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 No. ^ ^ ^ / Department of 
 
 Illinois Industrial University, 
 
 CHAMPAION, ILLINOIS. /tJ W J 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 SEP 
 
 3 0\*S
 
 Entered accor Aug to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eifjht hundred and seventy-one, 
 
 By henry T. WILLIAJIS, 
 
 In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at 'Washington, D. C.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 
 It is a great pleasure to write to an audience of flower-lovers — they 
 are so eager, so enthusiastic and so delighted with any hints or sug- 
 gestions which will help th6m in their efforts to make home more 
 beautiful. 
 
 The taste for Window Gardening, and the plant decoration of apart- 
 ments, is becoming almost 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 refinement and an elevated taste. 
 
 Desiring to foster this fancy for window ornament, a number of 
 flower-lovers have united with me in the effort to produce a book spe- 
 cially devoted to this subject, aiming to make it simple, practical, and 
 adapted to the use of amateurs and beginners in the cultivation of in- 
 door plants. 
 
 Several gardeners and professional writers have contributed articles 
 on special subjects, and we have combined our experience and informa- 
 tion in a careful manner, endeavoring to produce a volume as accurate 
 and complete as time and space would permit. 
 
 The result is now before the public in this richly illustrated, tasteful 
 volume; and it is hoped that among this goodly number of pages and 
 engravings, every one will feel that their time is well spent by gaining 
 some hints of use and good service. 
 
 Acknowledgments of kindly assistance are due to C. L. Allen, " Daisy 
 Eyebright," Thomas Meehan, Kobert Demcker, J. L. Little, Jr.; also 
 to the publishers of some foreign Illustrated Horticultural works, inac- 
 cessible to the general reader, whose names are mentioned in the Index. 
 
 Should the reader feel pleased with this little testimonial to one of the 
 
 most beautiful of all departments of flower culture, the author Avill not 
 
 regret his effort to add some definite encouragement to the more 
 
 extensive development of Rural Taste. 
 
 The Editor. 
 
 1.^?.\
 
 Fig. I.—Dccoratne Bird Cage aud I'.uwei M.uiiL
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 CH^r^TEIl 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- 
 factorj'^, 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 buddingflowers, the development of branch after branch, 
 is a study of the reality of plant-life, exquisitelj' interesting to the soul who finds 
 in it its only world of pleasure and sentiment. 
 
 It is a form of gardening too, oi 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. In 
 European cities the citizens indulge even more extensively and passionately in their 
 plant pleasures than we do ; every home is decorated from the workingman's 
 window, and its few flower-pots of balsams, to the fernery and tile jardinieres of the 
 aristocratic mansioi^
 
 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 
 beautiful plants are produced. Passifloras cling to columns in the upper floors; 
 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." 
 
 Tlie 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 sucli 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- 
 mhiistered for months. 
 
 There is a never-failing charm, too, in the outside decorations of the house or 
 Window Garden. 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 most 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 tile, or else 
 place them in baskets of rustic yet most artistic make. After a little time when 
 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 tlie cozy hower 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 j/ant of the Ivy trained on the wall, or festooned over the window, is 
 a joy to all beholders.
 
 ^i^WFfiiJ?}^^ 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. || A / P D J7 
 
 Flowers, plants too, often supply the place of children ift- bereaved hqmes ; 
 for their soul-refreshing, heart-inspiring, and eye-brightening influences, are 
 joys to wean the thoughts from pain or sonow. " ::! 
 
 Some mother perhaps cherishes fondly in her home, a few beautiful FMChsr 
 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 floral 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 rough handling, serves to impose 
 a wholesome restraint upon the children ; if ever they are tired with their study, 
 a few 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 oi healthy sentiment. They are always suggestive of purity 
 and refinement. Nothing is so conducive to cheerfulness, or creates eSbrts 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 wiiter 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 vigarous 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 pots of Geraniums, Primroses, Azaleas, &c., while an inva
 
 8 WIND OW GA RDENING. 
 
 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 tlie 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. 
 There 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 ever}' 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 windoio 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. AU classes 
 respond to but one sentiment, " Flowers, Give us Flowers." 
 
 Beside the delights of window gardening in opening new resources 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 
 day homes, with the simplest of flowering plants. There are many more easy plans 
 for house gardening than diflBcult 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 the 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," (Rortus 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 
 formsmay 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 glasse.s, a wardian case or fernery, all 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 
 hedo'e 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 the flower, 
 will form objects for the eye to rest upon with unwearied delight.
 
 10 
 
 H'/A'Z)0 ir GARDENING. 
 
 Fig 2 —Design for Window Garden.
 
 CH^FTEH 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 AVindow 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 constructien. 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 Iv}^, 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. Oil 
 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 tho 
 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 
 
 WIND W GARDEXIXG . 
 
 The sills, too, are made broad, and thus afford peculiar conveniences for their safe 
 position. AVealthy citizens who j-eturn 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 
 
 
 
 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 side 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. 
 
 18 
 
 Thich 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 
 aeainst the weather. For the purposes of examination and cleaning or handling 
 
 the plants, a glass slide or door can be provided in the side within the room. Theso 
 designs will be found most suitable in our changeable climate for mild weather 
 only, as we fear they would not aflford 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 
 
 WlXnOW GARUENiyG. 
 
 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 the 
 sill to top of the upper sash. The tank within contains slate slabs of consider- 
 able height, say one-third of the wliole window on the cutside 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
 
 WIND W 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 
 Lygodium Japonica are lovely climbing ferns and need copper wires to be trained 
 
 to. Trichomanes radicans, Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, Asplenium Fon- 
 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 ValUsneria spiralis, which will grow among 
 pebbles if left undisturbed. Confer ves 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 GARDENINQ. 
 
 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 examin- 
 ing the bees at work, the back of the hive next 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 
 much 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, 
 which occupy not only the whole recess of the window, but are built out some-
 
 WlJVnOW 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 paneling 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 oflFinto 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. 
 
 Pig. IJ. 
 
 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 Coboea, both twining and drooping over the wires which 
 rise from the centre of the box, and curve towards the sides affording 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 Kenil\i{orth 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 GARDENIKG. 
 
 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 
 are placed mside on a row next to 
 the window well supported and 
 covered Avith pots. Cai'e 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 atmospliere 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 
 plants 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 stripes adds 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- 
 
 V\-i. 12.
 
 Wjyi) W GA RDEyiAG 
 
 net ever illustrated. The in- 
 terior is filled principally with 
 plants of stately giowlli, Coleius, 
 Calla Lily, Caiina, Maranta, 
 Dracaena, DieH'enbachia, &c. 
 
 Tlierc are other designs of still 
 more simple nature, which may 
 ti be found in succeeding pages of 
 this book. Window boxes are 
 by fivr the simplest and most 
 l>opular, but are adapted mostly 
 to the indoor culture of bulbs. 
 We have noticed frequently the 
 late introduction of tile boxes, 
 filling the entire width of the 
 A\ mdow, and placed just inside 
 the panes of glass, filled with 
 nothing but young plants of the 
 Aibor Yitae. Their delicate, 
 feathery green foliage contrasts 
 well with the while curtains 
 just behind, and the whole form 
 one of the easiest, yet most 
 unique styles of window garden- 
 
 Fig. 11 
 
 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 honzon 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, moist 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
 
 WISBOW GARDEXING. 
 
 21 
 
 Fig. 14.— A Sitting Room Window.
 
 22 WIXDOW GARDENINO. 
 
 that their plants 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 eft'ect 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. 
 Tliey will frequently preserve a plant when the mercury falls nearly to free- 
 zing point. Neither should plants be cliilled. 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 uight, 
 will never keep plants in good health. 
 
 Size of Windoics. 
 
 The larger the better if you want to grow many plants. Bow windows are 
 alwavs 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 
 less 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 
 ciianged 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- 
 in"-. 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.
 
 CH^F^TER 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 iu 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 s»Jso 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 the 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 Ufe 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, tliey 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 tlie influ- 
 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 b3 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 
 Rorth 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 flosver stand. Periiaps 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 appsiarance. 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 dottn 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
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. ^^ 95 
 
 amateur must also study the characteristics of his plants, for one teftlrperatUre '^Q][gt 
 will not answer for all. The Rose needs a cool atmosphere, j-et moderately moisfc; ^ 
 
 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 
 .«;how buds and branches. Plants should be treated very much like human 
 beings; a frosted fiuger 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 jjlants are injurious in rooms 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 been heavj--, the air of the room also does not seem pure, and tlie 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 are 
 better able to bear these changes ot chmate which often occur so 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 suSerance rather, for it will not grow and bloom
 
 26 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 in perfect beauty. A very few handsome flowering vines are much to be prefer- 
 red to spindling plants , pictures of misery, like their owners, overheated and 
 crowded into close unhealthy unventilated quarters. In our fever to provide suflB- 
 cient warmth in our rooms against the cold, we stop up every crack in our vrin- 
 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 livmg 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 
 waterin"--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 watenng-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. 
 
 Wheiievera warm rain 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
 
 WINDOIV GARDENING. 27 
 
 '>ut 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. Exposuie 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 moi-e 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 shall I water my plants f is a vexed question, asked perhaps more 
 frequently tlian 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- 
 oughl)^ 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 the}^ might, they drench it witli 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, causmg mould and sogginess of soil, rendering the 
 roots weak and unhealthy. 
 
 The purposes of watering should be better understood. 1st. "Water suppHes 
 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 watery
 
 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. 
 
 AVater, cold from the well or pump, is not suitable for plants, unless of a tem 
 nerature of 60'. Rain water is best, for this is supposed to contain some little 
 ammonia from the skj". 
 
 The best rule in all cases is to use water warm to the hands. Some florists 
 vivise water no colder than the atmosphere. AVe believe it generally best to use 
 it ivarmer. 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 110° to 170°, 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 100°, will do 
 just as well and have far less danger from scalding. Over 100° 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 everj- 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 drj'- set the whole pot in a pail of warm water till it is 
 soaked through. The morning is the best time of the daj^ 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 ver}"- use- 
 ful for Window Gardening. If oil cloth 
 is laid under the stand it can be used 
 without much if any injur}' 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.
 
 WIABOW 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 probabl}^ die very soon ; but a Cam«lia 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 maj^ 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 air 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 healtliy 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, whicli 
 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 green 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 
 evaporatmg pan upon or in our furnaces, and over our stoves we can place a 
 large fire-proof dish that must be dail}'- 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. 31 
 
 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 decom- 
 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 hea.p 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 of 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., 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 Neio 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 to the depth of at
 
 32 WINDOW OARDENING. 
 
 least an inch ; over this there may be a slight sprinkling of sand ; still it may bo 
 omitted if it has previously been well incorporated in the compost. In general 
 it should never be less 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 sods 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 to be languishing for nourishment. 
 This soil is rarely ever fertilized, and usually is either the filling in from the 
 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 
 loam, 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 m potting plants. 
 
 Hard wooded plants should be potted rather firmly, and soft wooded ones 
 should be left 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 pla)it 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, tho 
 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 two 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
 
 WIN^DOW GARDENING. 33 
 
 with a lighter 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 soil 
 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 
 worms from entering the pots and the soil from becoming clogged. 
 
 Fertilizers for Stimulating House Plants. 
 
 All plants will grow much finer 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 tvater, 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 stimulntes growth very satisfactorily. Dissolve I ounce of 
 pulverized ammonia in a gallon of water, and it will prove more grateful to the 
 plants even than rain water which also contains ammonia. A teaspoonful of aqica 
 ammonia added to a gallon of warm water will be of same efficacy. Flour of 
 lone, 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 
 
 WnXD W GARDENTNO . 
 
 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 welldiluted, 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. 10 
 
 Fig. 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 
 trainincj of plants is also 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 Sugrjestions. , * 
 
 1. Ail 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 
 Khould 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 to plants. 8. No 
 plants can bear sudden contrasts of temperature without injur}"-, therefore bring 
 nothing directly from a lieated 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 IV. 
 
 Special Care of Window Gardens. 
 In Winter. 
 
 The beauties of the flower garden are gone, and \re are now left to solaco 
 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 diflficulties 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 icinter 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 chill 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 hairpin, 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 they 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 a thorough cleaning.
 
 38 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 thereby imitating nature, as she seldom washes her vegetation with the sun 
 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 pers])ire like human beings, only the amount is seventeen times as great, 
 according to Mr. Hale's computation. 
 
 In the Hydrangea, the minute orifices in the space of an inch, are found to bo 
 '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 ']]'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 plants by propagating new varieties, both by 
 ■seeds and cuttings.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 39 
 
 Of course with all your fancy for new things, you will not forget to secure 
 some few pots of good old fashioned flowers. The}'' may be dear to many from 
 only childish associations, having proved their value by the many 3'ears 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 daJ^ 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 hy three o'clock, for by that time a chilly wind often springs 
 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 pi-olong 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 falling, it is an excellent plan to drop a 
 single drop of gum water underneath the flower, whore 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 iising 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 sprinkl'^d 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 chill 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 ;vatering 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 ia 
 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.
 
 c^^ 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 41 
 
 The plants that will flower most profusely in these months are : 
 
 Azaleas. Heliotropes. 
 
 Abutilons. Lanianas 
 
 Acacias. Libonia Floribunda. 
 
 Anemones. Lobelias. 
 
 Auriculas. Mahernia Odorata. 
 
 Aehimenes. Maurandias. 
 
 Bouvardias. 3Iyrtles. 
 
 Begonias Oranges. 
 
 Calla Aethiopica. Oleanders. 
 
 Citierarias. Pelargoniums. 
 
 Cyclamens. Primroses. 
 
 Daphnes. Petunias. 
 
 Bielytra. Pansies. 
 
 Epiphylluni Truncatum, etc. Boses. Tea. Hybrids. Bourbons. 
 
 ^^r-'IBuchsias. Bengal Boses. 
 
 ^ Gardenias. Verbenas. 
 
 I V Geraniums, in all varieties. Violets. 
 
 The Muslf plant (Alimtihis Iloschatus') 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 Windoiv 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 they 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-
 
 ^2 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. Miuure 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 tliis. Put a 
 teaspoonful of aqua ammonia 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 pat be entirely covered with the water. 
 Hot water will frequently revive faded cut flowers; cut off a small bit of the 
 stetn, 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 in 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 ivither, 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 ofTall 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 all 
 the later buds, and throw the whole strength of the plant into forming seed that 
 will prove worth the raising.
 
 WIIVDOW GARDENING. 43 
 
 Do not omit the practice of washing your pot plants in the Slimmer^ thinking 
 that the rain will do it for you. It will help you doubtless, but if the leaves are 
 bush3% many of them will not have their full share, and should still be syringed 
 and washed with all the help of thumb and fiuger, 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 ma.ke 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 
 Superba, 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. The)'- 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 Windoiv 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 Septembei-, 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 one 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 WINBOW 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 Mouniains. 
 
