winds are the greatest drawbacks to success-
ful plant culture. In the west, the cold winds blow from the Rocky Mountains.

No set code of rules can be given, and common sense must govern window
gardening, as well as in all the branches of domestic economy.

A large sponge will do duty for a watering pot, or a hand brush broom dipped
into water and shaken over the plants ; but sprinkling must be given in some
shape, at least, once a day.

If the pots are thoroughly washed with hot soap suds, all tendency to green
mould will be prevented.

Make the water that is given, warmer now than in the summer. Put your
finger into the saucer, and see how cold it is, when it drains through the outlet.
And if quite cold, give water of a greater warmth.

Plants that are in a state of rest, should have but very little water during the
autumn.

Bulbs must be started for early flowering in September and for Easter, bloom-
ing late, in November.

Roses should all be repotted with rich soil : full two-thirds of entirely decom-
posed cow manure and leaf mould, so decayed as to crumble in the fingers,
should be added, to one-third of good sandy loam.

As most of the desirable flowering plants will be treated of in their respective
chapters, it will only be a repetition to notice them here, or to give a list of them.

CHA.PTER V.

INSECTS, AND How TO KILL THEM.

The previous anxieties of the gardener are but light compared to the deadly
warfare he is now forced to wage against the tiny insects which not only infest his
house-plants, hut the soil in which they grow and bloom.

The red spider is the most minute, yet the most dangerous foe wherewith we have
to deal. Hot and close parlors and sitting-rooms, are its delight, and it weaves
its tiny webs about the casements waiting until the plants are ready to feed it.

He is a treacherous invidious enemy seeming to lie in the window frames quiet
and warm, but ready to seize upon our rarest Roses, most valuable Fuchsias and
Carnations, as soon as they are placed in their winter quarters.

It is the tiniest of red mites ; the merest grain as it lies in repose under the
leaves of the plant it has chosen for its dwelling, but when the leaf is closely ex-
amined, it rushes wildly about, apparently knowing that it is doomed, and its
minutes are numbered.

Though these pests are so minute, one can easily discover their presence ; for
the upper sides of the leaves grow brown and sire, and the plant loses its healthy
appearance.

A thorough sprinkling and washing may drive away the intruders, but if the
heated and close atmosphere is still continued, plenty more will be generated.

Red pepper has been found decidedly obnoxious to it. It should be dusted upon
with a pepper castor, holding the plant bottom side upwards, while another per-
son dusts on the pepper. Of course you must take care not to let it fall in any
quantity upon the soil of the pot, lest it should injure the roots.

A decoction of quassia will also act fatally upon insect life, if used in the
following proportions :

Boil one ounce of quassia wood in three pints of water until but a quart re-
mains ; when luke warm, either dip in the infested plants, or sponge offeach leaf
with a sponge or brush. Let them stand fifteen minutes or so, then dip the
plants or wash them off with clear water, as the decoction of quassia, if allowed
to remain on the leaves, will injure them.

Tobacco smoke is also a good preventive to some insects, but this red spider
does not seem to heed it.

The aphis or green fly, does not affect a liking for tobacco, for it intoxicates
it, and causes it to fall from the leaves and branches of all plants. Hold a
lighted cigar under the leaves of your Roses, etc., not so near as to curl them

4G WINDOW GARDENING.

with the heat however, and see how they will fall down completely stupefied; but,
if left to themselves, they will revive, and slowly return to their leafy homes.
Place a paper under the leaves when you apply the smoke, and then you can
easily destroy them.

If a plant is very much infested with these noxious pests, take the pot in your
hand and spread a paper under it, then with a feather or small wing, brush off
the insects and burn them ill up. Then dip the plant into warm water, to kill
the eggs, and with a weekly washing, smoking or sprinkling, not an insect will
be seen.

A conservatory plant-stand, or window garden with plants covered with these
insects, plainly announces the neglect they have received. The old maxim seems
to come here again in play, i. e. " An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure."

If plants were as carefully washed and tended as many pet animals were,
there would be no need of any remedies against insects.

Conservatories can be kept free of all insects by being smoked once a week
with tobacco. Close all the windows carefully that lead into the house, take
the largest size flower pot-saucer, put a shovel full of blazing coals into it, and
pour over them an ounce of tobacco, letting it smoke well ; if it is slightly damp-
ened the smoke will be more dense. Let it smoke for half an hour, then open
the window out of doors, and let the smoke go out. Choose a bright fair day
when half an hour's outside air will not injure the plants, and you will keep all of
them fresh and vigorous.

The mealy bug, is a white mealy looking insect, but very destructive to plant
life. It does not. dislike tobacco, but has a hatred to whale oil soap. A quarter
of a pound dissolved in five quarts of water, and syringed on to the plants, or
sprinkled with a watering pot, will force it to disappear.

Like the aphis, it can be brushed off with a chicken's wing.

lirown scah will sometimes attack Roses, Daphnes, Oranges and Pittosporums,
but it is not nearly as common as the above mentioned insect. Bad ventilation
and dark places are its chief cause and habitat ; frequent washings and picking
off with the hand, are its only means of destruction, as it thrives on tobacco
smoke, and makes no objection to the disgusting odor of whale oil soap suds.

Thrips is a dark brown or whitish yellow fly, very active on the wing, and
greatly injurious to many plants. It will not thrive where tobacco smoke is
given tc plants, and is most likely to be found where plants are placed thickly
together, in a shaded window.

The Verbena mite is a most tiny insect, smaller than the red spider, and quite
as disastrous in its ravages. It « innot be seen with the naked eye, but viewed
through a microscope, it appears as large as a house fly

If it attacks your plants, it appears like a black rust so thickly does it congre-
gate together. It delights in Heliotropes, Petunias, Verbenas, etc., and is closely
allied to the insect which infests the Plum, Peach and Cherry trees
\ Neither sulphur, tobacco, or whnle oil soap are obnoxious to it, but it will run

WINDOW GARDENING 47

away from the " Grafton Mimeral Fertilizer," and a thorough sprinkling of the
dry powder on the leaves or steins well moistened, will make the insects dis
lodge their hold, not to r;eturn.

There is another mite whose color varies from green to black, and is as par-
ticular in its attentions to Carnations and Pinks, and *o rapid in its movements,
that it has been named the " Carnation Twitter." It is very destructive to all
the varieties of plants above mentioned, and it affects the leaves like the spider,
making them very unhealthy in appearance and as yet no means have been found
to destroy it.

If plants grow vigorously, are healthy and well cared for, the ravages of
insects are not to be much dreaded ; and if they do appear they can be quickly
routed. Undoubtedly we must fight if we would become the owners of hand
some, finely formed, profuse blossoming plants ; and she who devotes the most
time to them, will be the proudest of the flowers she rears.

Sulphur and tobacco are powerful remedies in the hands of an amateur, and
will often not only kill all the insects, but destroy all the plants. As almost every
amateur usually undertakes to try some experiment for himself, so we record
the experience of a lady who writes us :

** Years ago, when we had the charge of a small conservatory, we tried the
effect of sulphur thrown upon hot coais to kill infested plants. Every insect
succumbed before its direful fumes ; so aisodid the plants; hardly a leaf remained
on the stems the following day, and the poor leafless branches spake to me in
terms of sad reproach through their mute lips. I was then a tyro in the busi-
ness, and greatly desired to have every thing done thoroughly.

"Thus! learned, that there is no teacher like experience, his school is a hard
one, he is a stern disciplinarian, but when his lessons are once learned they are
not forgotten, but are indellibly printed upon the pages of memory

" Luckily for my conservatory, it was denuded of its leaves in May, and soon
the poor forlorn plants were set out into the borders where they could recuperate
and regain the foliage denuded by so strong a sulphur bath.

" Again : I tried tobacco tea, and n it steeped »ach treasured Rose, each loved
Fuchsia, and they looked so worn and weary after it that I was heart sick with
my efforts in their behalf. Since then, I have been very shy of trying such ex-
periments, and content myself with hand brushing and washing, but still more
with the daily care, the constant loving attention which is much the surest and
the safest for flowers."

White mites may frequently be seen infesting the soil in pots. They seem to
be the larvge of a small black or brown fly, and are very injurious to the well-being
of the plants. Lime water, salt and water, and hot water, have all been tried.
The first two were inefficient to injure them, and the last killed the plants. Now
we turn in a goodly supply of warm water, and when we see wriggling specks of
white, take up the pot and turn off the water. Give another supply, and turn
that away, and continue to do so until not one remains. The third or fourth day
the process is repeated, and by this means the troublesome mites are destroyed

48 WINDOW GARDENING.

Wood ashes will sometimes drive them away. They appear to be on or near
the surface of the pot. Red pepper carefully dusted over the outside of the earth
will kill them, and then the earth containing it can be removed, lest the pepper
might prove too heating to the roots. Salt is said to drive them away. We tried
it as recommended, and killed half a do/en of our finest Carnations, so concluded
not to try such rash experiments on choice plants. Again, in using the red
pepper, of course you must not put on a full spoonful, but only a slight sprinkling
over the surface, where the worms lie the thickest.

If angle worms are in the soil, they can be removed by turning out the ball of
earth and picking them out, and if a tine hair pin or knitting needle is thrust
into the soil, they will all come to the surface and can easily be dislodged.

Lime water will also drive them out and help the growth of the plant, keeping
the foliage fresh and bright. It can bo applied once a week without damage to
the plant, and can be made by slacking a small piece of fresh lime in hot water,
then adding cold, and stirring it well. The water will only dissolve just so much
lime, and the residue will remain in the pail or lirkin used to dissolve it. More
water can be turned on to it, and so continue until it is all taken up. Then bottle
the water and cork up for use. Keep the bottles where they *nll not freeze. A
little of the undissolved lime can be put into every bottle, and when the water
turns out discolored, more can be added to it.

A tablespoonful of spirits of camphor, added to a pint and a half of water, will
make a good wash to keep off insects. But with proper care and good manage-
ment these antidotes need not be employed.

Fresh water well applied, fresh air at proper times, and cleanliness at all times,
are thj best preventives one can employ against insects.

CHAPTER VI.

PROPAGATION FROM SEEDS, CUTTINGS, ETC.

At present most of our Window Gardens in cities are filled with plants bought
from the florist. Of course one half do not know how they are grown, and hence
do not well know how to take care of them.

Every window gardener, it seems to us, should understand the first principles
of plant life, and learn for himself how they are propagated.

Nearly all plants that are desirable for window gardening can be raised either
from seeds, cuttings or by grafting. Bulbous roots are propagated chiefly from
offsets, and the new varieties are produced from the seeds. Other plants are also
increased by offsets or separating the roots, but their number is comparatively
few.

Warmth, moisture, proper temperature and a soil suitable to promote the
sprouting of the germ, and a shady situation until the seeds have swelled, are
essential to the vegetation of seeds.

For window plants a greater degree of warmth is needful. Unless the air is from
66° to 70°, and some bottom heat is supplied, your success will not satisfy you.
Seeds of tender plants require hot house treatment. Moisture must not be with
held at any time ; yet, if it is in excess, the seeds are apt to decay before they
sprout. A thick piece of flannel wet with hot water, and laid over the soil and
pressed lightly down upon it, will ensure the needful moisture, warmth and
darkness. Warm water should be given over it, letting it permeate slowly
through it. It must be lifted daily to see if the tender seeds are starting ; the
flannel must be removed before the leaves appear, and a pane of glass which will
exactly cover the seed box or pot placed closely over them.

Too deep planting is a fruitful cause of failure with amateur seed raisers. The
depth of the soil must be proportioned to the size of the seed. Petunias, Primu-
las, etc., require the least sprinkling of sandy loam.

A good general rule is to cover the seed only to the thickness of their own
diameter, yet this would not hold good with Sweet Peas, for they grow better
when planted three inches in depth.

With very fine seeds it is best to press them lightly into the surface of the soil
with the fingers, then shade from the sun three or four days either with cloth or
newspapers, and sprinkle over the coverings, not letting them become dry at all,
yet not killing the germ of the seeds by too much water.

Most tyros in plant culture fail by sowing their seeds in soil that is too wet or

4

5() WINDOW GARDENING.

too dry. All seeds sown in pots are more difficult to manage than those raised
in a hot bed or in the border on account of the danger of drying up. The ancient
maxim again comes up, " that if a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing
well." So in plant culture it is just as easy to do it right as wrong. The soil
should be light and sandy; clear sand, such as the masons use for making plaster,
is just the thing with which to cover the seeds, and to mix with the loam. The
soil should not be all of sand, because it will dry too quickly. Nor must it be
of clayey loam, because it will keep too wet, and will not let the air circulate
freely enough to make the seeds vegetate. But a good loam mixed with sand
will answer our purpose exactly.

Fill the pots with it and leave quarter of an inch of clear, sand at the top, for
the minute seeds, and half an inch for those of larger size. Abutilons, Pelargo-
niums, Coboea, etc. Set the pots in water up to the rims to lee the soil become
thoroughly wetted, then place them to drain for half an hour or more. Plant Hie
seeds on the surface, sprinkling over them and pressing lightly upon them band
proportionate to their needs.

The sand must not be allowed to dry at all, and we find that nearly all kinds
of seeds will germinate more quickly in it than in loam, though a mixture of
both may be desirable in some cases when the care is not constant. Shallow
cigar boxes are preferable to pots; they will hold much more, can be handled as
easily, and make the best seed pans that we know of.

The soil for planting seeds should be as fine as possible. It is a good plan to
bake it in an old pan in the oven, then sift it through a good sized sieve, which
can be made out of an old milk pan, by boring holes through the bottom of it.
Soil thus prepared is far better than if taken directly from the garden, yet in all
cases it is better to buy it of the florists, then you know it is just right.

When the second tier of leaves show themselves, it is time to transplant the
seedlings, into the pots or boxes in which you intend them to grow and bloom.

There is some art in watering seedlings as well as plants, as there is great dan-
ger of the tiny sprouts becoming water clogged or " damped off."

It is often better to water little pots by placing them in shallow pans of wa-
ter, and letting them suck up moisture for a few minutes. Boxes can be mois-
tened by pouring the water against the sides of them, holding the spout close to
them, and letting only a small stream fall from the nozzle, thus gently wetting
the whole surface.

The pane of glass that is to be kept over the young plants, can be edged upon
one side to give more air, and prevent their growing spindling, and wire
drawn.

Bell glasses are much better however, and are largely used in England and in
France where they are called cloches. They are conical, rising to a sharp point
in the middle, and are of cheap construction. Seedlings raised under them flour-
ish finely, and there is little need for watering tiny plants ; for when the edge of
the glass is within the rim of the pot, the moisture becomes condensed upon
the sides of the glass, and moistens the soil by trickling down upon it.

WINDOW GARDENING. 5}

Another desirable way is to pack the pot in which the seeds are planted, into
another pot of larger size, and fill up the space with moss, refuse hops or tan
bark, which can be kept both warm and moist with hot water. A little of it can
stand in the saucer which holds the largest pot, and thus a uniform state of
moisture can be preserved.

Hard shelled seeds, like Canna, Acacias, Cypress Vines, etc., will germinate
much quicker if they are soaked in boiling water for an hour or so. Turn it
upon them boiling hot, and let it stand until cool, then plant the seeds. Some
gardeners prefer to pour boiling water upon the surface of the soil prepared for
them, rather than upon the seeds. Either way will succeed, but it is essential
to soften the horny substance which envelops the seeds, if you desire them to
grow.

Verbena seeds require soaking in warm water over night ; turn the water upon
them, and let the cup stand in a warm place.

Many beautiful plants can be raised from seeds as easily as from cuttings, and
be more highly appreciated because they are all your own, developed by your
patient care and attention.

Begonias, Callas, Oleanders, Cyclamens, Calceolarias, Gloxinias, Primulas,
Carnations, Lantanas, Coleus, Heliotropes, Geraniums, Cinerarias, Pelargo-
niums, Camellias, Abutilons and Cacti, etc., can all be made to grow into fine
plants, but it requires constant care anj patience to cultivate them.

Some of them are very long in germinating, others in blooming, and they re-
quire much time, for the least neglect will often prove fatal to them.

Cuttings.

There is little trouble raising plants from cuttings ; a few rules are essential,
and a little care and time are requisite, but any one can make them strike root.

They can be struck either from woody pieces without leaves, but all ready to
send them forth, or from young green shoots.

The first mentioned will rarely fail to grow, but they grow slowly, taking
sometimes a long time to start the first leaf, while the nice green shoots wiU
quickly become respectable plants. But it is well to know that it' the branches
of an old plant are broken down, the hard woody stems will produce b» time, fine
plants.

Take a hard old stem of Geranium, Fuchsias, Myrtle, Heliotrope, tfweet Ver-
bena, or any desirable plant, and cut it so as to leave one or two joints or eye?
on a piece, (a joint is the slight thickening of the branch whence the leaves and
side branches will come out), set them into a damp sponge or moss, keeping it
moistened, for four or five days, a week may not be too long, but keep them in a
dark cool place. A slight callous will then be formed, and the cutting will be
all ready to put forth fresh roots as soon as it is potted.

In carrying cuttings from place to place, it is best to wrap them in a damp
sponge, leaving out the upper leaves, and covering the sponge with oil situ or

52 WINDOW GARDENING.

enamel cloih. A\i c^ti'ngs strike root more quickly in sand than in loam, and i
the bottom of the joint touches the side of the pot or box, it hastens its growth.

Bottom neat is quite as needful to propagate cuttings as seeds, and the heated
cases referred to m another chapter would give every amateur a desirable hot
bed at a slight outlay. To raise cuttings from a fresh or succulent branch, it is
needful to take one in a proper condition to secure success.

Mr. Henderson says, that if a cutting bends, it will not grow easily, but if it
snaps oif it is ready to make root, and become a vigorous plant. This test does
not always apply to woody stemmed plants like Myrtles, Sweet Verbenas, Daph-
nes, Roses and Azaleas, but their growth is usually finer if the wood is easily
broken.

Whether the cuttings are of hard or Sii^uleat growth, they are similarly
planted, and the) can be inserted all a^oaiid Ut> wJ^e of a pot net over an inch
apart, and nearly aj Oeop as tl.e second ej'e.

CHLAPTER VII.

PROPAGATING BOXES, HEATING CASES AND COLI? FRAMES.

There are always some plants that are very difficult to start without some
bottom heat, and all amateur gardeners cannot possess a hot bed. But the heated
case affords to them the greatest facilities for striking cuttings, raising seeds, and
bringing well established plants into rapid growth.

A home made case may be made in the form of a double cube, say twelve
inches wide and high, and eighteen inches long. A concealed tank of zinc filled
with hot water, will give out and retain the heat from twelve to twenty -four
hours without changing the water. No lamp or extra heat need be used, and
the cases are perfectly clean and unobjectionable, while they can be with a little
mechanical skill, rendered very ornamental and agreeable objects for any parlor
or sitting room.

It is best that the entire frame work be made of wood, and the sides and top
consist each of a pane of glass fitted into the frame ; or in other words, it is a small
glass show case with open bottoms. One of the sides may be arranged so as
to slide out to give greater ease in arranging the plant within and for cleaning
the glass. The top may be movable, fastened by hinges, and lifted up one or two
inches occasionally for ventilation. When the plants are in bloom, the entire side
or top can be left open all day.

The wood work may be either painted or be constructed simply of black wal-
nut, oak, and oiled ; either will look well.

In some of our horticultural stores there are cases already constructed for prop-
agating purposes which fill the exact need.

Figs. 17 and 18 are manufactured of galvanized iron, one being about three feet

Fig. 17.

long and two wide, the other one foot by eighteen inches A shallow boiler about

WINDOW GARDENING.

the size of the bottom is fitted in each case, filled with water, and heated by the
flame of either a lamp or gas jet beneath. The top is of glass and can be lifted
at any time fresh air is needed. A thermometer completes the equipment. It
is very simple and successful. The heat can be run up to any desired point and
the lady who uses it can soon initiate herself into the mysteries and practice
of rooting, cutting and propagating fine bedding plants.

Fig. 19 is a propagating box made of earthen ware, with grooves in the top
for a pane of glass to slide up and down with a cover. The heat thus generated
can be retained for a considerable length of time by closing the glass top. They
are very suitable for starting soft wooded cuttings in sand.

Fig. ia

A forcing stand may be erected like this in Fig. 20. It consists of a wrought
iron frame of ornamental design with two stories. In each story there is a row of
double pans, the bottom one containing water which is heated by a patent kerosene
lamp, keeping the temperature of the inner pan about 100°. In this inner pan
are placed mould, sand or loam, wherein the pots are plunged. The heat of the
water is communicated directly through the sand to the cutting or seeds which
will germinate in a few days.

All cultivators need to know that for propagating
purposes, there is needed heat and moisture, and to
be successful you need a greater bottom heat than sur-
face heat, and also, still, quiet atmosphere.

If this case is used in a room where the tempera-
ture is usually quite mild, no glass covering will be
needed; still if it isneeded, a case like that described
in the former parl of this chapter may be constructed
for each shelf. If pots are used in these little cases*
they should be very small, not over two inches in di
amcter.

Such little contrivances as these render it compara-
tively easy for any lady to raise her own Verbenas,
Pelaigoniums, or other simple plants, and would undoubtedly do more to
please and instruct children and visitors, by way of amusement, than the whole
apparatus originally cost.

Fig. 20.

WTND OW GAR DENTNQ 5 5

In spring, which is the time that artificial heat will be most required, the zinc
reservoirs of your propagating boxes will need to be filled with water, both night
and morning. In cases like our first mentioned one, not heated with the lamp,
boiling water should be used, and the temperature in the closed case will vary
from 60° to 75°; the silver sand as soon as it becomes a little moist, heats the
soil in the pots, and the heat is retained for a long time, often 24 hours after the
tank was first filled.

Another home made case is constructed out of an old tea chest ; cut it down
about one third, then fit into it a zinc pan 4 to 5 inches in depth to hold the wa-
ter, over the top put a large pane of glass, and in such a box, large numbers of
cuttings may be raised-with much less trouble than a hot bed causes. It can be kept
HI a back room or in the attic, and filled with small pots of cuttings and seeds.
The glass top may be hinged on. But the best designs are, however, thus illustra-
ted in Figs. 17, 18, and 19.

Cold Frames.

Many plants that have grown out of doors all summer, and may be needed for
blooming in the window during the winter and spring, may be safely housed in
cold frames. This is a very desirable method for keeping a large quantity of
plants.

A frame may be made very easily and cheap as follows : Take a sheltered loca-
tion, protected from the north wind, and well drained, dig down four feet by
eight — or four by twelve is a convenient size.

Insert at each corner scantling posts, rising six inches above the surface in
front, and eighteen inches above at the rear; nail boards to the inside of these posts,
leaving about six inches space between them and theearth,to be filled with manure
or tan.

Outside the posts nail boards above the ground, leaving a space to be filled up
with tan, etc.

Cover the top .with double sashes. Fill in the bottom of the pit with small
stones, or bits of charcoal, and throw in a foot or more of tan in which to sink
the pots. Coal ashes will do as well as tan; they are required to secure dryness,
warmth and ventilation.

When the cold, weather comes on, cover the sashes with straw mats or
carpeting — and bank up the pit with tan or manure — put a good embankment
about the whole pit.

Place the plants in the pit, in the autumn, and let them have as much air as
possible in mild days, covering closely, in cold nights.

The chief care is to give fresh air in sufficient quantities, and to protect in se-
vere weather from frosts.

Roses, Geraniums, Salvias, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, etc. can be kept quite safely in
such a pit, and be ready to force in the windows or conservatory by March

56 WINDOW

When warm days occur the sashes can be uncovered, and the sun allowed tc
shine through the glass on to the plants, but until February it is better to keep
them in darkness, and not admit fresh air oftener than once in two or three
weeks. Do it when the air is most genial, and raise the sashes only long enough
to inspect the plants, and if very dry give a little water.

VIII.

WINDOW POTS, BOXES, JARDINIERES, AND PLANT STANDS.

Glazed pots are not as good to grow
plants in as the real pottery, on account
of their want of porosity, which is a
great help in watering, evaporation and
aeration ; likewise their saucers are
sometimes fastened to them, and are
liable to fill with earth, clog up the
outlets, and are not easily cleaned.

The earthen pots are easily cleaned
and plants thrive much better in them,
than in fancy china or glass ones. Still
these last are often desirable for room
decoration, and many very handsome
ones are made, which can be used by

simply setting the other common pot in- Pijr. 21.

side, and if there is any vacant space between, it may be filled up with moss.

The size of the pot should be in unison with the size of the plant ; the most con-
venient ones to handle, may measure
from five to seven or eight inches across
top. Yet if any have extensive window
gardens, they will need all sizes, from
3, 4, 5, and 6 inches diameter, up to
eight inches — some for propagating pur-
poses, others for shifting into, from
smaller sizes. Saucers of course, of the
proper sizes, should fit each pot.

A new pot should be placed in a pail
of water to soak, and expel the dry air
from the pores, and an old pot should
be carefully washed both inside and
out before use. Pieces of charcoal
broken up fine should be put into the

bottom of each pot to the depth of v\s. 22.

about two or three inches ; less of course in the smaller sized pots.

58

WINDOW GARDENING.

As the pots become filled with roots, the plants must be shifted into
larger, and when these are filled, again repotted into others.

Fig. 2a Fig. 24.

It is easy to find when to repot the plants, by running a broad bladed table
knife around the inner edge of the pot, and turning it bottom side upwards over
the hand ; the ball of earth readily slips out, and the roots are disclosed to view.
If you suspect there are worms in the soil, their presence can be detected*
by the fact that they soon come to the surface to know the cause of the disturb-
ance, and then they can be destroyed.

The soil should be frequently stirred about the surface of the pots, and for this
purpose a good sized hair pin or two-tined fork are good instruments. The for-

Fig. 25. Fig. 2fi.

iner is best as its prongs are so small, raking up the earth without distuibing
greatly the tiny rootlets.

In potting or repotting it is needful sometimes to cut back the plants, and when
it is done, due deference must be paid to their shape, thinning out the branches
so that they will be in good form, for the beauty of the plant is greatly depend-
ent upon this.

WINDOW GARDENING

59

Figs. 21 & 22 are very neat pots
..ade of pottery ware nearly white,
glazed on the outside, and intended
to hold inside the common pots of
earthen ware. Most of the florists
have them as they are quite orna-
mental and are becoming popular.
Their price is from 81.50 to 82.50.

A*n objection has been raised to the
common pots, that they soon become
dirty and covered with mould and
rust, and need considerable care to
keep clean. The only remedy is con-
stant scrubbing. And it is impos-
sible to have a thoroughly porous
well drained pot, without its sides
becoming in time old and sour ; at-
tempts have been made to paint them
with ochre, or red whitewash, but
it soon rubs off and is disagreeable.
To combine ornament with use, the
one must be placed inside the other.

There is a style of mountable flower
pot, now used somewhat by English
llorists, made of separate slabs of
wood joined together with flexible
hinges. (See Fig. 23.) The advan-
tages claimed for it, are that it can
be taken to pieces and adjusted, that
'plants can be easily transplanted
without disturbing the soil or injur-
ing the roots. With small window
gardens it would not be needed ; but
in the case of very large conservatory
plants, where a diameter of two feet
is required it might be found useful, as the plant might need examination to per-
fect the drainage, or remove the soil and replace with fresh compost. The wires,
as shown in the engraving, are moved down or up for tightening or loosening, so
that any one can make them. There are several styles of pots, square, and made
of prettily ornamented pieces of wood, (Figs. 25 & 26,) so simple that they need
no explanation. The same designs have been copied in glazed ware with various
colors and are accessible to any one who will visit the horticultural stores, or
those places where the most tasteful pottery and household ware is kept for sale.

Fig. 28.

WIND 0 11T GARDENING

Fig. 29.

Fig M.

WINDOW GARDENING. Q\

An exceedingly ornamental design for a flower pot for a drawing room is shown
in (Fig. 27,) made of Minton tile, the ground work of which is dark blue and the
flowers white. All such decorative pots impart a pleasant tasteful look to any
room. We would be glad to have them multiplied and constantly improved.
Fig. 28, is of the same material, but of various shades of white, red and green.

Jardinieres.

These are fanciful, single or double boxes, of more artistic construction than
the common pot, and intended to be used for decoration purposes entirely. Many
are constructed and filled with entirely artificial moss, and imitation plants with
highly colored leaves, are set therein. Of course little or no interest is felt in them
after they have been placed in their position, while if they had been natural living
plants, the very care they daily required would have developed far more love and
appreciation than the former; still we would not omit either, all do well in their
proper place.

Fig. 33. ' Fig. 34.

Figs. 28 to 34, are rare ornaments of beauty, especially 29, 30, 32, which are
exquisite in their rich coloring and material. They are constructed of glass
mosaics, and intended to contain pots of choice plants, hidden with moss, and thus
prepared to adorn the window of the drawing room or library. The glass mosaic
is arranged in designs of richest colors, set into cement of pure white color, and
the whole hardened and polished to one glistening surface. Some of the designs
are imitations of snow crystals, and of course are the perfection of art. The in-
terior of these pots is lined with zinc, and they may at will hold either plants
with earth, or be filled with moss and hold cut flowers. The illustrations are
taken from originals exhibited at one of the Crystal Palace exhibitions in
London.

Figs. 31, 33, & 34, are sketches of other designs of rustic stands and boxes,
with the Dracaena, which is a favorite with all fond of the plant decorations of

62

WINDOW GARDENING.

rooms. No. 34, is a rustic Tile Jardinet, hexagon shaped
and 11 to 16 inches in diameter. No. 31, is the samt
mounted upon a rustic cedar wood stand. No. 33, is a
china flower vase with fence pattern made entirely
round, and from 6 to 14 inches in diam^er. No. 35, is
a pretty little idea of a sea shell, fitted to a rustic frame;
the interior of the shell is filled with compost or moss,
and from it grows a feathery fern. No. 30, is a rustic
wood basket, made by any one with a taste for mechani-
cal construction and very simply put together. It is
suitable for any house, and adapted to any position
out doors or in doors. Will look best if filled with
ferns, but when bulbs are in season, fill it with
good selection of Hyacinths, Tulips or CroCi»s§s, ac-
cording to the fancy of the fair gardener. No. 37, is
a rustic vase of circular outline, intended especially for indoor decoration
They are very cheap; both should be lined with zinc, or else the presence of
the damp earth will cause them to rot. When bulbs are past their spring bloom-
ing, then take Ferns or Dracaena, or any plant provided it is not of too great
height, and must have an agreeable shading of color, with appropriate form
and contour.

iR. 3G. Fig. 37.

A large number of vari-colored floral pots and jardinieres, made of lava, and
now imported from Europe, can be found of various prices from SI -50 to
85.00, in any of our fancy china ware and porcelain stores. They are of beauti-
ful finish, and usually very cheap.

Some American manufacturers are now producing designs in terra cotta which are

WINDOW GARDENING.

63

pleasing. Fig. 40, is used both as a hyacinth or bulb
pot, or as a bouquet holder, the interior being pre-
viously filled with sand. The sizes vary from twelve
to eighteen inches high, and consist of from three to
five apertures for placing the bulb. They are usually
well drained beneath.

Fig. 39, is a rustic pot of about nine inches high,
resting upon a dolphin base six inches high. The sides
of the pot are ornamented with a grape vine running
around, and clusters of leaves and fruit.

Fig. 38, is a wall ivy basket about eight inches high,
and proportionate height, intended to hold earth and
a plant of Ivy, which will grow and clamber up either
the sides of the room, or over the door if the pot is
hung near. Two pots of the same design, might be
very appropriately hung, one on each side of a win
dow out doors, and the Ivy as it grew, be trained grace-
fully over the sides and top or the front of the house

Window Boxes.

If the window should happen to be in a recess, the sills may be occupied with
boxes. Almost anything will do if clean. A wooden trough lined with lead or
zinc, may be constructed to hold a considerable quantity of earth, and here
climbing plants may grow and root, and be trained in profusion over the
entire window. The Cobcea is often used for this purpose, and after it has

Fig. 38

Fig. 39.

Fig. 40.

64

WIXD OW

grown enough to fill the whole window, it may be allowed to hang down in fes-
toons, forming a natural and graceful screen in any sunny window. Climbing
vines need considerable care and examination, for they are apt to harbor spiders
and insects of various descriptions. Likewise, they drop their dead leaves and
flowers, necessitating constant cleanliness. Nothing is so clean and satisfactory
as the Ivy. Everything in these pots must be regularly watered, and like all
other pots, precaution must be had as to drainage ; all troughs or boxes without
exception should be lined with zinc

Fig. 41.

' Fig. 41 is a design of a window box, constructed by an ordinary carpenter.
Two boards of common timber eight inches wide, half an inch thick, and three
and a half feet long, form the side of the box ; the ends are twelve inches wide
eight inches high, six and a half inches broad. The bottom board is twelve
inches wide, one inch thick, three and a half feet long, and projects about an
inch beyond the side all around. A tray or lining of zinc was made by the tin-
man and fitted in. A piece of oil cloth with a pretty pattern, and some mosaic tile
work was obtained at the carpet score, and tacked carefully to the sides. Mould-
ings of wood were nailed all round the top, bottom and end, then all the wood
work was stained by rubbing it over with burnt umber and water, and after it
was dry, a coating of varnish was put on to finish it.

For filling such a box there is a great variety to choose from ; at one time you
may use Begonias, at another, Geraniums, with variegated foliage, such as the
L'elegante. Then at your pleasure you may, in cool weather, change to young
evergreens, of which Arbor Vitaes, twelve inches high, make the most cheerful
appearance. During the winter time if you have it in a reasonably warm room,
you can place several Dracaenas, the D. terminalis and D. Australis being
the best

Fig. 42.

Fig. 42 is of plain tile or glazed earthenware.

Fig. 43, is of Minton tile more highly decorated, and costing about -$15.00.
The third or Fig. 44, is still more elegant, and represents it as it would appear
filled with Bulbs, Hyacinths, Crocuses and Tulips.

The use of these costly window tile boxes is becoming more general every

WINDOW GARDENING. Q§

year, and tradesmen inform us that the past year alone the demand in this coun-
try for these objects of taste has completely trebled.

Boxes made of plain wood may be ornamented with acorns, as shown in Fig
45, a design often used for green-houses or staircase windows. Take a mixture
of acorn and powdered shells, cut all the acorns in half, lengthways, cover the
box with glue, then lay the acorns flat side down along the edge and bottom
of the sides, one after the other, and in the open space between, affix them in any
fantastic plan you like ; then sift the powdered shell thickly all over the box
between the acorns, and it will soon dry. If you choose, you can vary the

Pig. 43.

acorns with cone seeds, and red berries cut in half. Another style, Fig. 46,
is made in a similar way, excepting orny that pine cones arts used in place of
acorns, and the edges of the box and its ends, and' supports at bottom, are con-
structed of rustic cedar wood. This pot is filled with a fine collection of Bulbs,
Hyacinths, Narcissus, Jonquils, Tulips, Crocuses, Snow Drop and Scillas, length
about three feet, and width about eight inches.

There are other very pretty rustic monies of construction. The outside of
home made boxes, may also be ornamented with white and gray lichens, wet in
water to make them pliable, then glued on, or fastened securely with thread wire,
attaching the wire to Mnall brad nails on the inside and outer edge of the box.

Fig. 44.

When dry it will have a pleasing appearance. Sections of bark may also be used
to cover the sides, or wood mosaic introduced ; take the split half of small sticks
of spruce, maple, oak and birch, arrange them in alternate diamonds, oval and
square, varying the colors with an artistic eye, and fastening the cleft sticks
with small brads, which will not be perceptible. When finished, cover with a
coat of varnish.

Gum shellac, dissolved in turpentine, or common furniture polish may be used
foi varnishing. Pine cones are favorites in these box decorations, and sometimes

5

66

WINDOW GARDENING.

are used either whole or are pulled to bits and nailed in regular rows along the
boards

The preparation of these boxes for plants must be good ; place, first a layer of
finely powdered charcoal an inch in thickness over the bottom. It acts not only
as a preventive against mould, but also as a fertilizer, enriching the soil Then
select your compost, which has been previously described, composed of rich loam,
sand and forest leaf mould, and decayed barn-yard manure, and fill up to the
brim.

If you are growing bulbs leave out all manures, and use more leaf mould ; see
that the bottom of the box has means of drainage by a hole, into a saucer or
dish to receive surplus water.

Fig. 45.

In arranging your plants give due heed to height and coloring. The flowers
which grow the tallest must have the central position, and the dwarfs occupy the
edges and corners. For drooping vines select the Money-wort, it grows freely,
and its bright yellow flowers are very attractive. The Partridge Vine, which
grows so plentifully in all the woodlands, is also desirable, its coral red berries
adding greatly to its beauty. The variegated and green " Coliseum Ivy," is

Fig. 46.

good for this purpose. German and English Ivies are very valuable, growing
with great rapidity, the former often two or three inches a day. The Convol-
vulus possesses bright green foliage and exquisite flowers ; it is always a favorite
in window gardening.

The Cranberry Vine has been overlooked, and deserves especial recommenda-
tion, both for window boxes and hanging baskets. Its prettily cut foliage, pure

WINDOW GARDENING. Q*J

white flowers, and rich scarlet berries, make it very ornamental ; it is easily ob-
tainable by any one.

For a good selection to fill one box for winter blooming, we would proceed as
follows :

Place in the centre a winter blooming Fuchsia, either Speciosa with its pink
waxen petals, and brilliant crimson corolla, which will bloom ten months in the
year, or Serratifolia, with its corolla and petals of two shades of crimson.

Next place on each side the Lady Outturn, a variegated Geranium, and the
United Italy, with its leaves edged with silver. Both of these plants give scar-
let flowers, but as they are grown principally for their leaves, you will nip off
all buds. Bouuardia Elegans, with its coral, trumpet-shaped flowers, should
come next ; on the other side, a pink Monthly Carnation, with its rich spicy
bloom.

If the proportions of the box will admit, we would also plant Tom Thumb
Geraniums, white and scarlet. Then at the four corners, add in the corners
some of the different varieties of the Chinese Primroses, which bloom almost
ceaselessly, sometimes eleven months in the twelve ; then bring in an Alternan-
thera, with its brightly veined lance-shaped leaves, and a variegated Sweet Alyssum
with its white cluster of minute flowers. Bulbs of the Due Van Thol Tulips, or
Crocuses or Hyacinths, may be added, taking care to sprinkle the holes made
for their reception with sand, and to cover them with it. Shroud them in fresh
green moss, so that the leaf buds may not start before they have taken deep
root, which will enable them to support and nourish the gorgeous flowers which
lie embedded in their bosoms. Thus shaded, all will grow, and soon delight you
with their fragrance.

One great advantage of these window boxes consists in the ease with which they
are watered and cared for ; there is no shifting of pots, or other manipulations.
With a good moist temperature, and protection from frost at night, these box
gardens will be a constant succession of bloom from early winter to leafy spring.

If proper fastenings are provided, these boxes may be placed out doors, just on
the window sill, or may have temporary staging erected for the purpose, and
there be tended and sprinkled without fear of damage to either window or furni-
ture. Here, in the open air and balmy days of spring and summer, can be grown
Verbenas, Heliotropes, Fever Fews, Geraniums and trailing vines, like Trades-
cantia, Moneywort, &c., and there will always be flowers for a bouquet or a but-
ton-hole.

In an eastern or north-eastern window, Fuchsias, Mignonette and Pansiest
which shun the heat, can be grown to advantage.

Plant Stands.

Here again we meet with an endless variety of designs and forms of construc-
tion. Every conceivable form of taste, has been devised and executed, and we
are at no lack of convenience, but rather in a quandary, what to chose from so
many things that are so good.

68

WINDOW GARDENING.

Fig. 47.— Design for Plaut Stand.

WINDOW GARDENING Q$

Fig. 49 is a vcr}^ pretty little flower basket, made of wire work, painted green.
It is supported underneath by a frame work of wood, either oak or pine, neatly
decorated, and having castors attached by the legs, for ready removal.

A zinc tray of perhaps four inches depth, is fitted inside the wire, which holds
all the earth and water, (which all other baskets of this construction should have.)
A small aperture for the withdrawal of the water, is fitted with a small stop
cock, which should be hidden from sight. The plants kept in here, are to bB
packed in moss and will, with occasional watering, keep fresh and green upon
'the surface.

Fig. 48.

Figs. 50 and 51 are simple stands to be used for the same purpose, or can be
adapted to the keeping of cut flowers. The top of No. 51, is covered with a
small movable brass wire grating, the meshes being half an inch square, to sup-
port the flowers, and keep them in an upright position.

Fig. 50 is more convenient for preserving small plants, just in bloom, packed
in with moss. This is, also, covered with wire work of brass.

Fig. 52 is a plant table, made of any style of wood, the heavier the better.
It is of considerable depth, and will hold a large quantity of earth, is also lined

WINDOW GARDENING.

with zinc or copper, and provided with a waste pipe. Around the top is a has
ket work of brass, usually four to six inches in depth. The pots placed inside
are supposed to be deep enough to reach only to the lower edge of the brass work,
and covered with moss. Cut flowers, Dahlias, Pinks and Carnations, may be
placed in here, half of the box having previously been filled with moss, and

. 49. Fig. 50.

the rest with sand, into which their stems are pressed. If the flowers are taste
fully arranged according to harmony of colors, they will give a pretty effect, and
the flowers will last several days.

If it is possible, it will be well to provide all stands used for cut flowers, with
glass shades which can be removed during the day time, but at nightfall be placed
over them, both to secure from too cool temperature, and to protect against dust
which comes from the morning's sweepings. Flowers will also keep fresh longer
if preserved in moistened sand, than if kept in water alone.

Fig. 51. Fig. 52.

Fig. 48 is a plant stand for household use and ornament of more than cus-
tomary spaciousness. It is constructed either in a full circular form or semi-circle
to suit the fancy, and will usually fit into the recess of any bow-window. It is
built of a wire frame, principally with wooden legs and supports. Has the usual
zinc tray inside, well filled with growing plants. Its size is about four and a

WINDOW GARDENING

Fig. 55.

Fi«. 57

72

WINDOW GARDENING.

half feet in diameter, and stands two and a half feet from the floor. The illus-
tration represents a gi -t yariety of plants within, fully 50 varieties, from Roses

Fig. 58.

Fig. 59.

Fig. 60.

and Fuchsias, to Ferns, Colons, Bulbs and Primulas
of floral treasures.

Fig. 61.

It is a happy gathering

WINDOW GARDENING

73

Figs. 60 and 61 are two exquisite flower stands, very suitable for setting
in the parlor window, just under the drooping lace curtains.

Fig. 61 is constructed of iron, but
lias a basin above filled with sand, in
which may be grown either bulb or
cut flowers, placed in moist sand.

Fig. CO is a lovely basket of rustic
work, principally of the same ma-
terial as that from which our cane
chairs are constructed. It is filled
with ferns, drooping plants, Sjnilax,
and has a great variety of other
plants too numerous to mention in
detail. Such a basket can be easily
obtained or constructed at any furni-
ture store, and filled by any florist.

Fig. C2 is of Terra Cotta, delicately
moulded in the form of a vase rather
than a plant stand, and filled with a
profusion of charming plants from
Tulip to Achyranthus, and Snow
Drop to Fuchsia.

Every one who wishes to learn the
best plants for such purposes will find
full descriptions in Part Two.

Figs. 53 to 59 need little explana-
tion. Every one has necessity for
some plant stands for the pots before

Fj<r 62 the window. All these designs are

Constructed of iron or made of wire and in countless patterns and devices. The
cost is but very moderate, ranging from 85.00 to §25.00. All are easily movable
and light.

Pig. 63.

74

WINDOW GARDENING.
A

Fig. 64.

WINDOW QARDENINO.

75

Oruauitiiital Parlor Stand.

IX.

CONSERVATORIES AND GREENHOUSES.

These are costly and mainly afforded only by the wealthy. As an ornament of
architectural value, no villa is complete without them, and even the owner of
the city mansion does not seem well satisfied till he has added one of these
elegancies to assist the look and feeling of taste.

Usually they are quite costly, and both interior and exterior are highly decora-
ted, and as objects of effect on the lawn, or among the shrubbery, they are worth
all their value in their embellishment of rural art.

Still, even the person of moderate purse, may have one not very showy, yet
very convenient, and well adapted to this purpose, viz: The keeping of plants in
larger quantities than the ordinary space of the window, or parlor garden, and
also in a better and more successful atmosphere than that of the living room.

It would take a volume alone to point out all technical details necessary to
any one about to build one. For an extensive design, the advice of a horticul-
tural architect is indispensable, but for home purposes, a design such as any car-
penter can erect is seen in one of our succeeding plans.

Conservatories and green-houses are also somewhat distinct in their uses.
The one is mainly devoted to ornamental purposes, and the exhibition of
plants in full beauty of growth and bloom, while in the humbler green-house,
propagating boxes are the chief furniture used by the gardener, for the produc-
tion and forcing of his young plants. Still either term is appropriate, and the
term greenhouse includes both.

Costly conservatories are built of iron and glass, more moderate ones of wood
and glass. In building them, due heed must be given to ventilation. If in small
home conservatories, they are not well heated, it would be well to have heavy out
side shutters, so as to be rolled down at night, or double window panes of glass-
usually a flue from the furnace which warms the house will, in n.ost lati
tudes, give sufficient warmth, provided the furnace will keep up a uniform degree
all night. This, after all, is not regular in large conservatories ; and then the
only satisfactory mode of heating is by pipes of hot water from a furnace speci
ally constructed for the purpose.

78

WINDOW GARDENING.

If there is danger of frost, and it is feared that the heating arrangements are
not sufficient, turn all the heat of the furnace into the conservatory. Yet there
is on the other hand considerable trouble from having too much heat or light in
the evening, especially if the conservatory is entered immediately from the draw-
ing room.

Houses that are warmed by water pipes, branches of which are allowed to run
through the conservatory, not only keep up a more steady heat, but afford con-
siderable moisture to the atmosphere, and are of decided advantage.

Every Autumn, apply a coat of paint, not only to render it fresh and clear, but
to fill up all hiding places for insects, and clear them out if perchance they have
obtained possession, and in September early, put the pots and plants in theij
proper places. It is not desirable that they should remain out later than that.

Fig. 66. Kip. 67. Fig. 68. Fig. 69.

For hanging pots up against the side of the house or wall, the floreteen is a con-
venient little utensil, constructed of adouble iron hoop, bent in the middle at an
angle of 90° and reversible. Cost is very trifling and made by any blacksmith.

When filling your house with plants, clean the pots well, and turn out the balls
of earth to see that the roots have sufficient room, and are in a healthy state.

It is well, also, to scrape away the surface soil, and supply fresh compost.

Give your plants plenty of room, not crowding too thickly, allowing free circu-
lation of the air, for then it is easier to keep them perfectly clean and healthy.

Heliotropes, Vrerbenas, Geraniums, and indeed all herbaceous plants should be
placed as near the glass as possible, as they require much sunlight, while varie-
gated leaved plants Mignionette, Camellias, Primulas, <fcc., will not flourish luxuri-
antly, if the hot sun shines on them at noon day.

Fig. 70 is a design of a small home conservatory attached to the side of a vil-
lage residence and entered from the parlor. Us length is about eighteen feet and
width twelve to fifteen, affording all necessary room for a good home plant con-
servatory.

Such a house is heated either by a flue from the furnace, supposed to be placed
in the basement of the house, or there may be a stove placed in depression of
the floor at one end of the conservator}', and with pipes running from a drum
length way each side to the other end, and returning to it again, may heat the room
sufficiently; but there would be nothing to prevent a low temperature at night,
unless some one could see that the fire was kept steadily burning. The most

WINDOW GARDENING.

79

steady heat would come from the flue of the same furnace which heats the house.
There aie stands running around each side of the conservatory and a large
square one in the middle.

The cost made by any carpenter, if constructed of wood, will be from $250 to
$400, and if he has taste may be richly decorated and painted for that sum. A
good conservatory could not well be built for a less price.

For a more elegant design still, we commend Fig. No. 65 of a beautiful form
of architecture, lofty enough to admit of pa'ms or tall ferns; large enough for
abundance of fresh air, not close or stifling, and of a character highly ornamental
for any situation. It is constructed of iron, yet nothing prevents it from being
made of wood. The glass is in long lengths corresponding to the general style
of construction. Ventilators in the top are easily opened or closed by pulleys.

Fig. 70.— A Village House with Small Conservatory.

There is a door for entering to the drawing room, also, one opening upon the
lawn, with ornamental flower beds laid out along its side; it forms a design of
rare and pleasing taste.

For out door plant houses separated from the dwelling we show designs of two
styles.

Fig. 73 is still more artistic than the other, elevated upon a parterre embank
ment and surrounded with evidences of garden embellishments. This, also, is of

80

W1XDOW GARDENING.

iron, still it may be constructed of wood ; is about twenty feet wide and
from forty to fifty feet long; cost not less than $5,000. Most of the green
houses in this country are now built upon the plan of low curved roofs, which
allord great economy of space and heat, yet we believe variety and taste will
admit the use of other styles. Such a one as this is a novelty in this country.

Fig. 71. — Interior of the Government Conservatory at Washington, D. C.

Rarely have we seen any thing like it, presenting as it does a decided look oJ
.richness and elegance in the rural grounds of any wealthy villa proprietor. It is
Worth adoption.

WINDOW GARDENING

81

Fig. 72 is intended purely for ornamental purposes suitable for the grounds of
those of humbler means than they who can afford such rich designs as our last.

It is a straight roofed span conservatory with cast iron fronts; sides about four
feet six inches high with top and bottom ventilation, glazed with twenty-six ounce
sheet glass, enamel painted throughout with ornamental finish, crestings, &c.
This style of conservatory is set upon a foundation of white stone or granite,
which gives a fine contrast with the green and shrubbery.

In general the handsomest, lightest, strongest and most serviceable conservato-
ries are constructed of iron frames, yet few or none are made in this country and no
one offers them as a specialty. We find nearly all the best styles and designs
of this character offered only by English horticultural manufacturers.

In England, nearly every one has either its Window Garden or its green house,
and scarcely any family of intelligence but knows something of culture and prop-
agation of indoor plants.

Fig. 72.— A Small Greenhouse.

Here we love these delicate treasures dearly and our taste is rapidly developing
in this branch of rural pleasures, yet the green house is still to many a mystery,
and seems an enormous expense. If good and suitable designs could be built
for $100 to §500, their number would be quadrupled every year, and their
general use be considered a desirable fashion.

An important consideration in the management of greenhouses is an abundance
of light. It is quite essential that the conservatory should be placed on the
sunny side of the house, and that its windows or door should open into the parlor
or dining-room, and, if possible, avoid planting trees too near to cover it with
their shade. If the location is southwestern or northerly, much more heat
will be required ; and both for economy and enjoyment, only one position is

desirable, and that is southerly.

6

82

WIND OW GARD EX1XG -

WINDOW GARDENING. 83

Ventilation snould be arranged so that the air will circulate over the tops of
plants, and not upon the surface of the pots.

The slope of the roof should be at an angle of 45°, as this has been proved to af-
ford the greatest amount of heat from the sun's rays.

A low staging upon which the pots are to be placed, should run all around the
conservatory, and if it joins the wall, climbing vines may be planted which will
clamber over it, or brackets may be put up, which will hold pots of drooping
plants. If tastefully constructed, the floor should be made of tiles with pretty
patterns, and even various plant boxes may be made of them.

The plants would flourish better if they were sunk in beds of sand, mould or
moss, instead of separate pots upon a staging.

A thermometer is needed in every green-house, in order to regulate the tem-
perature, and it should hang where it cannot be affected by the rays of the suiu
The temperature should not exceed 66° by day, nor fall below 45° at night.

Watering. — Water the plants as soon as the ball of roots begins to dry. This
will be visible on the surface, or by knocking against the pot. If a full, deep
sound is heard, there is sufficient water; if a clear, hollow sound, water is
needed. All plants of a rapid growth, luxuriant leaves, and masses of flow-
ers, require more watering than others of a delicate habit. Ferns and tropical
plants must have plenty of water; succulent plants require less water.

Watering may be done by a sprinkler or syringe, and care must be taken to
give water to the soil and roots, as well as to the leaves, which, if watered from
overhead, may often shed it and prevent any from reaching the pots.

Apply the water either at night, or so early in the morning that the heat of the
sun will not injure the plants. Let the water stand or drip awhile before wip-
ing up, permitting the moisture to permeate the atmosphere ; after two or three
hours the remaining water can be cleared away.

Steps or a ladder are necessary also, to use in removing plants from the stag-
ing, and also to assist in watering. Standing upon them a person with a water-
ing pot can produce a miniature rain, which will tend to keep away all insects,
and also wash the leaves effectually.

Once a week give in your waterings a stimulant such as has been mentioned in
previous chapters.

The plants should also be frequently turned around so as to keep them in good
shape, and by frequent changing of position all have a chance at the best places.

All the directions minutely given in former chapters as to culture, propagation,
potting, repotting, will apply as well to conservatories as to ordinary window
gardening.

Plants.

For the greater convenience and accommodation of private citizens, lovers of
plants, or, perhaps, not well instructed gardeners, we give a list of decorative
plants for greenhouses and conservatories, which are distinguished by masses of
flowers, fine leaves, interesting habits, and easy cultivation. We do not use for

84 WINDOW GARDENING.

this list any catalogues of nurserymen, nor do we make a collection from books
or advertisements. We have carefully selected only such plants as are recom-
mended by long experience in cultivating plants, and thorough botanical knowl-
edge. Every plant which this list contains is for sale in this country.

Avoid an unfit composition of every possible or heterogeneous plants ; the
effect will be very poor. For instance, tropical plants do not mix well with
plants taken from colder climates. Plants with expanded branches or like hab-
its, are suitable mainly for standards, for vases, stands, etc.

Plants of a fine and graceful habit should have a free and light position. Put
Camellias, Azaleas, Eododendrons, Magnolia grandiflora, Viburnum tinus, Eu-
genia australis, etc., as soon as they leave off blooming in the background, and
move in the front row the following : Acacias, Polygala, Metrosideros, Leptos-
permum, Franciscea, Melaleuca, Edwardsia microphylla, Diosma, and Erica.

For groups of plants which have a tropical character, place so that they
may show well: Begonia, Ferns, Lycopodia, Amaryllis, Eucharis, Pepero-
viias, besides all plants with variegated leaves or thick foliage. For the
background may be mentioned: Ficus elastica, Cooperi australis, Gardenia;
Fortuni, Musa, Heliconia, Bambusa, Eugenia lambos, Justicia carnea, cris-
tata, Porteana, speciosa, etc. He who prefers succulent plants, and intends to
keep his greenhouse filled with them, will not have much difficulty in arranging
them, as they can be easily put. in little groups, according to size and habit.

I. LIST OF PLANTS FOR A SMALL CONSERVATORY, GREENHOUSE, OR FLOWER-
PARLOR, which is frequently visited by the family or visitors. The temperature ot
the house is to be temperate at night ; in the day time thermometer may go up a
little higher, as this will be the case when the sun is out. The situation of the
greenhouse may be in a southern, eastern, or western direction.

a. PLANTS FOR STANDARDS, CENTRE OF GROUPS, STANDS, COLUMNS, ETC. :

Araucaria excelsa, imbricata, Brasiliensis ; Aralia leptophylla, Sieboldii
papyrifera ; Chamarops excelsa, humilis, tomentosa, and stauracantha.