 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-FTER ^r. 
 
 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, but 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 "Z^ 
 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
 
 45 WnXBOW 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 
 easilj"^ 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 all 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 aganist insects. 
 
 Conservatories can be kept free bf 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 sliglitly 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 bng, is a white mealy looking insect, but ver}'^ 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. 
 
 Broicn scale 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 ^y, very active on the wing, and 
 greatly injurious to many plants. It will not thrive where tobacco smoke is 
 given to 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 cannot 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 whale oil soap are obnoxious to it, but it will run
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 47 
 
 away from the " Grafton Mineral Fertilizer," and a thorough sprinkling of the 
 dry powder on the leaves or stems well moistened, will make the insects dis- 
 lodge their hold, not to return. 
 
 There is another mite whose color varies from green to black, and is as par- 
 ticular in its attentions to Carnations and Pinks, and so 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 aifects 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 nxust fight if we would become the owners of hand 
 some, finely formed, profuse blossoming plants ; and she who devotes the mo3t 
 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 expei'iraent 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 coals to kill infested plants. Every insect 
 succumbed before its direful fumes ; so also did 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 thorougJdy . 
 
 "Thus I learned, that there is no teacher like expeiience, 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 pjtges of memory. 
 
 " Luckily for my conservator}'-, it was denuded of its leaves in ^la,y, and soon 
 the poor forlorn plants were set out into the borders where they could recuperate 
 and regain the foliage denuded b}^ so strong a sulphur bath. 
 
 "Again: I tried tobacco tea, and i'> it steeped >ach treasured Rose, each loved 
 Fuchsia, and they looked so worn and Vveary after it that I was heart sick with 
 my elforts in their behalf. Since then, I have been very shy of trj'ing 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 larvae 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 tliird or fourth day 
 the process is repeated, and by this means the troublesome mites are destroyed.
 
 48 WnXDOW 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 dozen 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 outj and if a fine 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 be 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 stirnng it well. The water will only dissolve just so much 
 lime, and the residue will remain in the pail or firkin 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 will 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 the.se antidotes need not be employed. 
 
 Fresh water well applied, fresh air at proper times, and cleanliness at all times, 
 are the best preventives one can employ against insects.
 
 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 oflfsets 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 iij 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
 
 50 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 let the soil become 
 thoroughly wetted, then place them to drain for half an hour or more. Plant the 
 seeds on the surface, sprinkling over them and pressing lightly upon them sand 
 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 growmg 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.
 
 WIND OW GA RDEXING ■ 5 1 
 
 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 an equitable 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 and 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 will 
 quickly become respectable plants. But it is well to know that if the branches 
 of an old plant are broken down, the hard woody stems will produce in time, fine 
 plants. 
 
 Take a hard old stem of Geranium, Fuchsias, Myrtle, Heliotrope, Sweet Ver- 
 bena, or any desirable plant, and cut it so as to leave one or two joints or eyes 
 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 silk or
 
 52 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 enamel cloth. All cuttings strike root more quickly in sand than in loam, and if 
 the bottom of the joint touches the side of the pot or box, it hastens its growth. 
 
 Bottom heat is quite as needful to propagate cuttings as seeds, and the heated 
 cases referred to in 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 saj's, that if a cutting bends, it will not grow easily, but if it 
 snaps off 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 succulent growth, they are similarly 
 planted, and they can be inserted all around the edge of a pot not over an inch 
 apart, and nearly as deep as the second eye.
 
 CHA-FTER VII. 
 
 Propagating Boxes, Heating Cases and Cold Frames. 
 
 There are always some plants that are ver}' 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 the}' 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 
 mches 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
 
 54 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING- 
 
 the size of tlie 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 miliate 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. 18 Fig. 19. 
 
 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 part of this chapter may be constructed 
 for each shelf. If pots are Vised in these little cases> 
 I ^ they should be very small, not over two inches in di- 
 ^g ameter. 
 
 Such little contrivances as these render it compara- 
 Fig. 20. tively easy for any lady to raise her own Verbenas, 
 
 Pelargoniums, 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.
 
 WIND O Y GARDENING 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, largo numbers of 
 cuttings may be raised with much less trouble than a hot bed causes. It can be kept 
 in 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 the earth 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.
 
 55 "WINDOW GARi}ENING. 
 
 When warm days occur the sashes can be uncovered, and the sun allowed to 
 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.
 
 OHA^I^TER 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- 
 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 ail 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, ar.d 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 
 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 a size 
 larger, and when these are filled, again repotted into others. 
 
 Fig. 23. 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 Avorms 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. 36. 
 
 mer is best as its prongs are so small, raking up the earth without disturbing 
 greatly the tiny rootlets. 
 
 In potting or repotting it is needful sometimes to cutback 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.
 
 WTXDOW GARDENING 
 
 59 
 
 Figs. 21 & 22 are very neat pots 
 made 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 tliem as they are quite orna- 
 mental and are becoming popular. 
 Their price is from §1.50 to ^2.50. 
 
 An objection has been raised to the 
 common pot^ that they soon become 
 dirty and covered with mould and 
 rust, and need considerable caie 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 mlide to paint them 
 with ochre, or red whitewa.sh, but 
 it soon rubs off and is disagreeable. 
 To combine ornament with use, the 
 one must be placed inside the other. 
 
 There is a styla of moun table flower 
 pot, now used somewhat by English 
 florists, 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 easilj' tiansplanted 
 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 
 tliat any one can make them. There are several styles of ppts, 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.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Fig. 29. 
 
 Fig. 30. 
 
 FlR. 32.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 ol 
 
 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. 3-t. 
 
 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, 
 aiul 11 to 16 inches in diameter. No. 31, is the same 
 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 diameter. 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. 36, 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 Crocuses, 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 pas^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. 
 
 Fig. 36. 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 §1.50 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 GARDEN f NO. 
 
 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 Iv}-, 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 thesami 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 
 
 Fig. 38 
 
 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. 39. 
 
 Fig. 40.
 
 64 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 store, 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 j^our 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. 
 
 65 
 
 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 
 
 Fig. 43. 
 
 acorns with cone seeds, and red berries cut in half. Another style, Fig. 46, 
 is made in a similar way, excepting only that pine cones are 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 modes 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 small brad nails on the inside and outer edge of the box. 
 
 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 
 for vamishkig. Pine cones are favorites in these box decorations, and sometimes
 
 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. g7 
 
 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 Cullum, 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. Bouvardia 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, oi 
 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, Moneyioort, &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 Pansies, 
 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.
 
 G8 
 
 WrNDOW GARDEXFNn. 
 
 l.-jo-. 47.— Design. Ii>i l'l;nit St;iii.l.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 69 
 
 Fig. 49 is a very 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, and fitted with a small stop 
 cock which should be hidden from sight. The plants kept in here, are to be 
 packed in moss and will, with occasional watering, keep fresh and green upon 
 the surface. 
 
 Fig. 48. 
 
 Figs. 50 and 51 arc .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
 
 liJ 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 with zinc or copper, and provided with a waste pipe. Around the top is a bas- 
 Itet 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 
 ]ilaced in here, half of the box having previously been filled with moss, and 
 
 rig. 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
 
 WIKBOW GARDENING. 
 
 71 
 
 Fig. 55. 
 
 Fifi. 67
 
 72 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 half feet in diameter, and stands two and a half feet from the floor. The illus- 
 tration represents a great variety of plants within, fully 50 varieties, from Roses 
 
 Fifj. 60. Fi^'. 61. 
 
 and Fuchsias, to Ferns, Coleus, Bulbs and Primulas. It is a happy gathering 
 of floral treasures.
 
 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 
 has a basin above filled with sand, in 
 which may be grown either bulb or 
 cut flowers, placed in moist sand. 
 
 Fig. 60 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, Smilax, 
 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. 62 is of Terra Cotta, delicately 
 moulded in the form of 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 
 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 $5.00 to 825.00. All are easily movable 
 and light.
 
 74 
 
 WIND OW GA RDEJSING ■ 
 
 Fig. 64.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 lo 
 
 Ornamental Parlor Stand.
 
 CH^FTEH 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 ou 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 necessar}^ to 
 anyone 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 hts 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 most 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 their 
 proper places. It is not desirable that they should remain out later than that. 
 
 Fig. 66. Fig. 67. Kig. 68. Fig. 69. 
 
 For hanging pots up against the side of the house or wall, the floretcen is a con- 
 venient little utensil, constructed of double 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 too keep them perfectly clean and healthy. 
 
 Heliotropes, Verbenas, 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, &c., 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. Its 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 conservatory 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 Trould come from the flue of the same furnace which heats the house. 
 There are 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 
 8400, 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 palms 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. 
 
 5l5?^^/^^' 
 
 Fig. 70.— A Village Housu witli Sftiall 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 
 
 WINDOW 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 
 afiFord great economy of space and heat, yet we believQ variety and taste will 
 admit the use of other styles. Such a one as tliis 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 of 
 richness and elegance in the rural grounds of any wealthy villa proprietor. It is 
 worth adoption.
 
 WnVBOW GARDENING. 
 
 ' 81 
 
 Fig. 72 is intended purely for ornamental purposes suitable for the grounds of 
 those of humbler means than those 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 con.servato- 
 ries are constructed of iron frames, yet few or none are made in this country and no 
 one offers them as a specialtj'. 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 Grecnliouse. 
 
 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.
 
 82 
 
 WLVDOW GAKDEMyG- 
 
 ..r'ill I 
 
 ■ li 
 
 lit' .1 ij 'ill
 
 WINDOW GARDENTNG. 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 
 conservator)^, and if it joins the wall, climbing vines ma}' 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 plant§ 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 aifected b}'' the rays of the sun. 
 The temperature should not exceed 6G° b}' 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 nigiit, 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 frequentl)^ 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 appl}'^ 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 b)"- masses of 
 flowers, fine leaves, interesting habits, and easj'' cultivation. AVe do not use for
 
 g^ 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- 
 ed"-e. 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, Rododendrons, 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, Pohjgala, Metrosideros, Leptos- 
 permum, Franciscea, Melaleuca, Edivardsia 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- 
 mias, besides all plants with variegated leaves or tliick foliage. For the 
 background may be mentioned: Ficus elastica, Cooperi australis, Gardenia, 
 Fortuni, Mnsa, Heliconia, Bamhusa, Eugenia lamhos, 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 pat in little groups, according to size and habit. 
 
 I. List of Plants for a small Conservatort, Greenhouse, or Flower- 
 Parlor, which is frequently visited by the family or visitors. The temperature of 
 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 ; Cliamcerops excelsa, humilis, tomentosa, and stauracantha. 
 
 Rhapis flabelliformis ; Sahel minor, Seaforthia elegans, Chamcedorea lunata, 
 Schiedeana, gracilis, desmoncoides : Latania borbonica ; Corypha australis : 
 Draccena Draco, brasiliensis, terminalis,ferrea, Cooperi, stricta, rubra, congesta, 
 australis, indivisa, and Veitchii ; Yucca gloriosa, aloifolia fol. var, flaccida, and 
 quadricolor; Uhdea pinnatifida, Senecio Giesbrechtii, Melianthus major; Sola- 
 rium Warscewitzii; Alocasia cucullata, odorata, (arborea,^ macrorrhiza fol. var, 
 Caladium cupreum, (porpJiyroneurtun,) pictum. 
 
 b. Plants for Decoration in General : 
 Azalea indica, best new varieties ; Camelias, best imbricate varieties ; Rhodo- 
 dendra, arborea, and hybrida ; Acalypha tricolor; Andromeda floribunda; 
 Trimalium fragrans ; Leucopogon Cunninghami ; Allamanda neriifolia ; Aph- 
 elandra aurantiaca, pulcherrima carnea superba, Porteana crtstata, Leopoldii ; 
 Justicia speciosa ; Ruellia varians ; Eranthemwn pulchellum, Cooperi, tubercu-
 
 WT^TDOW GARDENING. g5 
 
 latum ; Ardisia crenulata, Brexia madagascariensis , chrysophylla, serrata ; 
 Brugmansia sanguinea, floribunda; Comaclinium ianthinum; Croton pictum, 
 variegatum; Ct/perus alternifoliusf Panicum plicatum, fol. var.; Curculigo 
 recurvata; Aspidistra lurida, fol. var. (Plectogynce) ; Eucharis Candida; Var- 
 iola purpurea; Amaryllis vittata varietas; Ficus elastica, Cooperi and austra- 
 lis; Franciscea latifolia, eximia hydrangccformis; Maranta sanguinea, ze- 
 brina, vittata; Gardenia citriodora, radicans ; fortunei and florida grandi- 
 flora; Mahernia odorata; Hibiscus rasa sinensis var., double kinds ; Cooperi, 
 splendens; Inga pulcherrima; Edwardsia microphylla; Jasminum Sambac, 
 Duchesse d' Orleans, gracile; Lasiandra, splendens, maerantha; Psidiiim catt- 
 leyanum; Magnolia fuscata; Olea fragrans, ilicifolia; Myoporum parvifolium, 
 a-ystallinum; Eriostemon biixifolius, scabrum, neriifolium, intermedium; 
 Medinilla magnifica; Meyenia erecta; Plumbago ccorulea; Calla JEthiopica 
 minor ; Tecoma Capensis ; Solanum capsicum, fol. var. ; Vinca rosea and 
 rosea alba; Abutilon lliompsonii; venosum floribundum, vexillarum, fol. var.; 
 Acacia armata, paradoxa, dealbata, lophanta,pulchella magna, floribunda, mela- 
 noxylon, glaucescens, mollisssima, lineata verticillata, vestita; Agapanthus um- 
 hellatus; Bambusa Fortunei var. Bouicardia Leyantha, splendens, jasminoides; 
 Cassia floribunda; Centaurea candidissima, plumosa, gymnocarpa; Cestrum 
 aurantiacum; lochroma tubulosa, Warcsewitzii; Linum trigynum; Chorozema 
 ilicifolia, varia; Citrus sinensis, myrtifolius, aurantium mobile (Mandarin j; 
 Clethra arborea; Sparmannia Africana; Clivia nobilis; Cyclamen persicum, 
 Coum , repandum ; Cytisus Alley amus,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, y&r. kinds; Rochea falcata; Sempervi- 
 vwn arboreum fol. var., tabulesforme, canariense, orbicum; Sedum Fabaria, tele- 
 phium fol. var. Sieboldii variegata, dasyphyllum; Mesembryanthemum spectabile, 
 coccineum, aureum, deltoideum, echinatum; Kleinia repens, ficoidea; Eugenia 
 austraUs; HabrotJiamniis elegans, fascicularis, Indtgofera australis, decora; 
 Laurus Camphora, Melaleuca alba, hyper icif alia, decussata, ericcsfolia, foliosa, 
 lucidula, squarrosa, thymifolia, ovata, linearifolia, speciosa; Phormium tenax; 
 Pittosporum Tobira; Polygala Dalmaysiana, grandis, speciosa; Rhododendron 
 Gibsonii, jasminiflorum. Princess Royale, Veitchianum; 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; Rogiera cordata; Rondeletia speciosa; Russelia jun- 
 cea; Sanchezia nobilis; Scutellaria mociniana; Solandra grandiflora; Aloe 
 fimbriata Taberncemontana coronaria fl. pi., Croivea saligna; Diplacus puni- 
 ceus floribundus ; Farfugium grande; Ligularia Kaempferi fol. var. ; Callis- 
 temon semper florens ; Begonia ricinifolia, ricinifolia maculata, heracleifolia, ma- 
 crophylla, Huegelii, Hernan dicefolia, grandis, Dregei, peltata, Pierscei, manicata.
 
 gg WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 hydrocotyledes Warszeivitzii, coccinea, sanguinea, incarnata, odorata, argyros- 
 tigma, stigmosa, smaragdina, Bex var. hybrides, Sedenii, Weltoniensis bolivi- 
 ensis. 
 
 c. Plants for Hanging Baskets, Flower Stands, Lamps and Can- 
 soles, ETC.: 
 
 Leucopliyta Broivnii, Vinca major fol. var. ; Mesembryanthemum cordifolium 
 fol.var.; Crassula spatidata ; Sedum carneum variegatuin ; Cerastium tomen- 
 iosum, Biebersteinii ; Tropcsolum mujus fl.pl.; Clematis azurea grandiflora, 
 lanuginosa, Jackmanni ; Ficus stipularis (jrepens) ; Gelsemium nitidum ; u^s- 
 chinanthus zebrinus, grandiflorus ; Tradeseantia zebrina, Warsceivitzii ; Saxi- 
 fraga sarmentosa, Sicholdii fol. var.; Cloropliyton Sternbergianum ; Lonicera 
 Brachipoda aureo-reticulata ; Solanum jasminoides ; Isolepis elegans ; ira- 
 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, ccerulea, racemosa, edulis, insignis, quadrangiilaris, Jcerme- 
 sina, Loudonii, trifasciata, princeps ; Tacsonia splendens. Van Volxeinii ; Bhyn- 
 chospennum jasminoides, obtusifolium variegatum ; Cobcea seandens fol. var; 
 Akebia quinata ; Stephanotis floribunda ; Pilogyne suavis ; Bignonia venusta, 
 speciosa, australis, Latrobea ; Tecoma jasminoides rosea ; Mandevillea suaveo- 
 lens ; Phaseolus caracalla ; Physianthus albus ; Thunbergiu laurifolia, gran, 
 diflora ; Mikania seandens (^Senecio micanoides) ; Tropceolum pentaphyllum, 
 tricolorum, speciosnm ; Pharbitis Learii, ficifolia, insignis, palmata ; 3Iauran- 
 dia ; Lopliospermum ; Bhodochyton volubile. 
 
 e. Ferns for General Decoration wnicn require a moderate Tem- 
 perature : 
 
 Acrosticlmm alcicorne (Platycenun^ ; Adiantuvi tenerum, concinnum, cunea- 
 tiim, formosnm, puhescens, trapeziformc ; Anemia villosa ; Aspidium molle, 
 violascens, Kaulfussia ; Asplenium flabellifplium, palmatum ; Blechmim aus- 
 trale, brasiliense ; Cyatliea medullaris, australis; Cyrtomium falcatum ; Ba- 
 vallia canariensis; pixidata ; JDicksonia australis, antarctica, timbrosa ; Boo- 
 dia caudata ; Boryopteris palmata ; Polypodium aureiim ; Gymnogramma 
 chrysophylla, peruviana ; Lastrcca elegans ; Lomaria Gibba, latifolia ; Nephro- 
 lepis exaltata, tuberosa ; Oleandra neriifolia, Pteris, longifolia, serrulata 
 striata. 
 
 IT. — Plants for Greenhouses, Conservatories and Flower Saloons, 
 
 WHICH require during THE AVINTER ONLY A LOW TEMPERATURE, OR HAVE A 
 NORTHERN EXPOSURE : 
 
 a. Plants for the general decoration : 
 Bliododendron hybridum, var. kinds; Azalea indica, var. kinds; Azalea 
 amoena ; Kalmia latifolia; Photinia serrulata; Aucuba japonica, new var.;
 
 WIXDOW GARDENING. 87 . 
 
 Ilex aquifolmm, fol . var. ; 3Iespilus pyracantha ; Eucalyptus, var. kinds; An- 
 dromeda florihujida ; Kassandra canaliculata, speciosa, pulverulenta, etc. ; 
 Erica arborea, mediterranea, hihernica, strigosa, herbacea, inultiflora ; Crypto- 
 meria japonica, elegnns, araucaroides ; Cedrus argentea (jafricana) ; Cupres- 
 sus sempermrens, funebris ; (Thuja) Biota filiformis ; Betinospora, var. kinds,- 
 Fagus antarctica, Cunningliami ; Laurus regalis, nobilis ; Nerium Oleander ; 
 Olea europcea ; Vihurimm tinus, macrocephalns , siispensus ; Magnolia grandi- 
 jlora ; Bambusa 3Tetake, falcata ; Folygala Chamcebiixis ; Bhuscu.t andro- 
 gyniis, racemosus, hyjwglossum, hypophylhun, aculeatus ; Abelia florihunda ; 
 Arbutus Unedo, Andrachne ; Podocarpus elongaius, neriifoliua, latifolius, 
 elegans; Berberis Darwimi, dealbata, Fortunei, ilicifoUa, macrophylla, japonica : 
 Budleya globosa ; Ceanothus azureus : Melia Azedarach, Pistacia lentiscus ; Vi- 
 tex agnus-castus ; Cerastes Lauro Cerasus ; Ceratonia siliqua; Cistiis roseus; 
 formosus, ladaniferus, Lusitanicus, grandiflorus ; Leicesteria formosa ; Coro- 
 ■nilla glauca, fol. var ; Daphne Fortunei, Laureola, alpiva, collina, Cneorum ; 
 ElcBagnus reflexa ; Escallottia florihunda, grandiflora ; Eurya jajionica, foJ^ 
 var.; Sldmmia jop)onica ; Ophiopogoyi japonicus, spicatum, Jaburan; Euoyiy- 
 mils japonicus, fol. var.; Juniperus bermudiana; Bhammts alafernus, fol.var. ; 
 Phormium tenax ; Genista iinctoria, fl. pi. ; Helianthemum, var. kinds; Ifype- 
 ricum calycinwn ; Jasminum revolutum, lucidum, Wallichianum ; Ligustrum 
 luddum, fol. var., japonicion, fol. var. ; Mahonia japonica ; Myrica Califor- 
 njca ; Osmanthus flmbriatus ; Ulex europceus ; Yucca and ^^are, var. kinds ; 
 Pinus lanceolatus ; Perneftya floribanda ; Stuartia pentagyna ; Libocedrus Chi- 
 lensis, miciferus, californicus ; Magnolia conspicua. 
 
 b. The following PlAXTS may SEUVE for nEIGHTENING THE EFFECT OF 
 
 Flowers in the Winter-time and Sprixg : 
 
 Polygonatum stcllatum, verticillatum, multiflorum ; Doronicum Caucasicum ; 
 Adonis vernalis, Dicentra spectabilis, Corydalis aurea, nobilis ; Lindelophia 
 spectabilis ; Omphalodes verna ; Cyclamen ceuropamm ; Anthericum Liliago ^ 
 Dodecatheon Meadia, Jeffreyi ; Dianthus, var. kinds ; Nardosmia fragrans, 
 (Tussilago) ; Funlda, fol. var.; Gentiana acaulis ; Primula cortusoides ; Hel- 
 leborus niger ; Hepatica triloba, angidosa ; Iberis sempervirens ; Iris, var. kinds ; 
 Hyacinths; Narcissus; Crocus; Tulips; Muscari ; Galanthus ,- Colchicum ; 
 Leucojum vernum ; Tnllium grandiflorum ; Orobus ternus ; Pcconia tenuifolia; 
 Puhnonaria virginica, saccharata ; Bamondie Pyrenaica ; Erinus alpinus ; Solda- 
 nella alpina, minima; Bhexia Virginica; Sanguinnria canadensis; Saxifraga 
 ligulata, sibirica, crassifolia, cordifolia ; Spigelia Marylandica ; Primula acau- 
 lis, fl. pi. ; Viola, var. kinds ; Lychnis Haageana, Sieboldii. 
 
 c. Climbing and Hanging Plants for a house with a low tempera- 
 
 ture : 
 
 Adlumia drrhosa ; Tropceolum peniaphyllum ; AJcebia quinata ; Various kinds 
 of Clematis; Ampelopsis Veitchii ; Bignonia capreolata ; Hedera (Ivy") var.
 
 Qg WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 kinds ; Lonicera japonica, grata, semperfllorens, Brachypoda aureo-reticulata; 
 Cissus antarctica ; liubus roscpfloncs, fl. pi. ; Rosa sempervivens, Banksia, 
 Thea, Noisette, multijlora, Fortunei ; Gaultheria procumbens ; Vinca minor, 
 var. kinds ; Blilox verna, repens, setacea, Lysimachia nummularia ; Linnea bo- 
 realis. 
 
 d. Ferns which can have a low temperature : 
 Adiantum Capillus Veneris, pedatum ; Asplenium fontanum, marinum, ruta- 
 muraria, viride ; Aethyrium filix-fcemina, fiexuosuin, laciniatum, plumosum; 
 Blechnum horeale (occidcntale) , spicant (^Lomaria') ; Cystopteris hulhifera ; Ono- 
 clea sensibilis ; Lastrcea filix-mas, rigida, dilatata, Goldiana ; Lomana Magel' 
 lanica, alpina ; Osmunda regalis, cinnamomea ; Polypodiiim vulgare, alpestre' 
 Polystichium actdeatum, angidare, acrostichoides ; Scolopendrium officinarum 
 (vidgare^ ; Struthiopteris germanica ; Cyrtomiiim falcatum. 
 
 e. Finally, we add a small list of Orchids, or air-plants, for amateurs, who 
 ijiay 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 Mossioe, labiata, Skinneri, guttata. Perrinii ; 
 Laelia majalis, auttimnalis, superhiens ; Calanthe veratrifolia, vestita rosea; 
 Cypripedium barbatum, insigne, venustum ; Epidendrum eiliare, fragrans ; 
 Gongora maculata ; Maxillaria tenuifolia, Harrissonice, pnda ; Oncidium pu- 
 pilio, roseum, picturatum, ampliatum, flexuosum, luridum ; Odontoglossum 
 grande, ptdcjiellum, Uro-Slcinyieri, Insleayi ; Lycaste aromattca, Deppii, Skin- 
 neri ; Stanliopea tigrina, saccata, oculata, gutulata, insignis ; Sdiomlmrgkia 
 crispa ; Acineta Htimholdtii, longiscarpa ; Zygopetalum Mackayi, crinitum ; 
 Phains grandifoUus (^Bletia TankervillicB, Limodoruni) ; Peristeria alata ; Mil- 
 tonia Candida ; Ca:logyne cristata, Trichopilia tcrtihs Cymbidium aloifolium, 
 ensi folium; Bletia hyacinthina.
 
 PART II. 
 
 PLANTS FOR WINDOW GfARDENS.
 
 Fig. 1. — Design for Ornamental Ilauging B.-mcpt.
 
 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 feehngs 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 
 j'oof 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 surpUs 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.
 
 go 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 w^ell 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 well 
 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 G5°; if over that, and averaging 60° to 80°, twice a day, water- 
 ing moderately, will be suflScient. 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 100 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 
 
 PJg. 2.— Trailing Morning Glory— Convolvulus Mauritaniaua.
 
 94 
 
 Wn\D W 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 conch,) will hold soil enough to support trailers, 
 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
 
 Wiyj) W GA liDEyiXG . 
 
 95 
 
 filled with light, ricli soil, 
 and Lycopodiums and Lo- 
 belias were planted in it- 
 The rind of the gourd, and 
 of the scallop squash, make 
 elegant baskets for drooping 
 plants. Cocoanut shells, 
 whether in their natural 
 slate or embellished, with 
 rustic work around, are ac- 
 ceptable. 
 
 Ilome-niade baskets of 
 wooden bowls, (such as we 
 use in our kitchens,) ai-e 
 very common and desirable. 
 Four or live holes should 
 be bored with a gimblet in the 
 bottom or the sides of the 
 iK)\vl. 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'C, 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 the stiff mosses from 
 the pine woods are used, the}' 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 bi-ightly 
 variegated vines, is very beautiful. Such a basket, if planted with nothing more 
 than the Tradescantia Zehrina, and the green leaved variety of the same plant, 
 mingled with soft hanging grasses, or the bright green of the Monerjicort, 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 claj'-; the basin is filled with earth, and in it are planted Begimias, 
 Caladiums, Coleus, Geraniums, Ivy, Ornamental Grasses, Calla Lily, and quite 
 a variety of other flowers. The .size is about two feet wide by three and a half
 
 96 
 
 WINDOW GARDENTNO. 
 
 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. Tliis 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 
 are 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 clay 
 bowl sitting neatly within. The Convolvulus family afford many very desirable 
 plants for baskets of this giescription. 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 night. Seeds planted in early spring, say 
 March, will flourish and bloom in less than six weeks." This family generally
 
 ]yiXDO]V GARDENI.\G. 
 
 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 ; brandies 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 tiie 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 gracefull}^ 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 
 coi'ds 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 Fir;. 6.— i"io. Mr Basket. 
 
 shaded dark crimson — a class of plants always very handsome. 
 , Springing out of this is the Goniophlebium Subaiiriculatum, with its long 
 primate pendulous fronds ; the Cheilanthes Spedahilis, which delights in moist- 
 ure, warmth, and shade ; other Ferns, such as the Maideii's Hair, (Adiantum,) 
 usually of large growth. The Athyrium, and many of the Spleemvorts, (Asple- 
 nium,) are introduced here to form one of the finest styles of natural Hanging 
 jBaskets we can suggest for imitation by our readers. 
 
 Fig. G, 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 from the hole for drainage. Zinc vessels are not always perma- 
 
 7
 
 98 
 
 WmnOW GARDENING. 
 
 nent; 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 ware, made unusually deep. The 
 plants herein placed are Dracaenas, Crotons, Indian Ferns, Niphobolus pertu- 
 3U3, and N. rupestris; also the Variegated Panicum. Ivy droops over the 
 aides.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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, Nemophilas, Lobelias, Mimu- 
 lus, &c. 
 
 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; 
 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 
 slightly concave on the upper surface, and covered with a delicate glaucous 
 bloom. The flower-buds appear a longtime 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 
 
 Fig. 9.
 