Rhapis flabelliformis ; Sabal minor, Seaforthia elegans, Chamcedorea lunata,
Schiedeana, gracilis, desmoncoides : Latania borbonica ; Coryplia australis :
Drac&na draco, Brasiliensis, terminal-is, ferrea, Cooperi, stricta, rubra, congesta,
australis, indivisa, and Veitcliii ; Yucca gloriosa, aloifolia fol. var, flaccida, and
quadricolor; Uhdea pinnatifida, Senecio Giesbrechtii, Melianthus major; Sola-
num Warscewitzii; Alocasia cucullata, odorata, (arfcorea,) macrorrhiza fol. vat
Caladium cupreum, (porphyroneurum, ) pictum.

b. PLANTS FOR DECORATION IN GENERAL :

Azalea indica, best new varieties ; Camelias, best imbricate varieties ; Rhodo-
dendra, arborea, and hybrida ; Acalyplia tricolor; Andromeda floribunda :
Trimalium fragrans ; Leucopogon Cunninghami ; Allamanda neriifolia ; Aph
elandra aurantiaca^ pulcherrima carnea, superba, Porteana cristata, Leopoldii ;
Justicia speciosa ; Ruellia varians ; Eranthemum pulclidlum, Cooperi, tubercu

WINDOW GARDENING. g5

latum ; Ardisia crenulata, Brexia Madagascariensis , chrysophylla, serrata ;
Brugmansia sanguinea, floribunda; Comaclinium ianthinum; Croton pictum,
variegatum; Cyperus alternifoliusf Panicum plicatum, fol. var.; Curculigo
recurvata; Aspidistra lurida, fol. var. (Plectogynce) ; Eucharis Candida; Var-
lota purpurea; Amaryllis vittata varietas; Ficus elastica, Cooperi and austra-
lis; Franciscea latifolia, eximia, hydrangaformis; Maranta, sanguinea, ze-
brina, vittata; Gardenia citriodora, radicans, Fortuni and florida grandi-
flora; Mahernia odorata; Hibiscus rosa Sinensis var., double kinds, Cooperi,
splendens; Inga pulcherrima; Edwardsia microphylla; Jasminum Sambac,
Duchesse d' Orleans, gracile; Lasiandra, splendens, macrantha; PsidiumCatt-
leyanum; Magnolia fuscata; Olea fragrans, ilicifolia; Myoporum parvifolium,
crystallinum; Eriostemon buxifolius, scabrum, neriifolium, intermedium;
Medinilla magniflca; Meyenia erecta; Plumbago ccerulea; Calla ^Ethiopica
minor ; Tecoma Capensis ; Solanum capsicum, fol. var. ; Vinca rosea and
rosea alba; Abutilon Thompsonii, venosum floribundum, vexillarum, fol. var.;
Acacia armata, paradoxa, dealbata, lophanta, pulchella magna, floribunda, mela-
noxylon, glaucescens, mollisssima, lineata verticillata, vestita; Agapanthus um-
bellatus; Bambusa Fortunei var ; Bouvardia leiantha, splendens, jasminoides;
Cassia floribunda; Centaur ea candidissima, plumosa, gymnocarpa; Cestrum
aurantiacum; lochroma tubulosa, Warcsewitzii; Linum trigynum; Cliorozema
ilicifolia, varia; Citrus sinensis, myrtifolius, aurantium, nobilis (Mandarin;;
Clethra arborea; Spar mannia Africana; Clivia nobilis; Cyclamen persicum,
Coum,repandum; Cytisus Atleyamus, racemosus; Genista canariensis; Daphne
indica rubra; Diosma alba, ambigua, ciliata; Echeveria secunda glauca, metal-
lica grandiflora, sanguinea, racemosa, gibbiflora; Cotyledon cristatum, orbicu
lare, rhomboideum: Crassula coccinea, var. kinds; Rochea falcafa; Sempervi-
vum arboreum fol. var., labulaforme, canariense, orbicum; Sedum fabaria, tele-
phium fol. var. Sieboldii variegata, dasyphyllum; Mesembryanthemum spectabile,
coccineum, aureum, deltoideum, echinatum; Kleinia repens, flcoidea; Eugenia
australis; Habrothamnus elegans, fascicularis ; Indigofera australis, decora;
Laurus Camphora; Melaleuca alba, hypericifoliat decussata, ericfefolia, foliosa,
lucidula, squarrosa, thymifolia, ovata, linearifolia, speciosa; Phormium tenax-
Pittosporum Tobira; Polygala Dalmaysiana, grandis, speciosa; Rhododendron
Gibsonii, jasminiflorum, Princess Royale, Veitchmnum; Rhopala corcovadensis,
Schizostylis coccinea; Statice arborea, Halfordii, macrophylla; Veronica An-
dersoni, imperialis, salicifolia, speciosa floribunda; Libonia floribunda, Centra-
denia floribunda, grandifolia ; Clerodendron infortunatum, fallax, Balfouri,
Kaempferi; Coleus, var. kinds ; Heliotropium, var kinds ; Poinsettia pulcher-
rima; Nandina domestica; Hogiera cordata; Rondeletia speciosa; Russelia jun-
cea; Sanchezia nobilis; Scutellaria mociniana; Solandra grandiflora; Aloe
flmbriata, Tabern&montana coronaria fl. pi., Crowea saligna; Diplacus puni-
ceus floribundus ; Farfugium grande; Ligularia Kaempferi fol. var. ; Callis-
temon semperflorens; Begonia ricinifolia, ricinifolia maculata, heracleifolia, ma-
crophylla, Huegelii, Hernan diafolia, grandis, Dregei, peltata, Pewcei, manicatat

86 WINDOW GARDENING.

hydrocotyledes, Warszewitzii, coccinea, sanguined, incarnata, odorata, argyr
tigma, stigmosa, smaragdina, Rex var. hybrides, Sedenii, Weltoniensis.Bolivi-
ensis.

c. PLANTS FOR HANGING BASKETS, FLOWER STANDS, LAMPS AND CAN-
SOLES, ETC.:

Leucopliyta Brotvnii, Vinca major fol. var. ; MesembryantJiemum cordifolium
fol. var. ; Crassula spathulata; Sedum carneum variegatum ; Cerastium tomen-
tosum, Biebersteinii ; Tropceolum majus fl. pi. ; C lematis azurea grandiflora,
lanuginosa, Jackmanni ; Ficus stipularis (repens*) ; Gelsemium nitidum ; JEs-
chinanthus zebrinus, grandiflorus ; Tradescantia zebrina, Warscewitzii ; Saxi-
fraga sarmentosa, Sieboldii fol. var.; Clorophyton Sternbergianum ; Lonicera
brachipoda aureo-reticulata ; Solanum jasminoides ; Isolepis elegans ; J^ra-
garia indica ; Euonymus radicans ; Ajuga reptans fol. var. ; Glechoma hede-
racea fol. var. ; and var. species of Selaginella.

d. PLANTS FOR FESTOONS, COLUMNS, AND FOR DECORATING WALLS, ETC.

Passiflora actinea, cterulea, racemosa, edulis, insignis, quadrangularis, kerme-
sina, Loudoni, trifasciata, princeps ; Tacsonia splendens. Van Volxemii ; Rhyn-
chospermum jasminoides, obtusifolium variegatum ; Cob&a scandens fol. var;
Akebia quinata ; Stcphanotis floribunda ; Pilogyne suavis ; Bignonia venusta,
speciosa, australis, Latrobea ; Tecoma jasminoides rosea ; Mandevillea suaveo-
lens ; Phaseolus Caracalla ; Physianthus album; Thunbergia laurifolia, gran,
diflora ; Mikania scandens (Senecio micanoides) ; Tropceolum pentaphyllum,
tricolorum, spedosum ; Pharbitis Learii, ficifolia, insignis, palmata ; Mauran-
dia ; Loplwspermum ; Rhodochyton volubile.

e. FERNS FOR GENERAL DECORATION WHICH REQUIRE A MODERATE TEM-
PERATURE :

Acroslichum alcicorne (Platyceruiri) ; Adiantum tenerum, concinnum, cnnea-
tum, formosum, pubescens, trapeziforme ; Anemia villosa ; Aspidium molle,
violascens, Kaulfussia ; Asplenium flabellifolium, palmatum ; Blcchnum aus-
trale, Brasiliense ; Cyatliea medullaris, australis ; Cyrtomium falcatum ; Da-
vallia Canariensis ; pixidata ; Dicksonia australis, antarctica, umbrosa ; Doo-
dia caudata ; Doryopteris palmata ; Polypodium aureum ; Gymnogramma
chrysophylla, Peruviana ; Lastrcea elegans ; Lomaria gibba, latifolia ; Nepliro-
lepis exaltata, tuberosa ; Oleandra neriifolia; Pteris^ longi folia, serrulata
stricta.

IT. — PLANTS FOR GREENHOUSES, CONSERVATORIES AND FLOWER SALOONS,

WHICH REQUIRE DURING THE WINTER ONLY A LOW TEMPERATURE, OR HAVE A
NORTHERN EXPOSURE :

a. PLANTS FOR THE GENERAL DECORATION .

Rhododendron hybridum, var. kinds; Azalea Indica, var. kinds; Azalea
amoena ; Kalmia latifolia; Photiuia serrulata; Aucuba Japonica, new var.;

WINDOW GARDENING. g7

Hex aquifoliiim, fol. var. ; Mespilus pyracantha ; Eucalyptus, var. kinds; An-
dromeda floribunda ; Kassandra canaliculata, speciosa, puluerulenta, etc. ;
Erica arbor ea, M edit err an ea , hibernica, strigosa, herbacea, multiflora ; Crypto
meria Japonica, eleg*ns, araucaroides ; Cedrus argentea (Africana) ; Cupres-
sus sempervirens, funebris ; (Thuja} Biota filiformis ; Retinospora, var. kinds /
Fagus antarctica, Cunniw gliami ; Laurus regalis, nobilis ; Nerium oleander ;
OleaEuropcea ; Viburnum tinus, macrocephalum, suspensus ; Magnolia grandi-
flora ; Bambusa MetaJce, falcata ; Polygala cham&buocis ; fthuscus andro-
gynus, racemosus, hypoglossum, hypophyllum, aculeatus ; Abelia floribunda ;
Arbutus unedo, andrachne ; Podocarpus elongatus, neriifolius, latifolius,
elegans; Berberis Darwinii, dealbata, Fortunei, ilicifolia, macrophylla^Taponica :
Budd,lea globosa ; Ceanothus azureus ; Melia Azedarach, Pistacia lentiscus ; Vi-
tex agnus-castus ; Cerasus lauro cerasus ; Ceratonia siliqua ; Cistus roseus't
formosus, ladaniferus, Lusitamcus, grandiflorus ; Leicesteria formosa ; Coro-
nilla glauca, fol. var ; Daphne Fortunei, laureola, alpina, collina, cneorum j
Elaagnus reflexa ; Escallonia florttmnda, grandiftora ; Eurya Japonica, fol
var. ; Sltimmia Japonica ; OphiopogonJaponicus, spicatum, Jaburan; Euony-
musJaponicus, fol. var.; Juniperus Bermudiana ; Rhamnusalaternus,fol.var.;
Phormium tenax ; Genista tinctoria, fl. pi. ; Helianthemum, var. kinds ; Hype-
ricum calycinum ; Jasminum revolutum, lucidum, Wallichianum ; Ligustrum
lucidum, fol. var., Japonicum, fol. var.; Mahonia Japonica ; Myrica Calif or-
"hica ; Osmanthus fimbriatus ; UlexEurop&a ; Yucca and Agave, var. kinds ;
Pinus lanceolatus ; Pernettya floribunda ; Stuartia pentagyna ; Libocedrus Chi-
lensse, nuciferus, Calif or nicus ; Magnolia conspicua.

b. THE FOLLOWING PLANTS MAY SERVE FOR HEIGHTENING THE EFFECT OF

FLOWERS IN THE WINTER-TIME AND SPRING :

Polygonatum stellatum, verticillatum, multiflorum ; Doronicum Caucasicum ,
Adonis vernalis, Dicentra speclabilis, Corydalis aurea, nobilis ; Lindelophia
spectabilis ; Omphalodes verna ; Cyclamen Europceum ; Anthericum Liliago ;
Dodecatheon Meadiat Jeffreyi ; Dianthus, var. kinds; Nardosmia fragranst
( Tussilago} ; Funkia, fol. var. ; Gentiana acaulis ; Primula cortusoides ; Hel~
leborus niger ; Hepatica triloba, angulosa ; Iberis sempervirens ; Iris, var. kinds;
Hyacinths; Narcissus; Crocus; Tulips; Muscari; Galanthus ; Colchicum ;
Leucojum vernum ; Trillium grandiflorum ; Orobus vernus ; Paonia tenuifolia ;
PulmonariaVirginica, saccharata ; RamondiaPyrenaica • Erinus alpinus ; Solda-
nella alpina, minima ; Ehexia Virginica ; Sanguinaria Canadensis ; Saxifraga
ligulata.Sibirica, crassifolia, cordifolia ; Spigelia Marylandica ; Primula acau-
lis, ft. pi. ; Viola, var. kinds ; Lychnis Haageana, Sieboldii.

c. CLIMBING AND HANGING PLANTS FOR A HOUSE WITH A LOW TEMPERA

TURE :

Adlumia cirrhosa ; Tropceolum pentaphyllum ; AJcebia quinata ; Various kinds
of Clematis; Ampelopsis Veitchii , Bignonia capreolata ; Hedera (7yy) var

gg WINDOW GARDENING

kinds; Loniceia Japonica, grata, semper fllor ens, ~brachypoda aureo-reticulata,
Cissus antarctica ; Rubus ros&florus, fl. pi. ; Rosa sempervivens, Banksia,
Thea, Noisette, multiflora, Fortunei ; Gaultheria procumoens ; Vinca minor,
var. kinds ; Phlox verna, repens, setacea, Lysimachia nummularia ; Lmnea bo~
realis.

d. FERNS WHICH CAN HAVE A LOW TEMPERATURE :

Adiantum capillus Veneris, pedatum ; Asplenium fontanum, marinum, ruta-
muraria, viride ; Athyrium filix-foemina, flexuosum, laciniatum, plumosum ;
Blechnum boreale (occidcntale), spicant (Lomaria) ; Cystopteris bulbifera ; Ono-
clea sensibilis ; Lastrcea filix-mas> rigida* dilatata, Goldiana ; Lomaria Magel"
lanica, alpina ; Osmunda regalis, cinnamomea ; Polypodium vulgare, alpestre '
Polystichium aculeatum, angulare, acrostichoides ; Scolopendrium officinarum
(vulgare) ; StruthiopterisGermanica ; Cyrtomium falcatum.

e. Finally, we add a small list of Orchids, or air-plants, for amateurs, who
may cultivate them in a green house or flower saloon of a moderate temperature.
The following species are free bloomers, not very tender, and easily cultivated :

Dendrobium nobile ; Cattleya Mossios, labiata, Skinneri, guttata. Perrinii ,
Laelia majalis, autumnalis, superbiens ; Calanthe veratrifolia, vestita rosea;
Cypripedium barbatum, insigne, venustum • Epidendrum ciliare, fragrant! •
Gongora maculata ; Maxillaria tenuifolia, Harrissonite, picta ; Oncidium pu-
pilio, roseum, picturatum, ampliatum, flexuosum, luridum ; Odontoglossum
grande, pulchellum, Uro-Skinneri, Insleayi ; Lycaste aromatica, Deppii, Skin-
neri ; Stanhopea tigrina, saccata, oculata, guttulata, insignis ; Schomburgkia
crispa ; Acineta Humboldtii, longiscarpa; Zygopetalum Mackayi, crinitum ,
Phaius grandifolius (JBletia Tanker villice, Limodoruni) ; Peristeria alata ; Mil-
tonia Candida ; Coelogyne cristata, Trichopilia tortilis; Cymbidium aloifolium,
cnsifolium; Bletia hyacinthina.

PART II.

PLANTS FOR WINDOW GARDENS

Fig. 1. — Design for Ornamental Hanging Basnet.

HANGING BASKETS.

Hanging Baskets form our simplest and also cheapest style of window orna-
ment. They need very little care, their demands are not very exacting, and
the chances of failure are very much less than plants of more sensitive nature,
fit only for careful pot culture. The Hanging Basket is supposed to be a modern
invention, or, at any rate, not very popularly used until late times ; hence, it
strikes us with feelings of curiosity to learn that, in the observance of the
Jewish rural festivals hundreds of years ago, plants and cut flowers were taste
fully arranged, placed in vases, and suspended from the branches forming the
roof of the leaf-covered tabernacle. This was made of the branches of the
oak, cedar, palm, and willow, so cut as to prevent them from withering for
seven days, while the Passover was celebrated.

The directions for culture are very simple : Choose as pots or baskets clay
bowls of porous ware, which may be set inside either a wire or wooden frame,
or a glazed vessel. In non-porous pots or vessels, plants will not grow to per-
fection ; there is usually no outlet or drainage for the surplus moisture to
escape, and all side ventilation or aeration is cut off. Hence, the soil becomes
sodden, and the roots are liable to decay. After you have provided your bas
kets, then fill the bottom to the depth of an inch or two with small bits of
charcoal, for the triple purpose of drainage, purification, and as a fertilizer.
Charcoal dust is also desirable to mix with the soil. A coarse sponge might be
put in, if the vessel is deep, to drink up the surplus moisture, and yet keep the
soil moist by giving it out again when dry. You do not need a very rich soil ;
good garden soil is well enough ; because, if too rich, your plants will grow too
rapidly for grace and beauty, and run too much to stem. Climbing or drooping
vines may run as much as they please ; the more freely the better, as it is the
very thing desired; but standard plants in baskets must not be stimulated
much; they would outgrow their space.

Sand is a needed ingredient; at least one third the soil should be composed
of " scouring sand." Mix it well with dark loam and leaf mould. The soil
from around pine trees is most excellent for your baskets ; in fact, there is none
better.

If the baskets become very dry from the excessive heat of the sun, it is best
to place them in a dish of water for half an hour. Thus treated, the roots suck
up a copious supply, and need not receive any more for two or three days.

92 WINDOW GARDENING

Plants do not thrive luxuriantly in baskets, year after year, with soil or
position unchanged ; hence, it is well to renew them every autumn, for healthier
plants will be the result.

In the summer time, when the rooms are closed against sun and flies, there
is not light enough to keep the plants healthy, and then they should be hung
in the shade of the porch or piazza, or under the trees.

Hanging Baskets, provided with the charcoal and the sponge in the bottom,
need not have a hole for drainage, for these will supply their place.

Plants of very watery tissues, usually grown in the neighborhood of ponds or
woodland streams, will do best in soil transplanted from such location; but ordi-
nary leaf mould will answer for almost everything.

It is a good plan to keep a good reserve supply of soil at hand in a heap, ready
at any time you may desire to make a new basket, fill a new pot, or change the
plants in either.

When you are potting the plants into any vessel, press the soil well down
around the plants, and never use wet soil ; let it be well dried and friable

Watering should be carefully administered, for few know what to give their
plants, how to give, or when. An hour's neglect or forgetfulness may blight
the entire beauty of your basket ; or, again, an overflooding in a hot, dry room
may cause them to mould.

Whenever they are watered the whole of the soil in the pot should be weL
wetted, and the frequency of watering depends upon the temperature of the air ;
the warmer the room the more frequently will they need it. Usually once a
day, in the early morning or previous evening, is sufficient, if the thermometer
measures 45° to 65°; if over that, and averaging 60° to 80°, twice a day, water-
ing moderately, will be sufficient. In winter time do not apply cold water ;
either use it of same degree as that of the room, or bring your dish of water in
the room and let it stand an hour or two before applying. More damage than
a little is done by applying too cool water, giving the tender plant a severe chill.
If the surface soil cakes any, break it up frequently, and keep a good watch
for insects.

Construction

The devices for making hanging baskets are nearly endless. Our florists offer
a great variety of patterns; our wire manufacturers offer some pretty designs,
and our pottery and tile merchants have equally attractive models of elegance
and beauty. Choose anything you like, only we recommend to you not to get
them too small. We would select nothing less than eleven or twelve inches in
diameter, and six inches deep. Let the soil be filled in even with the edge of
the rim, and then rise toward the centre like a small mound. If there are but
one or two large plants in the basket, cover the surface of the soil with moss,
which will retain the moisture in the soil, needing watering only at occasional
intervals ; the moss from trees is not as desirable as that usually found growing

WINDOW GARDENING.

93

f\g. Z.— Trailing Morning Glory— Convolvulus MauritaniCBd.

04

. WINDOW GARDENING.

on the ground in some low, moist place, near a swamp. Pots of lava, or non
porous material, without a hole at the bottom for drainage, must be used only
for holding other and more porous pots inside, the insterstices being filled with
moist moss. Very pretty wire baskets are found at some of our stores ; and
these, being open, must be filled with moss first, and then a little soil in the cen-
tre, and the plants added afterwards.

Fig. 3.

Large sea shells, (nautilus or concli,) will hold soil enough to support crnilers,
and are usually very tasteful window ornaments. One of the prettiest baskets
ever seen was made from a singe sea shell, quite large. Holes were bored
through the edge to fasten cords to hang it by ; the interior of the shell was

WIXDOW GARDENING.

95

filled with light, rich soil,
and Lycopodiums and Lo-
belias were planted in it-
The rind of the gourd, and
of the scallop squash, inako
elegant baskets for drooping
plants. Cocoanut shells,
whether in their natural
state or embellished, with
rustic work around, are ac-
ceptable.

Home-made baskets of
wooden bowls, (such as we
use in our kitchens,) are
very common and desirable.
Four -or five holes should ,»-
be bored with agimbletin the *
bottom or the sides of the
bowl. The best sizes are
12 to 16 inches in diameter,
and if there are no rustic
arm supports, there must
be several holes bored
around the ed e, in which
to fasten the cords it is supported by — three are enough. To ornament the
outside of the bowl, choose the gray and white lichens of the woods, fasten
them on with glue, or nail on with small brads. If ihe stiff mosses from
the pine woods are used, they can be wet with water, which renders them
pliable, and fastened on with thread copper wire, nailing nails on the inner
edge of the bowl and at the bottom, around which to twist the wires. The
contrast between the gray and white moss, and the rich emerald or brightly
variegated vines, is very beautiful. Such a basket, if planted with nothing more
than the Tradescaittia zebrina, and the green leaved variety of the same plant,
•ningled with soft hanging grasses, or the bright green of the Moneywort, would
be very pleasing. City residents, of course, will not desire to make their own
baskets, but prefer to get them filled from the most convenient florist. We intro-
duce several very pretty designs, which deserve to be copied.

Fig. 1, is a design for a hanging basket of more than usual elegance, and is a
specimen out of many favorite styles prevalent among the well-to-do classes o.
Berlin, Germany. The box is made of handsomely carved wood, the inside lined
with zinc or clay; the basin is tilled with earth, and in it are planted Begonias,
Caladiurns, Coleus, Geraniums, Ivy, Ornamental Grasses, Calla Lily, and quite
ft variety of other flowers The size is about two feet wide by three and a half

9ft WINDOW GARDENING.

feet long. Worsted cords and tassels help out the richness of the frames, and
the brilliant hues of the foliage of the plants within. Few or no hanging baskets
we have seen can equal this for artistic taste.

Fig. 2, is an illustration of a large, deep basket, filled with a dense growth
of the Convolvulus Mauritanicus. This is a highly ornamental plant, of droop-
ing, half shrubby character, slender habit, with a profusion of elegant light blue
blossoms, upward of an inch in width, forming an admirable plant for suspended
vases or baskets. It continues long in bloom, and its porcelain blue blossoms
we conspicuously beautiful.

Fig. 5. — Group of Ferns.

Fig. 3, is a picture of the Convolvulus drooping over the sides of a rustic
carved hanging basket. The outside framework is wood, but contains a cl«y
bowl sitting neatly within. The Convolvulus family .afford many very desirable
plants for baskets of this description. One lady cultivator goes so far as to say
that the common Morning Glory is one of the most satisfactory plants she ever
cultivated. "The vine, by house culture, becomes delicate in form, and is very
thrifty. The flowers, a little smaller than the Convolvulus tri-color, appear every
morning, and remain until nearly nignt. Seeds planted in early spring, say
March, will flourish and bloom in less than six weeks." This family generally

WINDOW QARDKNTNO

97

are free bloomers, very showy,
and have exceedingly handsome
flowers, with rich colors.

Fig. 4, is a sketch of a pretty
wire basket, filled with Ivy and
Ferns ; branches of the partridge
vine hang over the sides of the
basket ; the interior is filled with
moss, and over them all peep out
clusters of exquisite ferns. The
stems of the Ivy and the part-
ridge vine are all stuck into bot-
tles filled with water, and hid
away here and there in the moss.
The ferns had all been gathered
from the woods, and then pressed
out smooth and clean, and ar-
ranged gracefully, their stems
standing in the water of the bot-
tles ; the bottles are filled with
water every two or three days.
The Ivy has also grown from
only two or three little slips stuck
into the water, and has twined
its arms around and above the
cords of the basket, clear to the
very top.

Fig. 5, is a group of Ferns of
great variety, gathered into a
wire basket of neat and simple
design. In the centre of the
group is one of the Draccenas,

having leaves of a brilliantly Fig. e.-Fiower Basket,

shaded dark crimson — a class of plants always very handsome.

Springing out of this is the Goniophlebium subauriculatum, with its long
primate pendulous fronds ; the Cheilanthes spectabilis, which delights in moist-
ure, warmth, and shade; other Ferns, such as the Maiden's Hair, (Adiantum,)
usually of large growth. The.Athyrium, and many of the Spleenworts, (Asple-
nium,) are introduced here to form one of the finest styles of natural Hanging
Baskets we can suggest for imitation by our readers.

Fig. 6, introduces a style of basket very suitable for bulbs. It is made of
wire, and the interior is lined with zinc. There is a small vessel beneath to
hold drippings frem the hole for drainage. Zinc vessels are not always perma-

7

ns

ir/.N DOW G \ /:

cent; in time they corrode, and must be renewed Clay or wood are preferable.

The plants herein are several Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, Lily of the Valley,
&c. The directions for the starting of these bulbs and their culture has already
been explained in the chapter on bulbs.

Fig. 7.— Ornamental Hanging Baskets.

Fig. 8, is a Conservatory Basket, of lava war,e, made unusually deep. The
plants herein placed are Dracaenas, Crotons, Indian Ferns, Niphobolus pertu-
sus, and N. rupestris ; also the Variegated Panicum. Ivy droops over the
sides.

WIXDOW

99

Fig. 9, is an ornamental hanging pot of
lava or Majolica ware, covered with droop-
ing vines. The most popular favorites for
drooping vines are the Nasturtium, Tro-
paeolum, Convolvulus minor, Honeysuckle,
Trailing Mesembryanthemum. The cen-
tre may also be occupied with low grow-
ing plants, like the Verbena, Heliotrope,
Petunias, Xemophilas, Lobelias, Mimu-
lus, <kc.

Fig. 10 is a sketch of the Sedum Sie-
boldii, a plant of very easy growth, and
does best when kept in the greenhouse
or conservatory. The soil most suitable
is light, yet rich. Say turfy loam, 1

part ; rotten dung, 1 part ; sand, 1 part ; Hg. a.

brick broken small, 1 part. It should be always under glass exposed to the full
daylight, and have abundance of water. It is naturally a trailer, and will
droop gracefully over the outsides of the pot, and will bloom most profusely.
It should be watered carefully, so that no water will get on the leaves. Give it
fresh air frequently. The habit of growth of the Sedum Sieboldii is very
peculiar. From one central
crown or stool appear a num-
ber of slender branches ; at
regular intervals come the
leaves in groups of three, and
these continue to lengthen un-
til in the month of August,
when flower buds appear at
the terminals of each branch.

The average growth of good
specimens is about one and a
half feet long, and the flowers
have a spread of nearly six
inches. As described by Shir-
ley Hibberd : " In every stage
of growth the plant is a beau-
tiful object, the leaves being pig. 9.

slightly concave on the upper surface, and coTered with a delicate glaucous
bloom. The flower-buds appear a long time in advance of the flowers, but
when at last these open in September, their lively, rosy, pink hue and symmet-
rical disposition are remarkably beautiful, and contrast chastely and cheerfully
with the peculiar tint of the leafage. After the blooms have faded the stems

100

WIND OW GARD EXIXO .

die down, and arc immediately succeeded by a new growth from the root, and
thus, if encouraged by good culture, a specimen will become larger and larger
every year, and may ultimately be grown to colossal dimensions. It is one of
the easiest plants to grow, and its habit is remarkably distinct and elegant."

Fig. 11 is a plant of the Variegated Ivy. This is both cheap, clean, needs
little attention, grows rapidly, and is the most permanently attractive of all
plants for the window. Were there no other plant than this in the window it
might still be considered well furnished.

Fig. 10.— Sedum SieboldiL

Fig. 12 is a sketch of the Saxifraga Fortunei tricolor.

Fig. 13 is a sketch of a bracket, with a wooden bowl, holding a plant of the
Sedum Sieboldii trailing from it. This can be easily attached to the sides of the
room, fastened to the centre of the window frame. It is very suitable for the Ivy
either to trail from, or it may be placed at the bottom of the window, and the
vine trained upward along the window casing.

Home-Made Hanging Baskets.
Nearly every one appreciates best some basket made by their own handi*

WINDOW GARDENING,

101

Usually only ordinary taste is re-
quisite to contrive some very agree-
able designs, and only a few hours*
labor are needed. So we will give
suggestions of how to make some
Home-Made Hanging Baskets of
handy and inexpensive materials.

For trimming the outside of some
wooden bowl the roots of the laurel
are very suitable, also those of the
briar rose, which grows so plenti-
fully near the woodlands and in fence
corners. They are very crooked
and gnarled, but when thoroughly
cleansed from soil they can be nailed
upon these bowls in grotesque and
picturesque forms. A coat of copal

varnish laid over the whole will often Fig. n.

make the basket possess as handsome an appearance as those for sale by any
florist.

The boughs and roots of the wild grape vine supply materials for this style of
rustic ornamentation. Do not remove the bark unless it is very ragged, and
then tear it away carefully, not taking more than is needful. By peeling in
this way the stem will be vari-colored. If a darker hue than the natural wood
is preferred, take two ounces of gum asphaltum and dissolve it in half a pint
of turpentine or coal oil. Apply the stain with a common paint brush, putting
on two coats if it is not dark enough at first.

A simple rustic basket may be made of three forked branches of any old
tree, the more thickly bestudded with little branchlets, and the more gnarled
and mossy, the better. Get those with drooping gray beard moss, if possible.
The sticks should be less than an inch in diameter, and six or eight inches in
length. Unite the three forks by their heads, winding them with very strong
twine or pliable wire, and then, with the same material, fasten the branchlets
here and there, to form a sort of lattice-work, and wind the gray moss over all
fastenings. Then, in the same way, attach stout cord for handles. Set in this
a common clay pot with its saucer, crowding around it plenty of moss, and you
have a pretty thing complete.

Some persons take the common wire baskets, and make an improvement by
surrounding them with strips of pasteboard. This is completely covered by
pasting or glueing upon it gray or green lichens, with a few bits of the creep-
ing moss, and a little of the coral or red cup moss. If none of this last can be
procured, heat red sealing-wax, and with it touch the rough edges of some of
the lichens.

Wire baskets are in general better suited for the conservatory than the par

102

WINDOW GARDENING

lor, because they need
a good watering two or
three times a week, and
will drip more or less
constantly.

A very queer Hang-
ing Basket was made
by a flower-lover after
this fashion : A piece of
board one foot long and
eight inches wide was
first selected, then
around the edges was
nailed a lath projecting
about an inch above ;
in each of the corners
was driven a nail, and
by means of strings
tied thereto the basket
was hung up. In the
bottom were scattered
a row of stones of
moderate size ; then
they were covered with

layer of earth; above this was another row of smaller stones, then a layer
earth, then sand pebbles, and a final coating of earth over all, forming a
mound in the centre. Here were planted very small rooted cuttings of trail-
ng plants, such as the Morning Glory, which soon filled the basket to over-
flowing. Two plants only will be sufficient. The Cypress vine will be liked
for the purpose. Choose five or six plants. The Madeira vine is unexcelled
for such a position. Erect plants should not be chosen, although Verbenas,
Abronias, and Thunbergias are not objectionable.

Where shells are used, they may be ornamented with different shades of
moss, mixing the white mosses with the green as you glue them on.

The sections of large pine cones will also ornament prettily. Tack them on
with brads, boring each scale with a brad-awl, so as not to split them. Alter-
nate the scales, and varnish the whole, and you will be quite satisfied with the
effect. It can be suspended with red or green curtain cord, fastened through
holes, as before directed, with bows or rosettes at the top and sides. The cones
of the dried burs of the Sweet Gum Tree, if strung together on wire or strong
twine, as beads are arranged in fancy baskets, make a handsome basket, whose
rustic appearance is very pleasing.

The simplest and prettiest of all these constructions is that made from small
sticks of oak, maple, beach, or other wood, cut in lengths of eight, ten, twelve,

WINDOW GARDENING.

103

or more inches, according to the size you desire. They must be about an inch
in diameter, and a hole should be bored with a gimblet an inch from the end of
each stick. They are put together in log-house fashion, one stick lopping over
the other, and a wire with a loop on the upper end is passed through the holes
at each corner, and bent up on the under side. A piece of board an inch thick
is then fastened to the sides for a bottom, and the spaces between the sticks
should be filled up with moss. Small iron chains suspend such baskets, and
rich soil from the woods is the best to grow the plants that will twine round
the chains and wreath them. Ribbons can be used if desired. We have seen
more than fifty of these baskets suspended from the roof of an orchid-house,
and the effect was exquisitely beautiful.

A cocoanut affords a very pretty miniature basket. Leave the husk on, and

Fig. 13.

saw off about one-quarter of the nut; dig out the meat, and bore holes through
three sides of it. The stem end is the part to be sawed off. Tie cords into the
holes. There are many articles lying about every house that could do duty for
hanging baskets. Worn out fly-covers can be lined with moss or cartridge paper,
and when rilled with soil and beautiful plants they produce as fine an effect as
many a more picturesque affair. We saw one but recently covered with
the golden flowers of the Moneywort, mingled with the bright blue of the
Lobelia, and the Zebra-striped leaves of the Tradescantia, all growing luxuri-
antly, and making a humble cottage window a picture of grace and beauty.

Ox muzzles are within the reach of every country girl, and when painted
green and lined with moss they form most desirable baskets to suspend from
piazzas or trees. They will hang from the trees all winter, and in the spring th

104 WINDOW GARDENING.

hardy vines, Moneywort and Partridge vine, (Mitchella repens,} come forth in
fresh beauty and gracefulness.

Miniature baskets can be made of a goose or turkey's egg, that are exceed-
ingly pretty and attractive. Select the largest size, make a hole with a needle
at each end, and blow out the yolk and white. Then dip the egg into boiling
water, and while it is hot cut it in the middle, a little at a time, for fear it will
crack down too far. Use a pair of small, sharp sissors. For a covering and
c rds to suspend it, take scarlet, green, or blue split zephyr worsted, and either
net or crochet a cover. Use a fine mesh or needle, and make an ornamental
scolloped edge around the top. Crochet cords, or twist them, of the zephyr, and
hang the tiny baskets with them. Three baskets can be made and sewed together,
with a cord attached to the edge of each shell. A different vine can be planted
in each egg shell. Use a rich, but rather sandy soil, and the vines will grow
luxuriantly.

The same device can be suspended from the chandelier to hold cut flowers,
or the chains can be omitted and the baskets be used as vases

Boys or girls who possess any ingenuity can construct these pretty floral
adornments in their leisure hours. Money is not always required for their man-
ufacture, nor need those who live in the country apply to the florists for plants
to fill them; for the fields and woods contain many twining vines that are very
suitable for them. Almost anything will do for a basket — shells, horns, or any-
thing that will hold earth, have been used for the purpose. Even turnips and
carrots can be hollowed out and made to hold pretty little plants — so no one need
be without these simple floral adornments for parlor or dining-room.

Plants for Hanging Baskets.

Our theme is now a more pleasing one, for how infinite, and yet indescribably
beautiful, are some of the combinations of plants in baskets which we occasion-
ally see.

Take, however, from us one general word of advice : Do not crowd in too
many plants of upright growth. Usually one erect plant of showy, striking
character, should be used — say a Begonia or a bright flowering Geranium ; then
around this gather your plants, of great variety, but lower and more compact
growth, and around the edge plant both your climbers and your trailers. If
your basket is to hang in a northern or eastern window, where the temperature
is lower than any other exposure, you will have to choose such plants as the
Lycopodiums, Periwinkle, and Moneywort. They will do well here, for they
require less sunlight. An Ivy will do well anywhere, so you may consider this
your safest plant. As we have mentioned before, it is not best to bring your
plants immediately from the outdoors to the warm air of the living room. Do
it gradually, by first bringing the basket, after it is filled, into a cool room with
plenty of light, but not directly from the sun. Here let the plants get well
started, and after two or three weeks you may bring the basket into the parlor
or living room.

WINDOW GARDENING. ] Q5

In making your choice of plants avoid the costliest favorites of the green-
house ; i. e., it is better to take something which will thrive with ordinary cul-
ture. Greenhouse plants need more care than the window-gardener can usually
give. A healthy flowering Geranium is more popular with nine out of ten than
a Camellia, and is in proportion as much easier to grow.

A great trouble among amateurs is too great a fancy for seed-grown plants;
i. e., they purchase florists seeds, and aim to grow their own plants by sowing
the seed in the basket. It is hardly necessary to say failure is the general rule,
except in the case of a few climbing plants, which will grow well anywhere. If
the amateur does not know enough about propagation to grow his own plants, it
is much better to buy them already started from a good florist.

The list of plants may be arranged in several very distinct dasses, as follows :

1 . CLIMBING VINES —

The Tropteolum Lobbianum, flowers plentifully in winter, and its brilliant red
flowers are very attractive.

The Morning Glory will grow readily in a sunny window, and its flowers are
indeed a glory. A small vase can be used to plant the seeds, and it can be sus-
pended with ribbons.

The vine of the -Sweet Potato is very graceful. Quite a good many who have
admired a basket covered with its leaves have felt a little chagrined to find it was
nothing after all but a Sweet Potato vine. The tubers can be sec into a glass
small enough to keep the root three or four inches from the bottom. Fill the
glass with water, and place it in a warm room ; give it two or three hours of
sunshine each day, and in two or three weeks it will begin to grow. All through
the winter it will continue to develop its glossy green leaves in profusion. The
Dixcorea Batatas is the best species for home culture.

Among other climbing plants are Senetio scandcns, (German Ivy,) a very free
grower; Lonicera aurea reticulata, with fine yellow variegated foliage.

There are no finer plants in general to be used than the Cobceas, Maurandias,
Lophospermurns, and Tropteoluin. The Variegated Leaved Coboea is a great
favorite, either to dangle from a basket or clothe a trellis.

For Drooping or Trailing Plants the list is quite extensive. Lysimachia. or
Moneywort — old, and hardly yet superseded.

Saxifragas, Sect urns,

Linarits, Lobelia,

Yellow Floicering Gazanias, Tradcscantia,

Mimulus moschatns, Niereinbergia,

Mimulus tigrinoides, Verbenas,

Ice Plant, Mesembryanthemums,

The Partridge Vine, Dew Plant.

The Strawberry Vine is a rapid runner, with leaves shaped like the strawberry,
but much smaller. Its flowers are white, and its seed-pods are formed of
bright, cherry-red berries, which render the plant very ornamental.

The Cranberry Vine has been used for basket purposes with great success; its

1Q6 WINDOW GARDENING.

glossy, bright leaves, pure white flovrers, and bright, coral-hued berries making
it quite an acquisition to the list of trailing vines.

The Coliseum Ivy and Smilax are used perhaps more universally than any
thing else. They are grown from seed readily.

The Gazania splendens makes a hanging basket exquisite in beauty ; reaching
down one to two feet from the basket, and blooming ten times better than it does
in the open ground.

Among other good trailers are the "Ivy-Leaved Geranium, Linaria cymbalaria,
or common toadflax, Lysimachia, Nummularia Folea, the common Moneywort,
single Petunias of free habit, Tradescantia bicolor, or zebrina, the purple and
bronze leaves of which are admirable to mix with the trailing stems of Vinca
Elegantissima and the variegated Ivies.

Of the Ivies, Hedera latifolia maculata is really superb if grown in a poor
soil, in moderate shade, and abundantly supplied with water all the summer.

Mesembryanthemums do far better in hanging baskets than in pots, but are
truly splendid plants when planted in a rich, sandy soil, with plenty of drain-
age, and fully exposed to the blaze of summer sunshine. A hot, sunny conser-
vatory is a good place for them.

Mikania scandens will clothe a basket in a few weeks with its most elegant
foliage of light green hue, and rich glistening surface. It should be moderately
shaded, and kept in a cool atmosphere.

The Polygonum suaves, somewhat like the Dioscorea, is a free growing trailer
of very neat habit, producing hundreds of little flowers, which emit a powerful
perfume.

The Sedum Sieboldii is unsuitable in the open air. "When placed in baskets
and grown under glass, or in the conservatory, it will spread rapidly, bearing an
abundance of its chocolate-colored flowers, while the glauceous hue of its succu-
lent leaves presents a most striking appearance

Plants of Upright Groivth.

Here you have a large list to choose from. Usually only one plant should be
chosen if the basket is of moderate size. If the basket is very capacious, and
you are bound to have a magnificent collection, you may combine all three
classes, climbing or trailing plants, or those of upright standard growth.

You may select any of the numerous varieties of the Fuchsia, with their grace-
ful, bending drops of bloom. Petunias, single or double. Heliotrope, always
agreeable for their fragrance. Carnations, sweetly scented, blooming freely
every month. The Neapolitan Violet, or the modest yet lovely little Chinese
Primrose. The Cyclamen Persicum, with its curious flowers and valuable
foliage, the popular Geranium. The Daphne odorata, which will fill your
room with its sweet odor ; or you may arrange around the edges of the vessel
some Hyacinths, Crocuses or other bulbs. If you want plants of ornamental
foliage, you will naturally turn to some of the numerous varieties of graceful
Ferns or Lycopodiums. The Dragon plant Dracaena terminalis, has blood

WINDOW GARDENING.

107

red foliage, and seems to be used more often than any other as a single plant.
The Begonias and Gesnerias have rich velvety leaves. For curiosity you may
want a Cactus, or a horseshoe Geranium ; for scent, the Lemon or Rose Gera-
nium, or the well known scented Verbena, or the Musk plant. The little Cigar
plant (Cuphea), is not very showy, but is esteemed for its constant blooming
qualities.

Many use the Coleus and Achyranthes, when young, and possessing rich, deli-
cate shades, they contrast well with their crimson or purple against the green of
other plants, producing a good effect ; but they soon grow too tall and look out of
place. They can, however, be kept pinched back. This combination of color,
either by contrast or harmony, is an excellent idea, and will not only give
each plant an opportunity to display its peculiar habit of growth, but a novelty
of color, likely to be appreciated by everyone.

Cissus discolor, leaves silvery white, shaded with purple.

Ficus repens.

Isolepis junciodes, ornamental grass.

Panicum variegatum, variegated grass, leaves green, striped with white and
rose color.

Poa trivialis argenta, a new dwarf grass, variegated.

Tradescantia zebrina and virides.

Vinca elegantissima, variegata.

Selaginella variegata.

The Ivy Leaved Geraniums are very desirable, and L'Elegante with its light
green leaves margined with white and pink, and its snowy white flowers, would
be a gem for any window. This class of Geraniums are all of a low spreading
or trailing habit, hanging down and flowering freely.

Myoporum parvifolium, a very neat trailer, bearing small white flowers in
autumn, winter, or spring.

Monochaetum, is a beautiful winter flowering plant, but will require tying
down at first, and then will trail nicely over the basket.

Ferns. — These form plants of permanent growth and habit, very suitable for
hanging baskets. The soil needed for them to grow in, is equal parts of peat,
loam, and sand, with some broken crockery mixed with it. One of the finest
ferns for the basket is the Polypodium vulgare, or common Polypody. This
may be grown, if desired, in nearly all moss, with the addition of only a very
slight portion of soil.

The Asplenium flaccidum, is esteemed one of the handsomest, having a beau-
tiful drooping habit, and yet producing little young ferns all over the old fronds.
Place this in the centre of the basket, and display it so that its branches will
show over the sides, with their bright lively green, and they will look extremely
beautiful, fully justifying this as one of the best in cultivation.

Pteris serrulata, and P. rotundifolia, are easily grown, have a good habit,
and pro^e to be very good Ferns for the basket.

] Q$ WINDOW GARDENING.

The true Maiden's Hair Fern, (Adiantum capillus Ftnm's), by spreading at
the roots will soon cover the surface of a basket.

The Asplenium lanceolatun and A. marinum, are also spreaders.

Ferns will always be beautiful plants for window culture on account of their
delicate outline and tasteful droop of their branches. Every amateur, however,
will do well to begin with two or three at first, and then study the rest gradu-
ally until he becomes familiar with their general characteristics. In watering
Ferns, use warm water only, they will require it frequently also, for Ferns are
natives of moist situations and latitudes ; to most of them the dry air of a warm
room is often injurious; closed cases are best.

The following trailing Ferns are suited for hanging baskets : Nothoclaena
tenera, Davallia pentaphylla, Fadyema prolifera, Adiantwn cordatum.

The list of plants for baskets is endless; you are never at lack what to choose.
You may begin with one plant, but as you become more acquainted with the
nature of each plant, and learn their habits, you will love them so dearly as to
sigh because you have not room for more.

Hoiv to arrange Plants in the Baskets.

We offer several plans of how to fi!l a number of baskets easily :
No. 1. — A fine low standard for a small hanging basket is the Primula Sinensis
(Chinese Primrose), bearing white or crimson flowers. Soil — two parts garden
mould. and one part sand Water often, but slightly. Raise from seed or
division of the root, in sandy soil. Take offsets from old roots in May, re-set
them in fresh soil and keep the pots in the shade until September. Gloxinias —
flowers of rose color or crimson — make a fine display in similar pots. They
need the same soil as the Primula. Water scantily, except when in bloom.
Propagate by division of the roots, or a single leaf set in damp sand. Just
within the edge of the pot set Lysimachia nummularia (Moneywort), Nepeta
£l?coma (Ground Ivy or Gill run over the ground), or Coliseum vines. These have
yellow, blue, white flowers. They will throw out trailers three or four feet
long. Twine some of these around the chains or cords that sustain the
basket.

No. 2. — Tn the same sort of pots and soil, with the same drooping plant, Cyc-
lamen punctatum, or C Persicum — flowers white, pink or purplish — are very
pretty. Or a root or offshoot of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (Ice-plant),
whose stems and leaves, when the sun shines upon them, glitter as if covered
with pearls and diamonds. One of these plants will soon spread over the sur-
face and hang prettily around the basket. The flowers arc small — pale crim-
son or white. Or two or three Verbenas — white, scarlet and maroon, or white,
pink, and purple — spreading and drooping, and creeping and climbing as they
choose; they flourish much better thus than when trained and trimmed. Start
new plants from seed, or small branches, every June. Keep them rather dry
and shaded, till September, then give them plenty of sunshine and increase
the water, but never water them very freely

WTXD OW GA RDENIXG . ] Q Q

No 3. — In baskets of the same size — six inches ; but in good garden soil
only— set a Nierembergia gracilis, with its slender stems and fine foliage and
pretty white or lilac flowers, together with a Mahernia odorata, of similar habits
and foliage, with blossoms of pale yellow, very fragrant ; and a Lobelia cceles-
tina, or L. gracilis, with its tiny leaves and delicate white or blue flowers, that
will droop over the basket's rim. Start these plants and treat them like Ver-
benas, or Petunias ol various shades, giving them the same treatment and
allowing them to grow as they choose, like Verbenas. Or three or four bulbs
of Oxalis, which, if started in August, after three months of complete rest in a
dry state, will fill and cover the whole basket with their foliage and flowers
from November till April or May. The varieties bearing white, scarlet and
yellow, make a pretty group, or pink and white, and purple.

No. 4. — Baskets a foot in diameter, filled with the same soil, may hold a
Zonale geranium — Tom Thumb, Fire King, of Mrs. Pollock ; or Mountain of
Snow, with its white-bordered leaves — and an Ivy-leaved geranium to climb up
the handles; with a Maurandia, a Solanum, or two or three Vincas to trail
around the brim and about the basket. Raise these all from branches rooted
in sand under glass in May. Water frequently, but sparingly, till in bud, then
give the fertilizer mentioned in a previous chapter, and plenty of water.

No. 5. — "A happy family," to fill a very large basket of good garden soil,
should have one of the geraniums above mentioned for its centre ; a Euphorbia,
with silvery foliage ; Coleus, maroon or bronze ; a Bouvardia, scarlet flowers ; a
Sanguinaria, white flowers, and mignonette and alyssum, with moneywort, ground
ivy, Irish ivy, Madeira vine, Solanum and Maurandia for climbers and trailers.
Raise the standard plants from slips or branches rooted in wet sand, under glass,
in May or June. Transfer them to the basket in September, and at the same
time set with them cuttings of the vines. Keep the basket in the shade, and
water it scantily for a month ; then give it the full sunshine and water enough
to keep the soil from crumbling. When buds appear on any of the plants, give
it the fertilizer once a week for two months. Be sure that the air of the room
in which it hangs is moist by the evaporation of water upon the stove or fur-
nace, and open the window near by twice a week for a quarter of an hour,
shielding the plants from the draught by newspapers pinned into cone shape
around the basket. With this management the " happy family " will be your
pride and delight.

no

WI.VD 0 W GA RDENINQ.

Pnwne for an Ivied Garden or Conservatory

CHAPTER XI.

THE IVY FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES.

The Ivy might be called the poor man's vine, for, like the Wilson Strawberry,
it will grow for almost every one. It is the easiest of all the vines for indoor
use, both in growing and for training, and not a little of its merits as a favorite
window plant are its permanency, for it will live long in one pot without change
of soil or position. It accommodates itself to all temperatures save that below
freezing, and when in full growth it adds more grace to the window than any
plant yet used.

The English Ivy (Iledera helix) is what is styled a rooted climber, as from
every little joint roots will spring out and take hold of any support. This is
one great advantage of value over other climbing vines which must be trained.

It is hardly adapted to our severe wintry climate, and will not live out of
doors unless covered with straw. This renders its use for windows a necessity,
and who that has ever gazed upon its glossy green leaves, drooping with long
garlands of graceful verdure, but has felt it well deserved to be named the most
beautiful of all drawing-room plant decorations. A writer speaks of the affec-
tion with which it is esteemed in German houses : " It becomes as one of the
family. Sometimes the whole side of a parlor is covered with it, and twining
around over picture frames, or looped about brackets, drooped over statuettes,
the portraits of father, mother, and cherished friend, look forth smiling from
the leafy environment. Small articles of vertu gleam here and there, touched
with it, framed about mirrors or doors, each heart-shaped dark evergreen leaf,
instinct with loveliness, adds to them all increased beauty. Wherever it goes it
makes a green, perpetual summer of indoor life."

Another writer, viewing it in a poetic view, says: "A single root has been
known to wreathe a bow window with thick garlands, and then strike off into
lovely, independent paths along picture cords and above cornices, till the room
seemed all a-bud, like Aaron's rod. It will cover a screen of wire, curtain »
curtainless window, festoon a pillar, frame a favorite picture, (and what more
graceful or delicate frame could be desired ?) arch a door, climb and twist about
a window-sill, and swing in long-looped tendrils from a bracket. There is no
end to its beautiful uses.

" Tickle it with a little guano, and how it frolics. Nip off the terminal shoots,
and lo, two bright, persistent tendrils shoot forth, and curl and twine about your
very fingers. Wash its dusty leaves, and no child could look more gratefully in
your face. It harbors no vermin, encourages no blight, but steadily and sweetlj

112

WIND OW GA RDEN1XG.

keeps its daily course. • It is a decorative artist of high ability; a companion,
a friend."

Notwithstanding this poetic imagery, it must be admitted its presence, with

Fig. 14.— Ail Ivied Staircase.

its entwining, luxuriant foliage, gives a refreshing and pleasant IOOK to every
apartment; ; of uncounted worth is it in homes where garden facilities are few or
none, and a sprig of green is considered equal to the nobleman's wide, rural
•estate

WINDOW GARDENING. 1[&

The Ivy requires rich soil in which to grow, and must have strong food.

" Of right choice food are its meals, I ween."

You must therefore select for it the best soil which your garden can afford ; add
to it one-half each of well-decayed manure and leaf mould rubbed together ;
then set the pan of compost in the oven and bake it, if you wish to kill all larvae
of worms and white ants.

Plant the roots in Large, well-drained pots, with an inch or two of bits of char-
coal at the bottom, and as the roots increase transfer them to larger-sized pots or
buckets. The Ivy will grow in wood vessels as well as pottery, and pails or
buckets painted green can be made to do duty for the pots.

Should the roots appear to be too thickly crowded in too small a pot, run a
knife around the edge of the soil and turn over the ball of earth. If this is so.
cut off a few of the outer ones, and then repot in rich soil in a little larger
vessel.

The Ivy seems to be the least sensitive to changes of light of any plant we
hnve; neither does it require much heat, thus being exceedingly well adapted to
situations in halls or balconies, or rooms not very well heated. Figure 14 shows
how it may be of great service in decorating a hall, the brackets holding the pots
being fastened to the side of the wall, and the ivy permitted to climb up both
Wall and porch.

If planted in pots and trained to stakes, they can be readily moved from one
window to another, or from one room to another ; it is much the most con-
venient method to have the Ivy in some portable form.

Like all other plants, however, it must have a uniform temperature, and though
it will bear a little chilling without much injury, yet it should be kept where
there is some degree of warmth.

It delights in considerable moisture, and if neglected or p;>» mitted to dry up,
its luxuriance soon suffers ; hence, a saucer or pan should be kept full of water,
ready at any time for its use.

During the spring and summer months the pots of Ivy are often carried to the
outer air, and placed on the balcony or under a tree in the lawn or garden. Here
they might be reglected ; so we again repeat our caution : do not forget the
water.

When brought into the house the leaves should be carefully washed with soap-
suds and water ; all unsightly branches and torn leaves removed.

Ivies for the house should be brought in before November, or even before it is
time to build the fire. Place first in a cool room, and then bring gradually into
the warmer room.

When placed where they are to stand, the vines should be gracefully arranged,
and secured by small strings to the wood-work, or to the curtain by bits of green
worsted braid. The green creeping foliage is a fine contrast to the whiteness of
the delicate lace curtain.

Vines can be grown by immersing the stems in small vials of water, and fast-
ening them to the backs of picture frames they are desired to ornament. With

8

114

WIND 0\V GA RD EX ING.

a number of vials quite a luxuriant growth can be imitated, but care must be
had to keep the vials filled with water. At intervals, two or three bits of char-
coal may be added to sweeten and purify.

A good illustration of how a pic-
ture frame may thus be decorated
is afforded in figure 15, showing a
looking-glass with rustic frame, and
the Ivy twining around it. In this
case no vials are used, but a very
unique and convenient receptacle,
shown in figure 1G. Usually all our
frames hang forward a little at the
top from the wall, and leave an
open space. This receptacle fits into
this open space at the back of the
top of the frame, and is very neatly
concealed. To make this successful
the frame should be of good size.
The receptacle is wedge-shaped,
and made of zinc by any tinsmith,
and of the right length and diame-
ter to fit in behind. After filling
with earth plant the Ivy, and let
its leaves ramble over and down the
frame.

Such a frame should not be hung
near a fireplace, for the heat and
dust would hinder the growth of
Fig. is.— An ivied Picture Frame. the plant very materially. If it can

face a north or east window it is best situated. "Water should
be given daily at the same time the other plants usually receive
this attention — by night or early morning. Note one thing, in
filling this pan, to remember to place a few bits of crockery at
the bottom, to secure efficient drainage. Avoid giving a surfeit
of water,

A very novel style of ornament is afforded in Fig. 17, designed
for a portable screen of Ivy. This is a box made very similar
to those for the window, of a length varying from three to six
feet, and one to two' feet wide, mounted on castors. A number
of laths of wood, neatly and smoothly planed, are nailed cross-
ways, and fastened upright at the back of , the box. Usually the
height is about four to four and a, half feet. The entire box and
lattice-work should be painted green : then when dried fill the box Fig. 16 .—Receptacle

for Ivy.

WINDOW GARDENING.

115

with mould, and set in the Ivy plants, which, when well started, will soon cover
the trellis completely.

If desired, the front of the box may be ornamented by planting thickly Lily
of the Valley or Primulas, or Mignionette, sown in the summer. Other
climbing vines may be introduced either with the Ivy, or in place of it,
such as the Morning Glory, Woodbine, Clematis. The box is an ornament in
any position where placed, either before the window, or across the corner of the
room, and the capacity of the box also affords opportunity for growing many
choice standard parlor plants, Fuchsias, Geraniums, &c. Mr. Robinson states
that such screens are used to a great extent in Parisian saloons and drawing-
rooms, and in one instance saw them in quite a row, beautifully used to embel-
lish crystal partitions between large apartments.

Fig. 17. — Ornamental Screen of Ivy.

One day in his rambles he came upon a wine shop in an obscure part of Pans,
where the window was decorated with the Ivy; on going in, he found it planted
in a rough box against the wall, up which it had crept, and was growing above as
carelessly as if in a wood. At another time, at the Court of Versailles, in the
porter's lodge, he witnessed the deep interest which the fat porter and his wife
took in Cacti, &c., and their nice collection of other things, but more particu-
larly at the sumptuous display of Ivy, which hung from over the mantelpiece.
It was planted in a deep recess, and tumbled out its abundant tresses almost as
if depending from a Kerry rock in its native home.

116 WINDOW GARDENING.

But its most successful use is in the hanging basket. Here at home it climbs,
and swings, and droops at will, thriving and twining until the arms of the basket
are hidden in the dense verdure. Probably no cheaper style of hanging baskets
can be obtained than this, and surely none will last as long.

Another charming use to which the Ivy can be put is to twine it around an
Easel in the parlor. Take a small rustic jardinet, such as are figured in one of
the chapters of Part I, fill with earth, plant in it a good strong root of the Ivy,
and then twine its long tendrils around the edges of the Easel, and let it droop
from the top over the picture placed on the rest beneath. It forms one of the
finest of draperies and borders for any art engraving, portrait or painting. Little
brackets of it may be filled like Fig. 13, in chapter 10, and fastened in the
centre of the side of any room, and while the Ivy itself may droop, there may be
placed ferns or pressed autumn leaves above to help the effect with . their gay
colors.

Those cuttings which have rooted in water during the winter will need more
plant food than this will supply. So in the spring, either plant them in the
open border, or place them in pots, with soil, and they will soon become large
plants.

Eight to ten large pots of Ivy trained over stakes and trellises, are at times
used by some to ornament a single room.

Hanging baskets are sometimes constructed entirely without soil — holding only
moss. A quantity of vials are filled with water and placed therein so as to be
well concealed ; slips of Ivy are inserted in some of these vials; Ferns are inter
spersed in other bottles, and cut flowers added to others ; brilliant autumn leaves
pressed and varnished are added here and there. All combined make a very
choice parlor ornament. The only care needed is to keep the water replenished
as long as it will last.