 100 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 die down, and are 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. 
 
 ^'•1. 
 
 
 -4fei^" 
 
 l''ig. lU.— Sedum SielioUlii. 
 
 Fig. 12 is a sketch of the Saxifraga Fortuyxei 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 handn
 
 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 
 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, wjith 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 wateriug two or 
 three times a week, and 
 will drip n^oie or less 
 consfantly. 
 
 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 
 ^'S- 12- they were covered with 
 
 a layer of earth ; above this was another row of smaller stones, then a laj^er 
 ox 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- 
 ing plants, such as the Morning Glory, which soon filled the basket to over- 
 flowing. Two plants only will be suflBcient. 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 boaid an inch thick 
 is then fastened to the sides for a bottom, and the spaces between the stick.^. 
 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 eifect Avas exquisitely beautiful. 
 
 A cocoanut affords a very pretty miniature basket. Leave the husk on, and 
 
 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 filled 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 frora 
 piazzas or trees. They will hang from the trees all winter, andin the spring th
 
 ]Q4 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 hardy vines, Moneywort and Partridge vine, (^Mitchella Eepens,) 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 I'ar. 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 upriglit 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. "| 05 
 
 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 nlants 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 cuse 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 [)lants may be arranged in several very distinct classes, as follows : 
 
 1. Climbing Vines — 
 
 The Tropceoliim Lobbianuin, 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 set 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 
 Discorea Batatas is the best species for home culture. 
 
 Among other climbing plants are Senecio Scandens, (German Ivy,) a verj'^ free 
 grower; Loniccra Aurea Reticulata, with fine yellow variegated foliage. 
 
 There are no finer plants in general to be used than the Coboeas, Maurandias, 
 Lophospermums, and Tropaeolum. The Variegated Leaved Cobsea is a great 
 favorite, either to dangle from a basket or clothe a trellis. 
 
 For Droopinr/ or 'Trailing Plants the list is quite extensive. LyshnacMaf or 
 Moneywort — old, and hardly yet superseded. 
 
 Saxifragas, Sechims, 
 
 Linari-xs, Lobelia, 
 
 Yelloiv Floicering Gazanias, Tradescantia, 
 
 Mimulus Moschatus, Nierembergia, 
 
 Mimidus Tigrinoides, Verbenas, 
 
 Ice Plant, Mesemhryanthemums, 
 
 The Partridge Vine, Dew Plant. 
 
 The Straivberry 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
 
 JQg WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 glossy, bright leaves, pure white flosrers, and bright, coral-hued berries making 
 it quite an acquisition to tlie list of trailing vines. 
 
 Tiie 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. 
 
 Mesernhn/anthemitms 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 
 peifume. 
 
 The Sedum Sieholdii 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 Growth. 
 
 Here you have a large list to choose ^rom. 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 Lycopodiiims. The Dragon plant Braccena Terminalis, has blood
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 107 
 
 red foliage, and seems to be used more often than any other as a smgle plant. 
 The Begonias and Gesnerias have rich velvet}' leaves. For curiosity you may 
 want a Cactus, or a horseshoe Gerayiium ; 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. 
 
 Ficiis liepens. 
 
 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 Elegantisshna, 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 traiUng habit, hanging down and flowering freely. 
 
 Myosporum Parvifoliim, 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 Polypodi^im 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 prove to be very good Ferns for the basket.
 
 ] 08 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 The true Maiden' s Hair Fern, (Adiantiim Capillus Veneris), by spreading at 
 the roots will soon cover the sui face 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 : Nothodaena- 
 tenera, Davallia pentaphylla, Fadyema, prolifera, Adiantum 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. 
 
 Hoio to arrange Plants in the Baskets. 
 We offer several plans of how to fill 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 
 Glecoma (Ground Ivy or Gillrun 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. — In 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 oflshoot 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 are 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.
 
 WINDOW GAEDENIiXG. ] QQ 
 
 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 coeles- 
 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 of 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, or 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 sparingl}^ 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, 
 sliould 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, w-hite flowers, and mignonette and alyssum, with moneywort, ground 
 iv}^ Irish ivv, 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 ihem 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.
 
 110 
 
 WINDOW GARDENINO. 
 
 Iron Fnme for an Irled Garden or Conseryatory Seat.
 
 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 3'et 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 ne,cessity, 
 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 tho 
 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 oflf into 
 lovely, independent paths along picture cords and above cornices, till the room 
 Beemed all a-bud, like Aaron's rod. It will cover a screen of wire, curtain a 
 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 
 % 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 sweetly
 
 112 
 
 Wiyi) OW GARD EMXG- 
 
 keeps its daily course. It is a decora,tive artist of high ability; acompanioji, 
 a friend." 
 
 Notwithstanding this poetic imagery, it must be admitted its presence, with 
 
 Fig. 14. — An Ivied Stairo.asp. 
 
 its entwining, luxuriant foliage, gives a refreshing and pleasant look 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.
 
 IVnYDOW GARDENING. W^ 
 
 The Ivy requires rich soil in which to grow, and must have strong food. 
 
 " Of right chdic/ food are its meals, I ween." 
 You must therefore select for it the best soil which your garden can affoid ; 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 larvse 
 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 Iv}' seems to be the least sensitive to changes of light of an}' plant we 
 have; 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 ivv 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 permitted to dr}- 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 neglected; 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 loom, 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 bj^ bits of green 
 worsted braiil. 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 
 
 wnxn w ga rdening. 
 
 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 ma}' thus be decorated 
 is afforded in figure 15, showing a 
 looking-glass with rustic frame, and 
 tlie Iv}' twining around it. In thi.*? 
 case no vials are used, but a very 
 unique and convenient receptacle, 
 shown in figure 16. Usually all our 
 fi amcs 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. 
 Tiie 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 eaith 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 
 ^•S^tS ' dust would hinder the growth of 
 
 Fig. is.^Au Ivied Picture Kiaiiif. tlic plant Very materially. If it can 
 
 face a north or east window it is best situated. Water should n^ ^^ 
 
 be given dail}'' 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 varj'ing 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 boxFi 
 
 .1(5. — 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 aiFords 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.— Ornameutal Soreea 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.
 
 126 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 But its most successful use is in the hanging basket. Here at home it chmbs, 
 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 sJiade 
 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. 1X7 
 
 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 doors 
 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 famil}'', 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— a quick growth, have made it a favorite with every- 
 one. 
 
 Another variety called the Coliseum Ivy, (^Lmaria Cymbalarla,^ is also popu- 
 lar. It grows in slender purphsh stems, having small green leaves with purple 
 linings, 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 plentifullj'-, 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 3^ellow. 
 
 The list of varieties exceeds fifty in number, some producing gigantic leaves 
 of thick texture, others white or golden berries, some richly variegated, othera
 
 •1 IQ WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 with small leaves of deepest purple. They forma 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, the German 
 the Coliseum, and the variegated L'Elegante.
 
 CH^P^TEIl XII. 
 
 Climbing 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 fingei-s 
 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 bafcony, as well as the interior. Ideas of refinement, taste and beauty, 
 are invariably suggested by the presence of climbing vines. Let the cornei-s 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 tlieir architectural fii\ish and imposing design, 
 still lack tlie 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 ytry 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 thiee-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 consecutivel}-, 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 
 quantit)^ of fertihzing 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.
 
 J 20 WiynOW GARDENING 
 
 In selecting our list we have regard naturally to those which are most rapid 
 growers. 
 
 First on the hst is Coboea Seandens. 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. 
 
 Tlie vine is named from Cobo, a Spanish priest, who tirst 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 Seandens folius varicgata) 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 ; j^et it is not a tender plant ; i. e., 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 nece.ssary. 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 window, 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 dec-
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 1^21 
 
 orations, wreaths, festoons, &c., it is very popular, and in all festiye 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 cUng to, 
 and will run more rapidly if a wire is fastened ai-ound 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 arc 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 
 variet)' 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 Lohbianum, 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 Tropceolum 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
 
 122 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 Feregrinum. 
 
 Tropaeolum jieniajjhyllum, a beautiful kind of Tropaeolum ; like the tri-color, 
 but not robust in habit. Tliis kind will come to a great perfection if planted in 
 a large pot and placed on a balcony. 
 
 Tropaeolum trimaculatum, 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 vei-y 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 Sei)ten)ber 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, the}"- will bloom finel}-, and foi'm 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. 
 
 fThe Maurandia Bardayana 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 fiom seed, plant m light, rich soil, in June ; water it freel)'', and give 
 plenty of sun. It blossoms profusely, hanging out full of elegant white, purple, 
 or pink bell-shaped flowers, which much resemble tho.se 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 anj-where 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. 
 
 Thunbergia. — 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 bufl" or white color, with a rich maroon colored throat. 
 Other varieties have shades of orange and yellow.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 3 23 
 
 The Passion Floiver. 
 
 The Passion Flower, 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- 
 
 Fig. 18. — Passiflwa Ccerulea, Blue Passion Flower.
 
 124 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 m&j 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 home 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. 
 
 Ipomcea. 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: 
 
 I. Coccinea, (Star Ipomcea,) with small scarlet flowers. 
 
 I. lAmbata, white margin, bluisli 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 Hedera 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 
 
 (low 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 BarcJayana, Lareyana, and other varieties. 
 Cardiospermum Halicacaba, baloon vine. 
 Tropaeolum viajus, and majus fl. pleno. 
 trimaeulatum. 
 
 Lohhianum, and its hybrids. 
 CyclantJiera i^edato, and P. crplodens. 
 Adlumia cirrhosa, (Finnaria fungosa.') 
 Thuiibergia alata, and T. aurantiaca. 
 Lophospermum scandens, and varieties. 
 Pilogyne suavis. 
 Ipomcca Quamoclit, and QiiamocUt alba. 
 
 coccinea, and coccinea lutea. 
 Obobra viridiflora. 
 Scypliantlms elegans. 
 Loasa lateritia. 
 
 Callistega joubescens flore pleno. 
 Manettia bicolor. 
 
 cordifolia, (coccinea.) 
 Micania scandens, {Senecio micanoides .^ 
 
 b. Running plants with a moi-e ligneous habit: 
 Clematis azurea grandiflora, and new hybrids. 
 
 flammula. and C. lanuginosa. 
 Passiflora incarnata, (hardy perennial.) 
 edulis fol. var.
 
 226 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Passiflora caerulea, and caerulea varieties, 
 trifasciata. 
 Jcermesina. 
 princeps. 
 quadrangularis. 
 Cohosa scandens, and scandens fol. var. 
 Thunbergia laurifoUa, and T. grandiflora 
 Medeola asparagoides, QMyrsophyllum.') 
 Mikania speciosa Yerschaffeltii and Warcsewitzii. 
 Akebia qumata. 
 Phaseolus Caracalla. 
 Physianthus albens. 
 Ipomosa digitata, (^palmata) 
 
 fici folia and insignis. 
 
 Hlorsfalliae. 
 
 tyrianthina. 
 Stigmaphyllom ciliatum. 
 Solanum jasminoides. 
 Tecoma jasminoides. 
 Mimosa prostrata. 
 Bignonia venitsta, and speciosa. 
 
 argyraea — violacea and ornata. 
 Tacsonia mollissima, and T. Van Volxemii. 
 Wiyncospermum jasminoides, and var. 
 Tropceolum tri-colorum, and T. pentaphyllum. 
 Cissus discolor. 
 
 antarcticus. 
 Rubus Moluccanus. 
 Stephanotus florihundus. 
 Ampelopsis Veitchii, and quinqnefol, fol. var. 
 Lonicera crabhipoda aureo reticulata. 
 
 Balcony Gardening. 
 
 When the warm suns of spring and summer make the air more genial, our 
 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 our 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
 
 TT-/.VZ>OTr GARDEXIXG. 127 
 
 grown plants of ornamental foliage, such as Coleus, Achyranthes, Ferns, or into 
 which you may 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 by 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 Yitffi 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 from 
 U 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 Floiver, 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 Vitges, 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
 
 WIKDOW GABDENING. J^29 
 
 gay display can be made by arranging two boxes, one with the Lobelia in front, 
 and behind it a row of scarlet Geraaiiums, such as the Gen. Grant, Warrior, or 
 Marie Lemoine. 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. Tn 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 Bruvimondii, 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 bedding 
 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 Aucuha 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 quite large, so we name only the best six or eight. 
 
 :r7y^n-'"' 
 
 Fig. 20.— A Cottage Porcli, with Climbiug Vines at tbe Side.
 
 WIA'JDOW GARDENING. 13X 
 
 The Honey suclile 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 brachy poda) is much the best ; leaves are large, of a bright green color ; 
 flowers of a delicate sweet fragrance. As# vine for covering arbors, pillars, trel- 
 lises, balconies, &c., it is unsurpassed. 
 
 The Trumpet Honeysuclde (Lonicera Sempervirens,) is 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 anythmg it can reach, and throw out innumerable little rootlets, wliich 
 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, 
 8 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 ofl" from the main stem, and add grace of habit 
 to beauty of color. In the autumn the foliage, at the fir^ 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 Tropceolum 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 column, and in 
 
 Fig. 21. — Tniuipet Honeysuckle— ionictra Sempervircns. 
 
 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
 
 F7iVi)0F" GARDENING. 
 
 133 
 
 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 vrhich 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 a^-o, 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 of 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 meffaceably 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." m 
 
 This style of ornamental gardening* unusual here, and we remember but one 
 instance of ever noticing an attempt to imitate it jn this country. This was so 
 successfally 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 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. 22.— Aristolochia Sipho, or Dutchman's Pipe.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 135 
 
 dows. Just back of this was placed a wooden staging, with successive steps 
 rising upward, covered with 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 rilstic 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, the}' 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 tl^t can be obtained to the depth of I5 feet, 
 and cover the entire roof, except a patn 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 6 feet, and connected with smaller rods running entirely around 
 the roof. Train on this fence Wistaria, Woodbine, Honeysuckle, or Running 
 Roses. 
 
 On the fence on the north side, where the Roses would get full sun, plant 
 Baltimore Belle, Mrs. Ilovey, 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 Tropasolum, Maurandia, Nierembergia, and Ipomoea 
 among the hardy vines. In the northwest corner (J.) 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; G, Moss Roses, 
 single, blooming, and perpetual. In the 
 centre bed J 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 Bulbs, 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 for instance, four 
 colors of Hyacinths in the beds J", 
 K, L, M ; Crown Imperials and Tulips in I ; border all the beds with Snow- 
 drops ; set Crocus in four colors inside of the Snowdrops ; fill B, F, D, H with 
 mixed Tulips, and put Daffodils, Jonquils, and Polyanthus va. A, C, C, 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." 
 
 23. — Plan of a Rose Garden on the Roof of a 
 House.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. ^ XST 
 
 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 any 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 Dentzias, Spiraeas, or Weigelas; 
 but usually annual plants — i. e., 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 Slferlet 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 safest 
 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 a 
 good selection for himself.
 
 CH^P^TER 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 variet)' 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 the 
 \ 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 sweetl}- 
 Kig. 24.— "Rustic Robiu"Jardinet. in the poor man's window as in the more 
 
 costly conservatory of the wealthy. 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,
 
 WIXD OW GA RDENING 
 
 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 necessar)^ It may 
 not be generally known that Hyacinths will not bloom well but once. In Hol- 
 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 large 
 enough to sell, which is usually when they are four years old. The flower-stalk 
 is cut away as soon as it can be without damage to the foliage. This throws the 
 whole strength of the plant into the bulb, which is kept growing until there is 
 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 rnfe flow- 
 ers. Bulbs planted in the open zp^^ 
 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 
 
 P'l". 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 flower 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 
 everj-^ year try this method, and 
 for such the following instructions 
 will be most likely the ones to 
 insure success. The ordinary 
 H3'acinth 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.— Prince of u .lies janiiuet. 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 GARDENING. 
 
 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 
 suflBcient 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. Thiswill 
 strengthen the growth; still with- 
 
 , ^. , , ,1 , i„ „:ii Fiff. 27.— Jardiuet, witli Hyaciutb. 
 
 out such stimulant the plants will 
 
 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 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 roots will soon fill tlie dish, running over and through the gravel, forming a 
 solid mass. 
 
 Selection of Varieties. 
 As a 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.— Orn.imental Hyacinth Glauses. FiS- 29.— Tye's Triple Hyacinth OUiss. 
 
 Duke of Wellington, very fine pale rose ; the bells large and 
 
 beautifully arranged, often giving two spikes. 
 Grootforst, pale rose; good spike, with nicely shaped bells. 
 Eegina Vidoria, bright pink; large bells, and fine spike. 
 Double White— ^n«a 3Iaria, fine, waxy white, with pink eye ; good formed 
 bells and spike. 
 Jenny Lmd, blush white, with purple eye ; good bells ; com- 
 pact truss.
 
 WIiYDOW GARDENING. 
 
 143 
 
 La Deese, pure white, finely-shaped bells, but thin spike. 
 La Vestale, lily white; small bells and spike. 
 Prince of Waterloo, fine, pure white ; large bells ; moderate 
 spikes. 
 Double Blue — BlocJcsberj, fme 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 d' Orange, 
 fine citron yellow ; 
 small bells; mod- 
 erate spike. 
 Jaunne Supreme, fine, 
 clear yellow ; good 
 spike. 
 SiN'fiLE Red — Diebitz Sabalshansy, 
 bright red, moderate 
 bell.s, and good spike. 
 Duke of Wellington, fine 
 rose; large bells and 
 spike. 
 L'Ami du Cosur, deep 
 pink; small bells ; mod- 
 erate spike. 
 3Iadame Hodgson, pale 
 pink, good bells, and 
 finely-formed spike. 
 Norma, a magnificent 
 waxy pink ; immense 
 bells and spike. 
 Bohert Steiger, lii.e, deep 
 crimson, large bells, 
 and immense spike 
 Single WniTE—EIfrida, creamy 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. 
 
 Fig. 30, —Ornamental 
 Vase lor Bulbs. 
 
 Fijr. 32.— Tyr'8 Single Hya- 
 cintli Glass. 
 
 Fig. 31. — Oi-nainental Vase 
 for Bulbs
 
 X44 WIXBOW GARDENING. 
 
 Grandeur a Merville, very fine, pale blush, good bells, and 
 
 immense spike. 
 Mo7it Blanc, beautiful, clear white; large bells; immense 
 
 spike. 
 Victoria Regina, very fine, pure white, large, waxy bells, and 
 
 fine spike. 
 Voltaire, verj^ beautiful blush; large bells; compact spike; 
 of immense size. 
 SiXGLE Blue — Baro^i 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. 
 SiXGLE YE1.L0V!-— Anna Carolina, beautiful, clear yellow; handsome bells 
 and spike. 
 Heroine, pale yellow, with green tips; large truss. 
 
 Boman 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 caimot 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 streets 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 
 and 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 the 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 I 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. 
 
 PotterhaJcJcer, White and Yellow — Both are 
 good for forcing; flowers 
 larger than the Due Van 
 ThoU's, but not as early ; 
 very fine for a succession. 
 Tournesol, (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 
 Is admirably adapted for window gardening ; soil and general treatment same as 
 for the Hyacinth. They should be planted in September, one in a pot, which 
 •^10 
 
 Fig, 33.— Pot of Tulips.
 
 146 
 
 WI^'nOW 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 
 
 earl}^ will bloom at Christmas. 
 Paper white ; pure white, and early ; very 
 
 fine. 
 Grayid Soliel d' Or, Que yellow orange; cup 
 very handsome ; comes in after tlie 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, Alho Pleno 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 
 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 Sim2^lex Oderato, pure white; very fragrant. 
 Jonquilles, la; -e 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 
 i?pared 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 Mixed Bulbs. 
 
 bringing in ;
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 147 
 
 Crocus. 
 The Crocus, which has for many ages been cultivated as au 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 giowiuf^ iu Saiiil. 
 
 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 untd 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 
 
 I'ljj. ,iG.— 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, large purple. •
 
 [48 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 David Eizzio, 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— T\ie 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. 
 
 BuTbocodium, or Bed Crocus, 
 Commonly known as Spring Colchicum, is a charming plant for pot culture, 
 requiring the same treatment as the Cjocus ; 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 oflF until the 
 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. 
 
 The 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. J^Q 
 
 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. Onlj"- 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. 
 
 TJie 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. 
 
 Iris 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. 
 
 Iris Susiana, is one of those beauties that baffle description. It is one of the 
 best for tlie " window," flowering freely in pots, jardinets or vases. It is the 
 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 st3^1e 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 
 nmarkable 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.
 
 ] 5 WIND W GA RDENING . 
 
 Spar axis, 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 prfccipally selfs. For good effect about twice as many 
 bulbs should be put in a pot as of the Ixia. 
 
 nie 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. 
 
 Banunculus. 
 
 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 iu the open border are 
 geneially more satisfactory.
 
 WIXDOW GARDENma. 151 
 
 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 foUage 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 recommeud 
 them for pot culture. 
 
 Feu Surperbe, bright scarlet. 
 
 Eose Surpassante, rose. 
 
 Queen of the Netherlands, white and rose, fine. 
 
 L' Ornament de la Nature, rich dark blue. 
 
 Lord Nelson, violet. 
 
 Queen Victoria, bright scarlet, a free bloomer. 
 
 Bemhrandt, carmine. 
 
 Shakspeare, 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 j after flowering they should bo
 
 1 52 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 plunged into a shady border, and left to care for themselves until there is danger 
 of frost when they should be 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 bulb. 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. 
 
 ScillOf 
 
 * 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 exceedingl}'' 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 sev- 
 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 deserves, 
 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 wmter. The length of time
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 153 
 
 they keep in flower, and the very pleasing variety they make, is another just 
 claim they have for a high place among decorative plants. 
 
 The Amaryllis delight in good, hght 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 require 
 further attention until it shows signs of growth, the time of which will depend 
 wholly upon circumstances, i. e., 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 fiowering of a single bulb last from five 
 to six 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 onlj' to be applied to those known as Heppeas- 
 trom, which, unlike the Vallota, 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. 
 
 Vallota 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 display for
 
 ]54 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 state, 
 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 flowering 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 eai'ly in April. 
 
 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 is 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
 
 WINBOW GARDENING. 155 
 
 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 disappoiuments 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 irom 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
 
 •Jgg WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 soon begin to grow and should be kept warm and watered freely. Soon as they 
 throw up the flower stalk 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 ofT-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 
 
 Fig. 37.— Glasses used as Bouquet Holders. 
 
 most convenient way and about as cheap a one as any, is to buy bulbs 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. 
 
 Achimenes. 
 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 aflbrds. 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 ag»in. 
 
 Illustrations. 
 The Jardinets illustrated in Figs. 24 to 27— are constructed of pottery ware, 
 filled 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.
 
 CHA.3PTER XTV. 
 
 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 aiford a green house, or conservator}'-, 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 occupj* very 
 
 Fig. 38.— Feiu, (Platyldiua cordata. 
 
 little room, are usually ornamented enough to be placea on any table or parlor 
 stand. Wlien 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 seen when we say that they afford
 
 WIND OW GA RDENING . 
 
 159 
 
 the only successful means for obviating the eflfect of the dry heated air of our 
 dwellings. They are reached by no dust, are free from the noxious exhalations 
 
 of coal fires or gas lights ; and when a breath of cold air accidentally enters the 
 room they are not chilled nor frosted if the thermometer in the room should chance
 
 160 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING- 
 
 to go below 35''. Their styles are so various and prices so reasonable, that any 
 one can be suited at prices of from 83 to 825. 
 
 To any one living amid the anxieties of a troublesome parlor garden, 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- 
 
 !• ig. 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
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 161 
 
 any 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 their 
 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 thi-ough 
 extremes of climate; and yet so unfailing has been the working of it that cases 
 judiciously planted have been known 
 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 mucn 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 J 
 rapidly along the surface of the earth ^j^ 
 in the case, and filling up the bare ^J" 
 spots, make a velvety covering of light = 
 feathery green, thus inducing shade 
 
 and moisture. Fig. 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 
 
 11
 
 162 
 
 WTNDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 or 
 
 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. 
 
 Tlie answer to this question is simple : " From the earth, the plants, hy exha- 
 lation, i. e. vegetable perspiration." But you ask again : " Whi/ does it collect 
 so largely f" and we reply : "Simply because we confine it, and prevent its escape 
 and evaporation by making our case airtight. If the case were ventilated, its tem- 
 perature would be moderated to correspond with the atmosphere of the sitting
 
 WIND OW GABJ) ENLYG . 
 
 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 congenial 
 atmosphere of their own and cannot live without the proper moisture. 
 
 You cannot expect your ferns or plants to grow nicely in this moist atmosphere
 
 164 
 
 WIXDOW GARDEXiyG 
 
 if 3-ou open the case q\qvj 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 onlj^ 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,forno 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 
 beyond the reach of the care- 
 less or forgetful. 
 
 Manngement. 
 
 Whether your case is of 
 wood, glass, or metal, you will 
 require a pan in which to hold 
 the plants. Zinc pans answer 
 Tin should not be used as 
 
 pjjr. 44. — A Fern Window and Aquariiini. 
 
 every purpose, combining economy and durability 
 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-
 
 WIj\n OW GARD ENING . 
 
 165 
 
 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 b}' 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 
 checked by reaching the top of the 
 glass ; there the fronds with no chance 
 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 mtiny rare and fine looking speci- 
 mens is endangered. 
 
 The forms and construction of fern -^ 
 cases will differ with the tastes of each -■ — 
 individual. We do not recommend at- 
 tempts at " home made " cases, on the Fig. 45.-Fein8 m a Wmdow 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 
 yourj^elf. 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 — onl\- 
 wanting the soil and the plants from the florist. Very good cases ai-e also made 
 of wood bases, and the cost for either will not exceed ^3 for circular cases 12 
 inclies 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
 
 166 
 
 WnXD OW GA RDEXIXG ■ 
 
 round, should have a small door to reach the plants without lifting the glass top. 
 Tlie 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 some 
 of the same soil, if you cannot get a good compost anywhere else. English florists, 
 who have access to special materials, make up a particular compost of the fol- 
 
 Fig. 46.— Heated Fern Case. 
 
 lowing materials which is described as perfect. Mix equal parts of silver sand, 
 good loam, powdered charcoal, refuse of cocoanut fibre. If you wish, you may 
 cover the bottom of the pan with alayer of powdered charcoal, or bricks or gravel 
 broken to the size of liazel nuts, to a depth of one inch, if pan is four inches 
 deep ; or one and one-half inches if G 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
 
 WIXDOW GAEDEXIXG. 
 
 167 
 
 Fig. 47.— 1-trii Catji.
 
 168 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING 
 
 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 
 well after planting, 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 suflBciently 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. 43.— Fern 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.
 
 WIJWOW 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 more. 
 
 Plants for The Fern Case. 
 
 In arranging your plants place the strongest growers in 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 potsof 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 continuouslj'' there- 
 after, in opposition to their nature, 
 which demands rest during tbe 
 winter season. Nevertheless it is 
 done, and many a pretty fern case 
 is indebted to some plant treasure 
 of this character stolen from &y\- 
 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 Lygodiiim 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 httle 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 (Epigoea 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 tlie choicest 
 for our selection. 
 
 y^y^^W;^^i^/^')M^^M^A... The Maidens' Hair Fern 
 
 (Asplenium) is the first fa- 
 vorite for the Feni Case, the 
 loveliest of our native ferns. 
 It may be found on some 
 sheltered hill side, or away in 
 -ome deep, moist woods, 
 known by its black, hair like 
 -terns, and curiously shaped 
 londs. Gather some of the 
 cry smallest specimens, and 
 •t them grow ; take them up 
 inots and all. When you 
 :ather up the roots take up 
 ilso 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 Gaultheria procumbens, or Wintergreen. 
 ChimapTiilla, or Pipsinima, various species. 
 Pryola, or False Wintergreen, various species. 
 
 Sarracenia pjurpurea, or Side Saddle flower; their cups must be kept full of 
 water. 
 
 Cijpripedium, or Lady Slipper, or Maccaron Flower. 
 Speranthes, or Lady Tresses, various species. 
 Bionaea, 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, Dendroi^eum, lucidrdum. 
 
 The daintily cut foliage of the (Captis trifoliata) or Gold Thread, will form a 
 pretty feature, and the Linewood, or Hepatica, with its blue eyes, will be no less 
 lovely. The Wild Lily of the Valley (Convallaria) will open its tiny white 
 bells long before they open in the meadow or at the brookside.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 171 
 
 If you look for other mosses, larger than the Lycopodmm, 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 : 
 
 Poll/podium, various species. 
 
 Strutliiopteris, Ostrich Fern. 
 
 Fig. 51. — Group of Fern Shells. 
 
 Pteris, or Brocken. 
 Adiantum, or Maiden Hair. 
 Cheilanthes, or Lip Fern. 
 Woodwardia. 
 
 Camptorum, or Walking Fern 
 Asplenium, or Spleenwood. 
 Dicksonia . 
 Crystopteris, or Bladder Fern.
 
 172 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Woodsia. 
 
 Polystichii77i, 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 term alis, or Nobilis; the DieffenhacJiia variegata, is ver}' showy. 
 The Pandanus or Ananassa may be admitted, and if j-ou 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 Gesnerias, Caladium, 
 Colocasias, 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 fei'iis 
 and mosses. 
 