In the previous chapter on hanging baskets may be seen a design of a very
handsome combination of Ferns and climbing Ivy, in Fig. 4, and in Fig. 11, is a
sketch of the Ivy as we see it in its most familiar habits of growth. The bowl
is an earthen one, such as now are imported and found on sale at most floral
stores. A single cutting has been placed in here, and now it is branching out
ward vigorously.

The directions for propagating Ivy from slips or cuttings, are very simple.
Take a young, tender branchlet, cut about three inches in length, and insert half
an inch of its stem in wet sand, or soil, under a bell glass or tumbler. Keep
the soil well moistened, and yet warm, by placing it in the sunshine for fully a
week. Then loosen the sand, withdraw the stem, and if rootlets have started,
put immediately in a pot of good garden earth, mixed with one-third its quan-
tity of sand Press the soil firmly about this young plant, to the same height
as the sand reached before, cover with the bell glass again, and set in the shade
for a week, then set the glass aside and bring to the sunshine. It should bo
watered frequently, but only just enough to keep it from wilting Early in
June, if it has grown too long, trim off the large branches, set it out doors in

WINDOW GARDENING.

the garden, then in September, again put it in a large pot with newer soil, bring
to a cool and shady room at first, then gradually bring it to the heat.

There are several varieties of the Ivy, commonly grown by all gardeners.
The Hedera, helix is the English Ivy, the common outdoor climbing variety,
found in all parts of Europe. It is of slow growth, two feet a year out doorg
being considered good progress. It needs water more freely than any of the
other sorts, for drouth is death to it. It may be propagated by first cutting
slips, then rooting them in bottles of water, and afterward transferring with
sand.

The Hedera Canariensis, is the Irish Ivy, slightly larger than the others ;
leaves five lobed. Will thrive in a cool, shady, and close room. Too great
exposure to the heat of the sun will cause the leaves to turn purple, or ripen
too quickly ; yet it will seldom blossom without sunshine. The flower is very
ordinary, and it is more to be prized for its elegant light green foliage, which are
thrown out from its luxuriant shoots.

The German Ivy is not properly of this family, but its botanical name is
Senecio Scandens. This grows much more rapidly than either of the above, has
lighter green leaves, and is entirely free from troublesome insects. Its branches
trail in long festoons. "Whether grown in the hanging basket, or over the win-
dow, it will soon wreath it with its leafy canopy. It may be trained as a pyra-
mid by inserting stakes in the pots, and then letting the vine curve around
toward the top, or it may be trained as an umbrella, or bushes, or on a semi-
circle, or any form that the frame is made to take. Its easy propagation — for
every slip will take root — quick growth, have made it a favorite with every
one.

Another variety called the Coliseum Ivy, (Linaria cymbalaria,*) is also popu-
lar. It grows in slender purplish stems, having small green leaves with purple
linirgs, and its flowers are like those of the Antirrhinum, but are very minute,
being of lilac, white and yellow tints, mingled together. It grows in cracks or
crevices of old buildings, and the roof of the grand Cathedral at Milan, is thickly
overgrown with it in patches. It seeds plentifully, sows itself, and is also most
easily propagated by cuttings. The soil most suitable for it is light sandy loam,
yet it does not endure much moisture or dampness.

There are still a dozen or fifteen other varieties to be obtained in this country,
each peculiar in itself, yet, the variegated varieties, marginata, argentea, &c., are
the most desirable. They exist in many different forms, all variously margined
with creamy, silver, or yellow colors — on the leaves. They are used either for
climbers on the walls, or in beds, as margins. They do best when fully ex-
posed to the sunshine, and in a comparatively poor soil. Under the name of
Silver Edge Ivy, the argentea has been used for edging flower beds and for ter-
race gardens, having a broad margin of silvery white,— other varieties have three
colors, white, green, and rose, or yellow.

The list of varieties exceeds fifty in number, some producing gigantic leaves
of thick texture, others white or golden berries, some richly variegated, others

WINDOW GARDENING.

with small leaves of deepest purple. They form a study of deepest interest,
and many should be better known; yet strange to say, in the majority of the
florists Catalogues, a few only are mentioned for popular cultivation, theGermau
the Coliseum, and the variegated U elegante.

CHAPTER XII.

CLUIBING VINES — BALCONY GARDENING.

What delicate taste and suggestive beauty seem gathered up in the associations
of climbing vines.

Helps to Home Adornment we have often called them, and the fairy fingers
who twine them around their parlor windows, or along the piazza, or on the rus-
tic trellis before the cottage door, will tell you how well they appreciate their
value in making home so pleasant. Climbing vines afford us an opportunity of
clothing not the outside of the window alone, but its inside also, with verdure
and decorations of greenery, for our imagination must now include, as part of
the domain of house-gardening, the ornature of the outside of the window,
piazza, or balcony, as well as the interior. Ideas of refinement, taste and beauty,
are invariably suggested by the presence of climbing vines. Let the corners of
our houses, or the edges of our windows, be hid under the delicate foliage or
brilliant flowers, and their natural festoons of mingled verdure and bloom will
soften the most gloomy surroundings.

Our new built houses, with all their architectural finish and imposing design,
still lack the last softening polish which comes only from the mellowing and
genial touch of the vine. The first thing to be considered in growing vines
indoors is the soil. Bulbous plants require light and very loose soil. Short,
fibrous roots need a firm, fine soil. Long and spreading roots need a heavier and
coarser soil than others. For most plants good garden loam, loosened, when
necessary, by mixing with it street sand or gravel, and enriched by the application
of a liquid stimulant answers very well. To make this stimulant, mix half a
peck of stable manure or street sweepings, with a quart of pulverized charcoal,
in a three-gallon vessel, and fill up the vessel with soft water. After it has
stood a week the vessel will be ready for use. It should be clear. Water your
plants with this three days consecutively, once in three weeks, during their ear-
liest growth and blooming. It should be perfectly odorless ; if not, then add
more charcoal. As the liquid becomes more exhausted add more water. This
quantity of fertilizing material will supply stimulant enough for two dozen large
plants during six months.

If you can obtain leaf mould — the fine, dark soil from the woods — take this
for a third ingredient of your soil. It will prove, also, quite as nutritive as this
fertilizer. If fertilizing liquids are used, they must be applied directly to the
soil; but when water only is used, the whole plant should be showered with it,
if possible.

120 WINDOW GARDENING

In selecting our list we have regard naturally to those which are most rapid
growers.

First on the list is Coboea scandens. It is an old favorite, and it is worthy of
remark, that but few of the novelties introduced of late years can equal some
of the "old favorites" which we have long been accustomed to grow.

The vine is named from Cobo, a Spanish priest, who first cultivated it in Mex-
ico, where he found it growing wild, and rambling in full luxuriance and beauty.
A new variety of this vine, (Coboea scandens folius variegata) is much the most
suitable for in-door culture.

The growth of the vine is very rapid, and it is equally easy of cultivation ; the
only essentials to success being warmth, a rich, though light soil, and sufficient
water. If allowed to become very dry it will wither away. It requires sun and
a warm room for it to grow in perfection ; yet it is not a tender plant ; i. e.t it
will live anywhere, provided the frost does not touch it, and is one of the few
plants which will flourish luxuriantly in parlors lighted with gas and kept at
almost fever heat.

If grown in a hanging basket or pot, it must be large, and the roots allowed
plenty of room to spread out in. In the summer the pots can be removed from
the interior room to a balcony or piazza, or plunged into the ground until they are
again wanted. Then clip off the growth of branches and leaves ; place the pot
back again in a sunny window, where it will soon start forth afresh, with new
leaves and arms to cover the window

Its flowers are two inches long, and bell-shaped. At first their coloring is of
a greenish hue, but it changes to a rich bluish-purple, and will continue in bloom
for a week or more. Its calyx is large, and the long stamens seemingly grow at
one side of it, giving to the flower much grace. It is easily raised from cuttings
and seeds. The latter require some special care. If planted in the open ground
they will generally decay ; hence, pot or hot-bed culture is necessary. Usually
the seeds are sown in March or April in light, rich soil, in pots, warmed with
a gentle heat. After they have started, the young plants, when two inches high,
are potted separately into small pots, and when they have grown about a foot
high are carried to the place where they are to remain Usually there is no dif-
ficulty in the greenhouse or conservatory, where they are produced abundantly.
Amateurs who cannot propagate them will do well to buy them from the florist
already started.

It is one of the best of vines for parlor decoration, as it will drape and festoon
the vrindow, and stretch forth its tendrils, running up even to the ceiling. The
tendrils are so clinging in their nature that they will attach themselves to any-
thing which comes within their reach — curtain cords, branches of other plants,
brackets, &c., throwing out new branches everywhere.

Smilax.

The Smilax (Medeola asparagoides) is now seen in almost every window
basket, cultivated extensively for its rich, wavy, glossy foliage. For table deo-

WINDOW GARDENING.

orations, wreaths, festoons, &c., it is very popular, and in all festive occasions
where green drapery is used the Smilax occupies a prominent part— always con-
sidered indispensable. It is a bulb, a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and
requires a rich but rather sandy soil to grow in perfection, also a liberal use of
liquid manure, and when in a growing state must have plenty of water. Its
leaves are in reality its branches ; its flowers are of a whitish green, and its ber-
ries, or seed-pods, black ; but it is cultivated entirely for its graceful sprays.
These are often injured by their deadly enemies, the red spiders. By giving the
plants a good shower of water once a week they will soon be free from the insects,
or if this is not convenient, dust them with red pepper.

The Smilax does not require a very sunny location, but will thrive in a partly
shaded window or on a bracket. It propagates itself by offsets from the parent
bulb; yet it can also be raised from seeds. It requires some support to cling to,
and will run more rapidly if a wire is fastened around the outside edge of the
pot, and to this let there be attached small cords an inch or two apart. Fasten
the ends of the cords together at the top of the ceiling, and on these slight sup-
ports the vines will closely twine .

In the summer give it but little water, and keep it in the shade where it will
remain dormant. In September repot in fresh soil, and give occasional stimu-
lants.

It is one of our most delicate vines for the parlor; a great favorite with every
one, for its graceful leaves form a very pleasant effect when trained either around
the basket, or pictures or statuary.

Tropceolums.

The varieties of this class are very numerous — all beautiful and handsome
objects for either indoor or garden use. They are all rapid growers during the
winter months, and are usually propagated from seeds, which produce a great
variety of colors ; one especial advantage being the fact of their flowering the
first season so soon after planting. For ornamenting the window, or the green-
house, or for covering the trellis, arbor, or balcony, they are admirably-suited on
account of their dense foliage and fine bloom.

Tropceolum Lobbianum, is better suited for window use, than the open ground.
Flowers are of very bright orange and scarlet colors, and vine a very vigorous
grower ; propagated best from cuttings.

The Troposolum tricolorum, is a bulbous-rooted climber, and best suited for
the green-house or conservatory. It should be planted in September to enable
it to obtain a good start before the winter starts in. Plant the tubers, which are
not unlike a potato, eye upwards, and about an inch and a half beneath the sur-
face of the pot, which should be eight to nine inches in diameter, and filled up
with a light but rich soil. Give a little water when you plant it, and set the pot
in a warm but rather shady spot, not letting the soil become dry ; until you see
the shoots starting freely give but little water, then give water daily. When the
branches appear, train them to a trellis, or archway, according to your taste. A

] 2 2 w™ ^ ° W GA KDENING.

plant of the tricolorum can be placed on one side of the archway or trellis, with
its crimson, orange and black blossoms to contrast with some of the other varie-
ties, either Lobbianum or peregrinum.

Tropaeolum pentapliylhim, a beautiful kind of Tropaeolum ; like the tri-color,
but not robust in habit. This kind will come to a great perfection if planted in
a large pot and placed on a balcony.

Tropaeolum trimaculaium, an annual species of more tender growth than
Trop-major. It can be raised from seeds, and will give in their treatment dur-
ing the summer season, a good series. Many flowers and a graceful growth is
the character of this plant.

Sandy loam, with a third of decomposed manure well mixed with it, will
grow the slower growing varieties to best advantage ; for those more rapid, we
would not admit more than one fourth manure. When the leaves and flowers
begin to fade away, and turn yellow and sere, give but very little water, and when
dying down give none at all, but remove the bulbs from the pots, and keep them
in sand in a cool place until another September comes around. They propagate
themselves by tubers, which can be divided, and also will root easily from cut-
tings, which will form roots in vases of water; if the branches are full of buds
when placed in the vases, they will bloom finely, and form a very pretty orna-
ment for the parlor or sitting-room. Put bits of charcoal into the glasses, and
the water will keep sweet and pure.

Maurandia.

The Maurandia Barclayana is an exceedingly pretty climber for indoors. It
grows readily from seed or cuttings. If from the latter, they should be started
in June, so as to make a strong plant by autumn.

If grown from seed, plant in light, rich soil, in June ; water it freely, and give
plenty of sun. It blossoms profusely, hanging out full of elegant white, purple,
or pink bell-shaped flowers, which much resemble those of the Foxglove. It
needs a fertilizer once a week, from the time the buds first appear till blooming
is past.

It is a vine of the easiest growth and culture, winding about slender strings
or supports in the window, and in two or three* months' time it will cover a small
trellis anywhere with its graceful branches and pretty flowers. Seeds can be
obtained of most florists, which will furnish all colors of violet, white, scarlet,
rose, and purple.

Tliunbergia. — This is another ornamental climber, easily raised from seed. It
grows in any good garden soil, and will soon cover a window frame. It is really
a greenhouse perennial, and is propagated by cuttings for greenhouse use. In
the open ground its seed is usually sown about the last of May; grows freely,
about six feet high ; has many side branches, and" needs a trellis to cling to;
flowers are usually a buff or white color, with a rich maroon colored throat
Other varieties have shades of orange and yellow.

WINDO W GA HltKXJXG.

]23

The Passion Flower.

The Passion Floiver, is one of our old standard varieties, much cultivated and
admired, and very desirable for parlor ornament. It thrives best in light, rich
soil, and needs much sunlight to bloom in profusion. It cannot bear great Water-

. 1H.— Pnxfin'tro. CKmtlra. Bliu> PassifM) Flower.

] 24 WINDOW GARDENING.

ing: only be sure that the leaves will not droop from dryness, and it will
flourish. Plant the seed, or start cuttings in moist sand, in the greenhouse.
After a plant has got a vigorous growth, it may be brought into the parlor, and
remain as long as it is warm.

Passiflora ccerulea, has flowers of a sky blue color and remarkable character ;
grows finely, and is quite ornamental. It should be pruned close back to within
a bud or two of the main stem every summer or autumn, as it blooms on the
shoots from these buds during the next season. It can usually be had of the
florist, and may be kept as a plant for the Conservatory. If planted out to orna-
ment a veranda or trellis, it must be protected during the winter, by covering
over, as it will not stand the frost. It climbs twenty feet or more, and is quite
handsome. For house culture take pot plants already started; keep in a tem-
perature of 60° to 75°. Several other varieties are suitable also : —

Passiflora racemosa. Passiflora quadrangularis.

" permessina. " princeps.

A fine variegated variety has been produced — trifasciata ; its dark green, tri-
colored leaves having a broad band of deep rose color through the various centres.
Its foliage is very handsome, and its flowers being of the usual color, makes it
very desirable

For training in conservatories, they are among the most effective of all orna-
mental climbers, producing a great profusion of blooms.

Ipomosa. The Morning Glory.

These have proved with many ladies the easiest and simplest of all vines to
raise indoors. They are raised chiefly from the seeds, and will usually grow
sufficiently well to bloom in four to six weeks after planting. They are very
rapid climbers, and much more delicate than the Convolvulus to which they are
closely allied. The principal varieties suitable for indoors are :

/. coccinea, (Star Ipomooa,) with small scarlet flowers.

/ limbala, white margin, bluish centre, in the form of a star.

The Ivy.

This has been mentioned in a chapter by itself. For basket purposes the Ger»
man Ivy, or Coliseum Ivy, will naturally be chosen first ; but for climbing pur-
poses, around the windows or doors of the room, choose the Hedcra helix,
English Ivy, or the Canariensis Irish Ivy, which will be sure to grow in any
room. Both should be frequently watered.

Cissus discolor

Is a greenhouse climber, with finely variegated leaves, which are in great demand
in the cities for the margins of baskets of flowers. It will hardly grow well in
a window garden, as it needs the highest temperature of a forcing house to
develope its beauties ; but in a proper location it will be for a short time a great
addition to a collection of plants. It will grow during the summer in the win-

WINDOW GARDENING 125

if shaded ; but will not in the winter, unless it has a great deal of heat and

light.

Clerodendron Balfouri

Needs a warm temperature. Its flowers are of a bright scarlet, with a calyx
of pure white, and the clusters are six inches in diameter. It blooms for
many months during the winter, and is invaluable for bouquets and roses. It
requires a rich soil and much sunshine, but it will grow well in a southeastern
location.

The list of climbing vines is very extensive. For parlor culture it seems
hardly necessary to make any addition to a list in which there are so successful
and popular favorites as the Ivy, Coboea, and Morning Glory.

Most of the climbing vines suitable for indoor growth are generally grown in
the greenhouse. Often they are started in large pots or boxes, and when trained
to a trellis are transferred to a warm sitting-room to stand there as objects of
ornament ; but few undertake to grow greenhouse climbers there for permanent
use.

List of Climbing Plants most useful for the Parlor, Window, or Balcony

Decoration.

a. Annual, bi-annual, or such species and varieties with tender and soft vines .
Maurandya Barclayana, Lareyana, and other varieties.
Cardiospermum Halicacaba, baloon vine.
Tropaeolum majus, and majus jl. pleno.
trimaculatum.

Lobbianum, and its hybrids.
CyclantJiera pedato, and p. explodens.
Adlumia cirrhosa, (Fumaria fungosa.)
Tlmnbergia alata, and T. aurantiacn.
Lophospermum scandens, and varieties.
Pilogyne suavis.
Ipomo3a quamoclit, and quamoclit alba.

coccinea, and coccinca lutca.
Obobra viridiflora.
Scyphantlius elegans.
Loasa later itia.

Callistega pubescens flore pleno.
Manettia bicolor.

cordifolia, (coccinea.*)
Micania scandens , (Senecio micanoidesJ)

b. Running plants with a more ligneous habit*
Clematis azurea grandiflora, and new hybrids.

flammula. and C. lanuginosa.
Passiflora incarnata, (hardy perennial.)
edulis fol. var.

126 WINDOW

Passiflora caerulea, and caerulea varieties,

trifasciata.

Jcermesina.

princeps.

quadrangular is.

Cobosa scandens, and scandens fol. var.
Thunbergia laurifolia, and T. grandijlora
Medeola asparagoides, (Myrsophylhun.}
Mikania spedosa Verschajf'eltii and Warcsewitzii-
Akebia qumata.
Phaseolus Carncalla.
Physianthus albens.
Ipomcea digitata, (palmata)
fidfolia and insignis.
Hlorsfalliae.
tyrianthina.

Stigmaphyllom ciliatum.
Solatium jasminoides.
Tecoma jasminoides.
Mimosa prostrata.
Bignonia venusta, and spedosa.

argyraea — violacea and orrtata.
Tacsonia mollissima, and T. Van Volremii.
Eliyncospermum jasminoides, and var.
Tropceolum tri-colorum, and T. pentapliyllum.
Cissus discolor.

antarcticus.
Rubus Moluccanus.
Stephanotus floribundus.
Ampelopsis Veitchii, and quinqnefnl, fol. var.
Lonicerabrachypoda aureo reticutata.

Jlakony Gardening.

When the warm suns of spring and summer make the air more genial, out
taste for outdoor gardening returns, and the first step after leaving the window
garden is to embellish our balcony or veranda. To this spot we bring our hang-
ing baskets and suspend them between the overhanging arches, or fasten upon
one of the piazza supports a hollow bracketed vessel. Throw therein some soil,
and try a trailing plant or two. In the grassy border just beneath we sow the
seeds of some of oar most rapid and cleanly growing hardy vines, which will
cover the balcony soon with their dense shade.

To those disposed to try a little amateur gardening, and willing to undergo
considerable pains and care, we recommend a series of boxes wherein may be

WINDOW GARDENING. ] 2 7

grown plants of ornamental foliage, such as Coleus, Achyranthes, Ferns, or into
which you ma)'' transfer your pot plants from inside the window. These boxes
may be usually made of pine wood, painted green, and vary from six to eight
inches deep, and ten to fifteen inches wide. Fill up all the interspace not occu-
pied b}r the pots with sand ; also fit castors to the boxes, so that they may be
easily moved from one part to the other. Into these boxes may be set trellises,
and upon them may be trained the Fuchsia, Ivy, Clematis, or Morning Glory.
Different boxes may be used for different classes of plants: one for Geraniums,
another for Ferns, a third for Ivy, a fourth for Roses, a fifth for Evergreens, (the
Arbor Vitae being best,) another for Bulbs, (Tuberoses, Lilies, &c., being best.)
The length of these boxes should not exceed four feet.

Mignionette boxes are generally made 7 inches deep, 7 inches wide, and froiu
\\ to 3 feet long. Mignionette looks best when the plants are grown en masse,
and for this there must be depth of soil. It is not a bad plan to plant a few
climbers in the boxes, so that when the Mignionette fades away the vines will
fill up the blank space.

Tom Thumb Tropaeolums, Canary Bird Flower, Asters, Stocks, Balsams, are
all very suitable for this style of box and balcony gardening.

Zonale Geraniums, Pelargoniums, of all kinds will do well. Plants of varie-
gated foliage, like the Abutilon, need a slightly shaded locality

Heliotropes, Salvias, Verbenas, &c., require a strong exposure to sun and air,
and will bloom well in a southeastern exposure.

In a western balcony the variegated leaved Ivy Geranium, scarlet, white, and
pink ; Tom Thumb Geraniums, and Mignionette, will bloom most perfectly.
Ivies will twine about the frame-work, no matter what may be the exposure, but
the Madeira vine likes a warm place, and the Smilax anywhere.

Fuchsias desire the shade ; hence, a northerly exposure, except when too cool,
will suit them ; also the Pansies, Myrtles, and Funkia variegata do best there.

Brackets may be fitted to the sides of the window frame, and in them placed
pots filled with drooping flowers, like the Colisseum Ivy and Tradescantia
zebrina.

At a slight expense you might construct a small hanging garden, similar to
one of the designs illustrated in the chapter for hanging baskets, and suspend it
at the end of the piazza. You may also introduce vases upon your veranda with
good effect ; but for this you do not need tall plants. The most effective flowers
are those of Pansies, Verbenas, and Petunias.

Balcony gardening in winter is of course an impossibility, unless we make
exceptions in favor of a few Evergreens. These are suitable at all seasons of the
year, and nothing is more neat and tasteful, requiring less care than a box of
Arbor Vitaes, for these are much easier to grow than Pines or Spruces.

If the balcony is limited in space, do not attempt bushy plants, and shrubs
will be out of place. Here climbing vines are the most appropriate.

But if you do have plenty of room you may introduce in the spring such
shrubby plants as the Azalea, the Weigela rosea, and the Spirea prunifolia. A

WINDOW GARDENING. J 29

gay display can be made by arranging two boxes, one with the Lobelia in front,
and behind it a row of scarlet Geraniums, such as the Gen. Grant, Warrior, 01
Marie Lenwine. For a dwarf Geranium the Tom Thumb is best. The Delphinium
formosum is good also for the balcony. Cut away the blooms as fast as they get
done. In order to keep the plants in good health and growth, it would be well to
see that the soil of the boxes or pots is covered with moss, and once a day, in the
evening or early morning, give the plants a thorough syringing of water, for upon
the dry floor of the balcony evaporation will be quite rapid in warm days. Seeds of
the Mignionette, Sweet Alysum, Phlox Drummondii, and Nemophila will all do
well.

Nothing is so effective as the Scarlet Sage,Salvia Splendens, gorgeous with its
dazzling beauty.

A good plant or two of the Dielytra will make a showy box, and then you
can make room for a few Verbenas, Petunias, Larkspurs, and Heliotropes. We
would not recommend any bulbs, such as the Gladiolus; except the Lilium Aur-
tum, which will often do well; also the Lilium Longiflorum.

If you wish to grow bulbs and make a fine display, you must remove your
boxes from the balcony just before winter ; fill them with appropriate soil, (such
as is named in chapter on Bulbs,) sink them in the garden border, plant in it your
bulbs of Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, Snow Drops, &c., to remain during the
winter, well covered with some mulch. In early spring take them up, replace
again upon the balcony, and allow them to grow and bloom. This is a very good
plan where a box of flowering bulbs is desired for the jam just outside of the
window-sill. After flowering the box may be filled up again with belling
plants. Every evening give a good sprinkling of water, and once a week you
may add a dose of liquid fertilizer to all your plants on the balcony. In very
hot weather watering may be given twice a day, remembering the only safe rule,
never to give it between the hours of 9 A. M. and 4 p. M., while the sun's rays
are warmest; hence, affording the most danger. .Where balconies are enclosed
by glass screens upon all sides they become house conservatories, and admit of
the same management which is given to plants for window or greenhouse culture.
Plants of greater variety may be admitted here during all seasons of the year,
but usually nearly everything is removed from them during the summer months,
and placed outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and invigorating rains.

The Aucuba Japonica is a handsome evergreen shrub; flowers are of no value,
being small, but the leaves are large, of a glossy green, blotched with a pale yel-
low color, tapering oft' to white. It must be grown in a partially shaded loca-
tion, as it cannot bear the hot rays of the sun. It is hardy, and will withstand
ordinary winters.

Vines for the Balcony.

In these you will find your most effective means of decoration. Most of the
hardy garden favorites will grow from 30 to 50 feet in a season, and a great

130

WINDOW GARDENING

merit is their earliness and frequency of bloom. The list suitable for this purpose
is qu:te large, so we name only the best six or eight.

Fig. 20.— A Cottage Porch, with Cliiubiug Viuea at the Side.

WINDOW GARDENING.

The Honeysuckle might almost be called a vine of romance. It has been so
celebrated in words of sentiment or gems of poetry. The Japan variety (Lo-
nicera brachypoda) is much the best ; leaves are large, of a bright green color;
flowers of a delicate sweet fragrance. As a vine for covering arbors, pillars, trel-
lises, balconies, &c., it is unsurpassed.

The Trumpet Honeysuckle (Loniccra sempervirens,}\s one of the species of the
Woodbine, so well known for its beauty of flower, and high fragrance. This
species is referred to by The Agriculturist as one of the native varieties ; »not as
showy as some of the later varieties, .has fine dark green leaves, flowers tubular,
about two inches long, of a fine scarlet outside, yellow within and very brilliant.
It multiplies from either, layers or cuttings ; will not do well north of New
York, but is very suitable for the Southern States.

The Wistaria has the merit of permanency. Its stems, once grown and
trained, do not die down yearly, but remain, and grow even more luxuriant and
profuse in bloom year after year. It is quite hardy ; will stand our winters with-
out much protection. The flowers are of a light blue color, and bloom almost
constantly during the summer months, although the principal period is in May;
is grown from cuttings or layers. Cultivators will do best to buy a good plant
already well started.

The Scarlet Trumpet Creeper (Bignonia grandiflora) has much the showiest
flowers of all the hardy climbing vines ; flowers are of rich scarlet, produced in
the greatest profusion, blooming only in July and August. It will attach itself
firmly to anything it can reach, and throw out innumerable little rootlets, which
do not let go their hold. It is a very rapid grower, and its appearance is very
much heightened by the contrast of the flowers with the bright, glossy, deep
green of the leaves.

The Aristolochia sipho, or Dutchman's Pipe, is a very curious vine, with
leaves possessing an almost tropical appearance, being of an extraordinary size,
3 to 10 inches broad. The flowers grow in the form of a small pipe, and pos-
sess little beauty. The plant is hardy, a rapid climber, and is particularly valua-
ble for positions where a dense shade is quickly desired. Grown principally
from cuttings.

The Virginia Creeper, or American Ivy, requires to be planted in rich, cool,
moist soil. When well started it will grow with a rapidity unparalleled in
native vines. Its foliage is its most valuable and interesting characteristic ; dur-
ing the summer time it is of a beautiful green, heightened in effect very materi-
ally by the festoons which swing off from the main stem, and add grace of habit
to beauty of color. In the autumn the foliage, at the first advent of frost, is
changed into the most brilliant of crimson colors, as if the vine were in a blaze
of glory. It is best admired when seen in contrast with some other green vine
close at hand, and hence, it is often twined with the Wisteria. The Morning
Glory, (Convolvulus major,) with its brilliant, purple, crimson, or white flowers,
is the easiest of all to raise from the seed, and always makes a fine display.

The Tropeeolum percgrinum, (Canary Bird Flower,} is used for veranda pur-

132

WINDOW GARDENING

poses as well as for the garden or for bedding; flowers yellow ; very ornamental
growth about 10 feet.

It would be best to twine a different vine around each pillar or colum^ «uart :

Pig. 21.— Trmnpet Honeysuckle— Lonicera stmpervircnt.

some cases, where there will be a contrast of foliage and flowers, two different
vines may be twined around the same column ; but it is best to keep the annuals

WINDOW GARDENING.

by themselves and the permanent varieties by themselves The Clematis, Jas-
mine, or Climbing Roses may be added by those who have the taste. Indeed,
we would recommend for a surety at least one Prairie Rose, either the Gem of
the Prairies or the Queen of the Prairies, both of which are crimson in color,
the former more durable and fragrant than the latter, but not as rapid a climber

House-top Gardening.

What a novelty! yet how reasonable the suggestion. In the German tale of
the " Old Mam'selle," we read of its pleasures, and it is stated that in Sweden
house-top gardens are not an uncommon sight, both in the country and in the
villages. The roofs of some of the poorest cottages are covered with herbs,
which, afford a pasture for goats. In Norway they even plant trees in the turf
which covers the roofs, and to such an extent is this carried that some of their
hamlets or villages, seen at a distance, have quite the air of a little wood. Noth-
ing is more common than to see rude kitchen gardens on these roofs of houses.

An English gentleman, writing to a London horticultural journal, mentions
the pleasant recollections when he visited while a boy, over 50 years ago, the
home of a French citizen, a Mr. Marquis, in Coleman street, London :

" This gentleman's hobby was a ' house-top garden ' of the most complete and
perfect character. At the lower part of the upper staircase was the root of a
fine Sycamore, the foliage df which luxuriated in a ' glass house * above on the
roof, amidst orange and lemon trees, with fairest flowers, tea, tobacco, and many
other highly interesting specimens of vegetable life. I forget, at this distance of
time, how many sorts of fruit were to be seen growing and flourishing in this
'house-top garden/ but the vine and its magnificent clusters of delicious grapes
are ineffaceably engraved on memory's young tablets. Think of that, ye apa-
thetic cockneys ! hothouse grapes from Coleman street, and that not once in a
day, but year after year, until the talented and spirited proprietor went to that
bourne from whence no traveler returns, and then the master mind being gone
the garden pined away.

" In a convenient corner of his elevated greenhouse Mr. Marquis had a lifting
force-pump, with air vessel, to which a length of leather hose being attached,
afforded a convenient means of watering and syringing the numerous plants col-
lected in this unique garden."

This style of ornamental gardening is unusual here, and we remember but one
instance of ever noticing an attempt to imitate it in this Country. This was so
successfully planned and executed that it will bear honorary mention.

In one of the principal streets of Louisville, Kentucky, may be seen a doctor's
office, the roof of which is covered with a perfect mass of green plants in floral
boxes. Directly in front, on the eaves just overhanging the front of the build-
ing, is a long box, about two feet wide, the same in height, and extending across
the entire width of the top of the house. Here were planted a perfect mass of
Verbenas and Portulaccas ; at the corners were set drooping vines, which, as
they grew, hung their long garlands of flowers away down before the lower win-

134

WINDOW GARDENING.

Fig W.-AriBtolochia aipho. or Dutchman's Pipe.

WINDOW GARDENING.

dows. Just back of this was placed a "wooden staging, with successive steps
rising upward, covered witli pots or boxes filled with plants of other character.
Here were Fuchsias trained to a neat little trellis ; Coleus in one pot ; Achyran-
thes in another, and in one big tub had been planted a pumpkin seed, the vines
from which sprawled all over the top of the staging and rustic arbor improvised
overhead. Here and there, over the roof beyond, were put pots, each with a
huge plant of the Ricinus fully eight feet high, and correspondingly broad. At
each corner of the roof, also in the centre, and on an elevated stand near the
front, were set big barrels or hogsheads full of water pumped up from below,
and from holes at the bottom the water flowed through hose with sprinklers
attached, and which sprinkled the plants at any time with a ready rain.

The Ricinus added vastly more than anything else to the decoration of the
roof, by their stateliness and almost tropical beauty; but the trailing vines, with
their garlands of bloom, helped out the symmetry and completed the grace of
the whole. Scarcely a passer-by in the street but stopped long to look upon this
novel scene ; and the fame of the doctor's garden doubtless has been carried
by strangers far beyond the borders of this lovely " City of Floivers"

Not long since a lady detailed to a delighted audience, of how she, with her
sister, put to good practical use the roof of a one story L building, which was
used for a kitchen. The roof was nearly flat, and afforded ready means for
converting into a garden. Surrounding it with a wire trellis, they placed inside
as many boxes, barrels, &c., as they could find. These they filled with rich
dirt, manure, and street sweepings. Here they sowed seeds of Tomatoes,
Cucumbers, Squash, Melons, String Beans, and anything of quick, easy growth.
They actually did cultivate this curious garden for two years, and gathered,
while each growing season lasted, excellent crops of vegetables, rich flavored,
large and delicious ; perhaps doubly appreciated in consequence of their being
the fruit of their own labor. As long as it lasted the little series of box garden
was well tilled, kept well watered with liquid manure, and was eminently suc-
cessful. It ran down at last, owing to a change of occupants of the building.

A very pretty plan for a Rose Garden upon the top of a house has been sug-
gested by a landscape gardener. .Let the pillars and frame-work of the house be
made very strong, capable of supporting a good weight of earth, &c. Then fill
into earthern cribs all the rich earth that can be obtained to the depth of lj feet,
and cover the entire roof, except a path surrounding an oval bed in the centre.
This path should be three feet wide. Here you may plant your Roses, Fuchsias,
&c., in the open air, and they will, if kept well watered, bloom all the summer.
The accompanying design and description, by Robert Morris Copeland, in an
early number of " Hearth and Home,'* will explain itself:

"This little plan shows a roof 20 by 30 feet; provision must be made for a
weight of 20 tons, for a cubic foot of soil weighs 100 pounds, and there are 900
cubic feet in the garden, or 600 square feet superficial area. This would crush
an ordinary roof, so the weight must be lightened by taking out room for the
path, and having only light weight in the centre figure

136

WINDOW GARDENING.

" Surround the roof with an iron frame 6 feet high, made of iron rods, set up
at intervals of G feet, and connected with smaller rods running entirely around
the roof. Train on this fence Wistaria, Woodbine, Honeysuckle, or Kunning
Hoses.

On the fence on the north side, where the Roses would get full sun, plant
Baltimore Belle, Mrs. Hovey, or Rosa Ruga, if content with single blooming
Roses; or select from the Noisettes La Marque or Aimee Vibert or Madame
Henrietta, and from the Teas, Safrano.

On the east fence plant the Lonicera Halliana, Hall's Honeysuckle, and the
Golden Berried Honeysuckle — all hardy; on the south, Golden and common
Ivy; on the west, Dutch Monthly Honeysuckle and one running Rose.

During the summer grow Tropaeolum, Maurandia, Nierembergia, and Tpomoea
among the hardy vines. In the northwest corner (.4) set six Hybrid Perpetual

Roses, then a bed of Heliotropes ; in the
northeast corner six more Hybrid or
other Perpetuals ; D and H, occupied
by roots of vines ; cover the surface with
Periwinkle, Nummularia, or Lycopo-
dium ; E, June Roses : F, Tricolor
Pelargoniums, which do best out of the
direct rays of the sun ; Or, Moss Roses,
single, blooming, and perpetual. In the
centre bed I is a group of Coleus sur-
unded by Centauria candidissima ; J",
K, L, M, are filled with China, Bengal,
and Tea Roses, the surface unoccupied
to be covered with Blue Lobelia ; X is
the trap door which leads out of the
roof.

A roof garden for Roses could be
planted every autumn with Bulb?, Snow
drops, Crocuses, Hyacinths, and Tulips,
all of which would blossom and die be-
fore the foliage of the Roses would be
large enough to do any harm.

Let, there be planted forinstance, four
colors of Hyacinths in the beds J,
K, Ly M ; Crown Imperials and Tulips in I; border all the beds with Snow-
drops; set Crocus in four colors inside of the Snowdrops; fill J5, FtD, H with
mixed Tulips, and put Daffodils, Jonquils, and Polyanthus in A, (7, (7, G.

" The bed for roof gardens should be raised a few inches above the surface of
the roof, the wood forming the bottom of the garden-box or crib, being perfo-
rated ; the sides of the box should be two feet high. First lay over the floor a
few inches of leaves, broken bones, or coarse manure."

Kiy. 23.— Plan of a Rose Garden on the Roof of a
House.

WINDOW GARDENING. 137

This idea of roof gardens may be still farther carried out, and made more
permanently useful for winter as well as summer, by covering it all over with
glass ; then at a ny season of the year the flower-lover may repair here, and
always be sure of finding some green things to enliven the looks, while in sum
mer the glass may be opened to the admission of fresh air and rain.

If the amateur does not wish to go to so elaborate and expensive a construc-
tion, he may gratify his taste by the selection of large pots or boxes, fill them
with soil, and then place them upon the roof, filled with appropriate plants.

Shrubs may be introduced here, such as the Deutzias, Spiraeas, or Weigelas
but usually annual plants — t. c., those grown from seed — will do the best, like
Verbenas, Salvias, and climbing plants. Fuchsias, Heliotropes, and Geraniums
will always be appropriate.

No prettier ornament to a house-top can be devised than to erect at each cor-
ner of the roof a pretty trellis. Let there be a rod or pole running across the
vacant space from one trellis to the other ; then at the bottom place a large tub
of earth, and in it start a few plants of Ivy, or the Scarlet Trumpet Creeper, or
the Wistaria. Keep them well watered, and their clambering tendrils, with
their rich leaves, will soon festoon the arbor, and render the roof an inviting
resort for all members of the family. The Ivy is much the simplest and safes
ornament of this description to use, and the amateur had better not try any
thing else until he becomes more familiar with plant-culture and can make
good selection for himself.

CHAPTER XIII.

BULBS.

Bulbous-rooted flowering plants are so numerous, conspicuous, and exquisitely
beautiful, and withal so well adapted for the conservatory, that were all other
plants annihilated or forgotten, this class alone would at all times fill the draw

ing-room with the most gorgeous as well
as the most chaste and beautiful flowers,
attractive not only for their delicacy, bril-
liancy, and variety of color, but as well
for their most delightful fragiance. It is
not our intention in this place to write a
history of Bulbs, but merely to offer a
few remarks on the adaptation and culture
of the most desirable sorts, in connection
with other classes of plants noticed in
this work.

The Hyacinth.

Pre-eminent in this class stands tho
Hyacinth, which has been deservedly
popular for more than three hundred
years, and is to-day more sought after
than any other species, simply because
greater variety of color and quantity of
bloom can be had with less trouble and ex-
pense than from any other. Hyacinths
have a most generous nature ; they will
adapt themselves to almost any situation,
and flower as freely and smile as sweetly
in the poor man's window as in the more
"While their generosity is so marked; their
gratitude for, and appreciation of, attention shown them is equally marked. No
plant pays so well for good culture as this ; the difference between common
planting and proper growing is so great that one would scarcely think or believe .
the flower could come from the same bulb. Hyacinths can be grown in a variety
of ways. The best, simplest, and most common, is in pots. We shall, however

Fig. 24.— "Rustic Robin" Jardinet.
costly conservatory of the wealthy.

WINDOW GARDENING

139

describe the various ways we have grown them, and leave the reader to make his
or her choice, as fancy may dictate.

First, a few words upon the selection of Bulbs are highly necessary. It may
not be generally known that Hyacinths will not bloom icell but'once. In Hoi
land, where they are only grown for market, they are not allowed to flower
except in specimen beds, from the time the setts are planted until they are largi
enough to sell, which is usually when they are four years old. The flower-stall
is cut away as soon as it can be without damage to the foliage. This throws thi
whole strength of the plant into the bulb, which is kept growing until there ii
danger of its breaking, which the
practiced eye of the grower readi-
ly sees. Then it is sent to mar-
ket, and the next season will give
the finest possible bloom, after
which the old bulb will "break"
and several small ones form, noen
of which will ever do well enough
to pay for growing the second sea-
son. We do not wish to mislead ;
this instruction is only for those
who wish none but first rate flow-
ers. Bulbs planted in the open
border, after having bloomed in
pots, will continue to bloom a
number of years, but will give
small, puny spikes, with but a few
bells on each.

To flower bulbs successfully
they should be procured as soon
as possible after their arrival from
Holland, which is generally about
the first of September, and imme-
diately potted in a soil composed
of equal parts of good loam, leaf
mould and well rotted cow man-
ure, which should be well mixed,
after which add about one-fifth of good clean sand. No soil can be better than this for
noble growth and bloom. The pots should be made on purpose ; not larger than five
inches across, nor less than eight inches deep ; fill the pot nearly full of the com-
post, and press the bulb firmly in, so that the top of the bulb is about level with
the top of the pot. After filling, they should' be plunged in a frame or open
border, and covered four inches with soil or some compost, where they should
remain until the first of December. This operation is highly necessary to
encourage the root growth, which must be made before the leaves shoot forth, for

fj. 25.— Princess Alexandra Jardinet.

140

WINDOW GARDENING.

perfection of bloom. After the roots have reached the bottom of the pot, they
may be brought into the conservatory to Mower as wanted. Those brought in
December 1st, will bloom by New Years. Water should'be freely given them as
soon as they begin to grow, but do not soak them, neither allow them to dry up.
Even temperature, even watering, with plenty of fresh air, are the essentials for
their well growing. As soon as the flower-stem is fully developed, one or two
waterings with liquid manure is highly beneficial. The style of growth, and the

size of the flowers and trusses of
plants cultivated in this manner,
will very much excel those grown
in the ordinary way, and will
amply repay the care bestowed.
The same soil and treatment
should be given them if planted
in boxes, Jardinieres,tubs, or any
device the grower may select.

Hyacinths can be and are com-
monly grown in glasses. One or
two seasons generally satisfy the
enthusiast, however, that it is not
the better way. Many will
every year try this method, and
for such the following instructions
will be most likely the ones to
insure success. The ordinary
Hyacinth glass will answer, but
Tye's pattern is decidedly prefer-
able. Always use rainwater ; put
them in the glasses about the first
of October ; do not fill above the
bottom of the bulb. It is better
not to let the water quite reach
the bulb. After filling, place in
a dark closet until the roots
reach the bottom of the glass,
which will generally be in about
three weeks ; be careful to keep

Fig.26.--Princ^f WaieT- Jardinet. away from frost; change the

water as often as it becomes discolored, and fill up to the bottom of the bulb
any time there is a vacancy between the periods of change. When they begin
to grow, give them all the light, possible without setting them where they will
get the noonday sun. A friend once called us to see and tell him why his Hya-
cinths did not " do well." Upon examination we found the water hot from the sun ;
not merely warm, but hot enough to cook the bulb, which is not the way they

WINDOW GARDENIXO.

141

should be served up. To set the glasses on the window ledge is nearly as fatal

to them; the cold air coming up between the sash chills them. Plants of all

kinds are as sensitive to a draft as human beings are. In order to have them

near the light, put up light brackets or a narrow shelf across the window, say

six inches from the glass, which

will protect them both from the

sun and the draft.

A very good plan for growing

them in glasses is first to put the

bulb in clean sand until the roots

have become well grown, say six

inches long; then take them out

of the sand, put them in glasses,

and treat as above. It is really

curious to see them growing in

water, and when, as you some-
times will do, you get a good

spike, the satisfaction is very
great.

Hyacinths will grow and bloom
in. moss alone, if it be kept con-
tinually wetted ; but a far better
way is to fill half way whatever
vessel you may choose — a bowl,
dish, or vase — with clean sand,
place the bulb upon it, and fill the
rest with good green moss. Use
sufficient water to keep the sand
full, but with none lying on the
top. Once in three or four water-
ings you may use liquid manure,
which may be made of half a peck
of well rotted cow manure put in
ten gallons of water, well stirred
up, and allowed to settle, the clear
liquid alone being used. This will
strengthen the growth; still with-
out SUCh Stimulant the plants Will Fi~ 27.-Jardiiiet, with Hyacinth.

come short, strong, and well colored, if kept fully exposed to the light, and well
supplied with air.

Those who grow Hyacinths in part to gratify curiosity, will be amused by
taking a deep saucer or glass dish, fill it to the rim with clean, white gravel,
upon which place a good, firm bulb; then treat the same as with glasses. The

142

WIND OW GA RDEN1NO.

roots will soon fill the dish, running over and through the gravel, forming a
solid mass.

SELECTION OP VARIETIES.

Asa rule, we prefer the single varieties for forcing. But few of the double
ones produce a tine truss, the bells being uneavenly and thinly scattered along
the stem. For glasses, moss, or saucers, the single ones must be selected. With
the following sorts we have generally been successful :

DOUBLE RED. — Bouquet Royal, large, rosy bells; a good bloomer.

Bouquet Tender, fine, deep red ; one of the best reds
Comptesse de La Costa, very fine dark rose, with good spike

Fig. 28.— Ornauieutal Hyacinth Glasses. Fi£. 29.— Tye's Triple Hyacinth Glass.

Duke of Wellington, very fine pale rose ; the bells large and

• beautifully arranged, often giving two spikes.
Grootforst, pafe rose; good spike, with nicely shaped bells.
Regina Victoria, bright pink; large bells, and fine spike.
DOUBLE WHITE— Anna Maria, fine, waxy white, with pink eye ; good formed

bells and spike.

Jenny Lind, blush white, with purple eye ; good bells ; com-
pact truss.

WINDOW GARDENING.

143

La Deese, pure white, finely-shaped bells, but chm spike.

La Vestale, lily white ; small bells and spike.

Prince of Waterloo, fine, pure white ; large bells ; moderate

spikes.
DOUBLE BLUE— BlocJcsberg, fine bright and marbled blue; very large bells

and spike.

Grande Vidette, fine porcelain blue ; large bells and spike.
Laurens Koster, beautiful bright indigo, large bells, and

first rate form, with an immense spike.
Lord Wellington, clear blue; dark centre; good form.
Prince Frederick, fine porcelain blue ; large bells and spike
DOUBLE YELLOW — Bouquet dy Orange,
fine citron yellow ;
small bells; mod-
erate spike.
Jaunne Supreme, fine,
clear yellow; good
spike.

SINGLE RED — Diebitz SabalsJcansy,
bright red, moderate
bells, and good spike.
DuJce of Wellington, fine
rose; large bells and
spike.

L'Ami du Cceur, deep
pink; small bells ; mod-
erate spike.

Madame Hodgson, pale
pink, good bells, and
finely-formed spike.
Norma, a magnificent
waxy pink; immense
bells and spike.
Robert Steiger, fine, deep
crimson, large bells,
and immense spike.
SINGLE WHITE — Elfrida, creamy

ise lor Bullis.

fig. 31.— Ornamental Vase
for Bulbs.

•j. 32.— Ty«'g Single Hya-
cinth Glass.

blush; very large
bells; immense spike.
Grand Vainquer, pure white; fine

bells and spike ; extra.
Grand Vidette, pure white, large bells, and long spike; very

early.

Grand Blanche Imperiale, fine blush ; moderate bells ; large
spike.

Ill WINDOW GARDENING.

Grandeur a Merville, very fine, pale blush, good bells, and

immense spike.
Mont Blanc, beautiful, clear white; large bells; immense

spike.
Victoria Regina, very fine, pure white, large, waxy bells, and

fine spike.
Voltaire, very beautiful blush • large bells ; compact spike ;

of immense size.
SINGLE BLUE— Baron Van Tuyll, fine, dark porcelain ; large bells ; extra fine

spike.

Charles Dickens, fine, pale blue; large bells; very fine spike.
Grand Lilas, beautiful, delicate azure blue; large, perfect

bells ; immense spike ; one of the best.
Grand Vidette, fine, pale blue, immense bells, and moderate

spike.

Nimrod, beautiful, pale blue ; large bells and spike.
Orandates, very fine porcelain blue, large bells, and very fine

spike.
Porcelain Sceptre, very fine, pale blue ; moderate bells ; very

fine spike.
SINGLE YELLOW — Anna Carolina, beautiful, clear yellow; handsome bells

and spike.
Heroine, pale yellow, with green tips; large truss.

Roman Wliite Hyacinth,

A new variety lately introduced ; a most valuable acquisition for early blooming,
suitable only for pots. The bells of this variety are very small, not more than
half the size of the Dutch bulbs. They can be grown in three-inch pots ; same
soil as recommended for the other sorts. If planted in September, they can be
made to bloom by the 1st of December. Flowers pure white, very fragrant,
small bells, and spike ; each bulb will give from three to five spikes. For early
flowering it is indispensable.

We cannot leave this interesting class of plants without a word of caution to
those about selecting bulbs. Do not buy cheap bulbs, neither those that are
very high priced, because of their scarcity. Good bulbs cannot be had at less
than three dollars per dozen ; that is, such bulbs as ought to be grown in the
"window." Avoid "mixed" bulbs, which are simply culls. In Holland, when
the crop is harvested, the very best are selected and sent to England and France,
where the prices are twice as much as here ; the next choice is for this and other
markets, sold under Named sorts ; the next grade are put up and sold in
separate colors; the balance of stock is sold at auction, to be put up in "cases"
for auction in this country, or hawked about our rtreets by German pedlars.
Go to a reliable seedsman, and if you do not know what you want, take his
advice.

WINDOW GARDENING 145

Tulips.

Few flowers have received the marked attention, and been so universally grown
Mid admired, as the Tulips. But few plants are so varied in their characters,
and scarcely a family so large but what has more poor relations. No class of
plants has so many superb varieties. The late flowering or show varieties are
among ths brightest ornaments of the garden. We regret so few of the many
sorts are suitable for forcing, or for early flowering in the " window." The fol-
lowing varieties can be successfully grown in pots, giving them the same soil and
treatment as recommended for the Hyacinth. They should be planted in five-
inch pots, putting five bulbs in each, one in the centre, the four equally distant
about one inch from the rim. Plant as early as they can be procured in the fall.
Plunge out of doors, and let them remain until the first of December, when they
may be brought in. As soon as they show signs of growth, water moderately ;
give them plenty of light, sun, and air; a cool situation suits them best.
Due Van Thol, Red and Yellow— single; the

earliest va-
riety.

do do double; showy

and early.

S c a r 1 e t — very bright and

showy.
White — very fine, large, and

perfect flower.
Yellow — one of the best yellow

sorts grown.
Crimson — large flower, but not

so early.
Gold striped — early, and very

showy.

PotterbaJcker, White and Yellow— Both are
good for forcing; flowers
larger than the Due Van
Tholl's, but not as early ;
very fine for a succession. F«S. 33.-Pot of Tulips.

Tournesoly (double), Red and Yellow — a very large flower, opens wide, is a

free bloomer, and very showy.

Florentine (sweet scented) — exquisite on account of its delicious fragrance.
With these varieties we advise the amateur to stop, as we think the room can
be filled with plants that are better adapted to indoor culture.

The Narcissus

IB admirably adapted for window gardening; soil and general treatment same as
for the Hyacinth. They should be planted in September, one ,11 a pot, which

146

WJXDOW GARDENING.

should be not less than five inches across. Place out of doors, where they should
remain until near Christmas, by which time they will be well rooted, and ready
for rapid growth. After flowering, they should be left in the pots, and kept
growing until they can be plunged in the garden, where they should be left (in
pots) for the next season. After they have become well established they flower
profusely. But few kinds of bulbs are so impatient of changes as these ; they
should not be taken out of the pots until the bulbs and roots have completely
filled them ; then take out, remove the outside bulbs, leaving the centre in a solid
mass, and repot for the next season. The shifting should be done when the
bulbs are at rest. The following are the most desirable for indoor culture :
Polyanthus Narcissus, (Roman,) double ; white and yellow; when planted

early will bloom at Christmas.
Paper white; pure white, and early; very

line.

Grand Solid d* Or, fine yellow orange; cup
very handsome ; comes in after the pre-
ceding.
States General, lemon yellow; orange cup;

an excellent variety.
"Bezelman major, white ; yellow cup ; a later

variety, but one of the very best.
Double Narcissus, Albo plena oderato, very
double ; pure white ;
later than the Polyan-
thus Narcissus, and
should be left out of
doors until it has been
frozen hard before
bringing in ; it will bloom about the first of March.

Single Narcissus, Porteus, a popular and well-known variety, pure white,
lemon-colored cup in the centre, which is bordered with
bright crimson.

Single Narcissus, Albo simplex oderato, pure white; very fragrant.
Jonquilles, large double and single; sweet scented; both very desirable for

forcing.

In large collections, all the above varieties of Narcissus are desirable. The
number of bulbs required will, of course, depend upon the space that can be
spared for them. Like other kinds of bulbs, it is well to have a good supply in
reserve, as they need not be in the conservatory or drawing-room more than three
or four weeks; consequently, a large number will be required for from Decem-
ber until May, the season that the amateur's time is wholly taken up with the
scores of favorites that now claim care and attention, out of doors.

Fig. 34.— Basket of Mixt-«l Bulbs.

WINDOW GARDENING.

14'

Crocus.

The Crocus, which has for many ages been cultivated as an ornament to our
flower gardens, can, if properly managed, be made an effective plant for the con-
servatory or ordinary house culture. The first thing of importance attending
their culture is early planting, which should be attended to early in September.
Few bulbs suffer more from being kept too long out of ground than these. The
soil best adapted to them is a rich, light, sandy loam. Plant, for a good display,
six to ten bulbs in a pot, colors to be arranged according to taste. A few small

Fig. 35. — Box of Bulbs growing in SaiuL

pots, with but one color in each, contrasts better with other plants in the window
than larger pots of mixed sorts. When planted, plunge the pots out of doors,
same as Hyacinth, and let them remain until Christmas, when they may be
brought in and given plenty of light and air, keeping cool until they begin to
show bloom, when they may be placed in the window as wanted. With these
precautions, a fine display can be had. A succession of bloom may be kept up
by bringing in as wanted. Disappointment generally arises from keeping them

Fijj. 36.— Tile Box tilled with Bulbs.

too warm in the early stages of their growth. The following varieties are the
best for pot culture, giving very large flowers of great substance, with rich and
very beautiful colors :

Albion, very large white.

Albertine, white, striped violet

Charles Dickens, largo purple.

[48 WINDOW GARDENING.

David Rizzio, deep purple.

Florence Nightingale, large, fine white purple throat.

La Majesteuse, violet-striped, on a delicately tinted ground.

La Neige, snow white.

Mont Blanc, large, pure white ; purple base.

Mammoth, very large, pure white.

New Golden Yellow — The bulbs of this variety are very large, each bulb pro-
ducing from ten to fifteen flowers.

Queen Victoria, fine, pure white.

Sir Walter Scott, beautifully pencilled lilac, very large, and of great substance.

Lord Palmerston, sky blue ; very pretty.

Cloth of Gold, golden yellow, striped brown ; one of the earliest varieties.

Princess af Wales, very large, and fine, pure white.

After flowering, throw away, as they do not do well after, and the low price
they are sold at enables a replenishment at less cost than the trouble of saving.

Bulbocodium, or Red Crocus,

Commonly known as Spring Colchicum, is a charming plant for pot culture,
requiring the same treatment as the Crocus; flowers of purple red, which are
produced in great numbers from a single bulb. They may be brought in about
the middle of December, and will flower at Christmas. They require plenty of
water during flowering, after which they should be slowly dried off until tht
leaves dry up; then lay away for next season's flowering.

The Snowdrop.

This ever popular and charming little flower, the first to welcome spring when
planted in some snug corner where the sun loves to linger, is quite at home in
the window-corner. It thrives finely in a light, sandy loam ; does not require
to be particularly rich. If planted in pots alone, six can be put in a three-inch
pot, which should have the same treatment as the Crocus, a little freezing being
very beneficial to them. They make a lovely border to the pots or boxes of
Hyacinths, the same treatment answering equally well for both. The double is
larger and better for pot culture than the single ; the latter is the earlier of the
two. It is of no use to plant these bulbs unless it is done in September, for
they soon spoil from dry rot if left long out of ground. For house culture the
better plan is to take from the open border where the bulbs have remained undis-
turbed a number of years. With these success is almost certain, while with
newly imported bulbs failure is not uncommon.

TJie Winter Aconite,

Is a charming little plant, with golden blossoms, which expand simultaneously
with the Snowdrop, and with which it contrasts finely. After flowering, the
foliage makes a beautiful edging for pots or jardinets.

WINDOW GARDENING.
The Iris

But few plants present such rare beauty, and rich combination of color as the
Iris. The name was given it by Pliny and Theophrastus, from the variety of its col-
ors. Of the many hundred varieties, the bulbous rooted sorts are the only ones
that succeed well in pots. The method of culture is simple, requiring a rich
loamy soil. Only three or four bulbs should be planted in a six-inch pot, which
should be filled about one quarter full with broken pots for drainage, then fill
with soil, and press the bulb in so that the top of the bulb will be even with the
rim of the pot. Give but very little water until they show growth ; after which it
may be given more freely.

The English Iris, for brilliancy of color and vigorous foliage, takes rank among
the handsomest of flowering bulbs, they grow nearly two feet high, and produce
during June and July, a succession of large and beautiful flowers. This variety is
too large to become popular as a window plant.

The Spanish Iris, differ materially from the English, though no less beautiful;
they are not as large as the former, and bloom somewhat earlier, which makes
them more desirable for pot culture.

Iris Pavonia, or Peacock Iris, is a charming little plant well adapted for pots.
The bulbs are quite small — not much larger than peas. They should be planted .
in September or October, in a light turfy loam. Plant three or four bulbs in a
four-inch pot, which should be kept in a cold frame until toward Spring when
they may be brought in and watered moderately ; they will soon begin to make
growth, and will flower early in April.

Jris Persica, is the best for forcing. Plant the same as I. Pavonia ; they will
flower almost as soon as brought in ; the colors are white, blue, purple, and violet.
They are highly prized for their delicious fragrance, which is fully equal to the
violet. This sort will bloom in water like Hyacinth.

Jm Susiana, is one of those beauties that baffle description. It is one of the
best for the "window," flowering freely in pots, jardinets or vases. It is ths
earliest sort, consequently the most desirable for winter decoration.

The Ixias, and sister cape bulbs the Sparaxis, Babianas and Tritonias, are
amongst the most graceful, attractive and beautiful of cape flowering bulbs.
Though differing considerably in style and habit of growth, they require the same
cultural treatment. They succeed best in good turfy peat. Plant about the first
of October, three or four in a four-inch pot, which should be placed in a cold
frame, protected from severe frosts and heavy rains. They should be brought in
about the first of March ; they will at once commence growth and flower early in
April.

The color of the Ixias are of every conceivable shade, forming some of the most
remarkable contrasts. The habit of the plant is most graceful, and when a quan-
tity are in bloom, the effect of it is most pleasing. In selecting these bulbs,
choose named sorts, for the same reason you would many other bulbs, viz: bulbs
in mixture are apt to be bulbs of the more common sorts.

J5Q WINDOW GARDENIXG.

Sparaxis, are more dwarf and compact in habit than the Ixia, while their col-
ors are as varied and beautiful. For pot culture and window decoration they
cannot be too strongly recommended.

The Tritonia, in habit and form, is very similar to the Sparaxis. They are
plants of rare beauty, colors principally selfs. For good effect about twice as many
bulbs should be put in a pot as of the Ixia.

Hie Babiana, in habit and growth, is nearly the same as the two former, but
as unlike in color as is possible for such near relatives. While the others are
mostly crimson and white, with their various shades, these are nearly all purple
and blue. Together, they are most desirable, and are annually becoming more
extensively used for window decoration.

Ranunculus.

This family is almost endless in variety, embracing some of the most common
forage plants. While the Persian and Turban varieties produce the most elegant
and diversified colored flowers, that for symmetry and compactness are unequaled.
When properly grown they are completely covered with flowers nearly as large
and quite as desirable as roses. But little attention has been given them as pot
plants ; our experience with them, as such, has been most pleasing, having had
more truly handsome flowers than from almost any other plant, with the same
amount of trouble and expense.

For winter flowering, if possible, select roots that have been kept out of ground
the previous season as they come into flower much earlier than those taken up
the previous summer. The roots keep well in a dry place for two years, so that
a succession of bloom can be obtained by planting at proper intervals, the whole
season.

The Ranunculus, requires a strong, fresh, loamy soil, made very rich by well
rotted cow manure ; with such components use equal parts. For early bloom-
ing, commence potting the first of August. Use four-inch pots, into which put
three roots of separate colors, selection of which to suit the taste ; place the roots
firmly in the mould, and cover half an inch; plunge the pot or put in a shaded
frame ; bring in as wanted, commencing the first of October, give them a light
warm situation, and shade from the sun which completely destroys their bright
colors.

For flowering the whole season, pot from August to April, and forward as
wanted. The Persian varieties are the earliest, consequently should be planted
first, to be followed by the Turban varieties. These two are the only varieties
desirable for pot culture ; but there are hundreds of named sorts, to be selected
from seedsmen's catalogues that generally list the most desirable kinds. After
blooming they can be dried off gradually, put in a dry place and kept for next
year's flowering. The low price they are sold at does not make it an object to
keep them for flowering the second year, as roots grown in the open border are
generally more satisfactory.

l\'JM)Ul\r U

Anemone.

Of this plant there are nearly a hundred species, each with its score of varie
ties, many of them present some of the finest forms of floral beauty. The double
varieties are the best suited for the conservatory, and for which they are admira-
bly adapted; the foliage is extremely beautiful, the bright green contrasting well
with the dazzling brightness of the bright scarlet and purple flowers that grow
in profusion. They require the same general treatment as the Ranunculus, only
that a little sea sand or salt should be mixed with the soil. For a succession of
bloom, plant from September until March. Those planted in September will
flower in latter part of March or the first of April, while those planted in March
will flower by the middle of June.

We list the following from many we have bloomed, and should recommend
them for pot culture.

Feu Surperbe, bright scarlet.

Hose Surpassante, rose.

Queen of the Netherlands, white and rose, fine.

Ly Ornament de la Nature, rich dark blue.

Lord Nelson, violet.

Queen Victoria, bright scarlet, a free bloomer.

Rembrandt, carmine.

SJiakspeare, beautiful blue.

Von Schiller, dark brilliant blue.

The above collection includes the most striking and positive colors, and are
such as bloom well. Many others might be added to the list without materially
increasing the value of the collection.

The Cyclamen.

About this flower but one opinion can be entertained, — that it is the most
beautiful bulbous rooted plant ever introduced for the parlor or conservatory, and
its beauty is fully equaled by its adaptation for the same purpose. We are
fully justified in making this assertion, by the greatly increased interest taken
in it by florists, amateurs, and the lovers of flowers in general. Ease of culture
is an additional feature in their character and much in their favor. The diffi-
culty in propagation alone has prevented their becoming a florists flower. The
roots or bulbs of the Cyclamen being a solid corm, they will not divide success-
fully ; consequently the only means of propagation is from seed, which must be
gathered soon as ripe, slowly dried, and planted in a green house in heat ; they
must be kept constantly growing until they are in full flower. This part we
should advise the amateur to leave to the professional florist and depend upon
such for plants for the first season.

They should be procured soon as they show flower, place in a sunny exposure
and not be allowed to get chilled in winter. They are generally offered for sale
about Jan. 1st. If in a warm room, even temperature, and kept well watered
they will remain in flower until the first of May ; after flowering they should b*

152

plunged into a shady border, and left to care for themselves until there is danger
of frost when they should he taken in, repotted in a compost of leaf mold, turfy
loam and well rotted cow manure in equal parts; use pots in proportion to the
size of the hulb. A pot twice the diameter of the bulb is plenty large ; a pot six
inches in diameter is sufficiently large for the largest bulbs. After repotting,
water moderately until they commence growth, then apply as needed. We saw
several bulbs last season that had not been shifted for several years; several of
them gave over two hundred flowers each ; more exquisite pot plants could not
be had.

ScMa,

Of various kinds, have long been popular as early spring flowers; S. Siberica is
of the most intense blue, and is a perfect gem, whether in the open border, in pots
or any device that is used for Hyacinths, Tulip or Crocus — it can be mixed with
either of them with most excellent effect, requiring the same treatment. The
habit of it is exceedingly dwarf, growing but little larger than the Crocus. The
flowers are borne on a slender stalk, of bell-shape, similar to a minature Hy-
acinth. S. Amoena, is also very beautiful as a pot plant, being a little taller
and later than the Siberica — it is very useful as a succession. There are ser-
eral other varieties, very beautiful for out-door cultivation but not suitable for
pots.

Muscari

M. botryoides, the Grape Hyacinth, is remarkable for its dwarf growth and
neat compact heads of bloom. The three varieties, dark blue, light blue and
white, make charming clumps, when planted in pots two or three of a color in
each. They require but little room, a six inch pot being sufficiently large for a
dozen bulbs; the same soil and treatment recommended for the Hyacinths is best
suited to them. After flowering they may be allowed to ripen off slowly and
they will bloom equally well for a number of years. Muscari Plumosum or
Feathered Hyacinth, does not thrive well in pots generally, but should be grown
in small quantities. Their remarkable plume-like appearance, so unlike any
other flower, is of sufficient importance to entitle them to a place in the conserva-
tory. Treat same as the other varieties.

Amaryllis.

This splendid -and beautiful family has not as yet received the care and atten-
tion, or become as generally cultivated as their rarity and excellence deserres,
containing as it does so many varieties of surpassing loveliness, beauty and gran-
deur. These qualifications alone should insure them a place in every "Win-
dow" Garden. Yet they have other recommendations for extensive culture,
namely, that they can be made to produce their gorgeous and magnificent flow-
ers nearly every month in the year. They are on this account invaluable for
the conservatory and drawing rooms, which can be kept gay by the many truly
elegant varieties as we now possess nearly the whole winter. The length of time

GARDEXIXG . } 5 3

they keep in flower, and the very pleasing variety they make, is another jusk
claim they have for a high place among decorative plants.

The Amaryllis delight in good, light turfy loam, with the addition of a little
well rotted cow manure, when planted in large pots, and all the conditions of
growth are favorable, they throw up magnificent spikes of bloom. A. Johnsoni
has been known to flower twice a year, a single bulb throwing up at one time
four spikes, each giving four flowers. A more splendid flower than this is, it is
scarcely possible to conceive. We scarcely know how to advise the amateur in
the manner of treatment, but will commence with the dry bulb, which should be
potted in the above compost, say in a six inch pot, fill nearly to the rim and
press the bulb firmly in; one-half its diameter should be above the surface; give
it a thorough watering, and place on a shelf in moderate heat : it will not requite
further attention until it shows signs of growth, the time of which will 'depend
wholly upon circumstances, t. «., how long it has been dry, the time of year, and
whether it has been properly cared for during its rest. As a general thing the
first indication of growth will be the flower stalk, which makes almost a per-
ceptible growth, at this period. Give water freely once a week; a sprinkling of
liquid manure is very beneficial ; give plenty of light and moderate heat and the
first flowers will be perfected in two or three weeks ; large well developed bulbs
will commence to throw up the second flower stalks about the time the first
flowers are opened, which will make the flowering of a single bulb last from five
to sir weeks.

After flowering they should be immediately repotted, no matter what time of
year, and given plenty of heat and water. Fully exposed to the light, they will
grow most luxuriantly and the bulbs will grow in a proportionate degree, laying
up strength and nutritive matter that will produce in due season another crop of
magnificent flowers. When the leaves naturally show symptoms of ripeness or
decay, water should be gradually withheld, and when fairly decayed the pots
should be placed in a dry, airy situation away from the frost or rain ; here they
may remain for two months, when they should be placed in a tub of water and
left an hour, then placed in a warm room for flowering again. The method of
culture, as recommended here, is only to be applied to those known as Heppeas-
trom, which, unlike the ValloU, Belladona and other varieties, are under the
florist's control and can be made to flower the whole season. An enthusiast,
whose ten by fifteen green house we delight to visit, grows large quantities of
Amaryllis, Johnsoni and its varieties, and gets from each bulb two crops of flowers
annually. He gives each two months for flowering, two for growth, and two for
rest, which he considers the best treatment, and no one that has seen the spikes
of bloom that he produces can question his theory.

Vattota Purpurea,

Is one of the finest Amaryllis, and is the most easily managed. They are not
at all particular as to soil, will grow in any, but prefer the same as recommended
for other Amaryllis But few plants answer as well or make as fine di.'pliy for

]54 WINDOW GARDEXIXG

the window. Unlike most other plants, they do not require shifting but will grow
from year to year in the same pot, tub or box without a change of soil, or other
care than to give them plenty of water while flowering or in their growing stato,
and moderate watering the balance of the season. The foliage being persistent
they require attention the whole year, but they can be kept under benches, in a
light cellar or in any light room away from the frost during the winter, and in
summer anywhere out of doors upon the piazza, the lawn, or if in pots, plunge
in the border. They require but little pot room, in fact do better when root
bound. The writer had a clump in a small tub last season that gave forty-one
spikes of bloom; the plant was but five years from a single bulb. It is truly one
of the finest, cheapest and most desirable cape bulbs.

Its season of fiowering is August and September, and we have neither been
able to coax or drive it into flower at any other season.

The Lily.

One of the finest flowers in every sense of the word, too well known to need
description. Every one knows what a Lily is. Most every one knows how to
grow it. Our only regret is that it is not better adapted for the window. All
or nearly all the varieties can be grown in pots, as well as in the border. The
only objection for the " Window " being the season of flowering, that is from
July to September in the open border. Many kinds will not vary but a few
days with any treatment we have tried. The following varities are an exception
to the rule, and can be made to bloom early in April.

I
Lilium Candidum.

L. Candidum, or common garden Lily, more generally known than any other,
and we think one of the finest. In fact, as much as we admire and love the whole
family, could we have but one, it would be this one ; can be forced for the con-
servatory better perhaps than any other. It must be potted in August, soon
after flowering, while at rest. Here let us remark that while many other kinds
can be moved at almost any season of the year, this one cannot, only when at
rest, a period of not more than four weeks duration. There has been more dis-
appointment in buying this than all others together, as orders given for it in
spring will most likely be filled by seedsmen generally; and not one that has
been kept out of ground during the winter will bloom the following summer. It
generally takes two years, frequently three, before they can be made to flower,
when, if taken up at the proper time and planted at once, they are certain to
flower. The reason in simple enough; they make the bulb in fall that is to bloom
in spring, and if they are not allowed that privilege they simply bide their time
at the expense of the grower's good nature.

The bulbs should be placed in six inch pots, top of the bulb even with the rim
of the pot. Soon as potted plunge in the border to save trouble. Bring in be-
fore heavy frosts and place on slight bottom heat ; water freely; give plenty of
light and air and they will come into flower by Easter. They will bloom with

WINDOW GARDENING

out bottom heat in the window by giving them a warm sunny situation, but do
far better with it. The best soil for them is a light turfy loam, one-third well
rotted cow manure. Fresh manure must not be used in any case without a
crop of disappoinments is preferable to a crop of Lilies.

Liliun Longiflorum.

Another beautiful pure white Lily, succeeds well in pots, requiring the same
soil and general treatment as the Candidum. The bulbs of this variety can be
obtained from November until spring. For the window they should be potted
early in November, and kept moderately wet and warm until they show sign of
growth, when they can be put in position for blooming. As a house plant the
habit of this makes it more desirable than most any other. It is very dwarf
rarely growing more than fifteen inches high.

Liliun Auratum,

The praise of which would fill a volume as its fragrance would fill a house, is
another sort that succeeds well in a pot, box or any other way in which it may
be planted, if we except a highly enriched soil which would be fatal to it. It
will come into flower about the first of May, with the same treatment as the fore-
going.

We know of no other Lilies that are well adapted for the Window Garden, not
having been successful in growing others in this way. For out of door culture
we most heartily beg leave to introduce the whole family from the least to the
greatest to all lovers of flowers.

The Tuberose.

It is nearly three hundred years since the Tuberose first flowered in Europe,
having been sent from the "West Indies, by Father Minuti, to one of the celebrated
gardens near Toulon, about the year 1594. It is to day the same pure, modest,
unassuming and deliciously fragrant flower it was then. It is one of those gems
that no one would change if they could, or could if they would. It may be con-
sidered perfectly beautiful from the fact of its being the first sought after on
all occasions, whether of joy or mourning. It is, too, one of the few flowers that
can be had at all seasons of the year. The only difficulty being the selection of
bulbs, which should in all cases be left to the experienced grower or responsible
dealer, as not one-half the bulbs sold will produce flowers under any circum-
stances ; not that it is difficult to grow good bulbs, but it is to properly cure and
keep them ready for planting. Dry bulbs can be obtained at all times which
are the ones for forcing or planting out. It is of but little use to take up bulbs
that have grown in the garden during the summer for flowering in pots in the
" Window." To be successful use five inch pots, fill with a mixture of loam and
well rotted manure in equal parts, press the bulb in about one-half its length and
place it in a hot bed, or plunge the pot on a bench of the green house where they
can have a gentle bottom heat, which is a necessity for flowering. They very

156

WINDOW GARDENING.

soon begin to grow and should be kept warm and watered freely. Soon as they
throw up the flower sta'ik remove to the conservatory, when they will soon flower
and remain in bloom for several weeks. Good bulbs should average twenty
flowers to a spike. After flowering throw away, as the bulb only flowers once
Stock is kept up by off-sets. Those who do not have the convenience of a green
house or hot beds for starting the bulbs must do the next best. We have fre-
quently started them on the mantel in the kitchen, by taking a box narrow and
long enough to hold three or four pots, which are put in the box filled with
ashes or tan which should be kept wet to better retain the heat. They will
start very well in this way using wood ashes for mulch. A Bulb which we once
had flowered in the pot and gave us forty-five large and perfect flowers. For an
ordinary Window Garden, one or two pots at a time is quite sufficient. The

. — Classes used as Bouqnet Holders.

most convenient way and about as cheap a one as any, is to buy bulbil with flow
er stalks started from a florist. This is meant to apply to the large number that
love flowers but do not like to work for them.

Acliimenes.

These tuberous rooted plants, generally classed with bulbs, are charming for
growing in pots, pans and hanging baskets, either in assorted or individual col-
ors. The flowers combine great individual beauty with richness and brilliancy
Much importance should be attached to the Achimenes from the ease in which
they can be induced to flower in the winter. The best soil for growing them is
a light rich loam. The tubers should be put singly in three inch pots and placed
in as warm a situation as the conservatory affords. Where bottom heat can

WINDOW GARDENING. 157

be given them they -will do much better. A moist atmosphere, with the ther
mometer from 70 to 80 degrees at mid-day, are requisites for specimen plants
After flowering, gradually withhold water, turn the pots on their sides, in a dry
place where they can remain until wanted the following season. When at rest
they should remain in the pots. If long exposed to the air the roots become
worthless. By starting at intervals of three to four weeks a succession of bloom
may be kept up the whole season.

Lily of the Valley.

Who does not know and admire this, the loveliest child of the floral family (
Why it is not found in every garden, conservatory, " window," or greenhouse,
it is difficult to imagine, for there is scarcely a plant more easily cultivated than
this. It is easily forced into bloom, and may be kept in succession from Christ-
mas until May. For winter or spring flowering, take from tho border, clumps
as large as will fill pot, box, or any device in which they are wanted to bloom,
using a rich strong loam. After potting, plunge out of doors, where they will
be sure to freeze hard. Any time after, they may be brought into the greenhouse
or conservatory, where they should be given bottom heat, and kept at the high-
est possible temperature ; 100° with a moist atmosphere, will very soon bring
them into flower ; a less heat will answer, but they will not come into flower
as quickly. Light is by no means necessary, as they do quite as well on the
floor, under the bench, or the pipes, as anywhere else. When once in flower
place in any desirable situation. To maintain a succession a reserve should be
kept in a cold frame or pot, and brought in as required. For small pots it is
best to select only the strong crowns; place four to six in a pot three inches in
diameter, and treat as above stated. After flowering, separate and plant in a
strong rich soil, where they should remain undisturbed for two years, when they
will be strong enough for forcing again.

Illustrations.

The Jardinets illustrated in Figs. 24 to 27 — are constructed of pottery ware,
rilled with sand in the interior, with here and there an opening for the spike of
flowers to grow from the bulb. Figs. 28, 30 and 31 — are costly porcelain, in-
tended as elegant mantel piece ornaments. The remaining illustrations are very
SIMPLE, and need no special explanation.

FERNERIES, WARDIAN CASES, AND FERN DECORATIONS.

The fern case offers to us the very simplest of all means of household plant
pleasures. Many who cannot afford a green house, or conservatory, or go to the
expense of fitting up a plant cabinet, will find an abundant solace in this simple
and inexpensive method of growing indoor plants.

The use of these small glass cases for plants, are numerous. They occupy very

Fig. 38.— Fern, (Platyloma cordata.

little room, are usually ornamental enough to be placed on any table or parlor
stand. When once filled, they need little or no attention for many weeks ; require
no unusual care as to watering; can be readily removed from one room to another ;
are not as quickly affected by changes of temperature as plants in the open air
of our sitting rooms.

But a more favorable feature in their use is «een when we say that they afford

WIND 0 W GA RDEX1XG

159

the only successful means for obviating the effect of the dry heated air of our
dwellings. They are reached by no dust, are free from the noxious exhalations

of coa! fires or gas lights ; and when a breath of cold air accidentally enters the
room they are nol chilled nor frosted if the thermometer in the room should chance

160

WIND 0 W GA RDENINQ -

to go below 35°. Their styles are so various and prices so reasonable, that any
one can be suited at prices of from S3 to $25.

To any one living amid the anxieties of a troublesome parlor gardens which
they cannot manage, there are but one or two satisfactory ways left for enjoy-
ment. Either get a fern case, or be satisfied with a simple hanging basket.

The Wardian Case.

The history of the Wardian or fern case, dates back to 1829, when a gentleman
by the name of Ward, of London, first noticed, accidentally, the growth of vegeta,

Fig. 40.— A Parlor Fernery

tion under a close glass. He had laid down the chrysalis of an insect with some
mould within a glass bottle, and covered it over. A short time afterward, as he
describes it, "a speck or two of vegetation appeared on the surface of the mould
and, to his surprise, turned out to be a fern and a grass. His interest was
awakened ; he placed the bottle in a favorable situation, and found that the
plants continued to grow and maintain a healthy appearance."

This was the first idea of the Wardian case. In 1842, Mr. Ward published
his discovery relating to the " growth of plants in closely glazed cases," in a vol-
ume which contained the result of his experiments in raising plants, and also the
way he made his discovery. In 1851, the Wardian case made its first success-
ful appearance in public, at the " Worlds Fair," and from that time to this it
has become more gradually known and better appreciated. Very few have yet

WIXD 0 W GA KDENING.

lul

ariy knowledge of it, but it is one of the few things which in time will be as pop-
ular as flowers themselves are, and every window will be decorated with thmr
presence.

It has been an invaluable means of introducing to the floral world, and suc-
cessfully growing many most delicate plants from the tropics which otherwise
would scarcely ever have been seen out of their native haunts. By its use the
Botanist has been enabled to transport plants to and from great distances through
extremes of climate; and yet so unfailing has been the working of it that cases
judiciously planted have been knovn
to maintain their freshness and vigor
for nine years, and no air or water
was ever supplied in that time.

It is quite curious to watch its
operation, and to many it is evidently
as much of an enigma as a plea-
sure.

Apparently, moisture is constantly
being condensed and deposited on
the glass sides of the case. This
supplies the plants within, who give
it out again, and yet none escapes ;
thus affording the spectacle of a little
world by itself.

This moisture is very desirable for
the growth of ferns, and in no other
form can they be so successfully and
evenly maintained as here ; nor can
any other variety of plants furnish
so interesting a study.

The Lycopodiums are very suitable
and grow very satisfactorily. They
drop their pendant roots, and, under
the influence of the moisture, spread
rapidly along the surface of the earth
in the case, and filling up the bare
spots, make a velvety covering of light
feathery green, thus inducing shade

and moisture. Ki«. 41.-A Fern Vase.

Countless seedlings of ferns and lycopodiums will Spring up, of the different
varieties, and their unfolding fronds and subsequent development will be exceed-
ingly interesting to you. You will be agreeably astonished and surprised when
some fern, supposed by you to be dead, suddenly raises its head above the sur-
face and shoots rapidly upward to let you see its vitality is not to be questioned.

As a pleasure, ihen, the Wardian case deserves a cordial reception ; but it will

~ r-r "

102

GA RDEN1NG

be far more welcome to that class of our plant lovers who have often felt the dis-
appointment in their pot plants, many of the best of which, notwithstanding the
closest care, will show the yellow leaves and drop off, or the buds develop
but an imperfect blossom ; the fern case will prove to be their refuge in distress,
a never failing source of interest and amusement.

Principles of the Fern Case.

Let us understand the principles of fern cases and the operation and life of
plants within. Those of you who have observed plants under bell glasses DV

Fig -12.

shades, have noticed that the moisture often collects so quickly inside as to actu-
ally obstruct or prevent the plant from being seen, and have wondered where this
moisture came from.

The answer to this question is simple : " From the earth, the plants, "by exha-
lation^ \. e. vegetable perspiration." But you ask again: " Wliy does it collect
so largely ?" and we reply : "Simply because we confine it, and prevent its escape
and evaporation by making our case airtight. Tf the case were ventilated, its tem-
perature would be moderated to correspond with the atmosphere of the sitting

WINDOW GARDENING

163

room. And this is the very thing we do not want. Our case then should be
made air tight, for the purpose of not only confining this moisture, but of keep

ing a constant and abundant supply of it, for the plants must have a COligenJfc]
atmosphere of their own and cannot live without the proper moisture.

You cannot expect your ferns or plants to grow uicyly in this moist atmosphere

164

WINDOW GARDENING

if }*ou open the case every few days : It has the same effect as change of climate,
or open air exposure to a sick person accustomed only to the air of the house.
The confinement of ferns in these close cases has the tendency to make them
delicate, and the sudden opening of the case, with the introduction of the hot,
dry, dusty air from the rooms, is against all reason.

It is sufficient to say, there-
fore, that when once planted
and closed, the fern case needs
no ventilation. Let it live by
itself.

Drainage.

This point comes up for dis-
cussion, and the only answer
we give is to ask another ques-
tion : " Do plants need drain-
age when the water is being
constantly evaporated and
thrown off in the open space
above the plants ?" In other
words, the plants are draining
themselves constantly. Here
is one great advantage of the
fern case .over the pot plant,
the latter requires constant
watering, the former none at
all, for no water escapes. Then
a fern case may be handled
with impunity by one in whose
hands we would not trust a
row of pot plants, and so is
be}rond the reach of the care-
less or forgetful.

filanagcment.

Whether your case is of
wood, glass, or metal, yon will
require a pan in which to hold

4.— A Fern Window nnd Aqtmrinm. the plants. Zinc pans answer

every purpose, combining economy and duraoility. Tin should not be used as
it will soon rust and wear out.

No pan should be less than four inches deep, unless the plants are very dwarf
specimens, and then an inch less in depth will do, though there might be some
risk of crowding the roots too much. Then, again, too great a depth is objec-

WIND OW GA RDEN1NG.

1G5

tionable. The best rule to observe is as follows : Ferns, whose fronds are not over
eight inches in length, should be planted in a pan four inches in depth. Larger
ferns may require a pan five to six inches in depth, but four inches will generally
be found sufficient for all purposes.

Those who try the shallow and deep pans will soon find how much more freely
their plants grow when plenty of space is allowed for their roots. A side open-
ing to the glass case is to be preferred in all cases, whether by hinged doors or
sliding panes. This avoids reaching in at the top of the fern case, which, besides
being extremely awkward, often results in the breaking of the fronds or the
leaves.

The height of the case is an impor-
tant point. Under glass, a plant or
fern, will often develop a greater ""
length of frond, than under any dif-
ferent circumstances. Make your cases
high, so that all fronds may have room
to develop and expand to full size ; and
the height should not be less than — ! —

twice the diameter. In cramped __,

quarters, and cases chosen perhaps too
small, filled with too robust plants,
their growth is often summarily ' — i — jlj
checked by reaching the top of the - I f^jji
glass ; there the fronds with no chance f_\{/;
to get higher, lie flattened out against
the surface of the glass collecting an
undue amount of moisture, which —
soon causes it to mould or damp off. __
It becomes unsightly, and the beauty
of many rare and fine looking speci-
mens is endangered.

The forms and construction of fern -J^
cases will differ with the tastes of each ——I
individual. We do not recommend at-
tempts at " home made " Cases, On the Fig. 45.-Ferns in a Window Garden,
side of mere economy, for there are now cases already prepared for use, at so cheap
prices, and obtainable at proper places, that it is a waste of time to make one
yourself. Very desirable cases are now imported, constructed of bases of pottery,
with dishes all complete, and the glass shade ready to fit upon the. top — only
wanting the soil and the plants from the florist. Very good cases are also made
of wood bases, and the cost for either will not exceed $3 for circular cases 12
inches in diameter, to $6 or $10 for 18 inches to 2 ft. in diameter.

The larger your case, the better, provided it is not too bulky. It should be in
a form easily handled, light in weight ; and if square, or in any other form than

1GG

WL\D 0 I V GA RD ENIXG.

round, should have a sinall door to reach the plants without lifting the glass top.
The soil for fern cases, should be carefully attended to; no common garden
earth will answer; get it from the most reliable florist if possible, — and even
some of these may not know exactly the needs of the plant. For ferns, choose
leaf mould one part, silver sand one part, dry friable peat two parts. Avoid that
peat which comes from wet unhealthy situations. Wherever you see ferns grow-
ing near the edge of woods or running streams, you can be safe in taking p^me
of the same soil, if you cannot get a good Compost anywhere else. English Hoists,
who have access to special materials, make up a particular compost of the °ol

Fig. 46.— Heated Fern Case.

.owing materials which is described as perfect. Mix equal parts of silver sand
good loam, powdered charcoal, refuse of cocoanut fibre. If you wish, you maj
cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of powdered charcoal, or bricks or grave
broken to the size of hazel nuts, to a depth of one inch, if pan is four inches
deep ; or one and one-half inches if 6 inches deep. Do not take the advice of those
who recommend filling the pan half full with small charcoal ; such a proportion
is unnecessary. When the soil has been placed in the pan press firmly that
all the plants may be set solidly.
Location for fern cases. They will do well anywhere, and that is just what the

WINDOW OARDENIXO.

167

Fij?. 47. — Feru Caae.

1G8

WINDOW GARDEXIXG

amateur wants. They may be shifted from one window to another at pleasure, with
little fear of dangerous consequences. If placed in the south window keep them
back a little from the heat of the midday sun. A half shady position is much
better than a sunny one. A northern out look will suit ,them admirably if not
too cold, — and an eastern or western one is at all times suitable.

It would be best to have tables provided especially for the fern case to rest
upon. This should be strong and yet easily moved by castors, (use the brass
ones, not the rubber or wooden ones.)

If the cases are quite small, say
within 9 inches diameter, they
may be suspended, and some of
these hanging ferneries are quite
ornamental.

The secret of good management
is told in a few words, viz., water
icell after planting r, then shut up
your case, and leave it to itself.

A successful fern case grower,
writes us that " the most success
ful winter I ever had with ferns,
was one in which I only watered
the case once after planting, and
only opened it a few times in the
seven months from November 1st
to June 1st — and then to remove
dead fronds."

If you water sufficiently at time
of planting, (and you need not
water any more than ordinarily
for pot plants,) you will have no
occasion to water again. The
closed case prevents all evapora-
tion.

Some fronds of course will die
or turn brown. These must of
course be removed. Insects may
invade your little plant home, and
Fig. 48.— Kern Pillar. these must be removed, but there

will not be many and they are easily disposed of.

Some of our florists recommend ventilation for the case, feeling that the plants
will be much the better for the pure air and the sunlight. This may be done
only when the temperature of the outer and inner air is about the same, and only
for a short time. It should not be done frequently, but may be tried at long
intervals of one or two months.

WINDOW GARDENING.

169

Avoid too much moisture. If there should be too much inside the case, open
it daily until a little has evaporated into the outer air, and then close again. It
will not need watering or opening again for a month or mare.

' Plants for The Fern Case.

In arranging your plants place the strongest growers m the centre, and the
smaller at the sides.

Besides standard plants in the fernery, there are often introduced little hang-
ing plants suspended from the top of the glass frame. Plants for this purpose
are simply taken out of their pots, their balls of earth are surrounded with
moss, tied with copper wire, a loop running from which is fastened into a hook
in the top, and then it becomes a
miniature hanging basket. In Eng-
land small pots of gutta percha are
manufactured for this express pur-
pose.

You will perhaps be advised by
some florists not to choose for your
fern case any of our native plants,
because it is difficult to transplant
them from their native soil, just at
close of summer when they have
done growing, and compel them to
continue life continuously there-
after, in opposition to their nature,
which demands rest during the,
winter season. Nevertheless it is
done, and many a pretty fern case
is indebted to some plant treasure
of this character stolen from Syl-
va's bowery retreats, to grace the
setting room; they still thrive, de-
spite the prognostications of wise Fig. 49.— Parlor Fern Stand covered with Glass.

heads as to failure. The Lygodium palmatum, or Climbing Fern, is very suit-
able, and can be usually found in shady or moist spots in any of our Eastern
States. It has a slender running root and stalk, from which proceed twining
flexible stems, with very smooth palmate leaves or frondlets ; these running
stems or stalks are often three feet long, and the whole plant resembles in growth
a delicate little Ivy. Besides its suitableness for the Fern Case, it is especially
desirable for Rock Work in a conservatory.

The Partridge Vine, (Mitchella,) is also invaluable, for its brilliant scarlet
berries enliven the sober green of the ferns or form an excellent contrast with
the mosses. Take up large vines of it, with as many berries as you can procure ;

170

WINDOW GARDENING.

if they are green when found, they will turn red very shortly; for covering soil
and otherwise, naked or exposed, it is excellent.

The Trailing Arbutus (Epigcea repens) usually forms its buds in October or
November, and blooms with full flower by January. These flowers are highly
prized for their delicious fragrance, and it may be considered one of the choicest
for our selection.

The Maidens' Hair Fern
(Asplenium) is the first fa-
vorite for the Fern Case, the
loveliest of our native ferns.
It may be found on some
sheltered hill side, or away in
some deep, moist woods,
known by its black, hair like
stems, and curiously shaped
fronds. Gather some of the
very smallest specimens, and
let them grow ; take them up
roots and all. When you
gather up the roots take up
also soil enough to fill your
zinc tray or box. It will
stand transplanting better if
its proper soil is carried with
it. It will not be amiss to
take home an abundance for
other purposes, to fill in the pots for Fuchsias, Roses and Carnations, which
grow in your windows. Among other plants which you can transplant from the
woods, are

The Gaultlieria procumbens, or Wintergreen.
Chimaphilla, or Pipsinima, various species.
Pryola, or False Wintergreen, various species.

Sarracenia purpurea, or Side Saddle flower; their cups must be kept full of
water.

Cypripedium, or Lady Slipper, or Maccaron Flower.
Speranthes, or Lady Tresses, various species.
Dionaea muscipula, or Venus' Fly Trap.

The American Lycopodiums, or Club Mosses, are all very desirable. Many
of them are used freely for decorations at Christmas. The best varieties are
denticulatum, Wildenovii, umbrosa, dendroideum, lucidulum.

The daintily cut foliage of the Captis trifoliata or Gold Thread, will form a
pretty feature, and the Linewood, or Hepatica, with its blue e}res, will be no less
lovely. The Wild Lily of the Valley (Convallaria) will open its tiny white
belli long before they open in the meadow or at the brookside.

WINDOW GARDENING.

171

If you look for other mosses, larger than the Lycopodiumt you can take the
Polystichum, or Hair Cup moss ; Patraphis, or four toothed moss; Splachnum,
or Umbrella moss. You will need plenty of these green mosses or white lichens
or the Sealing Wax moss, to pack about the roots of your plants, and help keep
up a cool, wild, woody home-like retreat. The following are the most generally
preferred Ferns :

Potypodium, various species.

Struthiopteris, Ostrich Fern.

Fig. 51.— Group of Fern Sheila.

Pteris, or Brocken.

Adiantum, or Maiden Hair.

CheilantheSy or Lip Fern.

Woodwardia.

Camptosaurum, or Walking Fern.

Asplenium, or Spleen wood.

Dicksonia.

Cystopterit, or Bladder Fern

172

WINDOW GARDENING*

Woodsia.

Polystichum, or Shield Fern.
Onoclea, or Sensitive.

Davallia Canariensis, or Hairs Foot Fern.

If your fern case is large enough you may add one or two large plants, such as
the Dracaena terminalis, or Nobilis; the Dieffenbacliia variegata, is very showy.
The Pandanus or Ananassa may be admitted, and if you have plenty of room,
there is no objection to the Crotons with their handsomely variegated foliage, the

Cissus discolor, with blood red
leaves and half trailing habit,
the variegated leaved Begonias,
also the Gesneriasy Caladium,
Colocfisias, MarantaS) Cacti,
Saxifragas, Sedum.

Avoid complication or crowd-
ing. If your case is of but mode-
rate size, say two feet in diam-
eter, use only one or two large
upright plants; but if smaller
than this stick only to the ferns
and mosses.

Among other additional plants
are :

The (Goodyera pubescens) Rat-
tlesnake Plaintain ; leaves varie-
gated, dark green, with white
veins.

The (Erytlironium) Dogs'
Tooth Violet, whose leaves are
green mottled with brown.

For trailing purposes perhaps
nothing is better than the Lysim-
achia, or Moneywort, and the
Coliseum Ivy. Orchids may be

Fig. 52.-or«ja.uentai Feru Case and stand. added, if there is plenty of room,

and nothing will give more satisfaction.

Do not expose those ferns with variegated foliage to severe sunlight, as they
will suffer injury. Neither should delicate ferns be watered on the leaves. Some
whose leaves appear but mere powder or dust, such as the Golden or Silver Fern,
will lose their beauty if thus treated, and perhaps may be killed outright.

Exotic, or Green House Ferns.

Should you have ill success with your native plants and be undecided what
to do we think it best for you to fall back upon something more suitable, and

WINDOW GARDENING

173

begin in a more simple manner, by going to the nearest green house, where ferns
•are grown, and procure some small seedlings. These come up in great quantities
in the pots, also on the earth of the pan on which the pots rest, and in fact
everywhere that the spores chance to sow themselves. You can in this way
frequently get a half dozen varieties of ferns. Among them probably one or two
Adiantums, a Doodia, and several varieties of Pteris. These are the ferns most
likely to produce seedlings, when the spores are scattered over a moist surface.

After these have been transferred to the fern case, their daily growth will
afford you a very pleasant and interesting study ;
the gradual change and growth of the frond from
the first appearance to the full development will
amply repay you for your patience in waiting.

This is the true way to enjoy plant cases ; begin
with the rudiments and learn step by step the
nature of the plants.

For moderate sized cases we must select ferns
of size and habit suitable for them.

The best of those found in green houses are :

Adiantum capillus Veneris, A assimile, A
acristatum, Doodia aspera, D. caudata, Pteris
geraniefolia, P. Cretica, albo lineata, P. hetero-
phylla, P. serrulata, Blechnum gracile, Asplen-
ium auritum, and A. bulbiferum. There are
many others, but a simple list like this is suf-
fficient.

For tall ferns choose Polypodium Aurcum, P.
appendiculatum, Pteris argyrea, Asplenium
Brasiliense, Adiantum macrophyUum, Anemia
Phyliti^is.

In planting your ferns do not crowd them
together, but gi •<--. room for the full development
of the fronds; their growth is rapid and many
soon double their original size when first pur-
chased. Alternate the different varieties if pos-
sible,'and do not get two or three plants of the
same kind together. A fine delicate fern always
looks more graceful and pretty beside a variety with a full broad frond. So
a light green or variegated plant will show to better advantage beside one
with a dark green frond. In choosing your soil, make say of three parts
rich, black peaty mould, one part coarse sand and gravel siftings mixed, and one
part broken charcoal, see that the pieces of charcoal are broken to the size of
cranberries, and well mixed with the earth ; the whole should only be broken
up, not sifted.

Fig. 53.— Parlor Fern Stand.

174

WIND 0 W OA R DEN ING

After you have put the plants in the case, watc r with a small watering pot
with a fine nose. Saturate the earth pretty thoroughly, but not to make it
muddy. There are many other varieties of the Lygodiums not mentioned above
Lygodium, apodum, densum, caesium, arboreum, fyridophyllum, their roots will
extend over the earth, covering all the bare spots with a fresh green carpet of
delicate growth.

Should we be able to procure a plant of the greenhouse species of climbing
teTUjLygodiumflexuosum, or L. japonicum, another beautiful object will bo
added.

Among the climbing ferns, are some of the most graceful ferns in the whole
family of Filices. There is one plant, however, not a fern, which does exceed-
ingly well in a fern case, and is remarkably interesting. We refer to Ificus *f//>
ulata. This plant, a vine, is a free grower, and climbs up the sides of our case
by its roots, which, aided by the moisture on the glass, spread and adhere to it

ililUlliiitilllUlillllllllllllllll

Fig. 54.— Plant Case.

It is a hard wooded plant, roots quickly from cuttings, and grows so freely as to
fill a moderate sized case very rapidly.

After you have become accustomed to growing ferns in the case, you will per-
haps crave a little variety. This can be easily had. Suppose you look a little
into the curiosities of growth and reproduction.

If you look on the under side of the fern fronds, you will find something re-
sembling a brown powder, adhering to them thickly in regularly distributed
masses of varied shapes, depending upon the species.

Examining with the magnifier or microscope, you find them to be seeds or
spores.

Shake these spores, which appear like the veriest dust, over the surtace of the
earth in an ordinary fern case, after it has been well smoothened. The earth
should be watered very thoroughly previous to scattering the spores

WINDOW GARDENING.

175

In about a month or six weeks, looking carefully across the surface of the
earth, you see the slightest specks of green; again examining with the microscope
you find them living organisms of vegetation ; and when at a later date they be-
come of good size, it is with no little satisfaction to be able to say, that they were
the seedlings sown by your own hand. If in your
travels in the woods, you carry an herbarium with
you, you can gather the fronds of every variety you
meet, which contains fertile spores.

Spores from such an herbarium should be planted
as soon as convenient to insure germination. Spores
have been known to germinate as long as eighteen
months after being gathered, while under favorable
circumstances germination in spores has taken place,
when sown eight or ten years after they were col-
lected. From your spores you will get a quantity of
seedlings, many of them of strange forms, and some to
differ from the parent plant.

We may find frequently several fronds on the same Fig. 55.— Arborette.

plant differing very materially. Thus your love and knowledge of plant life in-
creases, and you willl cherish your fern case with more than customary pleasure,
for it opens up a new world to you.

One thing only remember i. e., keep out of your fern case all the common bed-
ding plants, such as Geraniums, Petunias, Verbenas, Roses, Fuschias, &c., for they
cannot well stand the confined moist air.

Designs for Fern Decorations.

A home made plant case can be constructed as fol-
lows : Get your carpenter or cabinet maker to con-
struct a shallow box, of fine wood, say black walnut,
about two feet wide, and three or three and one-half
feet long. The bottom board should be about an inch
and a half thick, and project about an inch beyond
the sides. The sides should be of inch stuff, and the
depth six or seven inches. See that the corners are
well dovetailed together, and on the inside of the tops
cut a groove, into which to set the glass.

The size of your glass should be about two feet
square for the ends, and two feet by thirty-six
inches for the sides and top; but if this is too large and expensive a case,
you can construct one of but half these dimensions, viz., twelve inches square
for the ends and twelve by eighteen inches for the sides and top. Many
like to have their cases made for them with pitched roof, like design No

Fig. S6.— Ferns in Arborette.

176

WINDOW GARDENING.

40, and with wooden frames same as for windows. All that it needs is to fit tne
glasses into the frames and seal the sides up tightly with putty.

The frame, as it sets into the lower wooden box, should also be fastened well
with putty, to make it tight ; and on the outside you may fasten a very pretty
little moulding, which will cover the top of the wood,
and set snugly up to the glass. You will of course
take care to have a little door cut in the back glass,
say about six inches by eight or ten, opening or
sliding, whenever necessary to introduce water, or
remove insects and dead leaves.

In Fig. 42, the upper pane maybe made movable
Next you will need a tray to go inside the wooden
frame work. This should be of nearly the same size
as the box, but smaller so as to fit inside. This
tray should be constructed of zinc, and may be made
with a double bottom of an inch in height, a small
hole being cut in the upper one, for the purpose of
Fig. 57.— Ari.orette. carrying off any surplus water. The filling and

planting have already been described. Place some broken charcoal, or tine
brick or gravel, in the bottom of the upper pan, and then your compost over
this. If your wood is well moulded, and sides ornamented, the case will be a
very handsome ornament. Cases such as we describe, are now made and sold
at prices of from $20 to $30, by all our large floral warehouses.

Should you wish to construct a little rockery in the
fernery, select pieces of stone, sharp pointed, or with
rough jagged sides. You will often find them in some
moist spot in the woods, already half covered with
moss ; then build them up one above the other until
you have made the form of an arch. Start the stones
from the very bottom of the tray, mix the soil well
with them wherever possible, into all the interstices,
and if it is necessary to get cement to make them
firm, do so. Then set set your ferns in all the rugged
interstices of the stones, wherever you have placed
the earth, and they will soon cover it with their leaves,
and their roots will reach into all the crevices.

Design No. 40, is about the size we have described,
constructed in a more than usually ornamental style. It is very suitable for
all kinds of ferns, and Lycopodiums, Small Orchids, small species of the Draco,
ena, Croton pictum, Cr variegatum, ApTielandra Leopoldi, Gymmostachys, Ver
shaffeltii, Eranthemum, ifineum, Passiflora trifasciata, Alocassia, Caladium, and
Fittonia argentea.

Fig. 41 shows one of the simplest of all fern decorations in the form of a neat

Fig. 58.— Arborette.

WINDOW QARDENINO.

177

rase ; the bowl is filled with the proper soil, and its surface is covered with
moss. In the centre is a nicely shaped plant of the Maiden Hair Fern, whose
appearance gives a delightfully cool and refreshing feeling in the room. A very
pretty effect could be produced by inserting little tubes of glass or tin (such as
are used for holding cut flowers,) in the soil here and there among the moss,
then filling with water and inserting at intervals clipped blossoms of some of
your winter blooming flowers, Geraniums, Roses, Fuchsias, &c., or perhaps a
clipped blossom from your climbing vines. Arranged any way it is in fact a
beautiful object for the drawing room or conservatory.

In Fig. 39, is shown a most charming fernery, the
property of Mrs. Shirley Hibberd, at Stoke Newington,
London, England. This conservatory was located where
sunshine was excluded on account of neighboring build-
ings and large trees, and a fern house was constructed.
Rockeries were built up on two sides of the house, and
in the crevices were planted ferns and lycopodiums. The
floor was covered with neat tiles, and with the naturally
graceful character of the plant the conservatory was pe-
culiarly ornamented. The rockeries were made almost
entirely of big blocks of peat, and on the top near the
glass were planted a few Sedums, Sempervivums, and FIS. 59.

other succulent plants. Mr. Hibberd, in his description of the fernery, in his
volume " Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," states that for the

twelve years about a hundred and fifty species and varieties have thriven here
making summer all the year round in their perennial greenness.

The finest selections of ferns, as recommended by him
for such a house, are theAdiantums, Asplenium, Adian-
tum nigrum, Athyrium, f. /., A. f. f.. crispa, Gymno-
gramma leptophylla, Doodian, Scolopendriums, Wood-
wqrdia radicans, Equisettim, Sylvaticum, and Selaginettas.

Water was given daily during the warm weather;
in spring and autumn, twice a week was sufficient, and in
winter once in two or three weeks The plants must,
however, never be left to get dry.

Miss Mai ing, an English lady writer on indoor plants,
has invented a case (Fig. 42) which contains room for
a hot water apparatus in the zinc pan. Her princi-
ple is to supply a cool or a heated end in the fern case, according to the necessities
of the plants. " Hardy or greenhouse plants last long in flower at one end in
the cool temperature ; stove plants and forced flowers come on beautifully in
the heated part. If all your plants in the case are hardy, then use no heat. If
our ferns or flowers, though not wanting heat specially, should damp off; we
give heat just for a time to change the air entirely. At ten minutes notice the

12

Fig. 60.

178

WIND 0 TI' GARDENING,

Fig. 61.

heat can be raised to any degree up to 90°. The cases are of two sizes, the larger
ones being about four feet long, by two wide, and two high, while the boxes on
which the glassed frames rest are eight inches deep. The boxes are lined with
zinc, and fitted with hot water apparatus. No lamp or any heater is required,
hot water only being used, which is poured in through a concealed opening from
without, and when cold is let off by another opening.

This water maintains the temperature at a height
sufficient for most plants for twenty-four hours without
refilling; but when greater heat is required it can be
raised to any degree from 65° to 90°, by adding more
hot water after the first twelve hours. The upper
glass sash is movable, and by a button or hook is
lifted at any time ventilation is needed or you wish to
examine the plants. This principle of heating the case
is principally for the sake of bringing into flower and
keeping in good health many tender stove plants, as well
as other delicate plants which cannot stand either a cool
or a dry atmosphere."

The general outline and construction of Miss Maling's
plant case is very similar to the " home made case" we have previously des-
cribed. Heating will be unnecessary if amateurs will only choose but the
ordinary native or greenhouse ferns, and keep the case well closed away from
cold air.

But it seems to us if the case is to be heated at all,
it should be divided into two apartments, one end for
plants needing the warm temperature, the other for
the cool temperature, or else put no plants in the case
unless they are all to be treated alike.

Whenever, in the mind of a beginner, there appears
to be a doubt as to what to choose, take the Lycopodium
denticulatum, and other varieties of L. caesium, apodum,
heloctica, or variaUlis will always appear to advantage ;
also the Pteris cretica albo lineata, or Cyrtomium fal-
catum, do remarkably well, being very strong growers."
These Fern Pillars are also made of Terra Gotta, in
England, with openings in appropriate places for set-
Fig. 62. ting in the bricks. The columns are also constructed so
as to permit a glass screen to shut completely over them and rest upon the base,
thus giving the same effect as a Wardian Case. Fig. 49 shows another design on
a table, with a glass top also. Fig. 50 shows one of the largest styles of fern
bricks, as it rests fitted into a fire screen.

Fig. 51 is much more elaborate, and shows what maybe done either in the sidfe
of a wall or a conservatory, or to occupy a large fire place. These are mad*

WINDOW GARDENING.

in the form of square pieces of pottery, which may be nailed flat against the
wall. In the lower portion of the front appears a projection of a shell, and with-
in it is a small cavity for holding the plants. Being of various sizes, any style
of arrangement can be ingeniously formed, and at slight expense.

These designs are as yet unknown in the United States, but can be quickly
imported to order by any one; or our pottery manufacturers could soon supply
any demand by making any pattern and casting therefrom.

They are elegant in appearance and effect, and the general testimony is to the
effect that the ferns thrive very well in them.

Fig. 63.— Fern Staud. Pig. 64.— Fern Stand.

Pigs. 52 and 53 introduce several pretty Parlor Ferneries, of easy manufacture,
the former in the shape of a rectangle, about 2 feet long by one and a quarter foot
wide, and two feet in height. The other with six sides, curving to the top,
from which suspends a little wire hanging basket. These designs are so*n
constructed by any cabinet maker.

A pleasant story is told of a gardener near London, England, who, instead of
following the invariable fashion of devoting the high stone walls surrounding his
enclosed garden, to wall fruit, determined to cover it with ferns.

" The wall was 14 feet in height and 400 feet in length. It was then very old,
and having been originally built of a dark red brick, much in use in that day
m the district, it had a venerable and picturesque appearance. From the
ground line to the summit it was all the summer long dotted over with ferny
tufts of herbage, some sparkling with the hue of emerald, others shading off to

WINDOW GARDENING.

rich shades of brown and orange ; and the delicate tracery of those with finely
divided fronds, wonderfully set off like vegetable lace against the dark back-
ground of the weather-worn brick.

Nail holes had been made here and there, where in former
times were fastened the branches of peach, apricot, cherry,
and plum trees to ripen their crops ; but they had long ago
been given up. The idea occurred to him to convert it into
a perpendicular fernery. He first of all thrust into some of
the large holes in the wall, tufts of common Polypody,
making their creeping roots comfortable with turfy peat,
and securing them from falling out by means of a copper
wire passed across the hole and held to the bricks by
small staples. As these were found to flourish and give
the wall somewhat the aspect of a ruin, he began to make
holes to plant others ; and by degrees the wall was covered
with Hearts Tongue, Asplenium adiantum, the Wall rue
fern, the Mountain Polypody, the Alpine cystopteris, and
Fig. G5. dozens of others that bear drought patiently, and naturally

inhabit rocks and waysides. In the shady chinks next the butteries, he man-
aged to coax the Maiden hair to make luxuriant fillets of herbage, and at tha
foot of the wall there were tufts of lastrea, osmunda royal,
and other ferns which the wall itself refused to nourish
The majority of these held their verdure far into the winter ,
the Hearts Tongue and common Polypodium were usually
quite green the whole year round; and during the winter
their rich dottings of golden spores sparkled ia the most
cheerful manner against the dark back ground of sheets
"of ivy and red brick. Of course the wall itself was crown-
ed with SnapdragonSy Wallflowers, and other gay tenants
of ruined towers, or pines, that make riot of man's work,
and glorify the decay of art with the triumph of nature."
Figs. 55, 56, 57, 58, introduce several " Eustic Terra
Gotta Arborettes" These are made of Terra Cotta, or pot-
tery ware, cast in a rugged form resembling the projecting
limbs of an oak tree just clipped, and with cavities opening
downward for the reception of earth and holding plants.
Some of them have a solid interior, and each basin is by
itself. These are undesirable, having no opportunity for
drainage ; but where the interior is entirely hollow and can
Fig. 6G. be entirely filled with earth, no rustic ornament is more

suitable for fciTis or other plants to live in. They may decorate the hall, parlor,
conservatory, or out door lawiL Their size is from one to three feet high.

WINDOW

181

Fig. 67.— Fern or Flower Case.

The strongest growing ferns may be placed in here, taking care to put a few
crocks of broken brick or charcoal in the bottom of each basin for drainage.

They may be used also for spring flowering Bulbs, and filled with hyacinths,
crocuses, scillas, snowdrops, narcissus ; and then when these are over, the con-
tents may be emptied and refilled again with summer flowering plants ; but it \a
usually best to devote them to such classes of
plants as will flower the year round without
any change.

Figs. 59 to 66 show the different styles of
mounting Fern cases with the customary cylin-
drical glass shades.

In Fig. 43, we see one of the larger styles of
Miss Maling's designs, intended to set upon a
table. This is most charmingly filled ; and
perhaps we cannot do better than let Shirley
Hibberd himself, who filled it, tell us what is
in it:

" It fell to my lot to construct the mimic arch-
way (a rockery,) and fill it with pockets for the
reception of small ferns. For that purpose I
took two square seed pans, and placed them bot-
tom upwards, on the zinc bottom of the case, as abutments, which, of course
when the case was filled with soil, were hidden from view. From the flat foun-
dation of clay thus provided, I began to build, using small pieces of coke dipped in
a batter of cement, and spending a few hours every day for four days in succession
upon the work ere it was completed. In the
pockets were inserted specimens of Cystopteris
reyia, Camptosaurus rhizophyllus, Asplenium
flabellifolium, Scolopendrium, vulgare var
ramosum, polyschides, and vulgare ramo mar
ginatum, Adiantum hispidulum, and a few Se-
laginellas. The latter soon grew so as to
smother the whole fabric, forming a rich bell of
various tints of blue and green, with the fern
pushing through them. On the right hand side
of the arch was planted Nephrolepis exaltata,
one of the most suberb of Wardian Case ferns,
and remarkably distinct, with its graceful arch-
ing polypodium-like fronds.

On the left hand Nephrolepis pectinata, which is of the same habit of growth,
and a very beautiful and interesting fern; nevertheless, less beautiful than
the other, as it is also less vigorous. A small plant of Platycerium grandew&s then
planted in the shell of a cocoanut, and suspended by copper wire to the crown
of the arch, and this spring its new growth was so vigorous that it had to bf

Fig. 68.— Case for preserving flowers
fresh.

182

WINDOW GARDENING.

removed to the greenhouse, where it is now flourishing. Two more notable ferns
were introduced, namely : Pteris flabellata, var. crispa, a very erect and char-
acteristic fern of large growth, quite cheap and common, and one of the best for
glass cases, of at least two feet in height within. The other was our fine old
hardy friend, Cyrtomium falcatum, which is worth a place anywhere among
ferns, and fortunately it will grow anywhere, and is always noble.

The rest of the plants consisted of various small, yet choice subjects. Pteris
scaberula, very beautiful in the lace-like divisions, and light green hue of its
fronts. It is really a gem, and always grows well in peat, cocoanut, or any
soil of a light spongy texture.

Doodia lunulata and caudata, are of small growth, and serve well with Loma-
ria lanceolata and L. splcant, to fill up green tufts between ferns — of very dis-
tinct and striking appearance. In the centre of the case, but on the side oppo-
site to the view here given, and hence hidden
by the Platycerium — a plant of Phlebodium
sporodocarpum — made a fine effect. It is one
of the most distinct and beautiful and easily
managed of all Wardian Case ferns, but must
have always a nice peaty mixture.

The remaining ferns are Polypodium phego-
pteris and rugulosum, Campyloneurum phyl-
litidis, Adiantum formosum, pedatum and tenel-
lum.