 Among other additional plants 
 are : 
 
 The (^Goodyera puhescens) Rat- 
 tlesnake Plaintain ; leaves varie- 
 gated, dark green, with white 
 veins. 
 
 The {Erythronium) Dogs' 
 
 Tooth Violet, whose leaves are 
 
 green mottled with brown. 
 
 IS For trailing purposes perhaps 
 
 f^z? nothing is better than the Lysim- 
 
 3^ achia, or Moneywort, and the 
 
 Coliseum Ivy. Orchids may be 
 
 Fig. 52.— Oinauieutal Fern Case and Stand. added, if there is plenty of rooni, 
 
 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 F'erns, 
 
 Should you have ill success with 3'our 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. lietero- 
 2)hylla, P. serrulata, Blechmim graeile, Asplen- 
 ium aurituni, and A. hulbiferum. There are 
 many others, but a simple list like this is suf- 
 fficient. 
 
 For tall ferns choose Pohjpodium Aureum, P. 
 appendiculatum, Pteris argyrea, Asplenium 
 Brasiliense, Adiantum Blacrophyllum, Anemia 
 hylitidis. 
 
 In planting your ferns do not crowd them 
 together, but give 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 Fig. 53.— Parlor Fern stand, 
 
 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 
 i-ich, 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.
 
 174 
 
 WnVDOW GARDENING. 
 
 After you have put the plants in the case, water with a small watering pot 
 with a fine nose. Saturate the earth pretty thoroughly, but not fo make it 
 muddy. There are many other varieties of the Lygodiimis not mentioned above. 
 Lygodium, Apodum, densum, caesium, arboreum, lipidojjhijUuin, their roots will 
 extend over the earth, covering all the bare spots with a fiesli green carpet of 
 delicate growth. 
 
 Should we be able to procure a plant of the greenhouse species of climbing 
 {em, Lygodium flexuosum, or L. japonicumy another beautiful object will be 
 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 remarkabl}^ interesting. We refer to Ficus Sti}}- 
 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. 
 
 li'iiiiiiiiriii i liilliilliliiillilliil'llll llllllllillllillllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii nil iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mill 
 
 jt Fig. 64.— Plant Case. 
 
 It is a hard wooded plant, roots quickly from cuttings, and grows so freely as to 
 fill a moderate sized case very rapidl3^ 
 
 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 surface of the 
 earth in an ordinary fern case, after it has been well smoothened. The earth 
 should be watered verj- thoroughly previous to scattering the spores
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 175 
 
 Fig. 55. — Arborette. 
 
 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 saj^, that they were 
 the seedlings sown by j'our 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 
 plant differing very materially. Thus your love and knowledge of plant life in- 
 creases, and you wilU 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 p 
 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 comers 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. 56. — Ferns in Arborette.
 
 176 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 40, and with wooden frames same as for windows. All that it needs is to fit the 
 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 may be 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 ])ox, 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 
 carrying off any surplus water. The fillmg and 
 planting have already been described. Place some broken charcoal, or line 
 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 
 $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 a usually ornamental style. It is very suitable for 
 all kinds of ferns, and Lyeopodiurii, Small Orchids, small species of the Draca- 
 ena, Croton jncttim, Cr variegatum, Aplielandra Leopoldi, Gymmostachys, Ver- 
 shaffeltii, Eranthcmum, 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 
 
 Fijr. 5T. — Arborette. 
 
 at prices of from $20 to 
 
 58. — Arborette.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 177 
 
 vase ; 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, Geranium, 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. conservator}^ was pe- 
 culiarly ornamented. The rockeries were made almost 1^ 
 entirely of big blocks of peat, and on the top, near the 
 glass were planted a few Sedums, Sempervivums, and 
 other succulent plants. Mr. Hibberd, in his description of the fernery, in his 
 volume " Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste," states that for the past 
 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 i\iQ Adiantums, Asj)lenitiin, Adian- 
 tum, Nigrum , Athyrium, f.f-, A. f. f. Crispa, Gymno- 
 gramma leptopliylla, Doodias, Scolopendriums, Wood- 
 wardia radicans, Equisetuin, Sylvaticum, and Selaginellds. 
 
 Water was given daily during the warm weather j 
 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 Maling, 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 ai^ 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 
 
 Fig. 60.
 
 178 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 heat can be raised to any degree up to 90°. The cases are of two sizeft, the larger 
 ones being about four feet long, by two wide, and two high, while the boxes on 
 which tlie 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 Avater 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 an}' 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 healtlf many tender stove plants, as well 
 as other delicate plants which cannot stand either a cool 
 or a dry atmosphere." 
 Fig. 61. 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 amatures 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 i. caesiuvi, apodum, 
 heloctica, or varitibilis will always appear to advantage ; 
 also the Pteris cretica albo lineata, or Ci/rtomium fal- 
 caturn, do remarkably well, being very strong growers." 
 These Fern Pillars are also made of Terra Cotta, in 
 England, with openings in appropriate places for set- 
 Fig. 62. ting in the bricks. The columns are also constructed 
 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 side 
 • of a wall or a conservator}-, or to occupy a large fire place. The.se are made
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 179 
 
 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 elFect, and the general testimony is to the 
 effect that the ferns thrive very well in them. 
 
 Fjjr. 6;t.— Fi-rn Stand. Fig. 64.— Fern Stand. 
 
 Figs. 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 soon 
 constructed by any cabinet maker. 
 
 A pleasant story is told of a gardener near London, England, who, instead of 
 Ibllowing 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 
 in 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
 
 180 
 
 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. lie 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 jNIountain Pol3'pody, the Alpine cystopieris, and 
 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 the 
 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 Avinter 
 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 iS'vift^jf^rar/ons, Wallflou-ers, and other gay tenants 
 of ruined towers, or pines, that make riot of man's woik, 
 and glorify the decay of art with the triumph of nature." 
 Figs. 55, 56, 57, 58, introduce several " I^ustic Terra 
 Cotta Arhorettes." 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 
 be entirely filled with earth, no rustic ornament is more 
 suitable for ferns or other plants to live in. They may decorate the hall, parlor, 
 conservatory, or out door lawn. Their size is from one to three feet high.
 
 WIND OW GA BDENING . 
 
 181 
 
 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 tilled 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 is 
 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- 
 waj' (a rocker}',) and fill it with pockets for the 
 reception of small ferns. For that purpose I 
 
 took two square seed pans, and placed them hot- Y\g. 67.— Fern or Flower Case. 
 torn 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 
 regia, Camptosanrus rliizophylhts, Asplenium 
 flahelU folium, Scolopendrium, vulgare var. 
 ramosum, poJyschides, and vulgare ramo mar- 
 ginatum, Acliantiim Mspidulum, and a few Se- 
 laginellas. The latter soon grew so as to 
 smother the whole fabric, forming a rich bell of 
 various tmts of blue and green, with the fern 
 pushing through them. On the right hand side 
 of the arch was planted Xcplirohpis 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 pecthiata, 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 be 
 
 8.— Case for preserving flowers 
 fresli.
 
 182 
 
 WlXnOW GARDE^'IKG. 
 
 removed to the greenhouse, where it is now flourishing. Two more notable ferns 
 were introduced, namely : Pteris flabeUata, 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 falcatuin, 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 
 .sca6eru?a, very beautiful in the lace-like divisions, and light green hue of its 
 fronds. It is really a gem, and always grows well in peat, cocoanut, or any 
 soil of a light spongy texture. 
 
 Boodia lunulata and candata, are of small growth, and serve well with Loma- 
 ria lanceolata and L.spicant, to fill up green tuft.s 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 
 sjwrodocarjmtn — made a fine effect. It is one 
 of the most distinct and beautihil and easily 
 managed of all Wardian Case ferns, but must 
 have always a nice peaty mixture. 
 
 The remaining ferns are Polypodium phego- 
 p)teris and nigulosum, Campyloneurum iJ%Z- 
 litidis, Adiantum formosum, pedatum and tenel- 
 lum. 
 
 An important point in all fern cases is to have 
 
 them so constructed as to be easilj'- turned 
 
 about and moved around, so that the plants 
 
 may all share equall}' in the sunlight. If the 
 
 ca.se is too large, manj- plants will receive an 
 
 undue pi-oportion of the sunlight, while others 
 
 Fig. 69.— Ladies' Plant Case. wiU 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 die aquarium, we find the following plants which do well in the 
 constant evaporation of the water : 
 
 Adiantum tenenim, cuneatum, formosum ; Davallia, pixidata ; Gymno- 
 gramma Peruviana ; Lomaria spicant ; onychicum japonicum ; Pteris serrulata ; 
 Selaginella calsia ; Selaginella, umbrosa, Africana serpens, and Wildenovii, with 
 Acorns gramineus folius fol var ; Sibiliorpia Europcea ; Panicum variegntum ; 
 Torrenia Asiatica ; Ficus stipularis ; Tradeseantia Zebrina ; Hoya bella, and 
 ^schynantJnis zebrinus.
 
 JTIXDOW GARDENING- 
 
 183 
 
 We mention the plants particularly, 
 as perhaps some one may be disposed to 
 cop3" 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 Avith 
 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. 40 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.— waidian 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 the 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 
 
 frame 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 Calo- 
 
 diums, Begonias, and other plants of 
 
 colored foliage, as well as ferns. Tt 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 
 
 Fig. 47, also in the possession of Shirley 
 
 Hibberd. The base is a stone vase, with 
 
 liollow interior; the fot 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
 
 ;[84 WiyDOW GARDENIXG. 
 
 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 ^Ir. Hibberd suspended four half cocoanut 
 shells, in which he planted some ferns ; holes are cut in the bottom foi 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 scandeiis, 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-Iineata, an elegant variegated fern ; Niphoholus lingua — a hardy tongue- 
 like fern ; Onychium Japonicum, most delicately divided ; Pteris creimta, Las- 
 trea glabella, Doodiacaudata, Aspleniuniviride, 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 lobbing 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 tine copper 
 wire serve to train the Ivy and the h/godium, 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, phgllitidis, 
 Olfersia cervina, Diplazium radicans, Asplenium fragrans, Lomaria attenu- 
 ata, Pteris calomelanos, Fadyenia prolifera. and a few tufts of the Selaginella 
 caesium and <S'. laevigata." 
 
 Among fern decorations nothing is so striking, and j'et so novel, as the fire 
 brick. For filling a vacant fire place and making the screen appear ornamental, 
 nothing is of better fitne.ss. 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 arc of 
 different sizes, from 05 inches in diameter to 14 inches, and adapted to the place 
 where they ai-e 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 W GARDENING . 185* 
 
 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 pillir, 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 tlie 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 may be 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 Asplcnium flabellifolium, one of the most elegant of ali the small trailing 
 ferns. To help out the effect of this, a tuft of tlie 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 eupillus veneris, A. hispidulums, and A. 
 cuneatum, the last of which may grow too large; if so, it sliould be removed. 
 One of the most suitable of all ferns is Woodsia Ilvensis, which grows marvel- 
 ously, and seems to be at home in the porous ware of the vessel. Other good 
 ferns are Asplenium fontanum, A. rutamraria, Doodia lunulata, Doodia cau- 
 data, Woodsia obtusa, Ctjstojjteris fragile Dicl-eana, Camptozaurus,rliizophyllus, 
 (one of the rarest of the exotic Hearts Tongue ferns,) Scolopiendrium vitlgare, 
 V. proliferum vamo marginatum, and v. pohjschides, Lastrea filix-mas v . Schofiel- 
 dii, Adiantum SetiiJosum, 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 f 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 rnaterial, which can be used for other 
 purposes. Figs. 67 and 68 are so constructed that the}' can be used at one time 
 for o-rowing 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 hie;h.
 
 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. 09 is & Lady's Plant Case, a kind of Wardian case in miniature; and though 
 not artbrding 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 maj^ be enlarged from 18 inches in diameter up to 3 
 feet, and aftord 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. 
 
 Figs. 71, 72 are sketches of two very pretty Wardian Cases, exhibited at 
 one of the Horticultural Societj'^ E.xhibitions, 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 
 inches in breadth. 
 
 Fig. 71 is 4 feet high, 3 feet broad, and 1 foot 11 inches wide. These are con- 
 structed mostly with bright metalic fi-ame 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 
 generally adopted, and their 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 live 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 amsfteurs, that these "VVardian 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 b}' flower lovers, tliat 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
 
 WIND W GARDENiyG . 
 
 187 
 
 water, it will be found that the latter will keep fresh and sweet the longest. The 
 explanation is onlj'^ in the greater humidity. In the former case, the air of the 
 room being too diy, evaporates the water from the surface of the petals faster 
 than the stem can supply, while in the latter the flower is completelj"- surrounded 
 witli all it needs. 
 
 Observing this principle then in your cut flowers or bouquets, if you will take 
 cai-e to place them in pans of water, or sand and water, and then cover with bell 
 glasses, the}- 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 AVardian 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- Hemionites *palmata. 
 
 mosum, trapeziforme, Veitchii, ru- 
 
 bellum, concinnum, Farleyense. 
 Anemia *hirta, flexuosa, villosa. 
 *xisplenium viviparum. 
 Blechnum *brasiliense, corrovadense. 
 Cheilanthes Alabamensis, Borsigiana, 
 
 hirta, microphylla, pulveracea, spec- 
 
 tabilis. 
 Davallia *decora, *Mooreana, *polyan- 
 
 tha. 
 Didj-mochlaena lunulata. 
 Doryopteris nobilis, *pedata. 
 Gymnograrama *tartarea, *chryso- 
 
 phylla, Laurheana, Peruviana. 
 
 Microlepia Davellia, hirsuta-argusla. 
 Nephrolepis *exaltata, *pectinata. 
 Notorhlaena chrysophylla, *nivea, teu- 
 
 era. 
 Polypodium aureum, omyxifolium. 
 Pteris *haslata, tricolor. 
 
 Selaginella. 
 
 Selaginella caesia arborea, *Africana, 
 atrovirens, cauleriens, *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 (Platicerum.) Lygodium scandens, palmatum. 
 
 Adiantum affine, *capi]lus. Veneris, 
 assimile, *colpodes, ^formosum, *ru- 
 bellnm, reniforme. 
 
 Asplenium *palmatnm, Fabianum. 
 
 Blechnum *australe, Cyathea medul- 
 laris, australis. 
 
 Cytomium *falcatum. 
 
 Davallia *canariensis, *pixidata. 
 
 Dicksonia *antarctica. 
 
 Asplenium nidus, avis. 
 
 Aspidium *molle, *violascens, *Kaul- 
 
 fussie. 
 Nephrolepis *exaltata, *tuberosa. 
 Notorhlaena trichomanoides. 
 Oleandra *neriifolia. 
 Onychium *japonicum. 
 Pteris *arguta, argyraea, *cretica alba, 
 
 *serrulata *hastata, longifolia.
 
 188 
 
 WIND W GA RDENING . 
 