An important point in all fern cases is to have
them so constructed as to be easily turned
about and moved around, so that the plants
may all share equally in the sunlight. If the
case is too large, many plants will receive an
undue proportion of the sunlight, while others
Pig. 69,-Ladies' Plant Case. will be totally deprived .

The Germans, who have a greater fondness and taste for Window Gardening
than any other nation, have some very tasteful fancies in the way of Ferneries
and Rockeries in the windows.

Fig. 44 will illustrate one of them projecting outward from the side of the house.
The arch frame above is also on the outside. Looking at the rockery within rising
up out of che aquarium, we find the following plants which do well in the
constant evaporation of the water :

Adiantum tenerum, cuneatum, formosum ; Davallia, pixidata ; Gymno-
gramma Peruviana ; Lomaria spicant ; onychicumjaponicum ; Pteris serrulata ;
Selaginella calsia ; Selaginella, umbrosa, Africana serpens, and Wildenovii, w ith
Acorus gramineus folius fol var ; Sibthorpia Europesa ; Panicum variegatum ;
Torrenia Asiatica ; Ficus stipularis ; Tradescantia zebrina ; Hoya bella, and
JEschynanthus zebrinus

WINDOW GARDENING.

183

We mention the plants particularly,
as perhaps some one may be disposed to
copy the designs literally. We know of
no form of Window Gardening so ex-
quisite as this. A climbing vine may be
twined around the outside of the win-
dow casement. The water in the aqua-
rium must be contained in a vessel with
glass sides, so that all portions may be
discernible to the eye.

Fig. 45 is another of the designs for
Window Gardens, similar to those des-
cribed in our second chapter. Now it
is peculiarly suitable to hardy ferns,
and such native plants as the Partridge
vine, Mosses, Lycopodiums, etc.

Fig. 46 is known as the Pickard Plant
Case ; but we do not discover any special
feature different from those constructed
by Miss Maling. It contains the same
metal box for the soil ; but instead of
having the glass sides and top stationary,

all are movable, and easily put up or Fig. 70._ wardian Case,

taken down. The glass sides all come in sheets, which fit each into a light frame
of their own ; yet any one of these may be removed from the other without dis-
turbing tiie rest. The front can be taken out in an instant by lifting, or fixed
back again in its place by a couple of hooks and eyes ; in short each side has a
IVa-ne of its own, and when all are shut
up together they are held firmly by
hooks and eyes at top and ends. The
interior of this case is filled with Cala-
diums, Begonias, and other plants of
colored foliage, as well as ferns. It is
intended specially for a case of soft
wooded plants, such as are usually
grown in the pots of the greenhouse.

A very pretty fern case is that of
FJg. 47, also in the possession of Shirley
Hibberd. The base is a stone vase, with
hollow interior; the foot is a frame of
wood; inside the vase is a zinc pan,
wherein the ferns are placed, and the
frame of glass fits over the pan ; a couple

of doors furnish access to the interior

Fig. 71.- Wardian <;ase.

WINDOW GAHDE1UN .

and open or are closed by a little button fastener. The size is as follows : Height
of vase and glass, 5 feet 9 inches ; width of vase, 2 feet ; height of glass frame, 3
feet. In the top of the glass frame Mr. Hibberd suspended four half cocoanut
shells, in which he planted some ferns ; holes are cut in the bottom for drainage ;
and copper wire only used for hanging them. The contents are thus described
by Mr. Hibberd in his Floral World : " This case contains at the present time
two pretty climbing plants ; one is the common Ivy of the British woods, Hedera
helix ; the other is Lygodium scandens, an elegant climbing fern. The palm-
like fern in the centre is Nephrolepis exaltata — the finest fern in the world for a
centre piece; both because of its character and also that it may be cut without
spoiling it, if it happens to grow too tall. With it are examples of Pteris cre-
tica albo-lineata, an elegant variesrated fern ; Niphobolus lingua — a hardy tongue-
like fern ; Onychium Japomcum, most delicately divided ; Pteris crenata, Las-
treaglabella,Doodiacaudata,Asplenwtnviridef and some bits of Selaginellas ,
Anemone nemorosa, and a few Mosses.

The Ivy gained a footing quite by accident. This, with other of our cases, is
frequently exhibited. On one occasion, in preparing some cases for a festive
meeting, we introduced into this a number of little twigs of common Ivy among
the ferns. The case was left undisturbed afterwards, and then on removing the
Ivy one of them was found to have rooted. It was allowed to remain and it
soon formed a rich shell on one side of the glass, without robbing a single fern of
a ray of light. There it remains to this day ; it is now some nine years old as an in-
habitant of this case, and is as vigorous as ever. A few lengths of fine copper
wire serve to train the Ivy and the lygodium, which add very much indeed to
the beauty of this little garden. This case stands in the window, and has only
the warmth of an ordinary room in winter.

For a fern case to stand in the sunshine all the time, and with a room of high
temperature, choose the following tender ferns : In the centre place a fine plant
of the Cheilanthes farinosa ; then add here and there Anemidictyon, phyllitidis,
Olfersia cervina, Diplazium radicans, Asplenium fragrans, Lomaria attenu-
ata, Pteris calomelavos, Fadyema prolifera, and a few tufts of the Selaginella
caesium and S. laevigata."

Among fern decorations nothing is so striking, and yet so novel, as the fire
brick. For filling a vacant fire place and making the screen appear ornamental,
nothing is of better fitness. They are the invention of a physician, Dr. G.
Churchill Watson, of Chester, England, and so constructed as to fit into the sides
of walls of conservatories, ferneries and greenhouses, 'affording a convenient
method of rendering a blank wall useful as well as ornamental. They are made
of porous material, usually pottery, and round or oval shaped, with a concave
centre, in which may be placed wet ferns, mosses or Lycopodiums. They aro of
different sizes, from 85 inches in diameter to 14 inches, and adapted to the place
where they are most needed. The largest can be used to fit into the niche of an
unused fire place, and the smaller ones can be used to fit the niches of a fern col-
umn or pillar. A fern pillar is one of the curiosities our parlor gardeners do not

WIND 0 W GARDENING. \ g 5

often behold; and yet a glance at illustration No. 48, will show how pleasing such
a decoration might be, and how simply it could be made. This design is con-
structed of wood, in the form of a hexagonal pillar, with vase at the top.

At various places in each side are little niches or openings, into which are in-
troduced the fern shells; these are filled with earth, usually holding a pint to a
quart, and the fern grows gracefully outward. This pillar holds 19 vessels, and
affords a rare opportunity of cultivating quite a variety. If the centre of the
pillar is hollow it must be filled up by hand with some earthy material, and
either moss or cocoanut fibre or dust maybe pressed firmly. The soil for the
bricks should be peat two parts; loam or woods mould one part, silver sand one
part.

An English lady, filling such a case, once adopted this selection of plants. As
mentioned in the Gardener's Magazine, " In the vase at the top were some plants
of the A splenium flabelli folium, one of the most elegant of ali the small trailing
ferns. To help out the effect of this, a tuft of the pretty rush Isolepis gracilis
is introduced. This falls over in most graceful glass-like outlines, and as it loves
moisture it is quite at home under a bell glass. In the shells at the sides of the
column are specimens of Adiantum eapillus veneris, A. hispidulums, and A.
cuneatum, the last of which may grow too large; if so, it should be removed.
One of the most suitable of all ferns is Woodsia Ilvensis, which grows marvel-
ously, and seems to Jae at home in the porous ware of the vessel. Other good
ferns are Aspknium fontanum, A. rutamuraria, Doodia lunulata, Doodia cau-
data, Woodsia obtusa, Cystopterisfr agile Dickeana, CamptozauruSyrhizophyllus,
(one of the rarest of the exotic Hearts Tongue ferns,) Scolopendrium vulgare,
v. proliferum vamo marginatum, and v. polyschides, Lastrea filix-mas v . Schoficl-
dii, Adiantum setulosum, Hymenophyllum Wilsoni, Athyrium f.f. diffissum.

These are the cheapest of all designs for the window. Fig. 59 and 60 being
obtainable at almost any glass store, at prices of $2.00 to $5.00 complete. Figs.
61 and 62, are in a basket vase. Figs. 63 and 64 are with pottery ware or lava
boxes, resting upon stands. Fig. 65, is made of rustic wood and has a wooden
bowl, upon which the glass cylinder rests. Fig. 66 is an iron stand, with a plain
earthen bowl beneath the fernery, the outside of which is decorated with a net-
work of wire.

Among the various designs of Wardian Cases, for the drawing-room or saloon,
there are often met a few of much simpler material, which can be used for other
purposes. Figs. 67 and 68 are so constructed that they can be used at one time
for growing ferns within, or they can be used merely for holding cut flowers in
moist sand or water. In Fig. 68, the top is movable, fitting into a brass groove,
and must be lifted entirely off the table when the plants are to be placed inside
or need any attention. All the ornamental work around the edges of the stand,
and the frame work for holding the glass plates, is made of brass ; the stand
itself is of wood. The size of the interior is about 18 inches in diameter, by 12
inches high.

186 WINDOW GARDENING.

Fig. 67 is much more symmetrical in shape, and easily made. The frame of this,
too, is made mostly of polished brass, and the glass sets down upon a groove
made in the top of the stand, which is of wood. The interior is hollow, with a
zinc basin for holding plants.

Fig. 69 is a Lady's Plant Case, a kind of Wardian case in miniature; and though
not affording very spacious accommodations inside, still there is a good deal of
novelty in its construction, sufficient to render it a very interesting object for
either the drawing room or library.

A bell glass, or shade, fits closely at its base into a groove running all around
the edge of a stand constructed usually of wood.

The plants inside are in small pots not over four inches in diameter, although
the proportions of the case may be enlarged from 18 inches in diameter up to 3
feet, and afford greater room. Any manufacturer of glass shades could make
such a shade in a special mould, and any cabinet maker could fashion a tasteful
table or stand beneath.

Kiss. 71, 72 are sketches of two very pretty Wardian Cases, exhibited at
one of the Horticultural Society Exhibitions, and was much admired. They ad-
mit of considerably greater outline than the previous designs of Ferneries, and
are more ornamental. Fig. 70 is 7 feet high, 4 feet 2 inches wide, and 2 feet 6
incites in breadth.

Fig. 71 is 4 feet high, 3 feet broad, and 1 foot 11 inches wide. These are con-
structed mostly with bright metallic frame work; the best quality of sheet glass
is used; castors are fitted to the base, and at the back there is a little door to
allow the entrance of the hand for watering the plants or removing dead leaves.

Such designs as these, made to cover an entire collection of plants, should be
pern-rally adopted, a ul (.heir manufacture encouraged. They do away altogether
with the daily task of watering, they are absolutely free from dust, and the
plants have a perpetual moisture inside, which affords not only the most desirable
and uniform temperature, but conduces to health of habit, and freedom from in-
sects. Our Window Gardeners must learn by practical experience that there is
but one practical solution to the difficulties of Window Gardening, " The plants
must lice in an atmosphere to themselves, shut out alike from the air of the
room, and from the outer air.'"

In apartments lighted with gas, the use of these glass covers or shades is again
made obvious, for no gas fumes will ever touch them.

An opinion is general among amateurs, that these Wardian Cases must be
perfectly air tight. This is not quite true ; although they are fitted pretty close,
yet they are not absolutely air tight. Indeed it is sometimes quite desirable that
the case should be lifted a little to permit a free circulation of the air betwixt
the interior and the exterior, especially if there is a surplus of moisture inside,
and condenses so constantly upon the glass that the plant cannot be seen.

A fact may often have been observed by flower lovers, that when two flowers are
plucked, the one stuck with its stem into a bottle or vase of water, and the other
thrown down into a wide basin of water, so the petals as well as stem are in the

WINDOW GARDENING.

187

water, it will be found that the latter will keep fresh and sweet the longest. The
explanation is only in the greater humidity. In the former case, the air of the
room being too dry, evaporates the water from the surface of the petals faster
than the stem can supply, while in the latter the flower is completely surrounded
with all it needs.

Observing this principle then in your cut flowers or bouquets, if you will take
care to place them in pans of water, or sand and water, and then cover with bell
glasses, they will have a humid atmosphere entirely to themselves, retain their
freshness for double the length of time, as they would if exposed to the dry air
of the sitting-room.

The Wardian Case then, in principle, is not only the most practical in opera-
tion, but beneficial in results.

List of Ferns.

For a Wardian Case kept in a room with a high temperature, use :
Adiantum *cuneatum, tenerum, *for- Flemionites *palmata.

mosum, trapeziforme, Veitchii, ru-

bellum, concirmum, Farleyense.
Anemia *hirta, flexuosa, villosa.
*Asp1enium viviparum.
Blechnum *brasiliense, Corcovadense.
Cheilanthes Alabamensis, Borsigiana,

hirta, microphyila, puiveracea, spec-

tabilis.
Davallia *decora, *Mooreana, *polyan-

tha.

Didymochlaena lunulata.
Doryopteris nobilis, *pedata.
Gymnogramma *tartarea, *chryso-

phylla, Laurheana, Peruviana.

Microlepia Davellia, hirsuta-angusta,
Nephrolepis *exaltata, *pectinata.
Nothoclaena chrysophylla, *nivea, ten-
era.

Polypodium aureum, omyxifolium.
Pteris * falcata, tricolor.

Seiaginelia.

Selaginella caesia arborea, *Africana,
atrovirens, caulescens, *conferta, Ly-
allii, *umbrosa (erythropus), Kas-
leniana, *serpens, *imbricaulis, Wal-
lichii, Warcswewitzii.

The above Ferns and Selaginellas are also suitable for general decorations in
a well heated room. Such marked * are useful for the window without glass
covering.

2. For a Wardian Case in a moderately heated room :

Acrostichum #alcicorne (Platicerium.)
Adiantum affine, *capillus Veneris,

assimile, *colpodes, *formosum, *ru-

bellnm, reniforme.
Asplenium *palmatnm, Fabianum
Blechnum *australe, Cyathea medul-

laris, australis.
Cyrtomium *falcatum.
Davallia *canariensis, *pixidata.
Dicksonia *antarctica.

Lygodium scandens, palmatum.

Asplenium nidus, avis.

Aspidium *molle, *violascens, *Kaul-

fussie.

Nephrolepis *exaltata, *tuberosa.
Nothoclaena trichomanoides.
Oleandra *neriifolia.
Onychium *japonicum.
Pteris *arguta, argyraea, *cretica alba,

*serrulata * falcata, longifolia.

188

WINDOW GARDENING.

Doodia aspera, caudata, *rupestris. Woodwardia radicans
Doryopteris *palmata. Selaginella apoda, *caesia, *denticula-

Drynaria coronans. ta, stolonifera, formosa, involvens,

Lastraea glabella. Sohottii, *Martensii albo var, *Wil-

Lomaria *gibba. denowii

The above named Ferns and Lycopodias are also suitable for general decors;-
tions in a moderately heated room. Those marked * are useful for the window.

3. For a cold room, open hall, veranda, rock work, or for cool shaded places
near the building :
AcTiantum pedatum.
Allosorus crispus.
Aspidium goldianum.
Asplenium septentrionale, fontanum,
trichomanes, ruta-muraria, viride.
Aathyrium felix foemina, gracile, mul-

ticeps.

Biechnum boreale, occidentale.
Ceterach officinarum.
Cystopteris montana.
Lastraea oreopteris, dilatata, filix-mas,

rigiaa.

The above named Ferns and Lycopodia are also suitable for window decora-
tion during the summer season, but require some shade.

Onoclea sensibilis.
Osmunda regalis, cinnamomea.
Poly podium vulgare.
Polystichium angulare, lonchitis,
Scolopendrium officinarum and varie-
ties.

Struthiopteris germanica.
Pteris aquilina.
Woodsia hyperborea, ilvensis.
Lycopodium clavatum, alpinum, selago,
dendroideum.

CHLAJPTER

THE CAMELLIA.

The Camellia, when cultivated in window gardens, requires great care on
account of the tendency of its flower-buds to drop off.

Too much or too little water, and great variations of temperature when the
buds are swelling, cause this trouble ; yet with care it can be flowered in profu-
sion without any artificial heat. A northern or northeastern exposure is the
most desirable, and a temperature from 40° to 50°, better humid than without,
the most advisable.

When the plant has flowered, if it is a young, small sized plant, it should be
shifted into a pot one size larger; but if an old, large plant, it need not be repot-
ted oftener than once in two years. The soil should be composed of equal parts
of black peat and rich loam, but if the peat is not within reach, sandy loam,
enriched with one-third leaf mould, will make the plant flower well.

After potting, the plant can be placed in the window of a room where a fire is
kept, but it does not require much sunshine. (In its native woods it grows in
moist, shady places.) While new leaves and buds are forming, water should be
given every day, and the leaves and branches frequently sponged or showered, as
the dust will adhere to the leaves. The plant requires light, but does not need
the direct rays of the sun.

In the spring, when it has ceased growing, it can be placed out of doors in a
shady situation, yet not under the dripping of trees or shrubs, and where it will
be exposed only to the morning's sun. Early in September it must be brought
in doors, for it would lose all its flower-buds should the frost touch it. If the
plant is in good health, it will now be filled with buds. One hour's drought, or
a soaking wet soil, will bring down the buds and destroy all hopes of flowers.
The air should be too cold for a person to sit comfortably in the room, until the
flower-buds open ; then the plant can be brought into the parlor. When tho
mercury marks 40° or 45°, a couple of hours of fresh air will be useful to the
Camellia, but do not place it in the fullest sunshine.

When the buds swell for flowering, a little more water is needed ; give it in
plentiful doses, turning away all that runs out into the saucers. Apply the water
directly to the soil, for the flowers are injured by sprinkling; never shower the
foliage when the sun shines upon it, lest the leaves should be blistered or
spotted. After the plants have flowered, and fully repaid you for all your atten-
tion, observe the same routine of culture again.

190 WINDOW GARDENING

In the Southern States and in California Camellias grow into large shrubs Of
trees*, and need no protection in the winter They are propagated from seeds,
cuttings, grafting, and in arching.

The seeds are a long time in vegetating; sometimes two years will elapse before
the first leaf is developed, and then the blossom may not repay the care it has
demanded ; but a graft from a handsome variety will make a fine plant.

The cutting should be taken from the base of a leaf, or at a joint, as soon as
the wood is ripened, and placed in damp sand under glass. When it shows signs
of growth, transplant it to a small pot filled with rich, dark soil. If you desire
large flowers, allow only one bud to remain on each terminal shoot. The best
time to graft the Camellia is from the middle of August to the middle of Sep-
tember. The chief care is in making a perfect junction of the parts, and care-
fully tying the graft in place. T^he graft having nothing to support it, must not
only be firmly secured to the branch, but moisture and shade must be given it so
as to promote its growth, and the roots must not be soddened with water.

Inarching, or grafting by approach, is generally done in July. A thin portion
of the stock is sliced off, and a corresponding portion of the variety to be
inarched. The slice should be made so deep that it will take oft a slit of the
stock, with bark attached, for about two inches ; the graft is cut to fit exactly,
and the parts fastened closely together and wound about with zephyr wool ;
moss can then be tied over it to keep it damp, and this must be moistened as it
dries until they have grown together.

Camellias are most extensively grown in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston,
by the florists, and are highly prized for house and table decorations, wedding
ornaments, and funeral wreaths, crosses, and anchors.

The Double White, Fimbriata, candidissima, Mont Blanc, and alba plena
are all very desirable for window culture, and if their pure, spotless white flow-
ers are protected from the sun they will retain their exquisite beauty for a fort-
night. Among the colored varieties are :

Imbricata, crimson and white.

Landrethii, the richest rose color.

Dutchess of Orleans, striped pink and white.

Juliana, a rosy blush color.

Benneyii, crimson, striped with white.

Conspersa, striped carmine.

Prince Albert, pink, striped with rosy carmine.

Heine des Fleurs, of the richest crimson.

Sacco Nora, exquisite pink, blotched with rose.

Jubilee, rosy pink, striped with cherry color.

Storyi, a waxen rose color.

History, c#c. — A sketch of the history of this flower calls up some very inte-
resting facts. The Camellia Japonica was introduced into Europe by Father
Kamel, a Moravian missionary who traveled in Asia, and saw the beautiful tree
growing in China ; and the plant was Latinized into Camellus in honor of him

WINDOW GARDENING. • ]Q]

Although brought from China, it is a native of Japan, whence its name Ja-
ponica, and belongs to the genus of the Tea Plant, the Bohea and mridis,
which supply the well-known black and green teas of commerce.

The first plants were brought to England in 1739, but they died from being
treated as stove plants; yet the idea of them was given, and it only required
time and perseverance to make them what they now are — the ornament of every
greenhouse, conservatory, and window garden.

The commencement of the general culture of the Camellia began in 1792,
when the single red variety was again imported from China. The double white
and the variegated red were the next kinds introduced, and they were followed
by the Waratah, or Anemone flowered, and the fringed white, the pale black,
and the striped and variegated. The single white was not introduced until
1818. Mr. Fortune, who has traveled extensively in both China and Japan,
and added many valuable plants to our collections, met with specimens of
Camellias growing wild in the woods of Poo-to-san, some of M'hich were tall
trees, being from 25 to 30 feet high. Their glossy, evergreen foliage, and mag-
nificent blossoms — red, white, buff, yellow, crimson, variegated, and blotched —
render them one of the most beautiful features in an Oriental landscape. The
trees are so plentiful in Japan and China that the seeds are used in cookery and
medicine, and from one species an oil for anointing the hair is extracted.

Camellia maliflora,or the apple-flowered Camellia, has beautiful little flowers
resembling the apple blossoms in color and form, but are double. This species is
more tender than the common kind. It was not introduced into England until
1816.

Camellia Sasanqua is still more tender, and has a small, single flower, like that
of the green tea plant. It is more densely allied to that species, and its leaves
are used for tea. The hybrids which have been produced from the Camellia
Japonica are very numerous} and every year some new varieties are added to the
catalogue*.

XVT.

THE ROSE.

The romance of the Rose, and its exquisite loveliness, will never permit it to oe
.eft oat of the window garden, notwithstanding the occasional trouble and diffi-
culties of its culture.

THE ROSE IN ROMANCE.

Sappho says of it in one of her poetic strains : " If Zeus had willed to set a
King over flowers, the Rose would have claimed that distinction. It is the orna-
ment of the earth, the glory of the plants, the eye of the flowers, and the blush
of the meadow.

Luther, in his admiration of it, says: "If a man could make a single Rose
we should give him an Empire " — and he chose the Rose for the emblem on his
seal.

In Germany there are various superstitions concerning the Rose, many of
which are very singular, and the relation of the flower to blood is widely
credited.

Thus one hears in France and Italy as well as Germany the saying that a
drop of one's blood buried under a rosebush will bring rosy cheeks. There is a
legend that the thorn crown of Christ was made from rose briar, and that the
drops of blood which issued from His head fell to the ground and blossomed in
Roses.

Mrs. Howe alludes to it in these lines :

"Men saw the thorns on Jesus' brow,
But angels saw the Roses."

In Ancient Greece there was an Academy whose statutes were couched in
these words : " The Academicians think much, write little, and talk less."

A famous Professor desired to become a member, and when a vacancy occurred
hastened to obtain it, but arrived too late — a candidate had been chosen. The
Academy desired to number Dr. Zeb upon its rolls, but it had just granted to
power what belonged to merit.

The President, not desiring to give a refusal in words, desired a cup of water
to be brought, which he filled with water so that even one drop more would
cause it to overflow. The doctor understood the emblem, but he saw at his feet
a rose-leaf, which he placed upon the top of the water without displacing a drop.

His ingenuity procured him the desired admission, and he was received by
acclamation as a member of the Silent Academy.

WINDOW GARDENING.

The phrase " sub-rosa," implying secresy, is said to have originated during
the wars of York and Lancaster, when the red and white Roses played
so prominent a part ; but in ancient days it was the custom to suspend a Rose
over the heads of the guests at banquets and feasts, to signify that the conserva-
tive was not to be repeated.

In mythology the Rose was dedicated to Ilarpocrates, the God of Silence.

When the Roman pontiff desired to confer a particular distinction upon a
crowned head, he presented a consecrated Golden Rose. Both Henry VI and
Henry VIII, of England, were honored in this manner.

Culture.

The list of varieties of Roses is very extended, reaching over 600 or 1,000.
As many as GOO have been known to bloom in a single garden in this country,
and in some nurseries 100,000 have been under propagation at one time.

The various sub-families of the Rose are numerous, yet for window gardening
we need only to use the ever-blooming or monthly species, Tea, China, and
Bourbon. Of these the Tea and China are the best adapted to winter flowering.
They delight in a very rich soil, composed of decomposed sods and manure ;
cow manure is the best of all others for Roses, but it must be so decayed that it
will crumble easily in the hand. They will grow in almost any soil, yet no
plant requires a richer compost or better repays the cultivator for preparing it.

If the compost is heavy add enough sand to make it a little friable, but it pre-
fers a rather stiff soil. When it is in rapid growth it requires a good supply of
water, but not enough to make the soil too damp. When in a dormant state it
needs but very little.

Roses that are transplanted from the garden require a time of rest, and it is
much better after potting them to put them in a dark cellar where they can
remain until February; then bring them up, prune away the old wood, and give
them all the sunshine you can, for they require plenty of it to bloom in perfec-
tion. Amateurs fail in not pruning sufficiently ; all the finest flowers are pro-
duced upon new shoots ; so be sure to cut back the long, scraggy branches
within three or four eyes of the main stem. There is no plant which requires
such close pruning. Very few flowers are found upon the old wood, but are
produced on the new, fresh shoots, and the branches sent up from the roots.

Roses are propagated by seeds, cuttings, layers, budding, and grafting. The
process of growing them from seed is too slow for amateurs to care to attempt
it, as the plants will not bloom for six or seven years.

Cuttings are the easiest means of cultivation, and fine bushes can be raised
from them. The manner of growing them js described in Part I, the chapier
on Propagation, and little can be added to it. They will strike much more cer-
tainly under glass and with bottom heat, but in May and June they car. be grown
in sand with but little attention.

Layers are made by " tongueing " a branch, and bending it caref .'ly down to

13

194 WINDOW GARDENING.

the soil, pressing the cut firmly into the ground, and twisting it a little, so that
the end of the tongue may have a downward tendency in the ground. May,
June, and July are the best months for layering, and by November they can be
cut off from the parent plants within two inches of the tongue, and potted in
small pots for the winter.

The Chinese mode of layering differs a little from ours. They select in July
a strong shoot of the same year's growth, tongue it as described, cutting it just
below a bud or joint, and put in a little pebble to keep the slit open. Then
bind a ball of green moss around the tongue ; keep the moss constantly moist,
and roots will speedily shoot into it, and by six or seven weeks the layer will be
ready to cut off; it should then be planted in rich soil, without disturbing the
moss, and it can be sent, as a present to a friend, to any part of the country.

There is a diversity of opinion regarding the best time for pruning Roses, but
M. Paul, the celebrated English Rose-grower, says :

"A Rose in vigorous condition, healthy and full of sap, requires less pruning
than when it is of moderate or weak growth. The same degree of pruning,
applied to each condition would produce opposite results. Close pruning would
be the means of improving the health and flowering of a weak plant, while it
would induce a strong one to form wood shoots rather than buds."

But it is a good rule to thin out the weak, unhealthy shoots, and even some
of the stronger ones, as soon as the plant has done flowering. This allows it to
make fresh roots, and then will follow new shoots and fresh buds.

When the plants are out of flower remove the soil to the depth of an inch, if
you can do so without injuring the roots, and fill up with the richest soil you
can procure. This treatment will cause a fresh, vigorous growth, and insure
many buds to come. The decayed flowers should be at once removed, and the
stems cut back.

Nothing but patient hand-picking and weekly showerings will keep away the
green fly. In the Chapter of Part I, which treats upon " Insects," antidotes are
given for all insects.

No plant thrives better under applications of liquid manure, but care must be
taken not to give it so strong as to make all the leaves fall. A decoction of soot
is also good for it. Dissolve a tablespoonful of it in two quarts of warm water,
and apply to the roots once a week, and the growth of your plants will surprise
you.

The Tea and China Roses are large shrubs in their native climes, and bloom
profusely; but our northern seasons do not allow them to grow so rapidly, yet
they fill our hearts with much pleasure. The buds of these varieties are much
handsomer than the expanded flowers, which are open in the centre, and fre-
quently show the stamens, while the Hybrid Perpetuals are very double.

For winter flowering the following list embraces some of the best varieties :

TEA.
Aurora, rich yellow, shaded to rose

WINDOW GARDENING. 195

Adam, deep rose, very sweet, shaded to salmon color; very large and full.
Bon Silene, a blending of purple and carmine.
Devoniensis, blush white; magnolia fragrance.
Clara Sylvain, snowy white ; very extra.
Isabella Sprunt, a bright canary yellow.

La Pactole, light buff; the most abundant bloomer of any known.
Madame Maurin, purest white.
Pauline Lobante, light cream color.

Marechal Niel, the best yellow Tea Rose in cultivation; its perfume is une
qualed, and its buds are peifection.

BENGAL, OR CHINA.

Agrippina, the deepest crimson, with an occasional stripe of white in thfi
centre.

Bourbon Queen, rich blush ; very fine.
Count de Rohan, purplish red.
Louis Philippe, rich, rosy crimson.
Madame Morel, cream color; centre pink.
Napoleon, blush ; very large.
Virginale, rose and crimson
Vesuvius, deepest crimson.
Madame Eohan, pure white.

BOURBON.

Bouquet de Flore, deepest carmine ; very fragrant.
Crimson Globe, purplish crimson.
Edward Desfosses, brightest rose.
Glory of Algiers, bright crimson.
Henri Plantier, deep pink; perfect form.

Hermosa, rosy pink flowers ; a profuse bloomer, and general favorite.
Leveson Gower, salmon rose ; very double and fine.
Phoenix, deepest rose, with the fragrance of the old fashioned Damask
Psyche, light rose ; very double.
Splendens, richest of crimson.
Souvenir dela Malmaison, flesh color ; splendid. -
Sombrienil, blush white ; strong grower ; very fine.
Vicomte de Cassy, cherry red ; extra
Vulcan, dark shade of carmine.

NOISETTE. ''

Aimee Vibert, one of the best white roses under cultivation
Chrnmatella, deepest yellow ; very delicate.
Ghire de Dijon, blush white; buff centre.
Lamarque, white ; yellowish centre ; very fine.
Minette, light crimson ; very double, and large clusters of flowers.

196 wry DOW GARDENING.

Ophirie, salmon, shaded to orange color.
Susanna, yellowish white ; very fine.
Souvenir d' Anselem, deep carmine.
Sir Walter Scott, dark purple.
Solfaterre, deep straw color ; extra fine.
Washington, pure white ; semi-double ; full clusters.
Triumphant, double rose ; very large.
Wells' Pink, carmine rose ; full clusters.
Zobeide, crimson, and purple shaded.

For City Gardens,

Choose those varieties that are strongest growers and freest bloomers.

Of crimson varieties, the best recommended are Agrippina, Gen. Washington,
and Giant of Battles.

Of Pink — Formosa and Eugenie.
Yellow — Safrano, Mine. Falcot.
"White — Mme. Maurin, Sombriel.
Carmine — La Phenix, C. Bobeistsky.
Straw color — La Pactola, Isabella Sprunt.
Blush — Pauline, Fleur de Cymes.

Climbing Roses are our favorite plant for adorning piazzas, balconies, pillars,
and the outer decorations of the window. The usual varieties are Baltimore
Belle, Prairie Queen, Fulgens, and Gem of the Prairies.

A fact worth noticing in the window culture of plants, is that the delicate
varieties of China and Tea need a light soil. Mr. Parkman recommends a mix-
ture of loam, manure, leaf mould, and sand, in the proportion of two bushels of
.oam to one bushel of manure, one of leaf mould, and one-half a bushel of sand ;
hut for the more robust growers the proportions of loam and manure should be
greater.

One of the favorite methods for producing flowers in early winter, is to take
the autumnal flowering varieties, clip off their blossoms as soon as they appear
until they are ready to transfer to the window, and then permit them to bloom
at freedom.

Of the different classes of Roses, the 'China are the most easily managed, yet
are less fragrant than the Tea, and not equal in beauty, still fully as abundant in
bloom, which constitutes their chief merit.

Of Tea Scented Roses, none are more delicate than the Devoniensis, with its
large double form and light yellow, its only fault being shyness of bloom.

The Gloire do Dijon, however, is most suitable for training over the supports,
columns, or rafters of greenhouses and conservatories ; a very robust grower.

The Bourbon varieties are of great value for window use or forcing purposes,
being both free bloomers, and having fine forms and brilliant colors. The
strongest of them need to be well pruned back, especially the ends of the largest

WINDOW GARDENING. 1Q7

shoots, which, when cut off, will develop fine side branches. They have rich,
luxuriant foliage, and flowers are produced in large clusters, very fragrant and
lasting. The finest variety of this class, and unsurpassed among all Roses, is
the Souvenir de La Malmaison, a very large flower, of full and beautiful form,
light flesh or fawn color; needs to be well drained.

The Noisette Roses are distinctive specially for their blooming in clusters, par-
taking the nature of true climbers, and usually quite vigorous. The Aimie
Vibert is the prettiest of the group ; flowers purest white, borne in large clus-
ters. The Lamarque is a universal favorite among greenhouse owners; flowers
pale lemon yellow, very large, double, and beautiful ; growth very vigorous.

CHAPTER XVII.

The Fuchsia. TJie Myrtle.

These graceful flowers have a curious history. They are natives of South
America, and were first brought to England nearly a hundred years ago. Mr
Lee, a well-known English florist, introduced them to the public in 1774. A
customer purchasing plants of him said : «' I saw, in a window at Wapping, a
prettier flower than all your greenhouses can produce. The flowers hung like
tassels from the drooping branches ; their color was of the richest crimson, and
in the centre were folded leaves of the brightest Tyrian purple dye."

Mr. Lee enquired the exact locality where this rare novelty was to be seen,
and hastened to behold it. At a glance he knew its worth. Entering the house
he told its mistress that he would pay any price that she chose to ask for her
plant. No, she could not sell it ; it had been brought by her sailor boy from
over the sea, and for his sake she cherished it.

Mr. Lee must have it; so he emptied his pockets of their contents of gold, sil-
ver, and copper, amounting in all to over eight guineas. Placing them on her
table, he said :

"All this money is yours, and the plant mine. I'll give you one of the first
cuttings I raise ; and when your boy returns the plant will be quite as handsome
as this one."

Money always has a potent force, and the woman reluctantly consented, and
Mr. Lee hastened away with his treasure. He cut it into joints, these he forced
in hot beds, and the smallest branch took root. Every effort was employed to
increase his stock, and in two months he had three hundred plants growing
finely.

As soon as the first plant bloomed the pot was exhibited in his show window.
A lady of rank was the first visitor; she was delighted with the loveliness and
grace of the flower, and must have the plant, for which she gladly paid one
guinea. That night the Duchess entertained friends, and her rare plant was
much admired. The following day Mr. Lee had many visitors, but only two
plants were in bloom.

Others were engaged, however, and before the summer closed he had made three
hundred guineas from the Fuchsia. Since that time one cannot estimate the
amount of money that has been expended upon these plants, nor the time and
patience that has been given to their culture ; but the results are seen in the
hundreds of varieties now offered for sale, and they increase yearly in size and
beauty of coloring, and popular favor. The variety from wh;ch they originated

WINDOW GARDENING.

is now rarely seen; its flowers are small and its foliage very different from those
we now cultivate. Although so insignificant, when compared to its gorgeous
misters, yet its fragile flowers press beautifully, and they are great acquisitions
in a bouquet or wreath of pressed flowers.

Culture.

Fuchsias do not require a high temperature ; a very warm, dry atmosphere is
not favorable to their growth, but they need light and air — not so much the direct
rays of the sun as roses and geraniums — but if kept in too dark a situation they
will loose their leaves and drop their buds.

Good rich soil is needed for luxuriant growth, and well rotted turf mixed with
peat, is quite to their taste ; the dark soil from the forests, composed in a great
degree of leaf mould, with a little sand added to it, will make them grow luxu
riously. A Serratifolia and a Speciosa have grown three feet high in one winter
in such a soil, and they were covered with a wealth of buds and flowers. Their
growth was magnificent ! The above named are winter flowering varieties, and
will bloom in window gardens from nine to ten months in the year.

The Fuchsia is a gross feeder, and requires a good deal of room for ils roots
when it is growing rapidly. It can be planted in small pots, and as the branches
increase, watch the roots and do not let the plants become root bound.

Two years old plants will bloom profusely— often having hundreds of flowers
upon them — but they must have liquid manure once a week to be grown in per-
fection.

When raised from cuttings, they strike quickly in damp sand, and should be
transplanted into rich soil, in three inch pots. In two weeks tie the main branch
to a small stick and train the plant into asymmetrical shape. When the branches
are two or three inches long pinch out their tips, and two or three branches will
start from each one.

A really beautiful plant of handsome shape is obtained only by care. The
accompanying illustration, Fig. 72, is a specimen out of thirty others grown from
a small cutting in twelve months. The cutting selected should be strong, healthy
and woody, with no less than three or four joints ; each leaf should be pulled off,
and then set the cutting two or three inches in the soil, and about one inch out.
The proper temperature is 55° to 65° ; atmosphere moderately moist ; use rain-
water of same temperature as the atmosphere.

Many persons prefer to have young plants every year or two, and let the old
ones die away. But the old plants can be judiciously managed, and make very
pretty plants for years to come. Set them in the cellar until late in January;
let them lose every leaf; then take up, and cut back severely. If you want a
pyramidal shape cut back all the branches, and some of the top also.

If you like an umbrella shaped plant, choose the drooping kinds, and cut off
the lower branches close to the main stem, within two or three feet of the pot;
then cut the branches next higher up, to within a few inches of the stem, and

200

WINDOW GARDENING.

cut the top off entirely. Turn out of the pots and trim some of the straggling

roots, and put it in a twelve to fourteen inch pot ; prepare soil of rotted turf and

hot bed manure, or well decomposed cow manure, with a small handful of sand

When potted, water with warm water, and thoroughly sprinkle once a week

Ifig. 72.— A well gro -i Specimen Plant of the Fuchsia. (From a Photograph.)

Always encourage the main stem to grow straight, and tie it to a stake ; then
form your plant as you k .lease. Often you will have to cut back so as to make a
skeleton from which the branches can start as you choose to have them.

WINDOW GARDENING.

201

Fuchsias are greatly troubled wvth the red spider, and for antidotes consult
chapter on Insects, Part I.

When the plants are in the cellar they will not need any water, but when
growing rapidly and flowering, they desire a good supply, yet not too much ;
don't keep them soaking or let them become dry ; either condition will make
them drop their buds.

In training plants due heed sho»<M be paid to their natural habits. A plant
like the Pride of England —
which always grows like a
shrub — cannot be forced into
the umbrella or spreading form ;
while those like the Souvenir de
Chiswick, naturally inclined to
the tree-shape, cannot be forced
into a shrub. They must fol-
low out their own peculiar hab-
its to thrive well. In Califor-
nia they bloom every month in
the year, and grow as tall as the
honeysuckles of the Atlantic
coast. The Double Fuchsias are
most beautiful, and when stud-
ded all over with their gorgeous
wealth of pendant floral gems,
are unsurpassed by any other
flower. They are not inclined to
bloom in the winter, but if all
their buds are pinched oft, and
they are kept in the shade, and
little water given until October
or November, they will bloom
in January and February.

The varieties are very numer-
ous, and yearly the florists pro-
duce new ones. They are raised

from seeds by most Careful hy- Fig. 73.— A Fuchsia trained in Umbrella form.

oridization, and they will bloom in two years. The seeds require careful treat
ment, bottom heat, and a gardener's care to germinate well ; but a young chile
can raise a cutting, so easy is its culture. There are no plants which more fully
repay the attention you may give them ; and they are so graceful and attractive
that they strike even the dullest eye with admiration.

The Fuchsia was named in honor of Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist of
repute.

The most desirable varieties besides those already named, are :

202 WINDOW GARDENING*

SINGLE FUCHSIAS.

Arabella, white sepals, with rich rose corolla ; the best early variety.

Brilliant, purple globular-shaped corolla, scarlet sepals.

Charming, large violet, saucer shaped corolla, with scarlet sepals.

Conquest, bright scarlet sepals, corolla, rich dark purple ; very free bloomer

Conspicua, snowy white corolla, with bright-scarlet sepals ; very beautiful.

Empress, long, white corolla, with rich crimson sepals ; extra fine.

First of the Day, scarlet sepals, with well expanded lavender corolla.

Father Ignatius, brilliant carmine sepals, with rich indigo blue corolla.

Evening Star, blush sepals, with pinkish scarlet corolla.

Lustre, vivid crimson corolla, sepals waxy white ; free bloomer.

Minstrel, pink sepals, with rosy lavender corolla.

Marginata, white sepals with pink corolla, edged with deep rose-color.

Freund J. Durr, richest scarlet sepals, with purple corolla, the stamens chang-
ing to petals.

Prince Imperial, corolla dark purple, sepals bright scarlet ; the earliest of the
dark varieties.

Rose of Castile, sepals blush white, purplish corolla, changing to crimson.

Ehoderic Dhu, very large lavender blue corolla, sepals salmon-tinted scarlet.

Starlight, pure waxy white sepals, clear bright lake pink corolla.

War Eagle, sepals rich crimson, corrolla very largely expanded, of a dark pur
pie striped with rose.

DOUBLE FUCHSIAS — SELECT LIST.

Elm City, rich crimson sepals, with dark purple corolla, fully double,

Emperor of the Fuchsias, white corolla large and fine, sepals crimson.

Giant, immense double purple corolla, with bright rose sepals.

Gloire des Blanc, snowy white corolla, crimson sepals.

Madame Grouse, white corolla, very long, scarlet sepals.

Marksman, sepals bright carmine, corolla very large, of a rich dark violet ;
extra fine.

Norfolk Giant, deep purple corolla, with scarlet sepals.

Queen of Whites, pure white corolla, very double, with crimson sepals.

Surpasse V. de Puebla, scarlet sepals, with white corolla veined with scarlet ;
extra fine.

Symbol, crimson sepals much reflexed, creamy white double corolla, - /
beautiful.

For a select list choose Lustre, Ehoderic Dhu, Elm City, Marksman. These

four are the best of the entire collection.

/

The Myrtle.

The use of the Myrtle for decorations reminds us of the esteem with which it
? as held by the ancient Greeks, who dedicated it to Vem«-i, the goddess of

WINDOW GARDENING. 203

beauty. Its leaves were used to improve the flavor of wine, and to increase its
invigorating properties, while its berries were taken as a medicine. Garlands
of it were woven to adorn the brows of their chief magistrates, and it was
always used to crown the dead. The early Christians continued this custom,
but it was prohibited on account of its use by the idolaters ; yet the Myrtle has
always been retained as a religious decoration, and, in Germany, composes the
bridal wreath. The Italians have a great passion for this plant, preferring its
odors to that of the most precious essences, and their baths are often perfumed
with water distilled from its leaves, as it is considered a promoter of beauty.

In Australia the Myrtle grows to a great size, having a large stem or trunk,
and sometimes it is one hundred feet in height.

The Myrtle we cultivate is that spoken of in the Bible, and the Jews still re-
gard it with veneration, and always use it to adorn the Feast of the Tabernacles
— literally obeying the command of Nehemiah to " Fetch olive, pine and myrtle."

Culture.

There is a broad leaved variety, a narrow leaved, the box myrtle, and the
Chinese. The last named produces purple flowers, the others bear pure double
white flowers, and are always most lovely shrubs for window gardens.

It does not flourish in a close hot temperature, but will bear a cool, shady
window, with a northerly exposure. It needs fresh air and frequent washings,
to grow luxuriantly. It does not form roots rapidly, like the Rose and Fuchsia,
so will not require repotting often ; and yet do not let it become root-bound,
for that will check its blooming. It is propagated by cuttings, which will soon
strike under glass, and with a little bottom heat, but not so quickly without
them. This plant was formerly to be seen in all window gardens. Why it is
not more common now we do not understand, unless it be that the Ivy is more
popular.

The cuttings should be made with four or five buds or joints, and covered an
inch under the sand. When it begins to show fresh leaves, pot it in good, rich
«andy loam, in a three or four inch pot, and keep it shaded for nearly a week.
The best soil is two parts loam, and one part rotten dung. It blooms early in June.

The Periwinkle or Vinca, is sometimes called Running Myrtle, because of its
evergreen leaves, which resemble those of the broad leaved myrtle.

It grows luxuriously in the open garden ; is perfectly hardy, and can be trans-
planted into a large sea-shell or any hanging vase filled with good loam ; water
it weekly with some stimulant, and it will flourish beautifully; and early in
February place every one with its lovely lavender chalices opening to the sun. It
delights in moisture, so must never be allowed to become dry.

The M . communis is the usual sort chosen for window use, having many varie-
ties with leaves both large and small, variegated flowers, single or double. But
the Chinese species, M. tomentosa, has also claims for popularity, on account of
its vari-colored blooms from purple to white, and other shades between ; often
many colored flowers on the same plant.

The Heliotrope.

The celebrated JUSSIBU, while botanizing in the Cordilleras, suddenly inhaled
the most delicious odors. He looked eagerly about to discover their origin, ex-
pecting to find some brilliantly colored flower, but only perceived some large
bushes bearing clusters of flowers of a pale lavender hue. On coming nearer he
observed that the flowers turned towards the sun. Struck with this peculiarity,
he gave the plant the name of Heliotrope, which is derived from the Greek words
signifying " sun," and " I turn." Delighted with the charming acquisition, the
learned botanist collected a quantity of seeds and sent them to the Jardin du
Roiy at Paris, where it was first cultivated in Europe, in 1757.

It soon became a treasured household flower, and is found in every window
garden and bouquet. Three species have since been introduced from the south of
Europe and Asia.

The Heliotrope has been called emblematical of flattery. The Orientals say,
that its perfumes elevate their souls toward heaven.

It is prized more for its fragrance than the beauty of its flowers ; though Vol-
taireanum has deep purple flowers that are very handsome, and many of the later
varieties are rich in coloring as well as in perfume.

The cottagers of England used to call it " cherry pie," from a fancied resemb-
lance of the fragrance of the flower to the odor of nicely cooked cherries. The
variety introduced by Jussieu was called Heliotropium Peruvianum, and is still
cultivated ; and it was many years before much change of color was effected in
the flower, and now its shades are either lighter or of a rich purple. It will
bloom the whole season ; is never without flowers in California, where it grows
in immense bushes, and blooms most luxuriantly.

It is a favorite with every one, as its odors are not so strong as those of many
other flowers, and pervade the atmosphere to a small extent. The older the
plant, the more profuse are its flowers, but it must be kept in a healthy condition
to bloom in perfection.

Cuttings grown in open borders become very rank and succulent, but if kept
over the next season, this disappears and a woody stem succeeds it.

They can be grown as standards and make fine showy plants. Prune off all
the lower branches, and let a single leading stem remain, with a head of several
feet in diameter. Peruvianum is well adapted to train in this manner, for
when the plant is three or four years old its branches assume .a drooping habit.

These plants require close pruning to flower profusely. If you desire to keep

WINDOW GARDENING 205

the plant for winter flowering, do not turn it out of the pot, but keep it in a
sunny location, and in August trim off a great many of its branches, then the
young growth will push forth, and by January it will be covered with blossoms.

Ic will flower in a warm atmosphere, from 68° to 70°, but it can bear a heat of
50° and do well. The green fly never touches it, but the red spider will some-
times ruin it ; yet frequent spongings will keep it away. It likes a good, rich
soil, with a moderate admixture of sand.

Cuttings root very easily, either in sand or vials of water, and if struck in
March will make fine plants by another winter.

They must have the sun; they cannot grow in a shady location. The varieties
vary considerably in habit, some being of rampant, robust growth, while others
are dwarf and compact.

The freest bloomers are :

Boule de Niege, blush white.

Alexina, deep bluish purple.

Corymbosa, dwarf, light lavender.

Gem, dark bluish purple.

Jane Mesmer, rich dark purple.

Triumphe de Guascoi, robust growth, pale lilac.

Madame Parker, very dark purple.

Madame Rendatler, very bushy, light lavender.

Jersey Belle, dwarf and compact, lavender.

Voltaireanum, bluish purple.

The Lantana.

This plant was given the ancient name of the Viburnum, because its foliage re-
sembled it. It was brought from the West Indies in 1692. The flowers are a
little like those of the verbena, but change in color from yellow to a deep orange
and red, or from yellow to a rich rose-color. The florists have experimented
with it, and produced many new varieties, among them a pure white flower,
which is much admired. It grows very robust in a rich but sandy loam, and
needs plenty of sun and water when in flower. It is propagated either by seeds
or cuttings. The latter can be started in April or May, either in water or
sand, and will make large plants by another spring.

This plant can bear the knife well, and can be trained into a graceful shape. It
needs repotting every spring, and then is the time to prune it, and shorten in the
branches. Towards autumn give less water to harden the wood. If large plants
are desired tc be kept through the winter for bedding out another summer, place
them in a cool cellar, frost proof, however, and let them remain until March
without any wateY, unless the soil become dust dry; but in a damp and perfectly
dark cellar this rarely occurs.

The handsomest varieties for window gardens are :

Lantana alba grandiflora, large flowered white.

Crocea superba, brilliant orange turning to scarlet.

206 WINDOW GARDENING.

Comtesse Mory, blush turning to rose.
Fillonii, yellow, changing to purple.
Fulgens mutdbilis, scarlet and yellow.
Garibaldi, lilac.

Imperatrice Eugenie, blush and white
Snowball, purest of white.
Surpasse, lilac, with yellow.
Zanthena, scarlet buff and lemon-color.

The Hoya, or Wax Plant.

This plant will thrive splendidly in a close, hot room. It does not require
much moisture, but loves heat. It is a fine plant to droop over pictures or train
about windows. The pot can be placed on a high shelf near a window, and the
branches trained so that they will have the warm air at the top of the room.

The Hoya requires a soil of peat, loam and a little sand, and if liquid manure
is given every fortnight it will not need repotting oftener than four or five years,
as it does not root vigorously.

The flower stalks bloom anew year after year, so they should not be cut off
when the petals drop.

The best way of propagating this plant is by layers, though cuttings can some-
times be started with much bottom heat.

The leaves are of a deep, waxy green, and the flowers are cream -colored, with
dark chocolate stamens, and possess a peculiar fragrance, often likened to the
odor of fresh baked bread. They bloom in full clusters, and secrete a honey
like juice.

The Hoya is not commonly cultivated, yet it merits attention.

CHAPTER XIX.

The Geranium.

The improvement in the Geranium by English and American florists, both in
the size of the individual flower, or their clusters, or their foliage, are really
wonderful when compared with the flowers of fifteen years ago.

Frequently the single flower is now as large as a silver quarter of a dollar,
and the trusses will often measure over six inches in diameter, while colors are
seen from the purest white to most delicate rose, brilliant scarlet, richest crim-
son, loveliest salmon-color, and striped pink and white.

The foliage is also much improved ; it is margined with gold or silver, zoned
with chocolate, white, black, crimson, aud gold, and in a few choice varieties,
like Lady Cullum and Madame Pollock; nearly all these colors may be seen i
one separate leaf.

Their habits are also changed from the straggling growth of former times, to
dwarf, compact shrubs, which are in perfect shape.

The florist's skill has taken still another step, and produced the Double Flow-
ered Geranium, whose individual flowers are double as a Chrysanthemum, and
do not drop their petals as the single varieties, but each flower withers on its
stem ; and by cutting it off the other flowers fill its place, and the beauty of the
cluster is preserved for a long season. These varieties run through the same
series of colors as single species, although a pure £nowy white has not yet been
produced, but a peach blossom variety shows that the white will soon appear.

The flower clusters are often enormous — sixty flowers having been produced
on one truss — and they are exceedingly beautiful for bouquets, baskets, and
vases.

With the other improvements have come a Lilliputian variety with smaller
foliage, and a compact, dwarf growth, very vigorous in habit, while the flowers
equal in beauty those of the taller varieties.

The Ivy-leaved species have yielded to the effects of hybridizing with the
Zonale class, and the results are great improvements in the foliage, variegating
the leaves with yellow, pink and white, while the flowers have increased in size
and color, and approach nearer to those of the Zonales.

The sweet-scented Geraniums have also increased in number, and a variegated
""caved Rose Geranium has been introduced whose foliage is very attractive.

These different varieties are propagated by seeds and cuttings chiefly. The
seeds require sandy soil and warmth to veget&te, but will sometimes spring up
of themselves in the open ground.

208 WINDOW GARDENING.

Cuttings are easily struck, as recommended in Part T.

The plants require plenty of sun, air, water ; a rich loamy soil, with wetkly
waterings of liquid manure, and a season of rest. A good compost is made of
one-half two years old manure, and one-half good fresh loam.

For winter blooming, che plants should be repotted early in September; shake
all the earth away from the roots, prune back the tops closely, and cut in the
branches with due regard to the shape of the plants. Press the fresh earth
closely around the soil, and keep the plants shaded for a week or so, then give
more sun and water, and by December they will be stocky, thrifty plants, with
buds well set, which will keep in bloom for many months.

They do not require a warm temperature, and should be kept cool at night,
and ought not to be crowded as they want a free circulation of air through the
branches and leaves; but draughts of air will injure them. When the buds
begin to show they need to be stimulated with liquid manure.

In summer, when the weather is close and hot, it is well to keep saucers
under the pots, and give water twice a day, as the foliage will wilt and become
injured if the roots get dry, and they do not need the noonday sun ; are better
if shaded from it.

It is difficult to give lists of the very best when all are so good, but a few
choice varieties are herewith appended :

ZONALE GERANIUMS,

Azucena, salmon-color shaded to white, large flower.

Cheerfuly bright cherry-color.

Christine, richest rosy pink, nosegay variety.

Distinction, brilliant carmine, bordered with white.

Gloire de Corbenay, bright salmon pink, tipped with white.

Knight of the Garter, deepest orange scarlet, marked with pink, nosegay
Tariety.

Cybister, the most dazzling scarlet nosegay.

Madame Chandon, bright rose- color, extra large flower.

Madame Paul Hibon, white ground, bordered and veined with blood-red ;
extra.

Madame Chate, salmon-color, marked with white, and bordered with rose-
color.

Ne plus Ultra, pure rose, spotted with white.

Snowball, purest white, dwarf habit.

Vicomtesse de Flavigny, bright rose, marked with white ; extra flower

Madame Dupanloup, blush white, nosegay.

TRICOLOR GERANIUMS.

Lady Cullum, margined with gold, mingled with crimson, and bronze ; scarlet
flowers.

WINDOW GARDENING 209

Mrs. Pollock, zone of red, belted with crimson and gold-color; scarlet
flowers.

Sir Robert Napier, broad, black zone indented with brilliant scarlet, and mar
gined with gold flowers, peach-color, with rose centre

Sophie Dumaresque, chocolate zone, margined with golden yellow ; scarlet
flower.

Beauty of Oulton, broad, bronze zone, on a yellow green leaf; flowers cerise
scarlet.

Beauty of Calderdale, broad zone of a reddish bronze, margined with yellow ;
scarlet flowers.

Italia Unita, broad, white margin; flowers scarlet.

Sunset, ground color, golden yellow, veined with crimson, black and green.

Mountain of Snow, pure white margined leaves, scarlet flowers.

LILLIPUTIAN ZONALE.

Baby Boy, scarlet, white eye.

Beauty of Sureenes, rich shade of pink.

Bridesmaid, rosy salmon-color.

Cybester, orange crimson.

Little Dear, delicate rose, with white spots.

Little Gem, brilliant vermilion, white centre.

Pretty Jemima, brilliant scarlet, white eye.

DOUBLE FLOWERING.

Conseiller Ragon, rich orange red, very fine.
CaptLa Hermite, rich scarlet.
Andrew Henderson, brightest cherry scarlet.
Jeanne de St. Maur, bright dazzling vermilion.
Le Vesuve, very double scarlet flowers, habit dwarf and compact.
Ferre Promise, a bright satiny red, dwarf, bushy growth.
Emile Lemoine, crimson scarlet flowers, very double.
Marie Lemoine, rosy pink, very fine dwarf.
William Pfitzer, orange scarlet-color.
Victor Lemoine, brightest scarlet, dwarf and bushy.
Triomphe de Lorraine, rosy carmine, striped with white.

SWEET SCENTED.

Under this head are comprised the several varieties of Rose-scented
Rose Capitatum<

Capitatum Major, large leaf, rose.
Denticulatum, cut leaf, rose.
Odoratissimum, apple-scented.
Odoratissimum-erectum, nutmeg-scented.
Shrubland Pet, variegated foliage.

14

210 WINDOW GARDENING.

Lady Plymouth, variegated foliage, rose scented.
Dr. Livingston, lemon-scented.
Quercifolium, eximium, oak-leaved.

IVY-LEAVED GERANIUMS

Aurea variegata, golden margined.

Lateripes, the common variety, white flowers.

L' Elegante, brilliant green foliage, with broad bands of creamy white, pme
white flowers; extra handsome.

Duke of Edinburgh^ (Holly wreath,} variegated with gold and silver margins ;
pink flowers.

The Pelargonium.

Pelargoniums are also among the most beautiful plants we have for house
culture. Fifteen years ago, or more, great attention was paid to their cultiva-
tion, and veined, spotted and white flowers, which rivaled the Pansy in size and
beauty of coloring, were yearly the pride and boast of the florist. Of late years
the Zonale and Double Flowered Geraniums have been more attended to, but
they can never equal the flowers of the Pelargonium.

They are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, and trace their name to the re-
semblance of the Capsules to the Stork's bill ; hence frompelargos, the Latin for
Stork, comes the title. Nothing can surpass the richness of coloring of these
flowers.

Mr. Henderson places it as his first choice. " If I were confined to grow but
a single genus of plants for conservatoiy decoration, the Pelargonium would be
chosen." Their hues are in every shade of scarlet, crimson, cherry, pink, pur-
ple to lilac and white, while they are blotched, marbled and spotted with velvety
black, maroon, and all its shades.

Their growth is very vigorous, and they require repotting both spring and
fall to bloom in full perfection.

They are most charming flowers for all kinds of grouping, and their colors
blend and mingle in great beauty.

They are easy of culture, but require a rich soil to flourish well. Cuttings
rooted in the spring make large plants by autumn. The old roots can be wintered
in pots or boxes in the cellar, and brought forward to light and heat in March,
and should not be allowed to wilt for want of water.

New varieties are raised from seeds sown as soon as ripe, or in March or
April. When the fourth or fifth leaves are well developed transplant into three
inch pots

Some of the newest varieties are :

Belle of the Ball, rose-color, veined, and blotched with crimson.

Butterfly, deepest crimson with black spots and veins.

Captivation, purest white, blotched with deep crimson.

Emperor, lower petals nearly white, upper ones dark maroon.

WINDOW GARDENING. 211

Eugene Duval, light purple with dark blotches.

General Taylor, carmine with crimson spots.

Grand Duchess Stephanie, brilliant carmine with very da^ ' blotches.

Invincible, crimson, veined with white.

ISAvenir, rosy scarlet, striped with white.

Monarch, maroon, crimson and rose.

Madame Leroy, violet purple, with bluish lilac centre.

Sunrise, delicate scarlet and crimson, with dark blotcfc*

Unique Miellez cherrv «w»0ri«»*

XX.

THE OLEANDER ; BOUVARDIA ; MAHERNIA ODOR ATA.

The Oleander is a native of the Holy Land, and Keble alludes to it as fol
lows:

"In the flowery land of Palestine it is always found wherever rivers or water
courses invite its thirsty roots.

The banks of the Jordan are clothed with this beautiful plant, aptly styled "a
gem among flowers; and it blooms at the overflow of that river, its roots being
then partly nmersed in water; yet it will endure the extreme heat and baked
soil of an E istern summer when the brooks and rivers are shrunk into the nar-
rowest streams."

A rich turfy loam must be provided for it to grow in, and from the end of
September until March or April, it should receive no more water than will pre-
vent the soil from being crumbly ; and during the rest of the year it should
have a most bountiful supply, and the tub or pot should be immersed in a saucer
or a half tub filled with water.

It is very easily propagated by cuttings during the spring or summer months.
They should be taken from the young shoots and cut off close under the fourth
joint, cutting off the three lower leaves, but without injuring the bark of the
stem.

The most simple way of rooting them is in vials of rainwater, hung in the
windows of a warm room. The cuttings should not be deeper in the water than
half way up to the second joint. In a short time tiny white roots will make their
appearance, and when these are about half an inch long, take it carefully out
and pot in light sandy soil ; keep moist and shaded from the sun until the
bright color of the leaves show that the roots are growing.

Water and warmth will produce roots rapidly, but cannot sustain growth.
So when cuttings are rooted in water, they should be transplanted as soon as
the rootlets are from half an inch to an inch in length.

Dwarf Oleanders that will flower the succeeding spring, when not over a foo
high, can be produced as follows :

Early in September or October, according to your climate, cut three to four
joints from a topmost branch, leaving a joint at the end, strip off the leaves,
take a six inch pot filled with turfy loam, and a little moss at the bottom of the
pot, press it firmly in, and make holes around the edge of the pot about an inch
and a half apart, pour into each hole half an inch of sand, and plant the cut-
tings firmly in it. Cover the top of the pot an inch deep with sand, saturate

WINDOW GARDENING. 213

the whole with water, and see that each cutting is fixed and immovable -with
out a strong pull. Upon the close contact of cutting and soil depends half oi
your success. Keep in a temperature not over 50° during the winter, and
among the cuttings will be found several which have the heads of future bloom
in the upper leaves, and the perfect flowers will expand by April or May.

Of course the cuttings must not be allowed to become dry. Most plants col-
lect during the summer a greater store of nutriment than is required for their
support during the winter; so if cuttings of Oleander, Hydrangeas, Cacti, etc.,
are taken late in the season, they possess quite a store of nutriment, and will
grow better, and flower more profusely.

The only trouble is that these late cuttings require more care to keep them
alive during the winter than if they had been made in the spring, but where
there is no difficulty, there is no honor.

Bouvardia.

These winter blooming plants are invaluable in every conservatory or indoor
garden. They are of a shrubby character, of the easiest culture and becom-
ing exceedingly popular. They have the merit of being free bloomers, flowering
in clusters of varied colors from pink to crimson, scarlet and white, and their
flowers are considered excellent for bouquets. As plants for the decoration of
the lawn, also, it is doubtful if they have any superior. In outdoor culture they
will bloom from August down until cold weather, and if lifted within doors be-
fore frost, they will continue blooming down until March.

They are popular with every florist on account of their profusion of bloom,
and the number and excellence of varieties seems to increase yearly. Still they
are little known in any of our country homes or family flower gardens. They
are essentially lovers of the hot house during the winter, needing a temperature
at night of 55° to flower well.

They are propagated chiefly from pieces of the roots, as cuttings do not grow
easily; yet it is best for all amateurs at first to procure their plants already
started, and then by degrees learn the art of reproduction.

The plants require training, and the tops should be nipped off frequently in
the summer to give them a bushy shape. They are also tender, and a slight
chill only will prove injurious. Give them a good supply of water when in full
flower, less in summer.

The usual melhod of culture is to let them grow during the summer in the
common garden border ; then in the fall lift them, pack very closely in
sand filled boxes, and store in the cellar to keep through the winter. If desired
to bloom during the winter, cut back one-half the wood, water sparingly,
place in the cellar for six weeks, then bring to the heat and light, give a copious
watering, and in a few days you will have a fine bloom.

The soil for potting should be loam, leaf mould, peat, and a little sprinkling
of silver sand ; pot firmly. If you wish immediate bloom, let the plants stand out
doors in the fall, two weeks before you bring them to the conservatory, and

214 WINDOW GARDENING.

then you will soon be repaid by numerous clusters of bright, sweet-scented

flowers.
Our list of varieties, by constant improvement, has become quite excellent,

but originally there were only two principal varieties, B. leiantha and Hogarth

Angustifolie has flowers of a very rich orange scarlet, a dwarf growth and neat
foliage. It blooms constantly during the summer.

Hogarth^ bright scarlet, long tube, and splendid raceme, a very vigorous grower,
and fine habit.

Elegans, a sport from the Hogarth, light scarlet carmine, wjth the novelty and
merit of flower trusses, of immense size, sometimes measuring 4 to 5 inches
in diameter. Comes true from root cuttings.

Leianthe, bright dazzling scarlet ; an old, well known, and desirable variety.

Jasminoides, a most valuable acquisition, discovered in a private collection of
plants in London, England, origin unknown, but supposed to have been
produced from seeds sent from South America. Its merits consist chiefly
in its ease of propagation. By cutting, its growth is rapid, yielding an abun-
dance of flowers of waxy whiteness, said to resemble the jasmine in appear-
ance and fragrance.

For bouquets and baskets of cut flowers florists esteem it invaluable.

Vreelandiiy a sport from Hogarth, pure white, a compact and vigorous grower,
profuse bloomer, bearing tresses of largest size, readily propagated from root
or top cuttings ; considered by many to rank at the head of the white
varieties.

fasminoidcs compaeta, dwarf habit, white flower, yields a very agreeable fra-
grance, and quite a profuse bloorner. Both this and the Jasminoides are
very valuable for vases and drawing room boquets.

Mdhernia.

A delicate little plant, always pleasing with its freedom of bloom. It is more
properly called Hermannia, named in honor of Hermann, a Dutch Botanist, yet
among florists its popular name of Mahernia is still retained. Nothing can be
more lovely than a pot of it in full bloom, thickly hung with its lemon-colored
bell-shaped flowers, which possess the most delicious odor, resembling that of
the Lily of the Valley.

It is easily raised by cutting started in damp sand, and when they have
struck, transplanted to pots filled with a peaty loam.

It likes moisture, but not too much of it, and an application of liquid manure
should be made once a week or so. The odornta is the variety usually grown,
although there are other kinds, Hector and Diana, orange and pink. If too
luxuriant, pinch in unsparingly.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE VERBENA, PETUNIA, PYRETHRUM.

Bedding plants like these are not to be recommended generally for window
culture, still window gardeners will have them, and we can only give directions
for their culture.

Very great improvements have been made in the last few years in the Ver-
bena, both in the size of the individual flowers and the form of its clusters; also
in the great variety of its brilliant colors of crimson, scarlet, lilac, bluish pur-
ple, and all their intermediate shades, with eyes of white, deep crimson,
rose, purple, and yellow, and still others are striped and ^potted.

They are great lovers of the sun, will not thrive without it, yet will not grow
in the hot, dry atmosphere of many sitting rooms, but require a cool room dur-
ing the winter months, and a goodly share of fresh air when the frost is not
in it.

When grown as a house plant they must be placed close to the glass, and the
mercury should not be over 50° during the day and less than 45° at night, until
March. They do not like moisture in the winter, but should be kept a little
dry ; when you do water, give a good supply, and pour away all that falls into
the saucer.

Shower the foliage weekly, to keep it clear of the green fly which injures it
irroatly. The Verbena Mite, which produces the "black rust" upon these
plants, is also very destructive to them, but plentiful showerings and washings
v\ ill keep it way.

These plants are particular as to soil, blooming plentifully in sandy or clayey
loam, if it is enriched with well decayed manure, or liquid stimulants.

The young shoots root very rapidly, and they are to be selected to make plants
for window gardens. The reason why many fail to keep them through the win-
ter is, that they attempt to keep the old plants, or layers from them, instead of
striking cuttings in September or October from entire new growth.

The sulphate of ammonia is an excellent fertilizer for Verbenas, giving the
foliage a dark green, healthy appearance, and it is easily prepared and applied.

Dissolve one ounce of the ammonia in four gallons of warm water; it can be
«.'.-» ven once a week. Keep the soil well stirred up in the pots; this is very essen-
tial to the healthy growth of all pot plants, for their roots must have air to
Hourish. well.

The cuttings should be pinched back to keep the plants stocky and robust.

In raising them from seeds, the soil should be very sandy, and kept uniformly

216 WINDOW GARDENING.

moist; the seecU should also be soaked before sowing. When the second row of
leaves is well developed transplant the seedlings into shallow boxes.

As a plant for a vase, either outdoors or indoors, the Verbena has few equals
its bright cheerful colors and steady bloorn being well calculated to please the
fancy of any one.

Many Verbenas are grown in the house during the summer season, although
more pretty in the open garden border. Yet we suppose every one has their
fancy and like to keep something pretty constantly on their window sill. Thej
need only plenty of light and air ; not too much watering, and careful pinching

A good soil for potting Verbenas is sand 1 part, loam 2 parts, and leaf mould
or decayed manure 2 parts. Keep it well drained. If you have a conservatory
place them upon a top shelf until ready to bring to the window for show. Damp
ness causes mildew, and then comes the green fly, the destruction of which is
scoured only by fumigation with tobacco.

If they grow too straggling, train them, and a convenient trellis or framework
may be made for them by using some of the wire or wooden frames used in
floral stores, set sloping outward from the edge of the pots.

The list of varieties is indeed formidable, and every florist has not only his
fancies, but seedlings of his own year after year, so that new varieties are
abundant enough not to attract any remarkable attention. Our bright summer
sunshiny days are very suitable for the development of seeds ; hence our
American florists are able in many cases to produce handsome varieties surpass
ing those of Europe.

SPECIAL LIST.
Annie, one of the very best, white, striped with crimsor blooms constantly

and vigorous grower, truss large.
Black Bedder, very dark maroon, rich.
Conspicua, ruby scarlet, with white eye.
Colossus, crimson, violet eye, very large.
Ceres, light blush, crimson eye.
Decorator, light cherry scarlet, yellow eye.
Diadem, large white, violet bordered.
Enoch Arden, blush, crimson and maroon.
*Formosa, large pink, white eye.
* Gazelle, deep blue, clear white eye.

Harlequin, pure white, striped and splashed with rosy carmine
Ivanhoe, rich bluish purple, white eye.
King of Blacks , deep maroon.
Lafayette, scarlet crimson, with white centre.
Fire Gleam, light scarlet, dwarf habit.
Pink Beauty, bright pink, with white eye.
Purple Standard, rich dark purple^ white centre.
Silver Star, dark maroon, with large white centre.

WINDOW GARDENING. 217

* Ultramarine, the best blue raised, very fragrant.
White Beauty, purest white.
Warrior, crimson maroon, violet eye.

*Beacon, fine dark scarlet.

Those marked with a star are considered best novelties for this year. Lists
change so frequently, and new ones are formed so quickly, that many a variety
becomes old and forgotten in a few seasons. The public in this respect are de-
pendent solely upon the annual announcements of the florists. We could wish
good varieties might be a little more permanent and less shifting.

The Verbena derives its name from the Celtic for Vervain, a common wild
flower. It bears its flowers in long spikes, while the Verbena is a cluster flow-
ered variety. The Vervain was called holy herb ; it grew plentifully on the
Capitoline Hill at Rome, and was much used in religious festivals, and also em-
ployed as a symbol in making treaties of peace.

The Druids, of Great Britain, held it in high esteem, and used it in foretelling
future events, and in casting lots ; but for these purposes the plant must be
gathered " when the daystar rose at such a time as neither the sun nor the
moon should be above the earth to see it," and also that before they take up the
herb they bestow upon the ground where it greweth honey, with the comb, in
token of satisfaction and amends for the violence done in depriving her of so
holy an herb."

The Vervain is said to grow in the vicinity of villages and towns, and never
in the wilds, which has gained for it the name of " Simple r's Joy."

The Verbena is found growing wild in Kansas, and there is a species called
Verbena montane, which grows in our western territories, but its flowers are
small compared to those we cultivate.

21ie Petunia.

Here we meet some very charming favorites. The common single Petunias
will grow in any soil, being usually quite hardy. The large double varieties are
very fragrant and frail, and though easily raised for cuttings produce few if
any seeds.

Start cuttings in April or May, and plant them in damp sand, keeping it moist
all the time. When rooted pot in rich garden loam and press the soil carefully
around the roots ; keep in the shade until the roots begin to grow, then give it
all the sunshine you can. Pinch off the flower buds during the summer, to
allow the plant to become bushy, and do not give too much water to make the
sprouts spindle out. There are no handsomer house plants than the improved
Double and Single Petunias, and their culture is very simple. Some varieties
will train easily, and require a frame for support. The Double varieties are
blotched and striped like Pelargoniums, or Picotee Pinks, and are exceedingly
beautiful and attractive Among the finest are :

218 WINDOW GARDENING.

DOUBLE.

John Lyons, very large size, violet.
Vick's New Fringed, a new strain with fringed or frilled edges, various coloi B,

long tube.

Queen of White, pure white, too good for bedding out.
B. K. Bliss, white blotched with violets.
Dame Blanche, pure white.
Dexter, crimson and white, marbled.
Edward Beck, very large blush pink.
Gov. Geary, white blotched with crimson.
Mrs. Colt, pure white, striped and spotted with violet.
Magnet, habit compact, growth very vigorous, flower white blotched, with

purplish crimson. Measures often five inches in diameter. The best of all

the doubles.

THE SINGLE VARIETIES.
Admiration, white, blotched with lilac.
Ceres, pure white, purple throat.
Enchantress, white carmine edges.
Gen. Grant white, marked with fine crimson bars.
Louisa, crimson, beautifully striped with white.
Maculata, white blotched with lilac.
Triumph, white edged with rose, purple centre.

The Pyrethrum.

This is a species of Chamomi'le which also bears the name of Fever Few, and
is of the same order as the Daisy and Chrysanthemum. Its delicate green foli-
age and pure white double flowers, make it a very beautiful plant for house
culture, and it is desirable for dressing the hair, and many olher purposes of
ornament. It is very hardy, will bear a severe frost without injury, and will
live out in the coldest climates if protected by sods.

It is propagated by cuttings and divisions of the roots. The cuttings strike
with great ease if the piece is kept in water a week; the roots will form very
quickly. They will grow in any soil, and prefer a shady location, where they
will bloom in great perfection. Do this in March or April.

The Pyrethrum is also called Mountain Daisy, because it is a native of high
places like the Caucasus and the Ural Mountains.

An enthusiastic gardener describes the best of the named varieties as extreme-
ly beautiful; " many of them are like Pompone Chrysanthemums; others like
Anemone Chrysanthemums; others like Mangolds. Their colors range from
purest white to the deepest crimson and purple, the shades of crimson being
particularly brilliant."

CHLAJPTER XXII.

THE MIGNONETTE. How TO FORM A TREE. CINERARIA. WALL
FLOWER. STOCKGILLY.

The Mignonette, or Reseda odorata,\s very desirable for winter bloom because
its perfume is so delicious. Linnaeus compares its odors to those of Ambrosia,
and it is sweeter and more penetrating at the rising and setting of the sun than
at noonday.

Its floral language is, " Your qualities surpass your charms," for its flowers are
very insignificant when compared to the brilliant colorings of many others.

For blooming in the house, the seeds should be sown in August, in the pots
where they will bloom ; and when started, pull up all but three or four good
strong roots, keep in a shady place, and pinch off the top shoots to keep the
plants from straggling; give liquid manure once a week, and by November you
will have a pot full of branches ; then let the buds form at their pleasure, and bo-
fore December is out, the flowers will be in great profusion.

For soil in the pots, use 3 parts loam, 1 part dung, and 1 part leaf mould.
When water is applied, do so in the morning, so that the foliage may be dry
before night.

To have Mignonettes the year round, begin sowing as early as February, then
again in April, in September and October. Thin out the plants as fast as they
grow up, to but five in the pot ; shade from the sun, in the heat of the day, as
otherwise the foliage might have a yellow and unsightly appearance.

For training, five small stakes may be stuck into the pot at equal distances
from each other, and tie the plant thereto.

In thinning, keep the largest in one pot and the smallest in others so as to
give a succession of bloom. If it is desired to cause any to bloom late, pinch off
the tops of a few as soon as they begin to flower ; they will break out again and
bloom three weeks or a month later than others of the same sowing.

In boxes they are very pretty. It is best to grow them in pots first until just
ready to bloom, and then transfer them to the box, where they can branch out
and flower for a long time.

The Mignonette is a native of Egypt and Barbary. In France and England it
is much cultivated in boxes made to fit into windows and balconies.

To Form a Tree.

This is an interesting operation, and one particularly agreeable to window gar-
deners, from the careful superintendence it requires, as well as the singularity,

220

WIND OW GA RDEN1NG .

beauty and fragrance of the plant, and it shows so conclusively what results can
be obtained from close pruning and attention.

Some persons think that the Tree Mignonette is a distinct variety from the
common kind grown in gardens; but it is not so ; upon the process of formation
alone does the difference rest. Sow the seeds as directed above. The soil should
be rather rich, but friable, not heavy. When the plants come up, thin out the
weakest, so as to leave only one strong growing plant directly in the centre of
the pot.

Push a stiff piece of wire down by the side of the plant, and when it is two
inches high commence tying it loosely with a worsted thread to the wire, and

keep it well supported.
Every side branch that ap-
pears from the main stem
must be pinched off; but the
leaves must be allowed to
remain on the stem as their
functions are needed for the
health and support of the
plant. In four or five
months turn out the ball of
earth to see if it requires a
larger size ; f>ut do not give
it unless the roots are curled
around the edges of the ball.
When the plant is a foot
or more in height, according
to the fancy of the cultivator,
tne s^e sll°°t« can be per
mitted to grow, but they
must have their heads

Fig. 74.-Tree Mignionette. pinched off -Occasionally, to

force them to form a bushy top of ten or twelve inches in diameter. This
will be accomplished in from nine to twelve months, and then one plant will be
sufficient to perfume a large room. Every year it should be repotted, and it
will bear an abundance of fragrant flowers for many seasons.

The Reseda odorata, or Sweet Mignonette, is our most popular variety, unless
we except

The Parsons New White Mignonette, which is white also, but much more
vigorous. The flowers are larger, but some do not consider the color any diffei
eut or superior. In other respects it is, however, an improvement.

The Cineraria.

This plant is usually grown in pots or boxes, and it flowers abundantly during
the greater part of the winter and early spring. The variety of its colors, the

^i>

WIND OW GARD ENINQ .

221

beauty of the leaves of some of the plants, and the spicy fragrance of others,
makes it suitable for the smallest collection of plants.

It requires a friable loam, and does not need the sun during the warmest part
of the day in the summer.

There are three methods of increasing this pretty plant : by seed, which ripen
abundantly in this country, and from which the various beautiful hybrid varie-
ties recently introduced have been obtained ; by cuttings, and by divisions of the
roots. Seed sown in sandy soil in May, will make tine blossoming plants in
January.

Cuttings strike readily in damp sand or water. The dwarf varieties are quite
an improvement upon the older sorts.

The Wall Flower.

The Wall Flower is an old fashioned flower, not much cultivated in these days
of novelties. Yet many flowers, much less worthy of admiration, are seen, and
the double varieties are particularly attractive, on account of their sweetness and
peculiar colorings. We read in old literature of "The yellow Wall Flower
stained with iron brown," and again

" The rude stone fence with fragrant Wall flowers gay,

To me more pleasure yield
Than all the pomp imperial domes survey."

Tradition associates with this plant one of her wildest fantasies :
In ancient days a noble castle stood amid woods and wilds near the Trent,
and a fair damsel had long been detained a prisoner within its walls, because she
had given her young love to the heir of a hostile clan ; and although the youth
was of equal birth, and renowned for feats of arms and strength, the deadly
hatred of those fierce days forbade all thoughts of their marriage.

Many stratagems did the youth devise to obta n possession of his love, but they
had all failed. At length a serving woman came to his aid, and it was arranged
that with a silken ladder she should descend the fearful height and meet her
lover, and the poetry thus describes her fate :

"Up then she got upon a wall,
Attempted down to slide withal;
But the silken twist untied,
So she fell, and bruised, she died.
Love in pity to the deed,
And her loving luckless speed,
Turn'd her to this plant, we call
Now, the Flower of the Wall"

Hence, the Wall Flower has become an emblem of fidelity.

The ancient English dames took much pleasure in cultivating this plant, and
in wearing its blosi-oms, so that the title of " Dames' Violet " was applied to it.

The blossom is cruciform, having in its natural state only four petals ; but cul-
tivation has changed the stamens into petals, as is often the case. It will not
bloom until the second year from the seed, but if potted in Septemb.r will bloom

222 WINDOW GARDENING.

by March or April. Unless the soil is very rich the double flo-vers will become
single.

Cuttings must be raised in sandy loam, and then transplanted into rich soil, or
they will degenerate from the parent plant. With but little care Wall Flowerg
will live for many years and blossom profusely.

Stocks.

These are biennials, and blossom in the early spring of the second year from
seeds sown in April.

The later varieties are very beautiful, and make most showy and fragrant plants
for house culture.

The varieties most suitable for winter flowering are the German Brompton, 01
Cocardeau ; the flowers are very bushy ; the latter have a single stem and flowei
and formed in the shape of a pyramid.

These stocks are in the richest of colors, varying from scarlet, crimson, pink,
purple, lilac, to white and cream-color.

The roots can be lifted from garden borders into pots or boxes, and kept in the
cellar until March, when they can be brought forward to the sunlight, and will
soon be covered with their brilliant, fragrant flowers.

If the seed has been sown in spring in the garden, the plants can grow until
autumn, and then be transferred to pots for indoor culture, and flowering during
the winter.

If sown in July and August, and grown in pots, they will bloom the follow-
ing spring and summer.

The culture of Stocks for the window garden is destined to make them one of
the most popular fancies of the amateur. Their bloom makes a most desirable
display.

CBLAJPTER XXIII.

THE CARNATION.

The Monthly Carnations are the species most in request for window gardens,
as they bloom several times a year, though scarcely every month, excepting in
California. There the soil and climate is peculiarly adapted to their needs, is
exactly formed for their culture, and the flowers bloom in the greatest profu-
sion, of the largest size, and in the most perfect colorings.

Many of the best species are brought from Italy and Germany, and the im-
ported seeds come from Erfurt, and some parts of Thuringia, where the cul-
ture of the Carnation is a specialite.

There are three kinds of Carnations — Flakes, Bizarres and Picotees.

The Flakes have only one color disposed in broad stripes on a pure white or
yellow ground, and it extends through each petal from its margin to the base.

The Picotees, from the French picoti, was formerly spotted with purple, scar-
let or crimson spots on a yellow or white ground, but the florists have changed
its character, and it is no longer a spotted Carnation, but one with all the color
confined to a border around each petal.

The Bizarres have two or more colors running from the margin to the base
of the petal, in irregular stripes of purple, scarlet, cherry, pink or lilac, on a
white or yellow ground.

Each of these classes have passed through transformations, and there seems
hardly any limit to the rare shadings, veinings and marblings which the flower
has assumed. A good, rich compost is indispensable to the production of fine
flowers ; there is scarcely any plant to which a congenial soil is of so much im-
portance. It does not like a wet soil, but one that is rich in leaf mould and
perfectly decomposed cow or horse manure. Many years ago the weavers in
various counties of England and Scotland were celebrated for their Carnations,
and there were various receipts for composts which were jealously kept from
the public. One of these receipts ran thus : " One half one year old horse
manure, one-sixth good garden soil, one-sixth leaf mould, and one-sixth coarse
sand. Mix together, and let it be exposed to the frosts all winter, turning it
as often as possible."

Carnations are propagated by seeds, layers and cuttings.

The seeds should be sown in April or May, in sandy soil, under glass, and
transplanted when two inches high.

Layering is best done in July or August. Take a fresh, young shoot, strong
and vigorous, which should be four or five joints in length ; strip off all the

224 WINDOW GARDENING.

leaves nearest the root, leaving only those on the two or three upper joints.
Stir up the soil about an inch, and fill up the pot with light, rich soil,
then take the shoot in the finger and thumb of the left hand, and bend it up-
wards, inserting a sharp knife below the third joint from the top; cut upwards
through the centre of that joint to about half or three-quarters an inch above
it ; then cut off the tongue directly under the joint, taking care not to cut it, as
it will not make roots so well; the future roots will spring from this joint;
any injury will prevent their formation. The incised shoot must then be gently
pressed into the soil, taking great care not to break or crack it at the joint.

As there is considerable danger of breaking the shoots on account of their
brittleness, it is well to place the plants in the hot sun, and withhold water;
this will cause them to wilt, and become more limber; and as soon as the layer
is well fastened into the ground by a thick hairpin, leave the point of the
shoot well exposed. The plant must be well watered and set in the shade.

Not more than a quarter of an inch of soil should be covered over the joint;
and none of the leaves should be covered, because they will decay and commu-
nicate it to the shoot, which will " damp off," as the gardeners term it.

Tf the plants are kept moist and shaded from the noonday sun, they will be
rooted in three or four weeks. Then they can be cut off from the parent plant,
with about half an inch of the stem which connects them to it, and planted in
rich soil.

Carnations are more hardy than many greenhouse plants, and require much
air, and a cool atmosphere until the flower buds begin to form. The flower-pod
or calyx, when nearly its full size, is apt to burst, letting out the petals at one
side, which presents a loose, ragged appearance, and spoils the circular symme-
try of the flower.

This must be prevented by tying the calyx around with a bit of green wool or
thread. Some make a ring from a piece of cardboard, and slip it over the bud,
so it will keep the petals in regular form when the calyx bursts. Propagation
by cuttings is more difficult than by layer, as they do not strike well without
artificial heat. Tf soaked in water for twenty-four hours, they will root more
quickly. A celebrated Carnation grower states that the chance of obtaining a
handsome Carnation from seed is as one to a hundred.

Manure water will often force flowers upon barren plants.

LIST OP VARIETIES OP CARNATIONS FOR PARLOR OR GREENHOUSE CULTITR1

Remontant or Monthly Carnations.

Astoria, white ground, with yellow, red and scarlet colors.
Botearis, blush mottled purple, clove scented.
Brightness, large bright scarlet, very double, clove fragrance.
Canary, yellow ground, slightly tinged rose.
Darkness, very dark crimson.
Defiance, deep crimson, large and fine.

WINDOW GARDENING. 225

Fortunii, crimson.

Flatbush, snowy white, deeply fringed, very strong in habit, and profuse
bloomer.

Little Beauty, carmine edge, yellow ground.

S'>lferino, dark violet purple, fragrant.

Unique, pure white, fine form.

Peerlesss, pure white, shaded with blush, large size flower, compact, brush/
habit, and immense bloomer.

Gen. Grant, pure white, blooming in clusters.

De Fontana, Orange, shaded purple.

Ma Glorie, red and yellow, very showy and attractive.

Best Winter Flowering Carnations.

President De Graw, pure white, shaded with blush, very large, deeply
fringed.

La Purite, rosy pink, profuse bloomer, one of the best for winter flowering.

Variegated La Purite, carmine, striped with black.

Vaillante, richest scarlet, deeply fringed, very fragrant, dwarf in habit, and
blooms profusely.

Edwardsii, pure white, large and perfect flower.

Donaldi's Pride, white, tipped with deep rose.

15

CHAPTER XXIV.

ALPINE PLANTS.

Among the great number of plants, which are acceptable for Window Garden-
ing, we rind the Alpine plant is one of the least cultivated for this purpose.
On account of the interesting shape of most of these plants and the tiny spaw
required for them by their pygmy appearance, they ought to take the main
part of the so said Lilliput Gardening. How is it, that even our nurserymen
lack a good deal of the true Alpine plants in their collection of plants, and
are in some ways to blame for the want of them amongst our decorated win-
dows? The answer is easily found. It is the fault of the present fashion.
Gardeners supply their customers rather with Coleus, Verbenas, Pelargoniums,
Heliotropes and other bedding plants, than with the exquisite fine Alpine plants,
which, of course, cannot be propagated in so short a time as common bedding
plants. The public is mostly satisfied with the latter plants, believing that the
culture of Alpine plants is one of great difficulty.

Most of all who have seen these beautiful, modest plants, with their vividness
of color, displayed in endless variety in perfect loveliness on the fringes
of the glaciers, near steep crevices or ghastly slopes, or in elevated plains
and pastures, in Switzerland, Tyrol and Savoy, have learned to love and
cherish the sweet flowers, and would like to grow them in their own home. For-
merly, when cultivation of Alpine plants was accomplished only in botanical
gardens, many difficulties arose; but now, after much patience, experience and
experiments, made with all kinds of these plants, the general error, that the
true Alpine plants only grow on high mountains in a cool temperature, has thus
been dispelled. It is a fact, that many Alpine plants which are found plenti-
fully on elevated plains or near glaciers, do often grow and flower in valleys or
lowland regions. Such are, for instance : Gentiana bavarica and verna, Dryas
octopetala, Mcehringia muscosa, Silene acaulis, Soldanella alpinay and several
various kinds of Saxifraga. Some again, found near slopes or crevices, grow
well in pots. Such are : Gnaphaliumleontopodium, (Leontvpodium Alpinum),
various kinds of Primulas, Primula Cortusoides and Acaulis, Aster Alpinus,
Ramondia Pyrenaica, all Alpine. Sedum and Sempervivum, Saxifraga umbrosa,
Pyramidalis. Others, which are met within sight of or among fields of snow,
or in places beyond our reach, are very difficult to cultivate, and therefore not
fit for window decoration. We mention especially several kinds of Saxifragen;
some Androsacen, Draba frigida Silene glacialis, Dinnthus glacial-is, Ran-
nunculus glacialis, and others. Of Alpine, plants, can be used those for Win*

WINDOW GARDENING.

227

dow Gardening, which bear well a hot summer. Of course, we need shady
places for most of them. On the high mountains of the Alps, where in summer
the temperature is much lowered at night, the plants like full light to spread
forth the brilliancy of their colors. To protect now, by cultivating Alpine
plants of durability, the same against high temperature during our long and
hot summer, we recommend the following arrangement and treatment:

Have a flat box made about eight inches high, and wide enough as to be easily
placed into the window casing. Cover the box, which is best made of zinc, at
the bottom with sand about an inch in depth, then arrange the pots in it accord-
ing to their size. Give to plants of a tall growth the centre, and surround them
by the smaller ones. Then rill up the spaces between each pot with a compost

228

WINDOW GARDENING

of coarse sand, small stones or broken bricks, and some charcoal ; water this
mixture well and cover it lightly with moss. By such management the plants
in pots will have a cool moist stand, which is just required for Alpine plants.
The soil for planting Alpine plants has to consist of a compost of leaf mould,
rich loams, some peat, sharp sand and a few pieces of broken bricks ; for in-

stance, t>r Saxifragen, Sedum and Sempervium. Another compost has one-
half of good rich loams, mixed up with one-half of leaf mould, a little sharp
sand and charcoal. He, who has much peat on hand, mix it up with coarse
sand and good old manure. Be careful in watering the plants ; do not give too
much or too little water, but a sufficient moisture, protect the plants against the

WINDOW GARDENING 229

hot midday sun, keep the leaves clean, do not allow any worms to hurt the
plants, keep off' the dust from the leaves with a sponge or syringe, and in accept-
ing these prescriptions you will enjoy an excellent growth and good health of
your Alpine plants.

The following list contains only such Alpine plants which are adapted for
Window Gardening and will stand a hot summer. These plants can be brought
through the winter season in an unheated room or cellar, leaving them in the
same boxes and keeping them moderately moist. These fine boxes may stand
also in the yard or garden, but must be lightly covered, when frosts begin, with
dry leaves or a little mat, made of straw, which is placed six inches above the
box. The plants will have, by following this rule, protection and cleanliness,
and will pass the winter season well enough to show when brought out again in
March, the first lovely spring blossoms.

List

Of Alpine Plants for Window Gardening. Only such species, which are easily
cultivated and to be had in American nurseries, or raised by seeds as other
herbaceous plants :

1. Achillea tomentosa, with yellow flowers in spring, and downy leaves, of a
dwarfish growth.

2. Adonis vernalis, with large yellow flowers in spring, on the stalks, about
ten inches high, useful for the centre of a group.

3. Alyssum saxatile compactum, with fine yellow flowers in spring, of a dwarf
habit and nice appearance.

4. Anemone nemorosa, with pair rosy flowers.

5. Anemone angelosa (Hepatica"), with beautiful blue flowers, which appear
very early in spring.

6. Anemone hepatica (Hepatica triloba), with red, blue and white flowers,
and varieties with double flowers, and of a dwarf habit.

7. Anemone ranunculoides, the golden yellow wood Anemone, height, five or
six inches.

8. Antennaria tomentosa, a very dwarfish silvery leaved plant ; a native of the
Rocky Mountains.

9. Arabis albida fol. variegata,' & native of the mountains of Greece, and of a
dwarf habit; flowers are white and blue, leaves beautifully variegated.

10. Armeria vulgaris, a very pretty little plant, with soft lilac or white Hov-
ers springing from dense cushions of grasslike leaves.

11. Aster alpina, the blue daisy of the Alps, of dwarf habit and large pale
blue flowers with a deep yellow eye.

12. Bellis perennis, fl. pi., with white and red flowers.

13. Calandrinia umbellata, a native of Chili, of a dwarf habit, with crimson
flowers like the Portulacca.

14. Campanula Garganica, a fine dwarf Harebell, with kidney shaped downy
leaves and bluish purple flowers.

230 WINDOW GARDENING.

15. Campanula pulla (pusilla), with dark blue or white flowers; plants of a
diminutive habit, a very fine little plant.

16. Campanula Rainerct,& very dwarf species with large dark blue flowers ;
a native of the Italian Mountains.

17. Cerastium tomentosum, a very fine little creeping plant with silver white
leaves and star like white flowers, and of easy propagation and cultivation.

18. Dianthus Chinensis nanafl. pi., the dwarf China pink in various colors.

19. Dry as octopetala, a native of European and American mountains, with
creeping stems and large creamy white flowers.

20. Erinus alpinus, a very neat and distinct little plant of the Alpine,
Tyrolean and Pyrenaen mountains, with violet purple flowers, in short pubescent
racemes ; of a very dwarfish habit.

21. Gentiana acaulis (Gentiana verna), species of a dwarf habit and very
large beautiful blue flowers.

22. Gypsopliila saxifraga, plant of dwarf, mosslike habit, with fine white
flowers.

23. Helianthemum vulgare, the little sunrose with single and double flowers
of white, yellow and red colors ; it is easy to propagate by seed.

24. Holeia japonica, foL var., a fine plant, with beautiful variegated leaves
and with spikes of very fine white flowers.

25. Iberis sempervirens, a very fine little plant, with dark green leaves and
fine large white flowers.

26. Leontopodium alpinum (GnapJialium Leontopodium), the " Edleweiss,"
translated "Nobly white," of the Tyrolian or Switzer Alps; a very pretty
plant with downy leaves and beautiful white leaflets around the pale yellowish
flower.

27. Lotus corniculatus, an interesting plant with yellow flowers, and of a
creeping habit.

28. Lychnis Haageana, has large flowers of a splendid scarlet or crimson, and
stems from eight to ten inches high.

29. Myosotis alpestris, the Alpine Forget-Me-Not, with beautiful blue flowers;
propagated from seed.

30. Myosotis Azorica, a native of the Azorean Islands, of dwarf habit, with
beautiful dark flowers.

31. Myosotis palustris, the common Forget-Me-Not with pale blue flowers.

32. Nirembergia rivularisy a very beautiful little plant with the habit of a
Daisy and with large cuplike flowers of a creamy white tint.

33. (Enothera pumila, a very dwarf species from the Rocky Mountains, with
small yellow flowers.

, 34. JEnothera taraxacifolia, a native of Chili, and profuse flowering ; flowers
are very large white with a rosy tint.

35. Omplialodes verna,the large creeping Forget-Me-Not with beautiful blue
flowers.

36 Phlox setacta (Phlox subulata), the moss pink with beautiful pmk, 01

WINDOW GARDENING. 231

seldom with white flowers; plant of a creeping habit, but of profusion of
spring flowers.

37. Phlox reptans (Phlox repens verna"), another creeping American species,
with very fine flowers of a pink or mauve color.

38. Plumbago Larpentce, a very dwarf, shrubby-like plant, with slender wiry
branches, covered with light green leaves, and in September with close trusses
of fine blue flowers at the ends of the stems.

39. Primula cortusoides. This species is most fit for Window Gardening in
regard of its easy culture; it is a native of Siberia, and bears early in spring
fine pink flowers.

40. Primula acaulis fl. pi., of very dwarfish habit, and double flowers of
white pale lilac, red, yellow and purple double colors ; shape like small roses.

41. Pysidansthera barbulata, a very interesting American plant, growing in
the pine barrens of New Jersey and Carolina, of a moss-like habit, with beauti.
ful white flowers, which are in not opened buds of a fine rosy tint; a very
pretty species ; requires sandy peat soil.

42. Ramondia pyrenaica, also a very distinct and interesting form ; very
dwarf in habit ; leaves stand in rosettes and close on the ground ; the large
flowers on stems of five or six inches in length, are of a purple violet, with
orange yellow centre ; native of the Pyrenees.

43. Sanguinaria canadensis, the Blood Root, an interesting American plant
of dwarf habit, and with white flowers early in spring.

44. Saxifraga aizoon, a native of high European and American mountains,
with leaves standing like silvery rosettes ; a very showy little plant.

45. Saxifraga cotyledon, habit like silvery rosettes, with elegant pyramids
of white flowers.

46. Saxifraga hypnoides, the mossy sasifraga forms, mossy tufts of the deep-
est green, with small white flowers.

47. Saxifraga umbrosa, a very interesting species, with broad dark green
leaves and red spotted white flowers.

48. Saxifraga sarmentosa and Saxifraga Sieboldii fol. variegata, both species
very well known, are suitable for Alpine groups.

49. Sedum acre and hexangulare, the common stonecrop with yellow flowers.

50. Sedum dasyphyllum, one of the most interesting Alpine plants of a
glaucous color, with creamy white flowers.

51. Sedum Sieboldii fol. var.t an elegant well known plant, with light pink
flowers in summer and fall.

52. Sedum carneum variegatum ; species with fine variegated leaves.

53. Sempervivum arachnoideum, the cobweb houseleek from the Alps and
Pyrenees, with fleshy leaves in tiny rosettes, covered at the top with a white
down-like spider web.

54. Sempervivum montanum; the leaves are very regularly arranged in fine
li^at green rosettes.

232 WINDOW GARDENING.

55. Sempervivum Calif ornicum, a larger species; leaves are of a dark green
color, with reddish margin and dark points.

56. Silene alpestris, a very fine plant of dwarf habit and pure white flowers.

57. Silene maritimafl. pi. The leaves of this species are of a glancous color,
and the flowers are like small snowballs.

58. Soldanella alpina, a lovely little plant of an interesting appearance, with
leathery, shining, roundish leaves and beautiful blue bell-shaped, fringed
flowers.

59. Thymwzerpillifoliumfol.var., the variegated Thyme.

60. Viola cornusa, the Pyrenean Violets with very large blue and white flow-
ers which appear numerously during the summer season.

Finally, we observe, that in a collection like the preceding one, many plants
could be added, which would match well with the Habitus of Alpine plants but
which would anyhow require another treatment ; for instance, a warmer place
for the winter season, while others are in a resting state during the summer.

Such are: Cyclamen Coum, Pcrsicum, repandum, vernum,Europaeum, hcde-
raefolium; Eclieveria secunda, glaucovirens, gibbifloraj Linaria cymbalaria;
Spigelia Marylandica ; Scilla Sybirica, amoena, praecox; Leucojum vernum ;
various kinds of Crocus and Snowdrops; Iris pumila; Sibthorpia Europcea;
Portulaccaflorepleno; dwarf kinds of Mesembrianthemum, Saponariaocymoides;
Sanvitalia procumbens flore pleno; Nycta vine capensis; Sedum caeruleum;
Grammantlies Gentianoides, lonopsidium acaule, and various kinds of Nemophila

CHAPTER

MISCELLANEOUS PLANTS.

The Azalea.

This has of late years become a popular window plant, and most justly, too,
for with their profuse masses of flowers they make every window or balcony a
bower of bloom.

The plants should have a light dry soil, of leaf mould and loam. The best
for this purpose is a mixture two parts loam, rich vegetable matter ; two parts
rotten peat from the swamp, and one part sand, and be sparingly watered — yet
the roots must never become dry. They need a temperature of 65° by day, and
at night coolness of 40° to 45°, for rest.

While dormant they need shade and but little water, but when the flower
bads are swelling, they desire more. It is a shrub that needs little pruning,
only enough to keep in good form.

The usual months for' blooming are April and May, but a succession of bloom
can be kept up from February to May, by storing in the cellar the previous
winter, in a cool place, dormant plants of the chosen varieties, then bringing
them one by one to the window, where they are hastened into bloom. When
done blooming, take them away, and fill their places with new ones.

Ordinarily, after Azaleas have done blooming, it is best to set the plants in the
shade out of doors until September. If desired to propagate new plants, tako
cuttings in May, in moist sand under glass ; but since so good plants are pur-'
chased at so cheap prices at the florists, propagation for window purpose only is
not worth the trouble.

Most of the varieties brought to the window will bloom for three weeks ; yet
some will last six weeks ; by bringing up new plants successively, the blooming sea-
son, may be extended several months. The following is a select list of those
most suitable for window purposes. Those with a star are the most desirable
of the collection :

Amoena, yery early.

Amarantina, rosy purple.

Belle Gantoire, rose and striped with white.

* Charles Quint, rose.

Criterion, light salmon, edged with white, upper petals spotted with crimson.

Delicata, rose.

Exquisita, violet pink, edged with white.

234 WINDOW GARDENING.

Indica alba, white.

* Fielden, white ; very early.

* Minerva, scarlet ; profuse.

Modele de Marque, splendid form ; rose.
Grande Dutchesse de Bode.
Iveryana, white, striped with rose.
Perfection, rose; good form.
Vittata crispiflora.
Vittata, variegated.

* Punctata, splendid, variegated.

* Punctata omnicolor, early bloomer.

?, * Narcissiflora plena, six weeks in bloom.

President, scarlet.

The Daphne.

Of all woody plants that are suitable for parlor culture, the Daphne, especially
Daphne odorata, deserves the first mention, for it flourishes under the most
adverse circumstances ; patiently putting forth group after group of its dark
glossy evergreen leaves, each group through the winter months wearing right
royally its cluster of pearly blossoms, whose delicate throats constantly distil a
most delicious fragrance.

In foliage this shrub greatly resembles the laurel, and hence bears the name
of that beautiful maiden who being beloved by Apollo, but not favoring his suit,
besought the gods for aid in escaping him, and in answer to her prayers was
changed into a laurel-tree.

Though the Daphne is capable of enduring heat and dry ness, it grows most
luxuriantly in a cool, moist atmosphere ; and it should be frequently syringed
with tepid water, its leaves kept clean with water by washing them often with a soft
sponge. Give it a soil of garden earth mixed loosely with a little vegetable mould or
stable refuse and a small quantity of sand. In May prune it closely to make it grow
tall and symmetrical; at the same time repot it, and then keep the plant in the
shade with slight watering till September; then give it sunshine and water
freely. In early October take it to the parlor. Of the prunings make new
plants by immersing the stems in a bottle of water and keeping the bottle in the
sunlight till it is filled with white fibrous roots; these roots are very tender, and
when they are placed in soil care must be taken not to injure them. The young
plant must be kept under a bell-glass or an inverted tumbler for a fortnight,
with a scanty sprinkling of tepid water every morning. It should have the sun
three hours, at least, each day; but make the air of the room moist and lot it
not rise above 58° by day or 45° by night, if you would promote its rapid and
healthy growth. It blooms almost constantly from December to the last of
March.

The Abutilon.

A beautiful parlor tree is the Abutilon, with its maple-like foliage, and its bell
flowers of gold and crimson. It needs a light sandy loam, for if the soil is too

WINDOW GARDENING 235

rich it will grow too tall to form a handsome shaped tree. Ordinary garden
soil loosened with sand will answer. If the air of the room it occupies is too
close and hot, it will not bloom, so give it air frequently, shielding it from
draughts as you would a geranium, and water it well.

It grows easily from cuttings ; prune in spring, and root the best of these
prunings in wet sand to get new plants.

Abutilon striatum is hardly ever out of flower; its bells are of a golden
yellow, veined with brown, and they are very graceful and lovely.

Abutilon venosa has larger flowers, with deep red veins, and is very hand-
some.

A Marmaratum is a charming hybrid, blossoming all the year, and producing
white flowers, marbled and veined with rose.

A Mesopotanicum is a species which differs in the shape of both flowers and
leaves. The calyx being scarlet, with golden yellow petals, the flowers beauti-
fully marked; they hang in regular rows down the flexible branches, and are
very valuable for cut flowers.

A Thompsonii is another distinct variety with variegated leaves, its leaves
being mosaiced with yellow.

A Santana is a new plant with flower bells of a much larger size, and of dark
brownish crimsom, veined with orange color; it is the darkest sort cultivated.

A album is pure white, and very much admired.

The Orange.

Small orange trees are very desirable window plants, on account of their ex-
quisitely fragrant flowers, and beautiful evergreen foliage which contrasts finely
with other plants. The prettiest for house culture are the dwarf varieties, and
the dwarf Mandarin or China orange bears excellent fruit. The dwarf Otaheite
is a more common kind, but not as suitable ; for neither its flowers nor fruit equal
those of the Mandarin.

Early in the eighteenth century, orange trees were quite the fashion for house
culture, and although the fashion has passed away, there are few plants that still
combine so much perfection in foliage, fruit and flower.

Oranges are usually raised from seed, and in a year or two, grafted from a fine
variety. Seeds sprout readily in any light loam, but the orange blooms the
finest in good rich soil, and requires liquid manure once in a fortnight or even
oftener. The foliage is handsomer, if the pot stands a little away from the full
noonday sun.

The Lemon.

The Lemon belongs to the same genus as the Orange viz.: the Citrus, to which
also belong limes, shaddocks and citrons; all the species are characterized by
fragrant flowers, glossy evergreen leaves, and delicious fruits.

The golden apples of the Hesperides are supposed to belong to this family.

Fine trees are raised from seeds, and when the shoots are two years old they

236 WINDOW GARDENING

can be budded from fruitful trees. The blossoms of the Lemon are smallei
than those of the Orange, and they are not as purely white, the under side ol
the petals being' tinged with purple.

Oranges are over a year in ripening, and often remain for two years on the tree.
Lemons ripen irregularly, and fall off when ripe. Every six or seven years
both orange and lemon trees should be pruned closely. Shorten in the shoots
several inches, and they will throw out an abundance of fresh green leaves.

If they flourish well, they will not need repotting oftener than once in five or
six years. Then the mouldy roots, and smallest fibres should be cut back, and
the ball of earth well shaken off. Pot in soil of light loam, leaf manure, and
two years' old cow manure, equal parts, with a good sprinkling of charcoal dust.
Keep in the shade for two or three weeks, and water less frequently than when
in flower. It loves the light, but not the hot sun until the fruit is ripening.

The Sweet Verbena.

The Sweet Verbena or Aloysa citriodora, is much cultivated for its lemon-
scented foliage. Any soil will suit it, but in rich loam it makes a more vigorous
growth.

It is of a deciduous habit, will lose its leaves, and its admirers grieve when
they fall, but like the elm and the maple, it buds out afresh in March or April,
and from the old wood, cuttings will strike as easily as currant cuttings.

When its leaves have fallen, it can stand in any dark, cool place where the
frost will not touch it, and where the roots can be kept rather dry

It makes an ornamental standard plant, if trained to a single stem to a height
of three feet, and then allowed to branch out in a graceful form.

The young shoots will strike root in May or June, if planted under glass, and
well shaded for awhile. The flowers are borne in large spikes and are very
minute, white, but not much esteemed, as the foliage is the most desired part
of the plant. Its generally neat appearance always gains much admiration.
Trim old plants and repot them in the spring. Root the trimmings in wet
sand, under a glass ; then give those young plants a soil of garden earth, vegeta-
ble mould and gravel in equal proportions. Set the pots in a garden-bed, plunged
to their rims, till September ; then stir the soil often with an old table-fork,
water sparingly, giving liquid manure once a week ; take them to the parlor in
October, let them have the sun six hours every day, keep the atmosphere
moist, and not above 65° by day or 45° by night, and they will flourish wonder-
iully.

Eupatoriums and Stevias.

By reason of the contrast of their delicate blossoms and graceful foliage, with
those of the Geranium, the Eupatorium and Stevias deserves high rank, as
popular favorites. The eupatorium gets its name from Eupater, king of Pontus,
who first used the plant in medicine. We have many species growing in their
native beauty in the lovely mountain passes and valleys of the North, as well as

WINDOW GARDENING. 237

in the sunny meadows farther South ; and the florist has transplanted them and
carefully watched and tended their growth till the foliage has attained unwonted
smoothness and beauty, and the hues of the tassel-shaped flowers have become
clearer and brighter. Their large clusters of snow-white, or lilac blossoms, have
a fine effect among geraniums, and they have always been much sought after as
a winter blooming flower. The white varieties are most cultivated, being used for
funeral crosses, and crowns, also for wedding bouquets.

They prefer a sandy, peaty loam, with a good supply of water. In the spring,
after blooming, shake out the old soil and repot in good loam and sand mixed
in equal proportions. Make new plants of the cuttings. Start them in damp
sand under glass. Water them much and frequently. Set them in the garden
till September, then accustom them gradually to the indoor atmosphere. They
will bloom from November till February. When in flower they do not need
much sunshine, as it dims the whiteness of the flowers.

Eupatorium ageratoides, E. Mexicanum and E. elegans are the varieties
most usually cultivated in conservatories and window gardens. They are of a
beautiful feathery whiteness, and most desirable for purposes of decoration. In
saving the seeds, cut the flowers while in full bloom, as they ripen quickly, and
fly away, but they germinate easily.

The Stevias, of similar foliage, but a yet more delicate and feathery flower,
of a creamy white, cultivate in the same way. Pinch out all buds that appear
on these plants during the summer. No plants can be so effectively grouped as
geraniums with heliotropes, eupatoriums, and stevias, if proper attention is paid
to an agreeable contrast of their blossoms, — the purple or lilac being always
flanked with white — never with red or crimson or rose, — and the white mingled
among scarlets, crimsons, reds, and salmons — the white predominating.

The Chinese Primrose.

The Primula Chinensis is the gem of the collection of window plants. None
surpass it in beauty ; and for continuous bloom, certainly none can be found more
desirable. It is one of the best of all plants for the decoration of the drawing
room or dining table, and always at home in the conservatory or greenhouse.
For nine months out of the twelve they may be made to yield flowers, though
most profusely from November to May, and with their colors of red, white,
crimson, purple, and pink, they form objects of curious ornament.

They are objects of easy care, requiring attention only in watering; the soil
should not be allowed to get dry, and yet the roots are so tenacious of life, they
will cling closely till the last moment around any particle of moisture in the earth.
Keep the soil moderately moist, but not over saturated ; if evaporation or drain-
age is slow, and the circulation through the pot impeded, the plants will turn
sickly and die off. We do not advise manure water; plain warm water is the
best. The best varieties for window gardens are the Double White Primroses
and rubra plena, a double red variety, indescribably charming. The single
fringed varieties are very fine, but the above are now the most popular. One

238 WINDOW GARDENING.

great advantage which the Primrose possesses over most winter flowering plants
is that it is rarely ever infested with green fly or other troublesome pests.
Primroses are propagated mainly by cutting's and seeds. Cuttings taken from the
side shoots in April will make vigorous plants by autumn. From June to Octo-
ber they should be kept from the hot sun, in a shady location, with but little
water. The soil should be largely composed of leaf mould.

The single varieties are largely grown from seed which should be sown in April
or May, under a square of glass ; when four or five leaves are developed, plant
in small thumb pots, and shade for two or three days. During the summer
keep the pots in a shady location, but in the winter the nearer they are to the
glass the better and brighter will they flower.

If any unusually rine flowers reward your care, they can be increased bjr cut-
tings. The Primrose is a perennial ; the seed is usually sold in mixed colors,
but they can be recognized nearly as soon as the leaves appear, by the color of
the stems. No plant flowers more profusely, and sometimes five hundred florets
are gathered from one plant.

The Pansy.

The Pansy never blooms so well as when the plant is small and well rooted,
for as it increases in size the blossoms become smaller, and, although abundant,
inferior. They can be cut back after spring flowering, and all the buds kept off'
until December, then they will bloom for the whole winter. If planted ir. boxes
in a conservatory or window, they make a fine show; indeed, there are few
plants more desirable for window gardening.

They are most easily raised from seed, and it is well to purchase the most ex-
pensive varieties, so as to be certain of the finest flowers.

Cuttings strike quickly, and are more sure of fine flowers, as they always re-
produce the parent plant. They should be cut about three inches long, and taken
from the points of the shoots, and cut off' directly under the joint. Strip off' the
lower leaves, and insert them in saucers of wet sand, pressing it closely around
the joint. Keep tumblers over them, and in six weeks they will be well rooted
and ready to transplant into small pots filled with the richest compost.

Pansies are gross feeders, delighting in the richest soil you can prepare ; in
rotten tanbark, leaf manure, and cow manure, equal parts, they will bloom mag-
nificently.

No plant is better adapted to house culture, as they can bear changes of atmos-
phere, and a good deal of water, while their bright faces are very attractive in
the gloomy wintry days.

They can be increased by dividing the roots, and keeping them in the shade
for a week or ten days. If the amateur desires to save seed from her plants,
she should select the largest, brightest flowers, and cut off all other buds and
blossoms. As the seed pod matures it can be tied up in gauze to prevent the
seed from scattering, and when fully ripe, can be planted directly in sandy loam.
When the seedlings flower those should be rejected that are not very handsome

WINDOW GARDENING. 239

The best location for Pansies is a northwest window, for they delight in shade,
and desire to shun " the gairish eye of day," and hide their lovely blossoms
from his scorching rays.

The Sweet Violet.

These require a rich compost to enable them to bloom luxuriantly, and a cool
temperature, say 40° to 45° ; all the fading leaves must be cut off, and if the
plant is desired to bloom profusely, the runners should also be cut off as soon as
they appear. Water must not settle at the roots.

They are propagated by divisions of the roots, or usually by cuttings taken in
June, and raised in wet sand under glass.

The dark blue English variety, or the double blue Neapolitan, are most gen-
erally cultivated as parlor plants.

The Czar or Russian Violet has been much admired ; leaves are large and the
flowers are borne on very long footstalks, five to six inches in length. The flower
is single, but large, and fine ; color of a light blue ; blooms all winter from Sep
tember to May, and fills the air with its delicious fragrance.