 Doodia aspera, caudata, *rupestris. 
 Dorj'opteris *palmata. 
 Drynarla coronans. 
 Lastraea glabella. 
 Lomaria *Qibba. 
 
 Woodwardia radicans 
 
 Selaginella apoda, *cacsia, *denticula- 
 ta, stolonifera, formosa, iiivolvens, 
 Sohottii, *Martensii albo var, *Wil- 
 denowii. 
 
 The above named Ferns and Lycopodias are also suitable for general decora- 
 tions in a moderately heated room. Those marked * are useful for the window. 
 
 3. For a cold room, open hall, veranda, rockwofk, or for cool shaded places 
 near the buildini; : 
 
 Adiantum pecjatum. 
 
 Allosurus crispum. 
 
 Aspidium goldianum. 
 
 Asj^lenium septentrionale, fontanura, 
 
 Trichomanes, Ruta-muraria, viride. 
 Anthyrium felix foeraina, gracile, mul- 
 
 ticeps. 
 Blechnum boreale, occidentale. 
 Ceterach ofRcinarum. 
 Oystopteris montane. 
 Lastraea Oreopteris, dilatata, filix-mas. 
 
 Onoclea sensibilis. 
 O.smunda regalis, cinnamomea. 
 Polypodium vulgare. 
 Polj'stichium angulare, Lonchitis, 
 Scolopendrium officinarum and varie- 
 ties. 
 Struthiopteris germanica. 
 Pteris aquilina. 
 Woodsia hyperborea, ilvensis. 
 Lycopodium clavatum, alpinura, selago, 
 dendroideum. 
 
 rigida. 
 
 The above named Ferns and Lycopodia are also suitable for window decora- 
 tion during the summer season, but require some shade.
 
 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 j'^oung, 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, j-et 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 the 
 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 flowsrs 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 or 
 trees, and need no protection in the winter. The}' are propagated from seeds, 
 cuttings, grafting, and marching. 
 
 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 Camillia 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. The 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 .soddencd 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: 
 
 Imhricata, crimson and white. 
 
 Lnndrcthii, 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. — 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.
 
 WiyBOJ]' GAEBEX1^'■G. ]9X 
 
 Although brought from China, it is a native of Japan, whence its name Ja- 
 ponica, and belongs to the germs of the Tea Plant, the Bohea and Virivis, 
 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 cif 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 which were tall 
 trees, being from 25 to 30 feet high. Their glossy, evergi-een foliage, and mag- 
 nificent blossom.s — 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-flavored Camellia, has beautiful little flowers 
 resembling the apple blossoms in color and form, but are double. This species is 
 more tender than tlic 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 ver}' numerous, and every year some new varieties are added to the 
 catalogues.
 
 The Eose. 
 
 The romance of the Rose, and its exquisite loveliness, will never permit it to be 
 left out 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 hiui an Empire " — and he chos'j 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 tliorns 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.
 
 WINBOW GARDENTNG. 193 
 
 The phrase " suh-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 Harpocrates, 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. 
 
 Calture. 
 
 The list of varieties of Roses is very extended, reaching over 600 or 1,000. 
 As many as 600 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. Ten, 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 tiansplanted 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 is described in Part T, the chapter 
 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 cat. be grown 
 in sand with but little attention. 
 
 Layers are made by " tongueing " a branch, and bending it carefully 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 downw^ard 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 speedil}' 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. 
 Deooniensis, 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 perfection. 
 
 Bengal, oe China, 
 Agrippina, the deepest crimson, with an occasional stripe of white in the 
 centre. 
 Bourbon Queen, rich blush ; very fine. 
 Count de Eohan, purplish red. 
 Louis Philippe, rich, rosy crimson. 
 Madame Morel, cream color ; centre pink. 
 Napoleon, blush ; very large. 
 Virginale, rose and crimson 
 Vesuvitis, deepest crimson. 
 Madame Bohan, 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. 
 Phcenix, deepest rose, with the fragrance of the old fashioned Damask. 
 Psyche, light rose ; very double. 
 Splendens, richest of crimson. 
 Souvenir de la Malmaison, flesh color ; splendid. 
 Sombrienil, blush white ; strong grower ; very fine. 
 Vicomte de Gassy, cherry red ; extra 
 Vulcan, dark shade of carmine. 
 
 NOISBTTB. 
 
 Aim^ Vibert, one of the best white roses under cultivation 
 
 Chromatella, deepest yellow ; very delicate. 
 
 Gloire de Dijon, blush white; buff" centre. 
 
 Lamarque, white ; yellowish centre ; very fine. 
 
 Minette, light crimson ; very double, and large clusters of flowers.
 
 196 WnVBOW 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 — Sabrona, 3Ime. Falcot. 
 White — Mme. Maurin, Sombriel. 
 Carmine — La Phenix, C. BobeistsTcy. 
 Straw color — La Pactola, Isabella Sprunt. 
 Blush — Pauline, Fleiir 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 
 loam to one bushel of manure, one of leaf mould, and one-half a bushel of sand ; 
 but 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 Glorie de 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
 
 WrXBOW GARDENING. ]^97 
 
 shoots, which, wheu 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 Mahnaison, 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.
 
 ch:a.p»teii XVII. 
 
 21ie Fuchsia. The 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 which they originated
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. J 9 f) 
 
 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 
 sisters, yet its fragile flowers press beautifully, and they are great acquisitions 
 in a bouquet or wreath of pressed flowers. 
 
 CuUui-e. 
 
 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 Seratifolia and a Speciosa\\?ive 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 its 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 gi'own 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 Januarj'-; 
 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 
 
 Wn\I) W GA RDENING ■ 
 
 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 
 
 
 Fig. 72.— A well grown 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 please. 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 with 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 floweyng, 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 should 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 do 
 Chiswick, natura.lly 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 b}' most careful by- Fig. 73.— a ruclisia traiued in Umbii-lla form. 
 
 bridization, and they will bloom in two years. The seeds require careful treat- 
 7nent, bottom heat, and a gardener's care to germinate well ; but a young child 
 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, witli»scarlet sepals. 
 
 Conquest, bright scarlet sepals, corolla, rich dark purple ; very free bloomer. 
 
 Conspicua, snow}'^ 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. 
 
 Hhoderic 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 Puehla, scarlet sepals, with white corolla veined with scarlet ; 
 extra fine. 
 
 Symbol, crimson sepals much reflexed, creamy white double corolla, very 
 beautiful. 
 
 For a select list choose Lustre, Bhoderic 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 
 was held by the ancient Greeks, who dedicated it to Venus, 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. AVhy 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 
 sandy 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 Mj^rtle, 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. Ic 
 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 JussiEU, 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 pecuharity, 
 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 
 Eoi, 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 cottager^s 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 Jussieii was called Hellotropium Peruviamim, and is still 
 cultivated ; and it was many years before much change of color was efiected 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 ever}^ 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. Penivianum 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
 
 WI.VBOW GARDENING. \\ ^Ib^A ^V 
 
 the plant for winter flowering, do not turn it out of the pot>but l^ep illffr'ar 
 sunny location, and in August trim off a great many of its branch^s^Ht^iy th©-,TC, 
 young growth will push forth, and by January it will be covered with Mt " 
 
 It 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. 
 
 Corymhosa, dwarf, light lavender. 
 
 Gem, dark bluish purple. 
 
 Jane Mesmer, rich dark purple. 
 
 Triumphe de Giiascoi, robust growth, pale lilac. 
 
 Madame Parlver, very dark purple. 
 
 Madame Eendatler, 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 gi'aceful 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 to 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 water, 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 GARDENINO. 
 
 Comtesse Mory, blush turning to rose. 
 Fillonii, yellow, changing to purple. 
 Fulgens inutalilis, 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 Iloya 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.
 
 OHA^FTER XIX. 
 
 Tlie Geranium. 
 
 The iinproYement 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, and gold, and in a few choice varieties, 
 like Lady Cullum and Madame Pollock; nearly all these colors may be seen in 
 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 
 atem ; 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 snowy 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 
 leaved 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 vegetate, but will sometimes spring up 
 of themselves in the open ground.
 
 208 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Cuttings are easily struck, as recommended in Part I. 
 
 The plants require pRnty of sun, air, water ; a rich loamy soil, with weekly 
 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, the plants should be repotted early in September; shake 
 all the earth away from the roots, prune back the tops closel)', and out 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. 
 
 Cheerful, bright cherry-color. 
 
 Christine, richest rosy pink, nosegay variety. 
 
 Distinction, brilliant carmine, bordered with white. 
 
 Gloire de Corhenny, bright salmon pink, tipped with white. 
 
 Knight of the Garter, deepest orange scarlet, marked with pink, nosegay 
 variety. 
 
 Cijhister, the most dazzling scarlet nosegay. 
 
 Madame Ghandon, bright rose- color, extra large flower. 
 
 Madame Paul llibon, white ground, bordered and veined with blood-red ; 
 extra. 
 
 Madame Chafe, salmon-color, marked with white, and bordered with rose- 
 color. 
 
 Ne plus Ultra, pure rose, spotted with white. 
 
 Snoivball, purest white, dwarf habit. 
 
 Vicomtesse de Flavigni/, bright rose, marked with white ; extra flower. 
 
 Madame Dupanloup, blush white, nosegay. 
 
 Tricolor Geraniums. 
 
 Lady CuZZitm, 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 Oultoii, 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 ej^e. 
 
 Beauty of Sureenes, rich shade of pink. 
 
 Bridesmaid, rosy salmon-color. 
 
 Cy tester, orange crimson. 
 
 Little Bear, delicate rose, with white spots. 
 
 Little Gem, brilliant vermilion, white centre. 
 
 Pretty Jemima, brilliant scai-let, white eye. 
 
 Double Flowering. 
 Conseiller Rapon, 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. 
 Odorafissinmm, apple-scented. 
 Loratissimum-erectum, nutmeg-scented. 
 Shrubland Pet, variegated foliage. 
 
 14
 
 210 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Lady Pit/mouth, variegated foliage, rose scented. 
 Dr. Livingston, lemon-scented. 
 Quercifolium, eodmum, 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, pure 
 white flowers ; extra handsome. 
 
 DuJce of Edinburgh, (^Hollywreath,') 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 from peZar^o.s, 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 hut 
 a single genus of plants for conservatory 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. 
 
 Captiiiation, 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 dark blotches. 
 
 Invincible, crimson, veined with white. 
 
 L'Avenir, 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 blotches. 
 
 Unique Miellez, cherry scarlet.
 
 The Oleander ; Bouvardia ; Mahernia Odorata. 
 
 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 immersed in water; yet it will endure the extreme heat and baked 
 soil of an Eastern 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 
 ioint, 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 GARDENIXG. 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 of 
 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 method 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, with 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. 
 
 Vreelandii, 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. 
 
 Jasminoides compaeta, dwarf habit, white flower, yields a very agreeable fra- 
 grance, and quite a profuse bloomer. Both this and the Jasminoides are 
 very valuable for vases and drawing room boquets. 
 
 Mahernia. 
 
 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 Odorata is the variety usually grown, 
 although there are other kinds. Hector and Diana, orange and pink. If too 
 .luxuriant, pinch in unsparingly.
 
 CHA.FTEII XXI. 
 
 The Verbena, Petunia, Ptrethrum. 
 
 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 spotted. 
 
 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 
 greatly. The Verbena Mite, which produces the "black rust" upon these 
 plants, is also very destructive to them, but plentiful showerings and washings 
 will 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 3'oung 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 
 given 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 tc 
 flourish 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 WIXDOW GARDEXING. 
 
 moist; the seeds 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 indoor.s, the Verbena has few equals, 
 its bright cheerful colors and steady bloom 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. They 
 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 haive 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 
 secured only by fumigation with tobacco. 
 
 If they grow too straggling, train them, and a convenient trellis or frame work 
 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 crimson; blooms constantly, 
 
 and vigorous grower, truss large. 
 Black Bedder, ver}^ dark maroon, rich. 
 Conspicua, ruby scarlet, with white eye, 
 Colosstis, 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, briojht 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 Verrain, a common wild 
 flower. It bears its flowers in long spikes, while the Verbena is a cluster flow- 
 ered variety. The Verrain 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 Verrain is said to grow in the vicinity of villages and towns, and never 
 in the wilds, which has gained for it the name of " Simpler'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. 
 
 The 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. 
 VtcVs New Fringed, a new strain with fringed or frilled edges, various colors, 
 
 long tube. 
 Queen of White, pure white, too good for bedding out. 
 jB. 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 Chamomile 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 other 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 the}"- 
 will bloom in great perfection. Do this in March or Api'il. 
 
 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 Marigolds. Their colors range from 
 purest white to the deepest crimson and purple, the shades of crimson being 
 particularly brilliant."
 
 CH^I^TER XXII. 
 
 The Mignonette. How to Form a Teee. Cineraria. Wall 
 Flower. Stockgilly. 
 
 The Mignonette, or Eeseda odorata, is 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 bj'- 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 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 dewn 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 ; but 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, 
 the side shoots can be per- 
 mitted to grow, but they 
 must have their heads 
 Fig. T4.— Tree Mignioneite. pinched oflf 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 Neio White Mignonette, which is white also, but much more 
 vigorous. The flowers are larger, but some do not consider the color any diflFer- 
 ent or superior. In other respects it is, however, an improvement. 
 
 Tlie 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
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 : hyseed, which ripen 
 abundantly in this country, and from which the various beautiful hybrid varie- 
 ties recently inti-oduced have been obtained ; by cuttings, and by divisions of the 
 roots. Seed sown in sandy soil in May, will make fine blossoming plants in 
 January. 
 
 Cuttings strike readily in damp sand or water. The dwarf varieties are quite 
 an improvement upon the older sorts. 
 
 Tlie Wall Floicer. 
 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 j'oung 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 obtain 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 l)l()s>oms, so that the title of " Dames' Violet " was applied to it. 
 
 The blossom is cruciform, having hi 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 September will bloom
 
 222 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 by March or April. Unless the soil is very rich the double flowers 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 Flowers 
 will live for many years and blossom profusely. 
 
 Stocks. 
 
 These are biennials, and blossom m 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, or 
 Cocardeau; the flowers are very bushy ; the latter have a single stem and flower 
 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.
 
 CHA^I^TEIl 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 pecuharly 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 
 conflned 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 saudy 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. If 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 OF VARIETIES OF CARNATIONS FOR PARLOR OR GREENHOUSE GULTUEB. 
 
 Bemontant or Monthly Carnations. 
 Astoria, white ground, with yellow, red and scarlet colors. 
 Bozzaris, 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. 
 
 Wlathush, snowy white, deeply fringed, very strong in habit, and profuse 
 bloomer. 
 
 Little Beauty, carmine edge, yellow ground. 
 
 Solfeino, dark violet purple, fragrant. 
 