King of the Violets. Flowers very double, like a miniature rosette, very fra
grant, color of a deep indigo blue, with occasional stripes of white ; flowers
borne in profusion.

Double Blue Neapolitan, the best standard sort we have. A bouquet com-
posed of a statuesque camellia, embedded in blue violets, with a fringe of cliver
or gypsophila, is the perfection of floral arrangement, combining beautj', fra-
grance and grace.

The Daisy.

Its botanical name, Bellis, signifies beautiful, pretty. Cultivation has given
to it -many petals, and also brighter hues.

It is frequently used in this country as an edging for beds and borders, but it
is a pretty plant for house culture, with its tufts of lovely green leaves crowned
with numerous bright pink blossoms.

It flourishes best in a rich soil, and is propagated by offsets, or division of the
roots. For winter flowering, the pot should be kept in the shade, with little
water during the hot weather — only enough to keep it from drying up — till the
first of October. Then it will need all the sunshine to make it bloom well, and
liquid manure will greatly increase its blossoms.

The Daisy will bear transplanting, even when in flower, if the s»il is kept
about the roots. Every spring fresh earth should be given, and the roots should
be divided. The Belgian§ Daisy is best adapted to house culture.

The Calla. (Eichardia^

The Calla JEthiopica is a very attractive plant, its large, broad, glossy, green
leaves, and its white, thickly textured, scroll-like blossom making it peculiarly
graceful. There is no better plant for the centre of a group of flowers.

240 WINDOW GARDENING.

It blooms equally well in greenhouse, conservatory or window garden ; may be
allowed to be rather dry in the summer after flowering, but care should be taken
not to injure or break off the leaves. When budding it requires much water,
and its saucers should be supplied night and morning. It is propagated by
suckers and divisions of its roots. It desires a clayey loam with a third of leaf
mould. It is very tender, feeling a slight chill.

Its flowers are in great request at Easter to adorn the churches, when white
lilies are sought as emblems of the risen Redeemer, and the florists grow them
in large quantities for this purpose.

The best method of growing Callas is in a hollow stand lined with zinc ; eight
or ten flowering bulbs can be planted in a stand three or four feet long, and
eighteen inches wide. It should be eight inches deep, and the surface of the pots
should be covered with moss, and moss filled in between the pots. Its appear-
ance is exceedingly ornamental in a bay window, and it is very easily taken care
of, the chief essential being plenty of water, and a weekly sponging of the large
leaves ; and the stand should be occasionally turned, as the large leaves turn
towards the light.

Such a stand of Callas can be set out of doors in a shady place during the
summer and brought in before fear of frosts. Soon they will make vigorous
growth, and will flower abundantly from December to May. No flower better
endure* furnace heat and gas, and so it is particularly adapted to window cul-
ture.

Dielytra Spectabilis.

For window flowering and conservatory, this plant is very valuable. Take up
the tuberous roots in October, in a six or seven inch pot, and set in a sheltered
place for a month or so, giving a little water daily, and keeping it warm. When
the shoots appear, bring to the light, and give it as sunny a situation as possible,
but the atmosphere need not be warm. It will do well in a chamber window
where the temperature is about 60°. As it grows and produces more flowers,
increase the supply of water.

It will grow best in light sandy loam, but enjoys a weekly measure of liquid
manure. When done flowering, set in a shady place, but give water in small
quantities as long as the leaves are green ; when they fade, give only enough to
prevent its dying from thirst, and in the following autumn proceed as above, giv-
ing a fresh supply of soil to make its blossoms more plentiful.

It multiplies from the root, and must be given enough pot room, or its roots
divided yearly. *

The Calceolaria.

The Calceolaria, — its name comes from the Latin for shoe — the blossom resem-
bles an ancient Roman slipper, — is singularly beautiful with its heavy clusters of
golden, crimson, maroon, or rose-colored flowers — sometimes plainly tinted, at
others curiously mottled and flecked. It needs a sandy soil — garden earth and
common sand in equal proportions ; should be kept rather warm, in an atmos-

WINDOW GARDENING. 241

phere of 60° to 65° by day, and 50° at night ; and be sparingly watered. Give
liquid manure once a week after the flower-buds start. Pot old plants in May,
in the same manner as eupatoriums, and keep them in a warm but shady place,
out of doors, till September, with only water enough to prevent them from droop-
ing. Before potting cut them in closely, and make new plants of those cuttings
by rooting them in moist sand under a glass, in the sunshine ; or plant the see
in a sunny and sheltered spot. In August pot them and tie carefully to a light
trellis till they are two feet high, then trim off the most slender branches — in
fact cut them in pretty close and let them stand alone. This is a delicate plant,
but may be strengthened and hardened by this close trimming and a careful
management of its supplies of heat and moisture. It needs a good deal of air —
does best when wide breathing space is allowed.

The Lantana.

The Lantana requires similar soil and treatment to the Calceolaria — except
that it is of a stouter, a more woody nature, and needs no support. Its compact
head of flowers of different and changing hues — white, crimson, scarlet, orange,
and yellow, sometimes all in the same spike, is always an object of great in-
terest, though its peculiar perfume is not universally agreeable.

The Pyrethrum.

A very desirable window plant is the Pyrethrum, sometimes called Mountain
Daisy ; it is found in great profusion in the mountainous regions of Asia. This
will grow in ordinary soil with very little care, and its delicate light green foliage,
crowned with dense clusters of snow-white blossoms, contrasts finely with the
deeper colorings of Calceolarias and Lan tanas. Old plants should be cut to their
roots, and both roots and cuttings be set in a garden-bed in May or June, and
treated as common out-of-door plants. Pinch out all flower-buds till they are
taken to the house. In September pot them with the same soil in which they
have been growing. Keep them in the shade, with occasional watering, for a
fortnight, then bring them within doors. The Pyrethrum does best in a mod
erate temperature with scanty watering.

The Chrysanthemums.

The Chrysanthemum (it gets its name from the Greek words for gold and
flower — many species bear yellow flowers), though commomly classed with out-
of-door plants, should be made to lend its beauty to every parlor through the
months of October, November and December. After flowering, Chrysanthemums
must be set in a dark, cool place — a cellar, or any damp dark place where they
will not freeze— till May. Then give them the same treatment as Pyrethrumsf
with which they are often classed ; but they require free watering. Soapsuds
will make them grow stout and strong through the summer. After they are
potted give liquid manure twice a week till the buds begin to unfold, then with-
hold it entirely

16

242 WINDOW GARDENING.

A very desirable feature of the Chrysanthemum as a winter blooming plant,
is that the blossoms are finely formed, of brilliant colors, keep well, and are pro-
duced in great abundance. The dwarf or Pompone varieties are nov the most
used in consequence of their beauty of form, with diminutive habit of growth
Any florists' catalogue will give a good list of varieties.

The Ch. ladniatum has a novel and elegant appearance. The, flowers are
double, nearly three inches in diameter, delicately fringed, and of the purest
white. It is especially a plant for winter flowers. By pinching off the flower
buds as they show, it can be had in flower from December to March.

The Salvia.

Another splendid flowering plant, which has been supposed, until recently, to
expend all its energies during the autumnal months, and to require the open air
for the perfection of its beauty, is the Salvia. Salvia angustifolia^ with its ele-
gant foliage and long spikes of clear blue flowers, is particularly fine ; so is S.
patens, bearing blossoms of a still more "heavenly hue;" yet none are so
attractive, nor so hardy, as S. splendens, with its plumes of dazzling scarlet.
Any of the Salvias are easily raised from cuttings ; trim all the foliage from
these slips and set them in damp sand to root. Start them in May. When
rooted set them in the garden, but keep them shaded from the sun with a paper
screen till the new leaves are well developed. Water freely. In September pot
those you wish for the house, and pinch out the buds. If then left to themselves
they will store up strength for the winter. But before the frosts come, be sure
to take them within doors, and give the fertilizer once a week till in bloom. Cut
them to the root in Majr, and set the root in the garden. It is best to start new
plants every year for the house. Salvias need a light loamy soil, and a tempera-
tui-e of 60° by day, and 45° by night.

Tlie Mimulus.

The Mimulus — its seeds resemble the face of a monkey, and hence its name,
which comes from the Latin — is a very thirsty plant, does best in a mixture of
leaf mould and garden earth, with just enough sand to keep the soil from being
heavy, and frequently needs watering twice a day ; but it thrives in the atmos-
phere of any family room, and with its gorgeous blossoms of gold spotted with
maroon and crimson, is a great addition to any collection. Propagate it from
cuttings rooted in water. The young plants should be kept in the shade all sum-
mer out of doors

Pinks.

4 Pinks — Dianthus Chinensis, the China Pink, and Dianthus caryophillus, the
Carnation — are well known parlor plants. The China Pink, though not fra-
grant, is so beautiful and so easy to manage, no collection should be considered
complete without it. Plant seed in June in good, garden soil ; pinch out all
flower buds till September ; then take them, with a ball of earth about their

WINDOW GARDENING. 243

roots, to pots of the same soil. Keep them in the shade a fortnight. Water
sparingly till more flower buds appear, then give moisture generously — weak
liquid manure twice a week, also It will bear great heat, 65° to 70°; but 60°
suits it best. In that temperature in an open, airy situation, it will put forth its
deep crimson, velvet, very double, flowers in great profusion all winter

Achyranthes.

The best varieties of Achyranthes are now freely used for window decoration,
and have become quite common as standard plants for the centre of hanging Or
standing floral baskets. They need only a moderate temperature of 50° to 75,°
and are easily taken care off. Their rich crimson tints have made the people
crazy to use them wherever it is conceivable to do so.

Achyranthes Lindeni has foliage of the deepest red, each leaf having a con-
spicuous mid-rib of a lighter shade ; when the sun shines fully upon it it is of a
perfect claret color, habit dwarf, leaves narrow, "lanceolae, and considered the
most ornamental of the class of fine foliaged plants.

A. aureus reticulatus, is of the same habit of growth as the A. Verschaffeltii,
but its leaves are of a rich apple green, marked with a net work of yellow, while
the stems are a ruby crimson, affording a fine contrast with the leaves.

A. Verschajfeltii, Var Gilsonii. This variety has leaves of a still brighter
tint, a full carmine, with the sterns of a deep shade of pink, rendering the plant
decidedly ornamental, and giving a very rich appearance. This variety is now
generally used in place of the old Verschaffeltii

Golems

We do not recommend too free a use of this for the window or room culture.
It needs moist and warm temperature, and uniform, with no change for the
cooler. This, of course, is in direct opposition to the actual facts they have to
meet in rooms which invariably grow colder at night. Another objection is that
they grow so large and tall, and become so ungainly, that they are not fit for
any length of time for any good position They are too tall for hanging baskets,
although would look very appropriate in the centre of a group of plants in a
large flower stand. They are much more tender than the Achyranthes, will not
bear the touch of frost, and a slight chill is death to them. Wherever they can
have a warm position, with plenty of sunlight, (although not directly upon their
leaves), and a moderately moist atmosphere, they will do well. The best varie-
ties are :

Princess Royal, centre, reddish brown, light yellow margin.

Queen Victoria, rich bronzy crimson, bright yellow, edged with crimson vein-
ing.

Setting Sun, crimson centre, with bright yellow edge

Albert Victor, centre purplish red, broad yellow margin.

244 WINDOW GARDENING.

Alternantheras.

These are dwarf plants with narrow lanceolate leaves, which make very
effective edging; their leaves are variegated with crimson, pink, green, brown,
tmmge and carmine, in some respects resembling our brilliant autumn leaves ;
are well suited for hanging baskets.

A. latifolia, has broad leaves of olive, green, crimson and orange.

A. amabilis, rich tints of orange, rose and green.

A. amoena, is crimson, pink, brown and amber red.

Begonias,

Are purchased principally already started and potted, ready to be placed in the
window for decoration. Keep the leaves away from the window pane, or they
will turn black. The temperature of room should be 60° to 75° constantly, and
warmth must be steady, not changing.

Begonia Rex, is the best variety yet grown in this country, and, as a showy
plant, for picturesque ornament in the room or conservatory, it is unequalled.
Leaves have an immense size, tinged with crimson, with here and there broad,
silvery zones, and snowy spots, with emerald hues on the surface. It is perhaps
the most popular plant now sold for house or parlor decoration.

PART III.

PARLOR DECORATIONS

Pig. I.— Parlor Flower Staud for Tropicai Plants.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE DECORAIION OF PARLORS AND LIVING ROOMS WITH ORNA-
MENTAL PLANTS AND FLOWERS.

A subject like this is one of intense interest to the American flower loving
public. Formerly little was done in the encouragement of it, because we all,
like amateurs, and beginners, knew little of the best plants and methods, and
waited to learn from those more experienced; but of late, amateurs, in their
eager zeal for window and room decorations, have taken in hand their own im-
patient fancies, and led the -way with experiments and trials of their own,
while the florists everywhere look with admiration and respect upon the wide
spreading taste for window and parlor gardening. The amateurs have out-
stripped the professionals in the rapidity of their progress, and the prettiest rooms
to-day are embellished by the fingers of a fair plant lover, who a year before did
not know one flower from another.

To speak with truth, nothing is prettier, more elegant, and in many respects
easier, than the decoration of our parlors, reception rooms, halls, etc., with ap-
propriate plants and flowers.

The very pictures, statues, vases, chandeliers, and other permanent ornaments,
allow room for the exhibition of many kinds and varieties of beautiful plants.

In such rooms, however elegantly furnished, is the proper place for fine
Aquaria, Wardian Cases, Flower Stands, Wire Arbors for climbing plants,
flower baskets, or hanging baskets hung up between the curtains

Flowers used for decoration will harmonize completely with any architecture
or furniture of the parlor. Indeed, was there ever any flower out of place iu a
beautiful room ?

A tasteful and carefully arranged composition of plants will captivate for a
)ng time the love, attention and admiration of all classes of society.

Few American writers have devoted much attention to this subject, and we
oannot now recall a single article in our horticultural literature which treats in
detail of the use of plants for room decoration; but in English and Continental
journals the topic is a common one, doubtless from the more extensive use of
costly plants at parties, receptions, and large social gatherings. It is one of the
higher branches of the florist's occupation, and really an art for the display of
the most refined taste.

William Robinson, the author of "Parks, Promenades and Gardens of Paris,"
has perhaps described C»e Continental system of the plant decoration of apart-
ments more completely than any other, and refers to it in these words : —

248

WINDOW GARDENING.

"The graceful custom of growing plants in living rooms is very much more
prevalent on the Continent than with us. It is true that we often see a display
of flowering plants in rooms, though we rarely rise to the use of subjects distin-
guished by beauty of form, or select those that are peculiarly adapted for in-
doors. But the day is approaching when the value of graceful plants as home
ornaments will be very fully appreciated. Apart altogether from their effect as
ornaments, what can more agreeably introduce us to the study of natural his-
tory ? The influence of the graceful form of a young Palm in the hall, the
fascinating verdure of Ferns, and fine leaved plants from many countries, in the
drawing room, and flowers from the orchards of the uplands of Mexico, to the

tiny bulbs of Europe, in
your Lilliputian room-con-
servatory, is surely more
eloquent in that direction
than any book teaching.
You cannot deny, as Kings-
ley says, that "your daugh-
ters find an enjoyment in
it, and are more active,
more cheerful, more self
forgetful over it, than they
would have been over novels
and gossip, crochet and
Berlin wool. At least you
will confess that theabomi
nation of " fancy work "—
that standing cloak for
dreamy idleness — has all
but vanished from your
drawing rooms since the
" Lady Ferns " and Venus
Hair Ferns appeared.'

Ferns, to be sure, have
been a great help and a

great attraction, but they are not altogether superior as to verdure and elegance ;
there are other plants much more readily grown in rooms.

" By a combination of all the plants suitable for this purpose, we may not
only find very agreeable indoor imployment, but create the highest kind of orna
ment and interest in the house at all seasons.

" Merely displaying a few popular or showy subjects is not plant decoration
in any high sense ! Rooms are often over-crowded with artificial ornaments,
many of them exact representations of natural objects ; but in the case of plants
we may, without inconvenience, enjoy and preserve the Irving objects themselves.

Fig. 2.— Marauta fascia! a.

WINDOW GARDENING.

249

" Those we employ for this purpose, now are mostly of a fleeting character,
and such as cannot be preserved in health for any length of time in living rooms.
But if in addition to the best of these we select handsome leaved plants of a
leathery texture, accustomed to withstand the fierce heats of hot countries, we
shall find that the dry and dusty air of the living room is not at all injurious to
them, and that it is quite easy to keep them in health for months, and even for
years, in the same apartments.

" Many plants that in England are considered as Exotics, are sold in Paris in
abundance for the deco-
ration of apartments
The demand for use in
private houses gives rise
to a large and special
branch of trade in many
of the nurseries, and I
know one Versailles cul-
tivator who annually
raises and sells 5,000 or
6,000 plants of the
bright-leaved Dracaena
terminalis alone, and by
far the greater part for
room decoration. "

Although English
plants are much better
grown than the Paris-
ian, yet those of the
iatter appear the best ;
the difference being
caused by exceedingly
tasteful and frequently
peculiar arrangement,
as well as by employing
effective and graceful
kinds What the Paris-
ians do as regards ar- Fig. 3.— Gymnostachyum VerschaffeltiL

rangement may be best gleaned if we describe the decorations for one of the
balls of the Hotel de Ville :

" Entering the Salle St. Jean, the eye was immediately attracted by a luxuri-
ant mass of vegetation at one end, while on the right and immediately round a
mirrored recess was a very tasteful and telling display, made as follows : In
front of the large and high , mirror stretched a bank of moss, common moss
underneath, and the surface nicely formed of fresh green Lycopodium denticula

260

WJND OW GARD KX1NG.

turn, the whole being dotted over with the variously tinted Chinese Primulas,—
a bank of these plants, in fact, high enough in its back parts to be reflected in
the mirror, with the taller plants which surrounded it, gradually falling to the

floor, and merging into the
groups of larger plants on
either side of the bank, the
whole being enclosed by a low,
gilt, wooden trellis work mar-
gin.

" The groups at each side
contrasted most beautifully
with this. Green predomin-
ated, but there was a suf-
ficiency of flower, while beauty
of form was fully developed
In the centre and back parts
of these groups were tall speci-
mens of the common sugar
cane, (Sacharinum officiar
urn,} which held their long
and boldly arching leaves well
over the group. These were
supported by Palms, which
threw their graceful lines over
the specimen Camellias, which
were in their turn graced here
and there by the presence of a
Draccena or dwarf Palm ; and
so down to the front edge,
where Cinerarias, forced
bulbs, Primulas and Ferns,
finished off the groups, all
very closely placed, so that
neither the lower part of the
stems, nor a particle of any of
the pots could be seen

" Any interstices that hap-
pened to remain between

Fig. 4.— AK»V« Americana. the bases of the plants were

compactly filled with fresh green moss, which was also pressed against the little
gilt trellis work, which enclosed the whole, so that from the uppermost point of
the cane leaves to the floor, nothing was seen but fresh green foliage and grace-
ful forms enshrouding the ordinary flowers of our greenhouses — that are infi-

WINDOW OARDBNINO.

251

nitely more attractive when thus set in the verdure of which nature is so profuse,
and which is always so abundant where her charms of vegetation are at their
highest.

" A scene such as this explains the prevalence of these graceful and noble-leaved
plants in Paris gardens, and in Parisian flower shops and windows, for you may
frequently see elegant little Dracaenas ornamenting windows there, and as they

Fig. 5.— Dieflenbachia.

look as well at Christmas as at midsummer, I need hardly suggest how highly
suited they are for purposes of this kind.

" The number of Dracaenas cultivated in and around Paris is something enor-
mous, and among the newer species of these — not alluding to the colored-leaved
kinds — are some that combine grace with dignity as no other plants do combine
them. They are useful for the centres of noble groups of plants in their larger
forms, while the smaller species may be advantageously associated with the
Maiden Hair Fern, and the Cineraria* of the conservatory bench.

252

WINDOW GARDENING.

" They are of the greatest utility in these decorations, and are largely used in afl
parts. So are most all kinds of fine-leaved plants, from Phormium to Ficus.
Young Palms are also cultivated to an enormous extent about Paris ; and so is
every green and graceful-leaved plant, from the Cycads to the common trailing
Ivy, — used to make living screens of.

" The wide staircase at the Hotel de Ville, ascending from the entrance hall, had
also a charming array of plants so placed that the visitors seemed to pass through
a sort of floral grove ; fine-leaved plants arching over, but not rising very high,
and having a profusion of flowering things among and beneath them.

"As the bank of Primu-
las and the groups of tall
plants were placed opposite
this staii-case, and reflected
in the great mirror behind,
the effect when descend-
ing the staircase was fasci-
nating indeed. A still finer
effect was produced in a
room near the great dancing
saloon, and through which
the guests passed to the
magnificent ball room.
Against each pillar in this
saloon was placed a palm
with high and arching leaves
like those of the Sieforthia
elegans, and others with
larger leaves and pendulous
leaflets. These meeting,
or almost meeting across,
produced a very graceful
and imposing effect, while
round them were arranged
other plants, distinguished
either by leauty of leaf or
Fig. c.-Begonia. flower, and the groups at

each pillar connected by single rows of dwarf plants, closely placed however, and
well mossed in, as in the case of the more important groups.

" The very close placing of the plants is a peculiar part of the arrangement.
You can not notice any dividing marks or gaps. Yet there is no awkward crowding.
** These arrangements were infinitely varied at the great balls, both public and
private; rocks, water grottoes, and similar decorations, were occasionally intro-
duced, both indoors and in the open air, and in the gardens behind private houses.

WINDOW GARDENING. 253

" The Tuilleries gardens at the time of the great fetes, were largely decorated in
this way — each of the numerous lamp-posts having a bed of flowers around it,
and the whole scene being turned into a kind of conservatory in a few days.
The number of flowers required to do this was something enormous.

" The extent to which the floral embellishments of the Hotel de Ville were
carried, may be judged from the great number of plants grown at Passy for that
purpose, — the New Zealand Flax, which is so very useful for indoor or outdoor
decoration, being grown to the extent of upwards of 10,000 plants and Palms,
and all plants with fine leaves in great quantity.

"One plant, cultivated in
great abundance around
Paris for winter blooming, is
well worthy of increased at-
tention, Epiphyllum trun-
catum.

" There are several varie-
ties, and they certainly form
most beautiful objects on
dull December days.
, " The variegated form of
the common Roast-beef plant
— Iris foetidissima — may be
seen occasionally used with
good effect. This is a true
hardy native which will
deserve culture. It forms a
very pretty plant for room
decoration, requires none
but the most ordinary at-
tention, and is easily ob-
tained.

" The Acanthuses, too,
and particularly A. lusitani-
cus used so effectively out of
doors, are also grown abun-
dantly in rooms, where they
do very well. Everything Pig. z-Yucca aicefbiia.

proved to do well without the protection of a case is a gain to the very large
class, who, from choice or necessity, like to grow plants in rooms."

A few years since a valuable communication on this subject of room decora-
tion was given by a French gardener, Antonine Chantin, of Rue de Chatillon,
Paris, to the Floral World of London. Mentioning the most popular plants
used in the window embellishments of the French Capital, as their calture

254 WINDOW GARDENING

seems to be better understood in that city than any other, we take the liberty of
quoting a few of his statements :

Palms.

" These play an important part in the embellishment of apartments in Paris.

Corypha australis. This plant, although but little known, is destined in a

short time to occupy a foremost place in the decoration of apartments, where

it makes itself conspicuous by its peculiar beauty, and the number of its leaves;

it is, I believe, the most rustic in appearance of all the palms.

Cocos coronata and flexuosa are very elegant, and produce a charming effect.
Chamcerops humilis and excelsa, are two very fine hardy palms; Latania
borbonica is certainly the most recherche plant of the family, and is valued as
much for the beautiful green of its leaves as for its elegant appearance.

Phoenix dactylifera, leonensis
and reclinata are also very
much sought after and are
highly esteemed. Areca alba,
lutescens and rubra are distinct
and handsome.'1

Ferns.

Besides what we have said
of Ferns in a previous chapter,
there is need of little to repeat
here.

Ferns cannot be dispensed
with in elaborate decorations for
the parlor or conservatory. A
Pig. 8.— Aiteruanthera. single plant of the common

Lady Fern, " Athyrium filixfcemina," is as useful in producing a graceful ef-
fect as anything we know

Mr. Chantin in his remarks of Parisian decorations, says:
" The family of Ferns, although classed among plants with delicate tissues, and
having a great dislike to dry, hot atmosphere, nevertheless furnish numerous
examples which, with careful management, add very much to the beauty of
apartments. Thus, I have very frequently remarked, several species of Adian-
tum, which, wherever they can be preserved in good health, produces, without
doubt, a most ravishing effect.

Pteris argyrea, P. cretica albo lineata, and P. serrulata variegata also pro-
duce a very fine effect, with their prettily marked foliage.

Alsophila anstralis, and Ealantium antarcticum are also sometimes employed
for decoration purposes in rooms of large dimensions, where their magnificent
appearance never fails to produce a very imposing effect."

WINDOW GARDENING 955

Select list of Ferns for Room or Table Decorations.
Adiantum cuneatum, Lomaria ciliata,

formosum, Nephrolepis exaltata,

" hispidulum, Pteris cretica albo lineata,

Asplenium flaccidum, " serrulata,

marinum, Lastrea cristata,

Blechnum Brasiliense, " dilatata,

" corcovadense, " filix mas cristata,

Athyrium Filix foemina, Polystichum angulare,

" f. f. Fieldii, " cristatum,

Scolopendrium vulgare crispense, " proliferum.

Lomaria gibba,

Orchids.

" Until very recently I had believed that Orchids would never flourish if
taken from the greenhouses, but a gardener of my acquaintance has introduced
them while in bloom into a drawing-room with perfect success, the plants not
having suffered in the least by the change of atmosphere."

The following List of Orchids is very suitable for rooms :
Barkeria Skinneri, Leptotes bicolor,

Aerides Warneri, Lycaste Skinneri,

Brassavola Digbiana, " aromatica,

Calanthe vestita, Mormodes aromaticum,

Chysis Limminghi, Oncidium ampliatum,

Cypripedium barbatum, " flexuosum,

venustum, " divaricatura,

insignis; " cupreum,

Dendrobium nobile, Pleione maculata,

pulchellum, Sephronites cernua,

Epidendrum vitellinum, " violacea.

" All kinds of plants bearing flowers have paid their tribute to the ornamen-
tation of rooms, from the humble mignionette, upon which the patient seamstress
loves to turn her weary eyes, to the magnificent Orchid, that with its brilliant
colors and fantastic forms fills with grace and beauty the apartments of the
affluent."

Miscellaneous Plants.

"The following plants are very elegant in appearance, but require considerable
care and attention, being somewhat difficult for ordinary window culture. They
are more suitable for frames and cases, and are frequently cultivated in that
manner :

Aralia, several species, especially Aralia Sieboldii.
Bambusa japonica variegata, and B. Fortune! variegata.
Bromeliaceae, most varieties.
Carludovica, palmata and plicata.

256

WINDOW GARDEN/NO.

Croton pictum, C. pictum variegatum, C. discolor.
Curculigo recurvata.

Ficus elasticus. This is a very elegant plant for a window ornament, but now
a newer and much prettier variety, Ficus Chanvieri, is substituted for it gener-
ally.

Isolepis gracilis, a pretty
rush, is most elegant, requires
plenty of water.

Musa. Several species are
favorites, but principally M.
discolor and M. rosea. Musa
ensete is particularly suitable
for window culture, but it is
still so scarce and of such a
price as seldom to be met with.

Pandanus amaryllifolius, and
Philodendron pertusum, have
been much sought after, and in
most places thrive so well as to
give general satisfaction.

Several varieties of Dasyli-
rium and Beaucarnea are very
suitable for rooms, and produce
a very beautiful and graceful
effect when grown in suspended
vases or baskets.

Rhopala corcovadensis. This
plant exhales a somewhat dis-
agreeable odor, but is neverthe-

Flg. 9.-Centanrea gymnocarpa. leSS much SOUght after On aC-

count of its very elegant and graceful appearance during the development of its

young leaves."

In addition to Mr. Chantin's list, we give the following, which will live in a

room throughout the year, provided the frost is kept out and the plants are kept

free from dust. AH are handsome :

" Lomatia elegantissima, Aralia leptophyllt.

feiTUginea, " trifoliaU.

silaifoha, Rhopala austraiis,

polyantha, Arundo donax variegata.

Nerium splendens,

Pandanus graminifolius is peculiarly elegant, being well adapted for use in
brackets.

Cannas, are all very proper subjects for the house. Take them up before frost,

WINDOW GARDENING.

257

keep in a dry cellar through the winter, then bring to the light in the Spring
and they will start and grow well.

Mr. B. S. Williams, an eminent English florist, in some remarks upon the sub
ject of ornamental plants, adds by way of caution, "a fact which should nevei
be lost sight of, is this : That all plants with soft woolly leaves are ill-adapted foi
this purpose, but those with thick coriaceous leaves are always preferable — such
as Dractenas, Palms, Crotons, Anthurium, Aloes, Agaves and Ficuses, amongst
ornamental-leaved plants, and Amaryllids, Begonias, Epiphyllums, Acacias
Azaleas, Coronillas, Cyclamens, Salvias, and Statices among flowering plants.

" The ornamental-leaved kinds should be taken into an outer room occasionally,
and have their leaves carefully sponged with warm water and soap, and stand
until dry before removing them again into position. This operation removes all
dust and dirt which may have accumulated, gives them a fresh and bright appear-
ance, and is of vital importance to their well being."

He furnishes the following select list of plants eminently adapted for the
decoration of apartments:

Ornamental-Leaved Plants.

Agave Americana.

" variegata.
Anthurium leuconeurum.

" magnificum.
Aralia leptophylla.
" Sieboldii.
" reticulata.
Araucaria excelsa.
Aucuba japonica (vars).
Bambusa arundinacea.
Begonias (variegated).
Calamus asperrimus.
Caryota sobolifera.
Chamaedorea Arenbergii.

" desmoncioides.

Ernesti Augusti.

" graminifolia.

" Hartwegii.

" Wendlandii.

Chamaerops Fortunei.

" humilis.

Cocos australis.
Coleus (many varieties).
Croton angusti folium.
** variegatum.

Cyperus alternifoliusvariegatug.
Dracaena australis.
" Cooperi.
" ferrea.
" gracilis.
" indivisa lineata.
" terminalis.
Ficus elastica.
" religiosa.
Kentia sepida.
" Bauerii.
Latania borbonica
Lomatia silaifolia.
Morenia corallina.
Oreopanax dactylifolium.
Pandanus utilis.
Phoenix dactylifera.
Rhapis flabelliformis.
Sieforthea elegans.
Solanums (Weatherill's hybrids).
Yucca aloi folia variegata.
" filamentosa variegata
" quadricolor.
" Stokesii.

17

258 WINDOW GARDENING.

Ornamental Flowering Plants.

Amaryllis (all varieties). Dielytra spectabilis.

Acacia armata. Epiphyllum truncatum (varieties)

" Drummondii. Eucharis Aniazonica.

" grand is. Erica, many soft-wooded kinds.

" Riceana. Epacris (all varieties).

Azaleas (any varieties). Erythrina Marie Belanger.

Begonia Digswellensis. Genista Everestiana.

" fuchsioides. " racemo.sa.

" hybrida iioribunda. Gardenia radicans major.

" manicata. Hebeclinium ianthimum.

" odorata. Lachenalia (many vars.)

" Weltoniensis. Leucopogon Richei.

Camellias (many varieties). Linum flavum.

Callicarpa purpurea. " trigynum.

Chrysanthemums. Nerium Oleander.

Coronilla glauca. Poinsettia pulcherrima.

Cyclamen Persicum (var.) Statice profusa.

Daphne Indica alba. Vallota purpurea.

" " rubra.

CHOICE OF PLANTS AND THEIR ARRANGEMENTS.
Drac&nas.

The most popular and suitable plants for gay decoration seem now to be thi»
Draccenas.

After they have been once placed in the window box or jardinet, the attention
they require is but ordinary, and they will live in the atmosphere of any mod
eratel} heated room the year round.

The variety most used is D. terminalis, very easily managed, and always orna-
mental ; the choice among florists often preponderates in favor of the D. ferrea
stricta, which is still more beautifully variegated ; the D. gilfilla, with its stripy.
of white and green, still rare, is a great novelty. The colored leaved D. Coo^7\
and the green leaved D. australis, D. indivisa, D. Veilclvii, have ail an eiegam
habit, and will do well in the temperature of any sitting room ranging from 60'
to 75°.

Other varieties will do well, such as the D. cannaefolia, congener, rubra, stricto
and nmbraculifera, but the most preferable of these woulr1. be Ihe rubra and
stricta.

IMarantas.

Next in turn would be the Marantas, of which the besl varieties would be M
pulchella, zebnna, and also a dwarf variety of the latter.

The zcbritia is much the most popular of all this class, and according to tb«
experience of French gardeners, is the only one suitable for steady cultivation in
apartments, as all the others succumb to the hot and dry atmosphere insepara-

WINDOW GARDENING

259

bly found in the living room. Another great difficulty in the use of tlieMaranta
is the too great eagerness to display in the window ; the leaves being large, reach
out and touch the window pane. When cooled with the touch they become at
once of sickly look, turn yellow, and are greatly disfigured. They must be
kept away from all
cool winter air, and
thrive best in a hot,
moist location. Do
not let the leaves rest
or lie upon anything.
The Maranta rosca
picta is one of the
most exquisite of this
class, and to those
who have conserva-
tories, where it can
temporarily be re-
moved to and from
the parlor, it will be
well worth keeping.

The Poinsettia pul-
clierima.

No plant o f the
present day has so
striking a flower or is
better capable for
Parlor Ornament than
this. It is not a plant
for continuous room
culture, but only for
temporary purposes,
being quite tender,
needing a tempera-
ture of 75°, and even
at night not below 60°. For vases, for dinner tables, for floral decorations of
some Etagere, or to be placed in front of a handsome looking glass, it will al-
ways be of more than ordinary merit.

The Gymnostacliyum Verscli&ffeltii, is very suitable for vases, ai.d in our illus-
tration, Fig. 3, is used in a handsome silver stand and glass bowl as a decoration
for the table.

Caladiums.

The variegated Caladiums are very desirable for decoration, for, besides their
gracefulness, they will well endure the transition from the green house to a warm

Fig. 10.— Dracaeua terminalis.

GARDEXIXG-

drawing room or boudoir, without any marked injury. The variegations of their
foliage, spotted or shaded with tints of green, white, red and pink, are very
unique and beautiful. The best sorts are as follows :

Argyrites, small foliage, prettily spotted and blotched with white.
Bicolor splendens, a strong grower, green ground with dark red centre.

Chantini, foliage red,
centre spotted with
white.

Wightii, foliage
green, beautifully spot-
ted with red and white.
picture tu m, 1 o n g >
narrow foliage, band of
rosy red down the cen
tre.

Versclinffeltii, green
ground with crimson
centre.

The best soil for the
C a 1 a d i u m is fibrous
loam, and plenty of leaf
mould and silver sand.

Begonias*

In some respects the
most gorgeous of all
plants with variegated
leaves. They should be
mostly as single plants,
t. e. only one plant in
the centre of each box
or basket. A large
leaved Begonia in the
Fig. 11.— uaiaiiinm. window imparts an in-

describably rich appearance. The following are best varieties :

Begonia Hex, very showy, and a picturesque plant for exhibition purposes,
leaves very broad, under side deep crimson, upper surface colored with various
spots of silvery or snowy white.

Fuchsiodies, Saundersonii and parviflora are three very pretty varieties ;
when in flower, the contrast of their scarlet rose and white flowers is very fine.
B. erecta multiflora, is mentioned by some florists, as especially desirable, for it
combines the two qualities of flowers and foliage.

B. carnea pink ; B. marmorata, ?esh color, may be added; the first are white,

WIND 0 W GA RDENIXG.

261

and produce abundantly, and the latter is a dark bronze of medium size, com-
bined with an erect habit. If grown well it is very fine for the table.

Cultivation and Care of Palms for the House and Conservatory.

A few years ago the opinion was general, that palms were not only difficult in
cultivation, but on account of their size, requiring a large space, only suitable for
a big greenhouse and not at all for parlor decoration. Palms in the mind of peo-
ple were imagined to be of im-
mense size. For instance : the In-
dian Palmyra and Talipot palms,
the slender high growingCocos of
the islands in the Indian Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean, the grace-
ful Sugar and Areca palms, or
the Palma Real, in Cuba. So it
happened thai after some descrip-
tions of our celebrated travelers,
the cultivation of palms was
nearly left untried. " Kings
among the grasses," as Alex,
von Ilumboldt relates in his
"Views about Nature" how in
South America the slender tops
of several species reach above the
highest trees of the forest. Ad
miration for glorious growth of
the greater number of palms for-
bade the introduction into our
small gardens and parlors, while
the form of palms of pinnatisect
fronds with fan or umbrella-
shaped fronds, like Corypha and
Chamaerops, Trinax, Mauritia
and Sabal species called to great
interest and induced to a study Fig. 12. Begonia, grown on bracket

of the physiognomy of them. Consequently numerous kinds of species came
into trade and were civilized in our greenhouses. If we take in consideration
how very few kinds of palms (in Linnaeus time) were known (about
40 species), and how the lively period of culture of palms begins about 25 years
ago, and how during this time nearly 400 species were cultivated in European
Gardens, we comprehend clearly that palms are not difficult to cultivate, many
of them even fit for small arrangement. Induced by Alexander von Ilumboldt,
it was tried first to stud}r their finding places and distribution in the primitive
forests, in the Littorals and on the plateaus of the Andes, and according to this

WINDOW GARDENING.

their culture commenced. Plenty of seed of a great many species of palms was
acquired, and as soon as young plants were raised they showed the interesting
habit of the old big plants. Dwarf kinds of palms were discovered and it was
soon understood how well they were suited for parlor decoration. These species
of palms, which grow often on the elevated points of the mountains by a sinking
temperature, were also recognized to be fit for cultivation in the open air during
the summer season. China, Japan, Hindoostan, Australia, Mexico, South
America, provi'-led us with the best species.

Fig. 13. Palm for Table Decoration.

We presume that now, as palms have been proved to be the most useful and
durable parlor plants, and as they can be purchased at a low price, they will soon
be favorites of our parlors and small house gardens. To cultivate palms well it
is necessary to plant them into flowerpots, which are one-third longer than the
ordinary kind of pots, of about the same proportion as Hyacinth pots. Nearly
^11 genuine palms root deeply in the bottom.

WINDOW GARDENING,

26. H

2(54 WINDOW GARDENING.

We mention : The growth of the Oocos in loose sand on the sea coast, and
several species which grow in dense moist woods, in the richest humus, or others
in deep alluvial bottoms, near great rivers. The care of roots, letting them
freely go deeply into pots, will be recompensed by the better and quicker growth
of the plants. The mould for palms is to be a rich and well drained one; a
compost of one part of good old manure, and the other part of rich loam, which
could be mixed with some sharp sand and peat. The pots need a good drainage,
and palms planted in this manner can be plentifully watered during the summer
months. He, who will put his palms, which served for decoration for a parlor
in the winter season, into the open air during the summer months, in some shady
sheltered places, will keep them for many years, strong and healthy.

Several species endure to be planted in gardens and to be treated like bedding
plants. But in replanting them into pots in the autumn, it is absolutely neces-
sary to take great care of the roots. No defect must be done to the end points and
very carefully they have to be digged out. The leaves of the palms are to be kept
clean, free from all dust and insects, and we recommend to wet them sometimes
with a sponge. Should big pots be used for palms, small ferns and plants
may be grown with them at the same time, as this will not the least disturb
the growing of palms, but will produce a splendid group, palms and ferns
together.

We give an instance : with a Latania borbonica (Livistonia), the Pteris serrulata,
Adiantum Capillus Veneris, cuneatum, tenerum, pubescens, formosum, Pteris
hastata; Davallia, canariensis, pydata, and several kinds of Selagmella, Trades-
cantia, Isolepis and Ficus stipularis. Other plants, with palm-like habitus,
which are nevertheless no true palms, may be treated and used exactly like real
palms, as: Cycas revoluta, Lamia, Encephalartos, Pandanus, Charludovica
palmata, Lamatophyllum, borbonicum and Strelitzia, etc. We give in the follow
ing list only such plants, which are well suited,' as we know by long experience
for window gardening, and besides, are not expensive to purchase.

Our American ladies will surely not neglect this species of palms, as they
deserve to take the first place among plants, on account of their beauty and
durability.

Several kinds of palms grow slowly and serve thus for many years as decora-
tions in rooms before they grow too big.

List of Palms for a well-heated room or parlor.

1. Palms with primatisect fronds : Areca rubra, pumila, lutescens, aurea,*Ba-
ueri ; Astrocaryum Ayri,Elais Guine-ensis ; Caryota urens, sobolifera; *Ceroxy-
lon andicola ; Chamaedorea gracilis, graminifolia, desmoncoides, elegans ; Ernesti
Augusti, *lunata, *Schiedeana, pygmaea, *elatior, *Mexicana ; Cocos plumosa,
oleracea, Euterpe edulis ; *Jubaea spectabilis, (Cocos chilensis) ; Oreodoxa regia,
Sancona; Oenocarysus frigida; *Phcenix dactilifera, *reclinata, *silvestris, farini-
fera, *Sieforthia elegans.

2. Palms with fan-shaped, or umbrella-shaped fronds : *Chamaerops humilis.

WINDOW GARDENING. . 265

*excelsa, *Fortunei, stauracantha, *histrix ; *Corypha minor (Sabal,) *Palmetto
(Sabal and Chamaerops,) maritima, miraguama ; Trinax barbadensis, argentea,
*Livistonia australis (Corypha), sinensis ; *(Latania borbonica), Rhapis flabelli-
forrais.

3. Plants with a habit like palms, belonging to the Cyclan these, Pandanese
and Cycadeae; Charludovica atrovirens, palmata; Pandanus graminifolius, java-
nicus, fol. var., utilis, odoratissimus, amaryllidifolius, pumilus, *Cycas revoluta,
Ceratozamia Mexicana, (Zamia) ; Macrozamia spiralis (Zamia), Zamia muricata.

Those species marked (*) can be kept in a moderate temperature.

Floral Decorations — Suggestions and Plans for Arrangement.

Graceful Grasses, Lilies, Gladiolus, and other flowers with long flower stalks,
stand best in vases or high urns ; but Magnolias, Passion Flowers, Water Lilies,
Paeonies, &c., look well in flat basins.

Plants for large flower stands, windows, or the back ground of a room, must
be carefully chosen. Every plant which extends its leaves equally all around the
central stem, may be advantageously used, either singly or as the centre of
flower stands — such as Palms, Dracaenas, Yuccas, Aralias, &c., &c

Plants for windows must have a showy form to look well, not only from
outside, but also in the room. Place the biggest plant just in the centre of the
window to interrupt the monotony of the whole line. Choose, amongst other
plants for this purpose, the following : Ficus elastica, Dracaenas, Ardisia crenu
lata, with red or white berries, or an Epiphylum truncatum grafted on stock
of Pereskia. Besides the season allows a proper selection of plants for decora-
tion. Decorate your windows in early spring time with the following plants as:
Lilies of the Valley, Crocus, Hyacinths, Narcissus, Jonquilles, Scilla Sibirica,
early Tulips, some kinds of Iris, Primula Chinensis, Primula veris, Cycla-
men Persicum, Neapolitan Violets, Hepatica, Triloba, Cinerarias ; Dielytra
Spectabilis, Roses, Amaryllis formosissima. Or later in the month of
April and May try to procure the following choice flowering plants as :
Deutzia gracilis, Calla (Richardia) Aethiopica minor, Azaleas in full bloom,
Citrus Sinensis, Camellias, with their splendid foliage and rich blossoms, some
Ericas, Daphne cneorum, Blue Lobelias, Nirembergia filicaulis, double Petu-
nias, etc. Ladies or lovers of plants cannot well suppose that there is any
scarceness iu plants at this time in the year, for you will find enough in the flower
market to satisfy every desire. And how easy is the cultivation and the treat-
ment of the beautiful children of the Flora ! Only a Tegular watering and the
moisture of air by saucers placed under the pots ; full light and fresh air by re-
peated opening of the windows on clear, sunny spring days is all which is re-
quired for keeping them in good condition. Their rich colors, their sweet per-
fume and delicate or interesting shape of flower will recompense fully each litt;3
trouble, which will be bestowed on them. In summer, when the parlor needs
only an occasional decoration, as by festivities, parties, and so on, choose for

266

WINDOW GARDENING.

decoration fine Fuchsias in flower, Gardenias, Hybiscus rosa sinensis fl. pi., dou-
ble and single flowering Petunias, Heliotropes, different kinds of Coleus and
Iresine Lindeni, or some small kinds of Ferns; or for a larger decoration only
plants with large lucent leaves, as : Ficus elastica, Palms, Musa, Strelitzia, Ara-
lias, Yuccas, Pandanus, Marantas, Cyperus alternifolius, and some larger
kinds of Ferns.

Autumn offers a good variety of flowers and plants, rrhich do not require
much care. The longing for flowers awakens, when the rough -winds of

autumn tells us that winter is
coming, and that the eye will
in vain look out for joyful col-
ors and shining leaves ; when
nature is dead, then comes the
desire to have some laughing
children of the Flora round our
warm hearth, that we may en-
joy their sweet odor and their
graceful shape. It is a fact that
a great many plants are culti
vated by florists for decoration
in the winter season. He who
has a greenhouse of his own
may have the pleasure to cul-
tivate for himself: Hyacinth,
Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus and
other bulbous plants, which can
he planted in fancy flower pots
or Hyacinth glasses.

There is some poetical charm,
having early in February or
March, those messengers of
spring at your home. We men-
tion some other forced plants of
incomparable beauty. For in-
stance : Scilla Sibirica, Hepatica
triloba and H. angulosa, Rus-
sian and Neapolitan Violets,
Cyclamen Persicum, Hosteya ja-
ponica, Primula chinensis, Primula acaulis flore pleno, Delphinium formosum, Om-
phalodes verna, Phlox verna, Adonis vernalis, Iris Susianaand Persica, Fritillaria
meleagris, Anemone nemorosa fl. pi., PulmonariaVirginicia, SanguinariaCana-
densis and forced Rosa Thea, and Rosa Bengalensis. For autumn decoration
choose from the great number of blooming plants ; the latest in the season and
well suited for these decorations, by their compact low growth, is the Daisey-like

Fig. 15. Parlor Fountain and Flowpr Stand.

WINDOW GARDENING.

267

or Pompone Chrysanthemums. Later in the winter season, when flowers becom«
rare, you can have plants with large and beautiful foliage, whose form and lively
green is very agreeable to the eye. Are you an admirer of Cactus? You find
in November a certain species of Cactus flowering ; the Epiphyllum truncatum.
It is a matter of importance to arrange plants that every shape and part maybe
seen; to make the composition light and graceful by putting ferns and grass-liko
plants between others
with large leaves, for
instance : Ficus elas-
tica, F. Cooperi, F.
australis, Abutilon
Thomsonii, A r a 1 i a
Sieboldii, A. lepto-
phylla, A. papyrifera,
Camellias and Azaleas
with Cy penis alterni-
folius, Panicum plica-
turn, Phomium te-
nax, Polypodium au-
reum, Dicksonia um-
b r o s i a, Nephrolepis
exaltata, Ophiopogon
saburan, Japonic um
and spicatum, Isole-
pis pygmaea, Pteris
arguta, hastata an d
serrulata, for one
large group. Put f< >1-
lowing plants in the
window : Ardisia cre-
nulata, with red ber-
ries in the centre and
for each side ; Citrus
Sinensis, with small
gold yellow oranges,
Daphne odorata, Olea
fragrans, Nardosmia

fragrans (TllSSilagO,) Fig. 1«. Ornamental Flower Stand.

Convallaria majalis, Gardenia citriodora, blue Cinneraria, Rosa Lawrenceana,
Bouwardia jasminiflora and splendida, Selaginella umbrosia, Eranthemum
tuberculatum, Sanchezia nobilis, Eucharis Amazonica, Vallota purpurea,
Sprekelia lutea, Ornithogalum aureum and Adiantum capillus Veneris.

It will be nice to group in a flower stand some smaller plants round a big
one. Take for instance for the centre : Curculigo recurvn-t

268

1 1 7J\7> 0 W GA RDEN1NG .

gesta, Dr. ferrea, Dr. terminalis, Dr. australis, D. Brasiliensis, Dr. rubra,
Latania borbonica, Cryptomeria Japonica, Araucaria imbricata, Yucca
llaccida, Aralia papyrifera, longifolia; or a little orange tree, round which are
grouped by size: Ferns with long fronds, as Blechnum australe, spicatum and
B. frasineum, Pteris arguta, Pteris longifolium, Aspidium violascens, A. molle,
Asplenium dccursive, pinnatum, Cyrtomium falcaturn, Osmunda cinnamomea
and regalis, Struthiopteris Germanica ; and for the outline of this group, small
plants of Camelia,Azalia, Gardenia radicans, Myrtus, Aucuba, Magnolia fusca

Eugenia australis, Plecto
gyne variegata,Rhucus acu
leatus, R. racemosus, Che
nnpodium lanatum, Alys-
sum maritimum, fol. var.,
and Carex japonica, fol. var.

Now to decorate a small
parlor, which is daily used
and has a higher tempera-
ture, take: Several Dra-
caenas, small Palms, Pan-
danus utilis, Philodendrum
pertusum, Alocasia macror-
rhiza, fol .var., A. Jenningii,
A. metallica, A. arborea,
Croton pictum, and C. va-
riegatum, and different
species of Maranta, Ama-
ryllis Tessani, A. solandrae
flora, A. vittata and A,
regina, Vallota purpurea,
Pitcairnea punicea, Aech-
maea fulgens, Tillandsia
farinosa, pyramidalis and
amoena.

A composition of plants
with thick and fleshy leaves
Fig. n. Flower BOX and tree trellis. and branches is attractive

and interesting. For instance, for the centre of the group : Echeveria gran-
diflora, metallica, or E. sanguinea, or Sempervivum arboreum, fol. var., grafted
Epiphyllum, or Opuntia Brasiliensis, surrounded by Mammillaria, Echinocactus,
Echeveria, secunda glauca, Aloe retusa, Sempervivum Californicum, Aloe mar-
garitifera, Sedum Sieboldii, fol. var.

It is some years since very successful and lasting efforts have been made to
••wiltivate air plants (Orchids) in the room, (they have lately become cheaper.)

WINDOW GARDENING.

269

Nothing indeed can be more charming as flower stands in rustic style, covered
with these interesting plants, mixed with Ferns, Selaginella, New Orleans moss,
Jillandsiausneoides,Nidularia, Aechmaea and Pitcairna. Of Orchids, are re-
commended the following : Cattleya, Laelia, L}rcaste, Maxillaria, Oncidion, Odon-
toglossum, Schomburgkia, Acropera, Acineta, Epidendron, Gongora, Lygopeta-
lum and Brassia species.
For wardian cases the
smallest sp<-cies of Or-
c h i d s and especially
various kinds of Anec-
tochylus, with their sil-
ver and golden veins in
the leaves are very de-
sirable; also the very
interesting D i o n a e a
muscipula which is one
of our native orchids as
well as Goodyera pu-
bescens; place them to-
gether with several kinds
of ferns. A glass case
filled with these plants
is an elegant ornament
for the parlor. Other
Orchids only cultivated
in pots will do well for
window decoration.
Take for this purpose :
Bletia hyacinthina, Li-
modorum, Tankervillae,
(Phajus grandifolius),
Cymbidium oloefoliurn
and C. ensi folium, Ca-
lanthe vestita and vera-
trifolia, and various
species of Cypripedium.

It Shows a refined Fig. in. Flower Hox witli arbor aud climbm-; vines.

taste to decorate with air plants, ferns and fine climbing plants as : Cissus discolor,
Kctrites,Melaleuca, Miconia speciosa, Pothosargyraea, Echites argyraea violacea,
Passifiora trifasciata, k'ermesina, and P. princeps, Dioscorea discolor, Manettiabi-
color, Thunbergia chrysops, Th. grandifiora and Th. laurifolia. Avoid plants
with soft and downy leaves and employ more Ferns, Grasses or even Caladias
and plants with smooth leaves as they are more lasting for this purpose than
the so-called Bedding plants which are more suitable for out of door cultivation

270

\vr\rxnv <;. -\KprM\if.

Foramples and hanging lamps, wo recommend a plant of great value ;
deli ne vicipara, now called Cloro phy ton Stcrnborgianum ; known a long tune
in Gardens. It produces on I -oat many young plants

with air roots; is therefore useful hy this habit for Orchid stands and basket?.
In lanror parlors which arc only moderately heated, plants from greenhouses
intl conservatories c:ui be selected f.»r a required decoration. Thebes:

Fijr. 1». Flowr RUnd frr Parlor Wind"*.

would be: Azaleas, Camelli: id grafted Citrus aurantium.

Daphne laureola, odorata, Cnoomm ; Olca fmgrans; Eugo:v.:i australis; Crypto
meria Juponica, Cephalotaxus Fortunei,Uhotlodendrums. Kalmia. Ilex aquetblium
fol. var, Aucuba Japon«ca and its varieties, Viburnum Tinus with fine white
flowers in winter, Lauras nobilis, regalls and L. Camphora. Trisuiiia lauriua.

H Y. V/> 0 W G A li I) K. V A V 'V .

271

Eucalyptus globulus, Melianthus major, Mclia A7/:darach, Sida.Japonica, Oestrum
aarantiacuiM, Melaleuca alba, decussata, ovalifolia and hypericifolia; and Eryo-
botna japouica. lie who is fond of more tropical plant.-, should use in such mode-
rate ternpeiature : Aralia Sieboldii, 1-ptophylU, quinqiicfoli*; Solanum Warsce-

ril»i, robuKtum; Caladium viol aceara, cup rcum (ix^ihyroncurum), Caladium
Jayanicum ; Hedycbitim Gardneriannm, Bambu»a 3Ieuke, Chamaerops For-
tonci; Phonnium tenax, Dianella cacrulea, Kuellia varianx, So1and;a grsndi flora,

272

WIND 0 W GA RDENINO.

Brugtnansia arhorea fl. pi., Sabal minor (Corypha"), Charaaerops Palmetto
(corypha) of Ferns especially : Balantium antarcticum, Blechnum australe ;
Cyrtomium falcatum, Cyathea australis and Cyathea roedullaris. All these
plants are very durable and easy in cultivation for a low temperature and do
not require much light. They keep during the winter the full foliage and many
of them will bloom at this season. Plants, like Acacia lophanta, drop the leaves
often in winter and require much light and a careful treatment. It is, as we have
said, most important to put saucers under the pots ; it prevents the draining

Ki«. 21. Aquarium, with

water from flowing over. The complaints of ladies that plants spoil the furni-
ture will, if this caution is employed, be left away.

The following illustrations will explain the method how to treat, arrange
and plant the different objects suitable for putting plants for decoration :
This can be a guide for graceful arrangements to every one who has a passion
f'T these sweut beings, leaving enough room to develop a refined good taste, and
;. ^ming with it the admiration of all. In some respects plants are like animals,

WINDOW GARDENING.

273

looking out for their own particular society. You are not to mix Dra-
caenas with Pelargoniums, or Ferns with high Calceolarias, Ageratum, Petu-
nias, Matricarias, etc.; these combinations would be against the habit of such
plants. But you may combine well Ferns and Grasses with plants, having beauti-
ful lucent leaves like Caladias, Linas, etc. ; every Fern possesses the quality for
softening the greatest contrast. Of piants with variegated and silver leaves, chooso

only such, which go well with other plants, and arrange like this: Centaurea
gymnoca-pa, candidissima and C. plumosa, Ciuneraria maritima and Artemissia
argentea, as a single plant; or in the centre of a group, surrounded by low
plants, in rich flowering state, as: Rosa Lawrenciana, Lobelia ramosa and
erinoides, Iberis sempervivens, Dianthus Chinensis and imperialis flore pleno,

18

274

WIND 0 W G ARDENING.

Cuphea ytatycentra, Anemone coronaria, Sanvitalia procumbens fl. pi Primula
sortusoides, Gazania splendens, Geum coccineum, Ajuga reptans fol. var., Arabis
ilbida fol. var., Cyclamen Persicum and Coum, Saxifraga sannentosa, Cerastiurn
tomentosum, Myosotis Azorica, Ornithogalum aureum, Erinus alpinus Calan-
drina umbellata, Viola cornuta, lutea and Viola odorata the Czar, Campanula
pulla (pussilla), C. soldanellifolia, Vidali, Garganica, cochlearifolia and Solda-
nella alpina. Collect of all these plants as the season allows.

Fig. 20 is a low flower
stand, best placed in front
of a high looking glass,
or in summer in front of
a fireplace. Such llower
stand requires mostly
plants with ornamental
and variegated foliage, to
be seen fnnn above. For
instance, all the varieties
of Begonia Rex, hydro-
cotyledes, m a n i c a t a,
Wai csewitzii, D r e g e i,
srnaragdina, stigmosa,
Pearcei and ricimfolia ;
different Caladias, San-
chezia nobilis, Maranta
zebrina, pardina, vittata,
regalis, and Lindeni, sur-
rounded by Torenia Asi-
atica, Hoy a carnosa, Tra-
descantia discolor, Gym-
nostachys Pearci, Pepe-
romia argyraea, P i 1 e a
m u s c o s a and various
kinds of Gesneria and
Gloxinia.

Fig. 21, an Aqnarium
covered by a little arbor,
to be used for window
decoration or flower
tables. Plants, as the

Cut sllOWS US, are :

Fig. 23. Flower Basket with Gold-fish basin.

rns alternifolius, Calla aethiopica minor, [ris faetidissima, Acones graminifolius
and Isolepis parlatoris. For climbing plants, which will well cover the arbor,
lake: Pilogyne suavis, Tropseolum tri-colorum or Smilax microphylla (Medeol*
a.spaj-agoides.^

WINDOW GARDENING. 275

Fig. 22 represents a Glass rotunda or Bell Glass, surrounded by different dwarf
plants exposed to dry air, as : Lychnis Haageana, Spigelia Marilandica, Mimu-
lus quinquovulneris, Convolvulus Mauritanicus and Calcaeolaria rugosa flori-
bunda. The inside plants are like those which are proposed for Wardian cuses,
requiring the same treatment. Such well filled and well arranged Bell glasses are
beautiful ornaments for the table at festivities.

Fig. 23 The flower basket, with goldfish basin, is very cheerful to look at
when standing in a bay window or on a table. It is charming to see the lively
and graceful little animals swimming about between the carefully arranged
plants. Plant in this basket the neat: Rosa Bengalensis, Agrippina, Crocus,
Snowdrops, Lily of the Valley, Lephyranthus candidus ; Verbena var., kinds :
Nesembryanthemum cordifolium, Carex Japonicus, fol. var., Sweet Alyssum and
blue Lobelias.

Fig. 1 is a low flower stand for Tropical plants, covered with a falling veil to
protect plants against the dust. Place it in front of a large looking glass, which
will heighten the effect. Only large Tropical plants can be used here for decora-
tion. Such are : Dracaenas, Bambusa, Hedychium, Alpinia nutans, Curculigo
recurvata, Pothos, macrophylla, Anthurium, Philodendron pertusum and Palms
as : Chamaedorea lunata, elatior, gracilis ; — Cycas revoluta, Rhapis flabelliformis,
and large ferns as: Blechnun australe and Brasiliense, Pteris, argyroneura and
tricolor, Pteris arguta and hastata, Poly podium aureum, Nephrolepis exaltata,
Cyathea medullaris and australis; Pteris cretica alba and Cyrtomium falcatum.

Fig. 24. This flower stand consists of wire or fine willow work prettily
adorned at the bottom with Berlin-wool, or bead work done up by the fingers of
a lady. It serves especially for keeping cut flowers which have to be put, to
give them more durability, in wet sand. Toy or Passion flowers climb round at
the sides, and Pelargonium pedatum, Fragaria Indica, Saxifraga, Vinca major
fol. var. Sweet Alyssum mixed with Lobelias decorate the upper part of the
stand.

Fig. 25 is one of the handsomest of parlor decorations ; a sofa shaded by
big plants with imposing foliage as on Fig 7.

Place for the warm season plants like this : Melianthus major, Canna, various
kinds, Uhdea pinna! ifida, Solanum robustum, laciniatum, Warcsewitzii; Amar-
anthus bicolor coccineus ; Iresine and Alternanthera, Coleus, Fuchsia, Hybiscus,
Plumbago, Gardenia florida, and Fortunei; Abutilon Thomsonii and Mesopota-
micum, fol. var., Chrysanthemum Sensation, Osmunda cinnamomea, Struthio-
pterisGermanica,Adiantum pedatum, Onoclea sensibilis, Heliotrope, Jasminum
gracile, Rosa Bourbon, Souvenir de Malmaison, Rosa Thea, Souvenir d'un.
ami, Hydrangea hortensis, Lilium lancifolium and auratum.

Fig. 26 is much like Cut 9; but of greater importance is here the choice of
single plants, as the whole arrangement shows small flower stands, tastefully
grouped round the arbor. Fill the stands in the back ground with the following
plants : Dracaena terminalis and D. ferrea, D. Brasiliensis, rubra, congesta,
australis, indivisa, Veitchii; also Ficus elastica, australis and Cooperi. For

27b

/? . t T? /•) /•: \r.\a.

ij;. 24. I'urlor Flower Stand.

WINDOW GARDENING.

277

climbing plants decorating the arbor are well fit : Hedera Algeriensis and Roegneriana,
Cissus antarcticus, Rhuscus androgyus, Pilogyne suavis, Rubus mollucanus, Adluraia
cirrhosa, Clematis azurea grandiflora, lanuginosa, and Fortunei.

Fig. 27. The Flower fountain is, when small, determined for ornamental tab!* deco-
ration. Tn larger style it may be well suited for hall deoration or ornaments for a tent

WIND 0 W GARDEX1XG.

outcl uoora. The light and graceful \rire-work can be covered with : Mnurnndia.
Rhoaociivton volubile. Eccreraorcarpus punicus, Lophospermum, Tropaeohmi tricolo*

»r T. pentaphyllum, Thunbergia, Solanura jasminoides, Bignoma jasminoides, Medw •»
and Cardiospcrmum Flalicacaoa. For the large shape take ate.

WINDOW GARDENING.

279

various kind of Passiflora, Senecio-mikanoides, Ipomoea, and fine ornamental gourds
The lower basin in the centre contains decorative plants with large leaves as : Begonia
Maranta, Caladia, Pothos Sanchezia nobilis, Tradescantia discolo^ and Warcsewitzii

Pig. 27. Floral decoration in the form of a fountain,

the basin above has only light dedicate plants as : Ferns, Selaginella, various kinds,
Isolepis gracilis, Torrenia Asiatica, Eranthemum Cooperi, Hybiscus Cooperi, Fittonia ar
gentea, Alternanthera, Bambusa Japonica,fol. var., and Cerastium tomentosum.

280

WINDOW GARDENING.

The decorative bird cage, on page 4, frontispiece to chapter 1, in a small shape,
looks well on a table or in front of a looking glass ; if bigger, it may be placed
in the centre of a room. Here is a good opportunity for showing a fine cul-
tivated taste in the arrangement of all kinds of plants. Below, in the stand at
the bottom, you will perceive dwarf plants of the following species: Stachys
lanata, Coleus Beauty of Vidamore, Nemophila insignis, Verbena tencrioides and
Sanvitaiia procumbens mixed with Sweet Alyssum and Lobelia ; or, in a different
style : Sempervivums, Sedums, Mesembryanthernums, Cactus, Echeveria, Cras-
sula, Aloe mixed with Phlox setacea and Cerastium tomentosum. Then higher

up on the stand you have in flat vases:
Sedum fabaria, Plumbago Larpentae,
Epiphyllum truncaturn, Daphne cneo-
rum. The four vases contain : Agave
Americana fol. var.: Corypha australis,
Latania Borbonica, Cycas revoluta, or
Bromelia sativa fol. var.; Nidularium ful-
gens, Asplenium, Nidus avis, Echeveria
metallica, Alocasia metallica, Statice
Halfordii, or St. macrophylla. Yucca
flaccida will produce the best effect in
the vase on the top of the cage. Some
small climbing plants decorate well the
four corners of the cage. The lively
songsters inside, thus surrounded by
beautiful flowers, seem to forget that
they are prisoners, and warble their
lovely songs with perfect freedom and

j°y-

The plants recommended in this article
are, throughout, handsome and con-
venient. They are to be had in any
good nursery which makes a specialty
of cultivating plants for decoration.
Some florists take the delivering of plants
Fi«. 21. Portable seif-operatius parlor fountain, by contract, renewing them from time
to time. VYe give you also a good hint how to clean plants. Take off the dust
first with a small velvet scrap, then wet the leaves either with a sponge or syringe.
Plants, of a lasting habit, as : Palms, some kinds of Orehids, Yuccas, Dracaenas,
Ficus elastica, will keep well some years by attendance and regular nursing,
repaying the small trouble by their growth and fresh color.

Home Ornaments.

This department would not be complete without a word for the little ones of
the house, some hint to them of what they can do to bring forth some glowing

WINDOW GARDENING. 281

spot or sprig of living greenery. So we tell them how to make some pretty little
contrivances in grasses, &c.

Plants with light, graceful foliage are every year becoming more popular; and
to complete a picture of the highest order one requires a great variety of colors,
and graceful pencilings; so in window gardening the culture or the grasses adds
greatly to the whole effect. Their feathery plumes may not possess brilliancy of
coloring, but their silvery and emerald tints are an offset to their more gorgeous
companions.

Far prettier than many a pretentious and costly ornament is a simple bowl of
grasses planted in pine cones, set in sand, in moss, or common soil.

If grown in cones — procure them from the woods, and sprinkle in as much
soil as their scales will retain ; then scatter the grass seeds over it, and sprinkle
with water; place the cones in sand or moss — and be sure that they do not
become dry — but water them sparingly at first, once a day, and set in a mode-
rately warm place. Soon the seeds will
sprout, and the tiny spears protrude in
every direction.

Grass will sprout and grow in pine
cones without any soil, but it serves to
prevent the cone from closing too tightly
when sprinkled, and also makes a more
vigorous growth. The cones can be sus-
pended in a window, either singly or in
groups of three fastened together with
thread wire ; or a rustic basket or stand
can be procured, and filled with cones with
different kinds of grass, growing in each
cone. There are three thousand different
species of grasses in the world, and their

Study is a pleasing pursuit. F.ff. 29. A Saucer Garden.

A very charming effect can be produced by placing a wet sponge in a glass
bowl, and sprinkling over it canary seed, grasses and flax seeds ; soon it will be
covered with a thick growth of fresh bright green ; it must be judiciously
watered ; if kept too dry it will wither away ; if too wet it may damp off.
Mustard seed may also be used, and its tiny yellow blossoms, will be to many,
a novelty as well as a delight.

Children and invalids can derive much pleasure from raising a grass garden ; it
is better to select the dwarf varieties, as the taller kinds require more nourish-
ment.

A Tumbler Garden may be constructed as follows : Fill a common tumbler or
goblet with water, cut out a round of cotton batting, or of soft thick flannel of
just the size to cover the surface, and lay it gently upon the water, upon this
scatter the seeds of grass, or flax or mustard, or all mixed, and gently set the
tumbler away in a dark place. In a few days the seed will start; soon tho roots

282

WINDOW GARDENING.

Fig. 30. Grass growing in Pine Cones.

WINDOW GARDENING.

283

will begin to penetrate the cotton or flannel, slowly sending down their delicate
white fibres to the bottom of the vessel, while the top will be covered with a
little thicket of green ; after the second day the vessel must be
kept in a warm tight place, and two or three times a week care-
fully replenished with water by means of a teaspoon, or syringe
inserted beneath the edge of the flannel.

A great advantage of such a miniature garden as this is that the
roots may be plainly seen growing through the cloth. Water cress
has been grown this way, and a little story is related of a little
girl who kept her invalid mother supplied all winter long with
water cresses grown in this way upon wet flannel.

Peas. — Common garden peas will make a lovely vine, although
sweet peas are much prettier, but either can be grow.n in water;
rill a common tumbler with water; tie over it a bit of coarse
lace, such as milliners use, and cover it with peas, pressing it down
into the water. Keep in a dark place for two or three days,
then give light and warmth. In a few days the roots will bepig. 31. B
plainly seen piercing through the lace, and the vines can twine d*iga]i jSa!*11"
around the casements, or a bit of a hoop skirt spring can be fastened about
the tumbler, with springs attached to it in form of a globe, and the vines twined
about them. Keep the tumbler full of water, and
add bits of charcoal to keep it fresh ; every week turn
in two or three drops of aqua ammonia, less if the
tumbler is very small, but the deeper it is the bet-
ter for your vines.

A Saucer Garden can be made with fresh moss,
well wetted ; in the centre place a pine cone filled
with earth and common grass or canary bird seeds,
and in a few days the tiny grass spears will ap-
pear, and soon you will have a verdurous cone of
great beauty. Keep it secure from the frost, and
give water enough, and you will have a lovely orna-
ment.

The devices for growing grasses can be extended
ad libitum, and none are so poor that they cannot
secure a tumbler or a saucer garden, which will
prove a delight and a joy to all beholders, while its
care will be of the slightest.

If an acorn be suspended by a bit of thread tied
around it within half an inch of the surface of water Fi<?. re. chandelier TV <- orations,
contained in a small vase or tumbler, and allowed to remain undisturbed
for one or two weeks in a warm place, it will burst its shell and throw a root
into the water and shoot upwards, its straight and tapering stem covered with

284

WIND 0 W GA RDENTNfJ.

glossy green leaves. A young oak tree growing in this way is an elegant object
The water should be kept clean with bits of charcoal, and if the leaves turn yel-
low add a little ammonia to it. Chestnut trees can be grown in this way, but
their leaves are not as beautiful and delicate as those of the oak.

Baskets of Green Cress, or Pepper Grass.

The common garden cress grows very rapidly, and can be used in various ways

in making grassy ornaments for
parlor or table decoration. A com-
mon basket of oziers can be trans-
formed into a lovely greenery by
planting it thus : Select a pretty
shape of either ozier or wire, and
line the basket with folds of cotton
batting sewed on both outside and
inside, covering the handle with
the same, or thick white flannel
can be substituted for the cotton
wool and strips of it rolled around
the handle.

Procure four or five ounces of
cress seeds and steep them in
warmish water for four or five
hours , set into the basket a china
saucer, (or the saucer of a flower
pot will answer,) fill it with water,
and when.Hthe soaked seed has be-
come a little sticky spread them
all over the flannel, to which they
will adhere. Leave no spot un-
covered, for it must be thickly
strewn with plants. Set the bas-
ket in a warm, dark place for two
or three days — longer if the leaves
do not commence to sprout — then
bring it out to air and light, and
soon it will become a mass of
FIJI. 33 Fioralva.se. feathery green foliage. You must

sprinkle it every day with warmish water, holding it over a wash bowl ; and the
water must always fill the saucer.

A small fern can be grown in the saucer, or a Primula, or a cluster of Cro-
cuses.

Another pretty device is that of the Turnip basket, which is made by simply
taking a large Turnip, scraping out the inside so as to leave a thick wall of an

WL\DO\V

•jsr

inch all around, then plant in it some climbing or drooping vine, say a Morning
Glory. Suspend the turnip with cords, and in a little time the vines will grow
upward over the cords, while the turnip will sprout below and send forth leaves
gracefully turning and curving upward.

The Sweet Potato would hardly be recognized by many who know it only to
eat it, if they could see how pretty a parlor ornament it might be easily made.
Fig. 34 is a good -illustration of one
in a vase placed upon a bracket
fastened to the side of a room.

Take a large sized Sweet Potato
and drop it to the bottom of a vase
or the bowl of a hanging basket.
Cover the Potato with water nearly
to its top, leaving perhaps a half inch
uncovered, and always keeping it
about at this point. It will soon put
forth roots, and the top will shoot
out a vine which will grow after a
while with great rapidity. A sunny
position suits it best, — and the ten-
drils will soon clasp the arms of the
basket, or droop in long curls over
the edge of the vase. Many visitors
who have seen such a vine in the
window of their friend, have inquired
with admiration its name, thinking
it must be some foreign plant. Had
it possessed only some curious bo-
tanical or fanciful name, its praises
would never cease being repeated,
but the visitors are a little chagrined
to find that their enthusiasm has been
vented upon nothing but a Stucct
Potato Vine.

Arrangement and Choice of Flowers
for Wreaths, Bouquets and Vase*.

The art of arranging flowers grace- y\s. ;u. swi-i-i i'ot;u<» \ in.- in \a»»-.

fully and well, is not so easily taught as their culture, for it requires an artistic
eye to group them tastefully, yet fortunately they are so intrinsically beautiful
that they can hardly be spoiled, though the best effect is not always attained.

The Germans, French, and even the Russian women are said to surpass the
English and Americans in their various methods of weaving flowers into house
decorations, and they seem born with a love of plants and flowers.

286

WINDOW GARDENING.

In our country flowers are chiefly regarded as accessories, while in France and
Germany there is no family fete without its graceful door wreaths, its garlanded
picture frames, and its coronals of flowers ; and not a toilette without its appro-
priate flower.

In arranging flowers it is well to bear in mind the laws of worsted work, and
when we desire to adorn our rooms with flowers we should consider the " ground-
ing" to be prepared for them, as if it were a cushion.

White is often the chief ground work of a wreath, bouquet, or vase, yet it

greatly impoverishes the other
colors, and renders a brilliant
assortment of flowers trivial, if
little dabs of white are scattered
all over them — yet if used as an
outer edging it will heighten their
colors, and in a bouquet, vase, or
wreath of delicate, pale shades, it
tends to make their colors more
distinct.

Passion flowers are peculiarly
lovely when arranged with pale
pink roses, etc., but if white
flowers are mingled with them,
the effect is not pleasing.

Rose color and pale blue are
exquisite when mingled ; white
lilac or mauve with primrose ;
dark blue and brilliant scarlet;
cerise or cherry and white ; dark
purple and primrose, blue, white
and rose color.

The shade of green should, ns a
general rale, hnnnoni/e with the
natural foliage of the flowers ; if
this is 'disregarded it will tend

m. :». VUHK uf< 'in Flown, to overpower instead of increase

the brightness of the flower?. Very dark green lo^ks well with only
large, pure-tinted heavy flowers, like Roses, Camellias, Dahlias, etc., although
it will look well with white flowers of finer structure, if their texture is thick
and waxen and especially with wild tlowers of the spring. Thin, yellowish green
foliage would ruin the Camellia, which needs the intense dark color of its own
leaves to show forth its statuesque beauiy and elegance.

Indeed, the use of thin, quickly fading green sprays will injure all floral ar-
rangements ; and young leaves of all kinds droop soon ; while older, thicker ibli-
age will last a long time. The leaves of the scarlet geranium preserve many

WINDOW GARDEXINQ.

287

flowers by their velvety texture, which retains so much moisture, while their
flowers will last well if a drop of gum arable is dropped into each flower; and
there are few that are more effective either in dress or table decoration.

Heath retains its beauty for a long time, as do nearly all flowers which pos-
sess a hard woody stem ; while Fuchsias, Heliotropes, etc., with soft, succulent
stems either drop their flowers, or turn black so quickly that their beauty is soon
destroyed.

Carnations and Pinks are beautiful for floral decorations, and they keep their
freshness for a long time. Verbenas and Chrysanthemums are also very desira-
ble. Hyacinths will make
exquisite vases, wreaths,
etc., and double and single
Tulips are ornamental in
decorating mantel -: pieces
and tables.

Anemones are unequaled
for a dinner table, as the
full blaze of light exhibits
their striking colors to
great advantage, and the
gorgeous scarlet, pink, pale
blue and blue shading into
white are per feet, but they
require a soft mossy foli-
age of Lycopodiums or
Ferns.

Azaleas are charming
for every kind of adorn-
m e n t . There are no
flowers more perfect for
ornamenting the hair and
dress, but they fade

quickly Unless damp blot- Fig. 36. Basket of Cut Flowers.

ting paper or cotton or wool is rolled around their stems.

Deutziagracilis is very beautiful for any decoration ; and it is in much request
so that the florists force large quantities of it every winter. Roses of every shade
are always admirable; too many of them were never seen.

Stephanotis floribunda is ever welcome ; its snowy, waxen, fragrant flowers be-
ing adapted to every floral ornament, and the same remark applies to the sweet
Cape Jessamines, the Myrtle and the Orange blossom.

Bouvardias, Tuberoses, Mignonette, and all the sweet blossoms, are also to be
desired for arranging in the various devices at present employed in decorating
apartments, etc., for festive occasions.

Mounting and weaving flowers is a mechanical operation that is often useful.

288

WIND 0 W G A RDENIXQ

The Parisian fleurixtcs can take a flower with less than half an inch of footstalk
and make it very effective. The smallest piece of well soaked cotton wool is
pressed around the stem, and a small piece of wire is wound about it to keep the
wool close, and it is twisted closely together for a stem ; a fresh green leaf can

be rolled over the wool to prevent its being ob-
served. Every one knows how often a lovely
flower will snap from the stem and be seemingly
useless, but with a bit of fine wire pierced through
the calyx a stem is provkled which will answer
all the purpose ; then cotton wool thoroughly
wetted can be wound tightly over it. White
Camellias are ruined if the slightest moisture
touches the petals, and the best way to mount the
flower is to moisten a piece of white cotton wool
about the size of half a dollar, then lay it on a
piece the size of the flower itself, which should
then be lifted up ; two ends of a loop of wire having
been passed through the centre of the wool before laying it under the flower, lift
u|> the loop of wire, and slip it between the leaflets or points of the thickest
calyx and the flower, drawing it gently around it ; then reverse the flower, and
pass the wire through the wool twisting it around a cluster of leaves of the
Camellia, and concealing the wool with them. With pink flowers use pink wool,
Melted isinglass is often used to make the flower adhere closely to the wool ; this
helps to keep the flower from falling, and also moistens it. Isinglass is better in
preparing flowers than gum or mucilage of any kind, because it is not so sticky,
and is of a pure white tint. A crown or wreath of Camellias can be prepared in
this manner, that will last for four or five days in great perfection ; even if the
flowers drop their petals the wool retains enough of them to keep up the appear-
ance of flowers.

Fig. 37. Bouquet

Pig. 38. A Cornucopia of Flowers.

To mount Geraniums, Azaleaj, etc., the stems should be cut off within an inch
of the cluster or single flower, and a drop of isinglass be given inside of the petals,
wetted wool iiml the wire should be arranged as described for Camellias

WINDOW GARDENING

289

Water Lilies can be treated in this way and thej can be kept several days.
In making wreaths, a delicate eye for combining color and light for arrang-
ing flowers are required, or clumsy garlands will be the result.

It is a mistake to suppose that a great variety of flowers is required ; simple,
small wreaths of Ivy leaves and Myrtle blossoms, or drooping racemes of Deut-
zia ; of Geranium leaves mingled with white rose buds, and its own brilliant
blossoms ; of Pansies, and some thick textured leaves ; of Azaleas and Prim-
roses ; or of any combination of two or three flowers are much more lovely for the
decoration of the hair, dress and table.

The wreath can be tied with green zephyr wool
upon a bit of thread wire, mingling the green
leaves in a graceful form.

For the head or for a picture frame, the wreath is
made moie easily by commencing at each end, and
arranging the' flowers and leaves toward the cen-
tre— beginning with a few drooping branches, and
filling the centre with a high coronal of knots of
flowers.

In making up bouquets, frames of very fine green
wire are much used, so that a single stem stripped
of all its leaves, passes through each hole, and
all of them are bound together underneath the
frame.

The holes are arranged in circles, and the effect of
the grouping is very good and lasting, but as soon
as the flowers shrivel, or the petals fall it is no
longer ornamental ; but for decorating a dinner table,
or carrying in the hand, it is a most desirable frame,
as it is exceedingly light to hold, and takes very
few flowers to produce a fine appearance.

The frame should be slightly conical, and a large
flower is best adapted for the aentre piece, and a
fringe of some delicate fern, leaves or flower, should
droop over the edges. Fig. 39. Wreath of Flower*

The frames can be made at home with a little ingenuity ; silver wire is the
best, but copper can be used. The piece of wire for the outside circle of a large
bouquet, should be cut half a yard in length, and the succeeding lengths should
be three inches shorter, each one diminishing regularly until the last circle will
be the size of a ten cent piece. Each of these wires, making six in all, should be
neatly fastened together ; and three wires must then be attached to the centre,
one at equal distances, and passing in and out of each circle must be firmly
hooked into the outer circle and arranged in a conical shape. Thread wire can
now be twisted or netted in and out of the circles as close as the maker

19

290

WINDOW GARDENING

chooses. From the centre circle, three more wires can now be fastened and bent
down straight to form a handle.

Fine wire can be used to form frames for covering vases, dishes, etc., and they
can be made in the same manner. If very small flowers are to be used in form-
ing the bouquet, place coarse netting lace, such as is used in millinery all over
the frame, and it can be also employed in making the whole frame, using only
one circle of rattan at the outer edge; but it will not last for only one occasion.
Bouquets made on these frames affect a great saving of flowers. With but a small

handful a large sized bouquet can be ar-
ranged. Various are the devices which
can be appropriated in making up such bou-
quets. The centre can be of one flower,
and a wreath of Rosebuds or Hyacinths or
Blue Violets, or Pansies arranged all around
it with a graceful ground work of green
leaves.

In fastening on the handle, it is well to
recall the shape of a parasol, and arrange
the wires so that they will have a similar
effect. In making such a frame for an oval
dish no handle is required, and the dish can
be filled with wet sand to keep the flowers
fresh. If water is used in vases a few
large pieces of charcoal are very needful to
prevent it from being offensive.

It is a subject of dispute in arranging vases
whether one should commence in the centre
or at the outside, but in dishes of all kinds
it is certainly the best plan to commence at
the outer edge with a bordering of leaves ;
but for bouquets it is better to begin at th^
centre. Drooping flowers are always grace-
ful, and are decidedly the best for bordering
or edging both vases and bouquets.

Many a vase and bouquet of flowers

FIR. 40. Parlor stand for Cut Flowers. is ruined by mingling too great a variety
of colors and flowers. One sees that there are a great number of very pretty
flowers, yet the effect is not exactly the thing, for they are decidedly crowded,
and do not mix well together.

Two or three purple flowers in a vase of scarlet and white will ruin the whole.
One must consult the colors of the flowers that are to be grouped together,
ather than the great assortment of rich and rare blossoms.
Variegated foliage is exceedingly pretty for bordering bouquets, baskets and

WINDOW GARDENING.

291

flat dishes. Begonia leaves and those of Cissus discolor, are much in request for
this purpose

A bouquet with a rich rose-colored flower as its central piece, and the next row
of blue and white Hyacinths or violets tied to wires or broom corn splinters, and
the outside mixed with rose color, blue
and white, with a pretty, misty border-
ing of Gypsophila, or dive, falling over
deep crimson leaves, will be a most
effective design. A pure white Camellia
for the centre, with a wreath of white
Heath mingled with Blue Violets, or For-
get-me-nots, is very lovely.

The central flower white, and the outer
wreath of scarlet Geraniums, is also
pretty

Carnations and Lilies of the Valley
will mingle finely.

Among garden flowers how infinite
the choice, ribbon grass, pear blossoms
tea violets, lily of the valley, with its
leaves, white lilacs; dielytra, roses, in
their season ; the fragrant lilies of July,
and the bright geranium or verbenas.
Saucers of pansies, edged with musk, are
lovely ; so are balsams, with plenty of
their own leaves.

A pretty design may be made as fol-
lows : Fill a glass dish with curled parsley
leaves, put a white jonquil in the centre,
from which let five sprays of the lily of
the valley radiate ; or a star may be made
of daisies and myrtle, or of blue and
white larkspur.

A very novel bouquet may be made
by taking an unripe melon, cut off one
end, stand it up on the cut part, then
surround with the stiff leaves of the
Paeonia, and stick the melon full of
dahlias and asters.

In one of our illustrations (43) may

be seen a beautiful design arranged Fig.4t. ornamental stand tor vase of'
with ferns. A few long fronds are arranged to fall over the vessel at the bottom,
and a few sprigs of flowers are introduced to fill up the vase ; around the
small staff which rises upwards, twines the Lygodium scandens, and from the

292

WINDOW OARDEXTXG.

top, which is in the shape of a cup, droop more plants, same description as at
the base.

Bridal bouquets must be chiefly composed of the purest white flowers, with a

little minglinr of yellow, blue and blush white tints, but the snow white must
predominate to produce the richest effect.

WIXDOW GARDENING.

293

Green is essential in all bouquets, and the foliage of the respective flowers is
* irays best fitted to show off their peculiar charms, yet a feathery and plumy
gfeen adds grace to all arrangements of powers.

Nothing can produce a more lovely appearance than a vase of Lilies of the
Valley, mingled with the emerald green folds of their own foliage.

Camellias, Azaleas, Orange flowers, white Jessamine, Myrtle, white Heathi
and white Violets, mingle together in odorous beauty to adorn a bridal s»ene.

Rose-buds should not
be forgotten, also the
lovely waxen-petalled
Stephanotis, and half-
blown Gardenias.

As a general rule, all
flowers of thin texture
and pale delicate colors,
fade so quickly that they
are not suitable for
decorative purposes.

They look exceeding-
ly pretty while growing,
but they will not im-
prove any floral ar-
rangement. Nemophila,
Convolvulus, etc., etc.,
are lovely in their liv
ing beauty, but gath-
ered they add nothing
to the beauty of others ;
while Carnations, Ge-
raniums, Rose, Asters,
etc., etc., are always
most brilliant and last-
ing. Fern leaves are
also beautiful in vases,
and so effective that

but few flowers are re- Fig. 43. Table Decoration with Stand of Ferns.

quired to make a brilliant display.

Branches of Ivy are lovely and mingle well with scarlet and white Geraniums.
When many vases are desired to be arranged, it is well to fill each vase with
shades of one color, scarlet, crimson, pink, white, blue, purple, etc

Hanging Baskets of cut flowers, much used for decorative purposes, and the
style of flowers should correspond with that of the basket. In little lattice
work baskets, the graceful fronds of Ferns, light wreaths of Ivy-drooping Fuchsias
and sprays of Begonia, with Lobelias and Rose-buds, Cyclamens and Snow-

294

WINDOW GARDENING.

drops woven in, present a most attractive appearance. The flowers are often
arranged in tiny bottles, which keep them fresh a great while if a little salt and
saltpetre are added to the water. These baskets are often suspended by wires,
and long ivy wreaths can be twined about them

Other baskecs are arranged with a cross-bar of green, dividing them into four
quarters, with a double row of white edging the green. Scarlet Geraniums
and Blue Hyacinths fill up the interstices, but usually if one color is kept
as a ground work, and another as a filling, the better will be the" effect. Baskets
can be arranged with branches of Ivy growing in bottles of water, mingled with

pressed fern and autumn leaves
that have all the effect of growing
plants, and can be suspended in a
cool bay window where plants
would never grow. The Ivy can
be trained to creep up the cords
and the ferns arranged in clusters
by themselves. Pressed mosses
can fill up all crevices, and the
water with charcoal to keep it
fresh, will not require any change>
but only to be filled up once in three
weeks. There will be no danger
of its dripping upon the carpet, nor
being chilled unless the tempera-
ture falls below freezing.

Long pieces of Ivy can be pur-
chased at the florists, and they will
soon strike root and grow finely.

In arranging vases that will stand
fur from close inspection, very
large, bright flowers are the most
desirable. Dahlias for the centre
piece, surrounded with full blown
roses, Chrysanthemums, etc.; little

Fig. 44.

1 of Ornamental Grasses.

delicate flowers are thrown away in such decorations.

For wreathing picture frames and looking glasses, nothing is more beautiful
than evergreen, box, or myrtle boughs, thickly intermixed with Holly, Snow-
berries or Bitter-sweet, and the whole crowned by a bouquet of feathery Ferns
with evergreens and berries.

For large green wreaths tied on the springs of hoop skirts firmly fastened
together, the low growing evergreens of the pine woods are decidedly the best,
and branches of spreading boughs of fir or hemlock can surmount each crown.

The gray woolly wreaths of the Clematis, when it has gone to seed, mingle
well with the bright berries and the dark hued evergreens. There is rio decor-

WINDOW GARDENING.

205

ation which equals that of flowers on festive occasions, ar d those of our readers
who live in the country can always avail themselves of the berries and evergreens
of the forests and fields.

The mountain Ash berries are also extremely effective in trimming vases and
rooms.

To Eevive Faded Flowers

Hot water will frequently restore flowers to freshness, even when every petal
is drooping. Place the stems into a cup of boiling hot water, leave them in it
until each petal has become smoothed out, then cut off the coddled ends and put
into milk warm water.

Colored flowers revive sooner than those that are of snowy whiteness, as the
latter turn yellow. A cool room is
best adapted to keeping flowers
fresh; they will wilt quickly in
badly ventilated rooms, especially
if filled with tobacco smoke. Take
away each flower as it fades, else it
will decay the others.

It is far better to gather your
flowers for yourself and friends,
than to let them fade upon the
plants.

Cut Flowers, hoio to keep them

When gathering flowers, use a pair
of sharp shears ; a knife is better, es-
pecially for woody plants — roses,
camellias, spireas, deutzias, fuchsias,
and the like.

If you wish to sever a spray of

bloSSOmS Or leaves, hold the Stem to Fig. 45. Cross for Table Decoration.

be removed in the left hand, and at the back of the stem set the knife (held in the
right hand) and cut in a slanting direction downward. If the spray springs from
the head of the stalk, cut it as close as possible to the shoot next below it ; if it
be a side branch, cut it cleanly to the main stalk. Then there will be no outflow
of the sap, no rough and withering sticks protruding their unsightly presence
above sickly foliage and meagre blossoms ; but, on the contrary, a symmetrical
growth of verdure and florescence. Use the same method in removing a solitary
flower or bud.

One great drawback to our enjoyment of Cut flowers is the quickness with
which they decay.

The moisture furnished cut flowers should be rain water, always of a mode-
rate temperature, about blood warmth. The Water should not be changed, but

296

WINDOW GARDENING

every morning its evaporation supplied with more of the same temperature ; to
which, after a few days, a little aqua ammonia — five drops to, half a pint of
water — may be added. It is well to place at the bottom of the dish or vase a
layer of broken charcoal, about half an inch in depth— pieces about the size of
small beans. In placing the flowers, let them have as much room as they need
to show themselves naturally. At the expiration of a week, the stems should
be examined, all decayed matter rubbed from them with a piece of flannel ; and
the tip of each end cleanly cut ; and if any leaves or blossoms begin to look with
ered, those also should be cut away.

Fi;?. 40. Flower Stand for the Table.

Flowers decay much sooner when tied in bunches or bouquets than when
arranged loosely. Too little air and too much water are the bane of most
species. There ought to be a free current of the former around each spray or
separate large flower, while the latter should not come above the calyx of any
bloom ; better be an inch or more below it. With most hardy plants, even if
very long stemmed, two inches immersion will give water enough if tney have
plenty of air

Branchlets of flowering shrubs and stalks of the lily tribe can be advanta-
geously arranged m water held in deep vases in the manner just mentioned ; but

WINDOW GARDENING.

297

for a collection of the various orders, we prefer a perforated cover, (have used even
the flat steamer of a dinner-boiler, but wish the " workers in clay " would provide
for the necks of vases and flower-dishes plates similar to those prepared for drainers
to soap dishes.) This rests upon the top of the vessel, and through its holes the
stems can be passed to the water beneath without fear of too deep immersion, as

Fig. 47. Flower Stand for a HalL

either by its leaves, or bud-stems, or stalks of surrounding greenery, each flower
is lightly supported above the cover, which is hidden by the foliage hanging
gracefully around. When water is to be supplied, the cover is raised withou*
disturbing the stems

298

WIND 0 W GARDENING .

For short stemmed flowers, a mixture of damp sand and powdered charcoal
in equal proportions, answers very well ; but care must be taken that the dish
does not get too dry ; so also do baskets of creeping moss, in which they may be
placed with fine effect ; still the moss gets dry so soon that the flowers fare bet-
ter if a saucer is hidden below, partly filled with water, which they can reach
with the tips of their stems

Kijr. 48. Dish of Flowers and Furus for the Table.

The prettiest and best arrangement for keeping cut flowers in beauty is a dish
of velvet moss saturated with rain water. When this moss is brought from the
woods, if a few fronds of fern, especially those of the delicate Maiden Hair, are

Fig. 49. Ornamental Silver and Gold Stand for Fruit or Flower*.

taken with it, and suffered to form a part of the foliage of the group, you wiL
find them a charming addition. Place the flower stems sparsely among the moss,
and here and there a branchlet of green or a leaf. Just inside the edge of the
dish pour a very little water twice a week ; and when any of the collection show
signs of decay, remove them, and fill their places with fresh specimens; thus the
dish may be kept filled with bloom and beauty for months

WINDOW GARDENING

299

Small bouquets for the hand soon fade if no effort is m«.c«e to give them mois-
ture ; but a wrapping of a bit of wet cotton batting or a few wet threads of can-
dle wicking, fastened lightly about the ends of the stems, will suffice to keep
them in good condition several hours in a close, hot atmosphere. Those who do
not like the formality of a bouquet holder, which this plan necessitates, can take
a small vial — such as are used to hold medicine of homoeopathists — partly fill it
with water, and place the flower stems therein ; and then cover the vial by tying
a ribbon around it, just as they would the bare steins of a nosegay. Flowers
used in decorating the hair and the
dress can be kept bright and fresh
in the same way.

If flowers are to be transported
any distance after they are cut, they
should be placed carefully in a tight
box or case. If the box is not per-
fectly air tight, furnish it with a layer
of damp moss or cotton batting.

When going for wild flowers, carry
a tightly closing tin box, in which
is a piece of wet, coarse sponge, and
a basket. The smaller flowers are
to be shut in the box The sponge
is laid in the bottom of the basket,
and the stems of the larger flowers
inserted in its pores. By so doing,
even the most delicate can be brought
home without withering.

Handsome wall decorations may
be made by cutting long branches of
ivy, clematis, woodbine, honeysuckle,
or climbing roses, inserting a few
inches of their stem in a bottle of
rain water, and hanging the bottle
behind a picture or a mirror, over

and about Which the flowers will Fig. 50. Decorative Bird Ca-je lor the house.

bloom and the foliage flourish for many weeks, to the admiration of all be-
holders.

The beauty of so many flowers — hot house flowers especially — is tarnished by
sprinkling. When they are drooping, it is best to try first a change to a cooler,
or a more airy department, and a double portion of ammonia added to their
water ; this frequently revives them very quickly

300 WINDOW GARDENING.

CONCLUSION.

And now, regretfully taking leave of the interested readers who have followed
us to the end, we cannot close without some slight but hearty expression of the
genuine love and pure ennobling influence which comes from constant associa-
tions with flowers. Though Window Gardening has its difficulties, still its
pleasures are as yet but partially told, and its capabilities only half revealed.
How dreary our homes would be without some sweet presence of floral blos-
soms ? Where they are, they seem to give a " benediction of peace" for they
beguile many a weary hour, and soothe many a feverish or anxious life. Would
that all might be led ere long to study the beauties and acknowledge the sweet
influence of the flowers, " Nature's Jewels," vhose life seems to be examples of
humility, purity, and patience.

Ruskin says : " Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity
Children love them ; quiet, tender, contented, ordinary people love them as they
grow; luxurious and disorderly people rejoice in them gathered. They are the
cottagers' treasure, and in the crowded town, mark, as with a little broken frag-
ment of rainbow, the windows of the worker, in w%ose hearts rests the "cove-
nant of peace" To the child and the girl, to the peasant and manufacturing
operative, to the grisette and the nun, the lover and the monk, they are precioui
always—

" Bright gems of Earth in which, perchance we *ee
What Eden was — what Paradise may be*

INDEX

PART I.

CIAPTBR L Window Gardening: Its Pleasures— Increase in Popular Taste— Refining In-

fluences..... 5 to 10

IL Location and Designs for Window Gardens '. 11 to M

III. General Management of Window Gardens 23 to 35

IV. Special Care of Window Gardens in Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn 36 to 44

V. Insects, and how to kill them 45 to 48

VI. Propagation from Seeds. Cuttings, &c 49 to 52

VII. Propagating Boxes, Heating Cases and Cold Frames 53 to 56

VIIL Window Pots, Boxes, Jardinieres and Plant Stands 57 to 76

IX. Conservatories and Greenhouses 77 to 90

PART II.

PLANTS FOR WINDOW GARDENS.

tHAPTKR X. Ranging Bankets 91 to 110

XL The Ivy for Decorative purposes Ill to 118

XIL Clhnhing Vines— Balcony Gardening 119 to 137

XIII. Bulbs 138 to 157

XIV. Ferneries, Wardian Cases, and Fern Decorations. 158 to 188

XV. The Camellia 189 to 191

XVI. The Rose 192 to 197

XVII. The Fuchsia— The Myrtle 198 to 203

XVIII. The Heliotrope 2lM to 206

XFX. TheGeranium 207 to 211

XX. The Oleander, Bou vardia, Mahernia Odarata 212 to 214

XXL Verbenas, Petunias, Pyrethruius 215 to 218

XXIL The Mignionette, Cinerarias, Wall Flowers, Stocks 219 to 222

XXIII. Carnations 223 to 225

XXIV. Alpine Plants 226 to 232

XXV Miscellaneous Plants 933 to 246

PART III.

PARLOR DECORATIONS.

CHAPTKK XXVI. TTie Decoration of Parlors and Living Rooms with Ornamental Plant*

and Flowers J47 to 3»

Tlie Editor would acknowledge with pleasure proper credit to the following Books or JounuUl
which hare heen consulted for necessary information :

The Floral World London, England.

The Gardeners' Magazine "

The Parks, Gardens and Promenades of Paris By William Robinson.

Frauengarten, Illustriste Gartenhuch By H. Jager, Leipsig.

Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste By Shirley Hibberd.

Flowers for the Parlor and Garden Edward 8. Rand, jr.

Practical Floriculture Henderson.

Window Gardening, English Pamphlet Robert T. Fish.

Indoor Plants Miss E. A. Maling.

Hearth and Home, and American Agriculturist.

The Horticulturist. N. E. Farmer.

The Fern Garden Shirley Hibberd.

CONTRIBUTORS.

Acknowledgments of kindly assistance are due to the following persons for contribution*
to the page? of this book :

C. L. ALLBM, 'DAISY EYEBRIOHT,

PBOF. ROBERT DEMCKER, J. L. LITTLLE, Jn.

N. T. Central Park Gardens. ANNE O. HALK.

TILE FLOWER BOXES

Of Various Sizes and Patterns, for

jpartor tilhutmcjj, d^nswatows, *te.

THEY ARE PACED WITH

ORNAMENTAL TILES,

Set in Walnut Mouldings, Plain and Rustic. The lining is of zinc, so that they
may be filled with earth, or with common pots containing plants.

ALSO, IN GLAZED STONE WAKE,

Ornamental Flower Pots,

Hanging and Wall Baskets,

Brackets, Rustic Seats, etc.

MINTON'S FLOOR TILES

FOR

onscrbatavies, esli^ules, alls, cartljs, etc.

GARNKIRK CHIMNEY TOPS,

&c., &c., &c.

MILLER & CORTES,
279 PEARL STREET. • NEW YORK

OR

OF VARIOUS SIZES, PATTERNS AND DECORATIONS

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15 INCHES IN DIAMETER, WITH

Jfwtrh Ofrptat <Ste Ji

COMPLETE.

The largest assortment in the United States, and sold at LOWER PRICE than any other house
in this line of business. Also,

GKLASS SHADES for POND LILIES,

with Mirrored Stands, to represent water, of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 inches in diameter, and large*
sizes when specially ordered.

Class Shades for Clocks, Birds, Wax Flowers, etc.

SHEET WAX,

«f BchftltWe's superior manufacture, for making Wai Flowers, GILT LKAF MOULDS, (78 different
styles) MOULDING TOOLS, FLOWRR CCTTKKS, Dry Colors iu Homo— Vials, Brushes, Moss, Stamen*, and
•ther mateiials and tools used iii Wai Flowar making.

S. J. PARDESSUS & CO.,

9 & 11 Park Place, New York.

A catalogue with treatise on "Phantom Bouquets," or ''Skeleton Leaf" making, will be sent by
n.nil on receipt of a 3 cent P. O. Stamp. The trade and teachers of wax flowers will please enoloM
their business card.

Hitchings <£ Co.,

MANUFACTURERS OP

Patent Boilers and Heating Apparatus

FOR

Green-Houses, Graperies, Etc.,
No. 153 Crosby St., New Vork,

CORRUGATED FIRE-BOX BOILER,

PATENTED 18C7.

Manufacture and keep constantly on hand Patent Corrugated Fire-Box Boil-
ers, Conical Boilers, and Saddle Boilers, Heating Pipes, Expansion Tanks,
Stop Valves and Fittings of every kind. Also, Furnace Fronts and Fire Bars
for brick flues, Sash Lifters, etc., etc.

Refer to— Peter Henderson, Bergen, N. J. ; Isaac Buchanan, Astoria, L. I., N. Y. ; Wm.
C. Wilson, Astoria, L. I., N. Y. ; Ellwanger A Barry, Rochester, N. Y. ; Experimental Gardens,
Washington, D. C. ; Botanical Gardens, Washington, D. C. ; Henry Shaw, St. Louis, Mo. ; Gal
Tin «fe Geraghty, Newport, R. I.

SEND FOR ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE AND REFERENCE LIST.

HITCHINGS & CO,, 153 Crosby St., New York.

PETTIEST SOUSE^OLD ^JOURNALS

Devoted to Household Ele-
gancies, Housekeeping, Art,
Music, Home Pets, Ladies' Fan-
cy "Work, Society, Amusements,
Flowers, Window Gardening,
Cottages, etc. The Prettiest
Ladies' Paper in America. Beau-
tifully Illustrated. A perfect
Gem. Full of good sense, and
invaluable to every lady for its
refinement, elegance, and rare
value.

Price, $1.30 per year, including
beautiful Chromo.

Price, 35 cents, three months,
including beautiful Chromo.

Price, 15 cents, three months,
on trial. Specimen copy, 10c.

None Free.

Agents Wonted. Get up a Club.
Premium List Free.

'HE BOYS AND GIRLS ! Send lOc. for Trial Trip 3 Months,

>

THE PRETTIEST PAPER FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS, IN THE UNITED STATES,

A beautiful illustrated Journal, devoted to the interest of the Young Folks, their amusement,
improvement, and instruction at home and at school. Full of pretty pictures, entertaining
stories, puzzles, fun, anecdotes, questions, little pieces, and helps to school studies. Pure, sensi-
ble, useful. Parents, take it for your children. Boys, get up clubs.

PRICE, — 35 cents on trial 6 months, including pretty Chromo, " Mischief." 10 cents on trial 3
months, without Chromo. 5 cents specimen copy. None free.

HENRY T. WILLIAMS, Publisher,

46 Beekman Street, New York.

N. B.— Please state where you saw this notice.

-AND

HOME DECORATIONS.

Fret-Sawing has become an art of such wonderful popularity that the interest in it has been
shared hy both amateurs and professionals to an astonishing extent. Hundreds are eaining large
sums of pocket-money by cutting these beautiful household ornaments, and selling among
t'l lends or acquaintances, or at the art stores.

Ladies and the Young Folks find in it a fascinating
recreation, and are making dozens of fancy articles
at small cost, to decoiate their homes in a charming
manner, or to give as Holiday Presents to friends. The
following books contain mechanical designs of full
size for immediate use, and are invaluable alike to the
amateurs, ladies, young folks, mechanics, architects,
and all of professional skill.

PART 1 contains full size Designs for Picture
Frames, Small Bracket?, Book K.-u-ks, Fancy Letters
and Figures, Ornaments. Wall Pookets, etc. (Has
patterns worth at usual prices over $8.) Price, 75 cts.,
post-paid by mail.

PART 2 is devoted exclusively to designs of Brackets
of medium to large size, all entirely new. and of the
most tasteful detail and execution. (Contains over 50
plans, worth at least $15.) Price $1.00, by mail, post-
paid.

PART 3 is devoted to Fancy Work, Ladies' Work
Baskets, Easels, Crosses. Match Boxes, Pen Racks,
Paper Cutters, Calendar Frames. Thermometer Stands,
Watch Pockets. Fruit Baskets, Table Platters, etc.
Nearly 100 designs, many of them really exquisite.
Price, *1.

The above books contain over 300 patterns all beau-
tifully printed in blue color. These books are the
only ones yet issued in the U. S. The patterns are
mostly original, designed expressly for these books,
and in execution, choice selection," taste, cheapness,
they may be safely esteemed the best collection yet
produced ! The whole series of three costing but $2.75. contains upwards of 300 patterns, worth
at usual values over $30. All sent post-paid by mail, on receipt of price.

Bracket and Fret Saw.

With this Bracket Saw, the designs and directions, very
desirable articles can be made lor F;iii>. etc., which will
sell quickly and at a good profit v iili it you can make
beautiful articles for presentation <jift*. With it you can
help beautifi/ your homes. With it you < an make money.
To parents desiring a USEFUL GIFT for their children, we
would call attention to this Bracket and Frf t Saw. for it
not only affords great pleasure, but it helps to cultivate a
mechanical taste.

Price with L'5 bracket and ornamental designs, G bracket
saw blades, also full directions for use. Sent by mail for
$1.25.

Address HSNBY T. WILLIAMS, Publisher,

46 Beekman Street, New York.

Part 4, Price KO Cents. — A new book of Fret Saw designs, containing many tasteful pat-
terns, entirely new and of special elegance, is now in press, and will be issued early in October.

busehold fllleganeies,

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LADIES' BOOK EVER PUBLISHED.
A BEAUTIFUL GIFT TO FRIENDS

By Henry T. Williams and Mrs. C. S. Jones.

A splendid new book on Household Art, devoted to a multitude of topics, interesting to ladies
everywhere. Among the most popular subjects are, Transparencies on Glass, Leaf Work,
Autumn Leaves. Wax Work, Painting, Leather Work, Fret Work, Picture Frames. Brackets,
Wall Pockets, Work Boxes and Baskets. Straw Work, Skeleton Leaves, Hair Work, Shell Work,
Mosaic, Crosses, Cardboard Work, Worsted Work, Spatter Work, Mosses. Cone Work. etc.
Hundreds of exquisite illustrations decorate the pages, which are full to overflowing with hints
and devices to every lady, how to ornament her home cheaply, tastefully and delightfully, with
fancy articles of her own construction. By far the most popular and elegant gift-book of th«
year.— 300 pages, Price, $1.50. Sent post-paid by mail.

Address, HENRY T, WILLIAMS, Publisher, 46 Beekman Street, New York.

Most Beautiful Novelties-*

Gems of Art ! They win Admiration Everywhere !

9

These New and Beautiful Productions of the Loom are
the wonder and admiration of all. They are not only use-
ful as Book Registers, but elegant and tasteful as Presents.
Each design is woven in silk in various colors, and the views
and likenesses are remarkably clear and correct. The en-
graving here given is a careful reproduction of one of them
on a reduced scale, and will give a faint outline of their
beauty.

The variety of these novelties is now very large, number-
ing over four hundred, and embraces an extensive assort-
ment of Anthems, Hymns, Scriptural Texts, and Verses on
the affections, Birthdays, etc.,etc.,fromShakspeare, Byron,
Burns, Moore. Tennyson, Hood, Eliza Cook, George Eliot,
Longfellow, Wordsworth, Cowper, etc., etc.. beautifully
illuminated and woven in silk. As tokens of affection they
are really charming.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS,

ILLUMINATED SILK-WOVEN BOOK-MARKS. — These
beautiful gems of the loom cannot be spoken too highly of,
and deserve a place in every family in the country. They
are useful as well as an ornamental register for the old Fam-
ily Bible. The number of the different varieties now reaches
some 40i>, and one can be found for everybody, as they em-
brace religious, affectional, and sentimental subjects, and are
suitable for presents to parents and children, young maids
and bachelors, and friends to friends. The flowers, portraits,
and other pictures are portrayed with an exactness in bril-
liant colors that equals the finest touch of the painter, an(\
casts into the shade the numerous chromos which are daily
scattered over the country.— [Christian Advocate.

SELECTED DESIGNS.

From the large list of mottoes and designs we have mad*
the following selections, which we specially recommend :

SERIES No. 1. Price SO Cents Each.

This series intended specially as gifts, prizes or premiums, by
parents, teachers (school or Sunday school), to the young
tolks, or to hang on Christmas trees.

The Busy Bee. No. W For a Good Girl. No. 88

Little R. d Hiding Hood. " 85 Mistress >lary. ' !)4

I Love Little Pussy. " 87 To My Darling. " %

SERIES No. 3. Trice 5O Cents Each.

LOVP'S Emblem.
To My Dear Cousin.
Birthday Wish.
Happy May thy Birthday

be.

A Birthday Blessing.
Dear-st, I Love but Thee.
The Lily
Remember Me.
To my Dear Sister.
To my Dear Mother.
True Love.
A(kires3 order s to

51 Compliments of the Season

52 God is Good.

54 The Lord shall my Pasture.

A Tribal- of Affection.
6'2 A Blessing.
04 To my Dear Brother.
66 A Wish.
68 Unchanging Lore.
81 To My Dear Father.
8U With Best Wishes.
86 To One I Love.
69

No.

. 70
7-3
74
77

7!)
SO

S4
101

HENRY T. WILLIAMS, Publisher,

4G Bcekmaii Street, X. T.

SERIES No. 3.

No
Honor thy Father and Mother. 161

noiior my r iitiioi c*ni^. A«.VI
Kemember Sabbath Day.
The Lord's Prayer,
lilessed are the Merciful.
Remember Me.
A Blessing.
To my Dear Brother.
To my Dear Father.
A Wish.

SERIES No. 4. Price 91.00.

No.

A Birthday Gift. 251

Hope the Anchor of the Soul. 252
Remember now Thv Creator. 251
May our Hearts be United.
A Happy New Year.
The Beatitudes.
Unchanging Love.
True Love.
Remember Me.
Compliments of the Season.

2BO
2«5
389

293
352

The quality, size, artistic color and beautiful appearance of
the Book-Marks, is in correspondence with the price, those at
$1.00 being much the largest and finest; yet all are so admira-
ble, and so far surpass in brilliancy and taste, any attempt to
describe them, that they must be seen to be appreciated.

The same motto, or sentiment, often appears in each Series,
but is different in every case, both in colors and design, aud dif-
ferently woven.

The Book-Marks of Series 1 and 2, are usually 6 inches
long ; of Series 3, from 8 to 9 inches long; and Series
4, from, 10 to 11 inches long.

Special Prices to any who wish to buy in Quanti-
ties of one dozen or over, for Gifts to Friends,
or in School, Fairs, &c,

Agents wanted to sell in all parts of the country. One or more
can be sold in every family, where

THEY SELL SPLENDIDLY,

And win Admiration everywhere.

l?ery Lady and every Back Reader will be, sirs ta Suy.
Address HENRY T, WILLIAMS, Proprietor,

46 Beekman Street, New York.

Price 75 Cents.

TheDoxology.-

The Lord is my Shepherd.

A Happy Christmas.

A Happy New Year.

To One I Love.

Faith, Hope, Charity.

Happy may thy Birthday be.

Compliments of the Season.

A Happy New Year.

Birthday Blessing.

Many Happy Returns of the

Day.

I Love Thee.
The Priceless Gem.
A Birthday Wish.
A Wish.
Happy may thy Birthday he.

I'Vt BE-DEWb IT WT^EARS.ANDJM-BAUM

"IT wimicHsT re BOUNolY^A "THOU^AM

BANDS T(f MY HEART : NOT A TIE Will BREAK

''NOT A LINK WILL START- WOULD YE LEARN

WORK.

Will be PulsM April 1,1876.

A Charming New Book, with above
title. A Companion Volume to

And WINDOW GARDENING,

Being issued in same size and style,
profusely illustrated with engravings of
superior execution, and devoted to
many topics of Household Taste, Fancy
Work for the ladies, and containing
hundreds of suggestions of Home Deco-
ration.

IT WILL CONSTITUTE VOLUME 3

Williams' Household Series,

Other volumes of which Series will ap-
pear each Spring and Fall, hereafter.

CONTENTS.

Among the topics which "Ladies'
Fancy Work " will treat of, are,—'

Feather Work, Paper Flowers, Fire
Screens, Shrines, Rustic Pictures, a
charming series of designs for Easter
Crosses, Straw Ornaments, Shell Flowers
and Shell work, Bead Mosaic, and Fish
Scale Embroidery, Hair Work, Card-
board Ornaments, Fancy Rubber
Work, Cottage Foot Rests, Window
Garden Decorations. Illuminating,
Grecian and Oriental Painting, Crochet
Work, Modeling in Clay and Plaster,
Fret-Work, Wood Carving, designs in
Embroidery ,and an immense number of
designs of other Fancy Work to delight
all lovers of Household Art and Recre-
ations.

The volume will be fully equal in
elegance to the volumes of the HOUSE-
HOLD SERIES, already issued, and in
variety of topics, and abundance of
engravings, will probably be in many
respects superior in interest.

SPECIAL NOTICE.
Any individual, a member of the
trade, desiring advance copies of
"LADIES' FANCY WORK," when
ready, may forward to me their names
for record, and I will forward to them
a Circular of Announcement, with full
description of Contents, price and
exact date for delivery, by mail or to
the book trade.

Price $1.5O.
HENRY T. WILLIAMS,

PUBLISHER.

46 Beekman Street, N, Y.

No. 4

; fill I© ndy }prit 1, l$fl.

It will be even more beautiful in appearance
and attractive in contents, than any Vol-
ume of the Series yet issued. Will
be devoted to Subjects of

WOTH

AA>cAb cAiA^JU

Title not yet announced.

PRICE,

$1.BO.

Henry T. Williams, Publisher,

46 Beekman St., K Y.

THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ

JAN 201989RȣNCE LIBRARY

This book is due on the last DATE stamped below.

«Mf 06 '09
ON 1 5 198

MAR 1 9 1990 REC'II
) p'ft

Series 2477

3 2106 00832 4110