 Unique, pure white, fine form. 
 
 Peerlesss, pure white, shaded with blush, large size flower, compact, brushy 
 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. 
 
 Bonaldi's Pride, white, tipped with deep rose. 
 
 15
 
 Alpine Plants. 
 
 Among the great number of plants, which are acceptable for Window Garden- 
 ing, we find 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 space 
 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 difiiculty. 
 
 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 difiBculties 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 alpina, and several 
 various kinds of Saxifraga. Some again, found near slopes or crevices, grow 
 well in pots. Such are : GnaphaliumUontopodium,(Leontopodium Alpinuni), 
 various kinds of Primulas, Primula Cortusoides and Acaulis, Aster Alpinus, 
 Ramondia Pyrenaica, all Alpine. Sedtcma.nd Sempervivum, Saxifraga umhrosa, 
 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, Drdba frigida Silene glacialis, Dianthus glacialis, Ran- 
 nunculus glacialis, and others. Of Alpine plants, can be used those for Win-
 
 WrXD 0]V GARD E.xixa . 
 
 227 
 
 (low Gardening, which bear well a hot snmnier. Of course, wo 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: 
 
 7FE£TW 
 
 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, tlien arrange the pots in it accord- 
 ing to their size. Give to plants of a tall growth the centre, and surround (hem 
 by the smaller ones. Then lill up the spaces between each pot with a compot;t
 
 228 
 
 U'TNI) W GARDENING. 
 
 of coarse saiul, 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, for 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
 
 IVIXDOW 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 
 thiough 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 Wmdow Gardening. Only such S'pecies, which are easily 
 cultivated and to be had in American nurseries, or raised by seeds as other 
 herbaceous plants : 
 
 1. Achillm 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, usetul for the centre of a group. 
 
 3. Ahjssum saxdtile compactum, with line yellow flowers in spring, of a dwarl 
 habit and nice appearance. 
 
 4. Anemone nemorosa, with pair rosy flowers. 
 
 5. Anemone angelosa {llepaiica^, with beautiful blue flowers, which appear 
 very earlj'^ in spring. 
 
 6. Anemone liepatica {Hepatica triloba}, with red, blue and white flowers, 
 and varieties with double flowers, and of a dwarf habit. 
 
 7. Anemone ranuncuhides, 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. Arahis cdUda fol. variegnta, a 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 flow- 
 ers springing from dense cushions of gras.slike leaves. 
 
 11. Aster aljnmis, the blue daisy of the Alps, of dwarf habit and large pale 
 blue flowers with a deep yellow eye. 
 
 12. BeUis perennis, fl. pi, with white and red flowers. 
 
 13. Calnndrina umbellata, a native of Chili, of a dwarf habit, with crimson 
 flowers like the Portidacca. 
 
 14. Campanula garganica, a fine dwarf Harebell, with kidney shaped downy 
 leaves and bluish purple flowers.
 
 230 ^VI^^Do\v gardening. 
 
 15. Campanula pulla Q)usilla), with dark blue or white flowers; plants of a 
 diiiiinutivc habit, a very fine little plant. 
 
 IG. C«?n^jnriz«/a i(!amer(', a 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 ^uinn fl. pi., the dwarf China pink in various colors. 
 
 19. Dryas octopetala, a native of European and American mountains, with 
 creeping stems and large creamy white flowers. 
 
 20. Erinus alpimis, a very neat and distinct little plant of the Alpine, 
 Tyrolean and Pyronaiii 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. Gypsoplujla saxifraga, plant of dwarf, mosslike habit, with fine white 
 flowers^ 
 
 23. Heliantheminn viilr/are, the little sunrose with single and double flowers 
 of Miiitu, yellow and red colors ; it is easy to piopagate by seed. 
 
 24. Holeiajaponica, fol. var., a ^ne Tp\a.nt, with beautiful variegated leaves^ 
 and with spikes of very fine white flowers. 
 
 25. Iheris scinpervirens, a very flne little plant, with dark green leaves and 
 fine large white flowers. 
 
 26. Leontopodiuin alpinum {Gnaphalium Leoiitojwdiujn'), 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. Lotuft cornicuJatus, 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. Niremhergia rividaris, 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, wiili 
 small yellow flowers. 
 
 34. uEnothera taraxacifolia, a native of Chili, and profuse flowering; flower:* 
 are very large white with a rosy tint. 
 
 35. Omphalodes verna, the large creeping Forget-Me-Not with beautiful blue 
 flowers. 
 
 jc Fhlox setacta (Fhlox subulata), iht moss pink with beautiful pink, oi
 
 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 LarpentcB, 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 hke 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 yery 
 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 Arizoon, a native of high European and American mountains, 
 with leaves standing like silvery rosettes ; a very showy Utile 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 daisyphyllum, one of the most interesting Alpine plants of a 
 glaucous color, with creamy white flowers. 
 
 51. Sedu7n Sieboldii fol. var., an elegant well known plant, with light pink 
 flowers in summer and fall. 
 
 52. Sedum earneum 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 
 light green rosettes.
 
 232 WINDOW GARDEKING. 
 
 55. Sempervivum californicum, 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 maritima fl. 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. Tyryius zerpillifolium fol.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, persicum, repandum, vernum, europaeum, hede- 
 raefoliiim; Echeveria seeunda, glaucovirens, gibbiflora; Linaria cymbalaria; 
 Spigelia Marylandica ; Scilla Sybirica, amoena, praecox; Leucojum vernum; 
 various kinds of Crocus and Snowdrops; Iris puniila; Sibthorpia Europcea; 
 Portulacca flare pleno; dwarf kinds of Meseynhrianthemum, Saponariaocymoides; 
 Sanvitalia procumbens flore pleno; Nycta vine capensis; Sedum coeruleum; 
 Grammanthes Gentianoides^ lonopsidium acaule, and various kinds of Nemophila.
 
 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 nevei- 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 Febi-uary 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, take 
 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 : 
 
 Amaena, very early. 
 
 Amarantiyia, rosy purple. 
 
 Belle Gantoire, rose and striped with white. 
 
 *Charles Quint, rose. 
 
 Criterion, light salmon, edged with white, upper petals spotted with crimson. 
 
 Delieata, rose. 
 
 Exquisita, violet pink, edged with white.
 
 234 WINDOW GARDENINO. 
 
 Indica alba, white, 
 
 * Fielden, white ; very early. 
 
 * Minerva, scarlet ; profuse. 
 
 Modele de 3Iarque, splendid form ; rose. 
 Grande Diitehesse de Bode. 
 Ivenjana, Avhite, striped with rose. 
 Perfection, rose; good form. 
 Vittata crisiflora. 
 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 dryness, 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 isrimson. It needs a light sandy loam, for if the soil is too
 
 WINDOW GARDEXIXG. 235 
 
 '•'ch it will grow too tall to form a handsome shaped tree. Ordinaiy 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. 
 
 Ahutilon striatum is hardly ever out of tiower; its bells are of a golden 
 yellow, veined with brown, and they are very graceful and lovely. 
 
 Ahutilon 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 Mesapotanicum is a species which differs in the shape of both flowers and 
 leaves. The cal)'x being scarlet, with golden yellow petals, the flowers beauti- 
 fullj'- 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 admiied. 
 
 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 Otalieite 
 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 j-ear 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. 
 
 Tlie 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 ot 
 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, the}' will not need repotting oftener than once in five or 
 six j^ears. Then the mouldy roots, and smallest fibres should be cut back, and 
 the ball of earth Veil shaken ofi". Pot in soil of light loam, leaf manure, and 
 two yeai-s' 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 Marcli 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- 
 lully. 
 
 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 mostcultivated, being used for 
 funeral crosses, and crowns, also for wedding bouquets. 
 
 They prefer a sandy, peat}- 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 alwaj's at home in the conservatory or greenhouse. 
 For nine months out of the twelve the)^ 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 yvLxnow gabdexixg. 
 
 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 cuttings 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 Ma}', 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 bri;^hter will they flower. 
 
 If any unusually fine flowers reward your care, they can be increased by 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 live 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 oft" 
 until December, then they will bloom for the whole winter. If planted in 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 i-eady to transplant into small pots filled with the richest compost. 
 
 Pansies are gross feeders, delighting in tba richest soil you can prepare ; in 
 rotten tanbark, leaf manure, and cow manure, equal pai-ts, the}' 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.
 
 WJ.YDOW 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 Siceet 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 Neajwlitan, are most gen- 
 erally cultivated as parlor plants. 
 
 The Czar or Riissiaii 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 
 gi-ant, color of a deep indigo blue, with occasional stripes of white ; flowers 
 borne in profusion. 
 
 Bouble 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 peifection of floral arrangement, combining beauty, 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 soil is kept 
 about the roots. Every spiing fresh earth should be given, and the roots should 
 be divided. The Belgium Daisy is best adapted to house culture. 
 
 Tlie Calla. {Bichardia.') 
 The Calla ^thiopica 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 oflf 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 
 endures 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° b}' 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 seed 
 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 Tyrethrum. 
 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, audits delicate light green foliage, 
 crowned with dense clusters of snow-white blossoms, contrasts finely with the ^ 
 deeper colorings of Calceolarias and Lantanas. 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 hou.se. 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 Pyrethrums, 
 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 WIKBOW 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 no'V the most 
 used in consequence of their beauty of form, with diminutive habit of growth. 
 Aii}^ florists' catalogue will give a good list of varieties. 
 
 The Ch. Laciniatum 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 Maj"^, 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- 
 ture of 60° by day, and 45° by night. 
 
 The Mimulus. 
 
 The Mimulus — its seeds resemble the face of a monkey, and hence its namo, 
 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. 
 
 PinTcs. 
 Pinks — Dianthus Chinensis, the China Pink, and Dianthus carijophillus, 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 tempeiature in an open, airy situation, it will put forth its 
 deep crimson, velvet, veiy double, flowers in great profusion all winter. 
 
 « Acliyrantlies. 
 
 The best varieties of Achyranthes are now freely used for window decoration, 
 and have become quite common as standaid plants for the centre of hanging Or 
 standing floral baskets. They need only a moderate tempeiature 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 Heticulafus, is of the same habit of growth as the ^. 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. Verschaffeltii, Var Gilsonii. This variety has leaves of a still brighter 
 tint, a full carmine, with the stems 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. 
 
 Coleus. 
 
 "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. vVnother objection is that 
 they grow so large and tall, and become so ungainl}'-, that they are not fit for 
 any length of time for anjr good position. The}-^ 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 
 liave a warm position, with plent}'^ 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, 
 orange 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 Bex, 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
 
 Fig. 1.— Parlor Flower Stand for Tropical Plants.
 
 The Decoration 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 
 eatrer 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 
 spi-eading 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 vei y pictures, statues, vases, chandeliers, and other permanent ornaments, 
 allow room for the exhibition of many kinds and varieiies of beautiful plants. 
 
 In such rooms, however elegantly furnished, is the proper place for fine 
 Aqtiaria, Wnrdian Cases, Flower Stands, Wire Arbors for climbing plants, 
 flower baskets, or ha,nging 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 in a 
 beautiful room .'' 
 
 A tasteful and carefully arranged composition of plants will captivate for a 
 long time the love, attention and admiration of all classes of society. 
 
 Few American writers have devoted much attention to this subject, and we 
 cannot 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 the Continental S3'stem 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 
 jtrevalent 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 bj' 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 ver^^ 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 manj' countries, in the 
 drawing room, and floweis 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, moi'e self 
 forgetful over it, than they 
 wou Id have been over novels 
 and gossip, crochet and 
 Berlin wool. At least you 
 will confess that the abomi- 
 nation of " fancy work " — 
 that standing cloak for 
 dreamy idleness — has all 
 i>ut vanished from your 
 drawing rooms since the 
 " Lad)' 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 anj' 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 living objects themselves. 
 
 Fig. 2. — Maranta fasciata.
 
 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 
 latter appear the best ; 
 the difference being 
 caused by exceedingly 
 tasteful and frequently 
 peculiar arrangement, 
 ss well as by employing 
 effective and graceful 
 kinds What the Paris- 
 ians do as regards ar- Fig. 3.— GymnostacUyum 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 
 miiTored 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
 
 250 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 
 cither 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, (Sacharinuin officira- 
 num,) 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 
 Draccenaov 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 thai 
 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.— Agave 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-
 
 WIiYDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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, foryoumaj^ 
 frequently see elegant little Draccenas ornamenting windows there, and as they 
 
 Fig. 5. — Diett'enbachia. 
 
 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 Draccenas 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 Cinerarias of the conservatory bench.
 
 252 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 " They are of the greatest utility in these decorations, and are largely used in all 
 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 plants, 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 staircase, and reflected 
 in the great mirror behind, 
 the effect when descend- 
 ing the stjiircase 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 
 eJegans, 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 b}' beauty of leaf or 
 Fig. 6.— Begouia. flower, and the groups at 
 
 each pillar connected by single rowsof 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. 
 
 258 
 
 " 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 foctidissima — 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 SI) efi"ectively out of 
 doors, are also grown abun- 
 dantly in rooms, where they 
 
 do very well. Everything Fig. 7. —Yucca aicefoUa. 
 
 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 Chan tin, 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 culture
 
 254 
 
 WIND OW GA RDENING. 
 
 seems to be better understood in tliat city than any other, we take the libert}' of 
 quoting a few of his statements : 
 
 Palms. 
 
 " These plaj'' an important part in the embellishment of apartments in Paris. 
 
 Coryplia 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. 
 Chamoerops huniilis and excelsa, are two very fine hardy palms; Latania 
 borbonica is certainly the most recherche plant of the famil}^ and is valued as 
 much for the beautiful green of its leaves as for its elegant appeai-ance. 
 
 Plioenix clactylifera, leonensis 
 and redinata are also very 
 much sought after and are 
 highly esteemed. Areca alba, 
 lutescens and rnbra are distinct 
 and handsome." 
 
 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 conservator3^ A 
 Fifr. 8.— Aiteriiaiitiicra. single plant of the common 
 
 Lady Fern, " Athyrinm Filix fccmina" 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 atmosj)here, nevertheless furnish numerous 
 exam])les 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 arfiyrea, P. cretica albo Uneafa, and P. serrulata rariegata also pro- 
 duce a very line effect, with their prettily marked foliage. 
 
 Alsophila australis, and Balantium antarcticum are also sometimes emplo)'ed 
 for decoration purposes in rooms of large dimensions, where their magnificent 
 appearance never fails to produce a very imposing effect."
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 255 
 
 Select list of Ferns for Boom or Table Decorations. 
 
 Lomaria ciliata, 
 Nephrolepis exaltata, 
 Pteris cretica albo lineata, 
 
 " serrulata, 
 Lastrea cristata, 
 " dilatata, 
 " Filix mas cristata, 
 Polystichum angulare, 
 " cristatum, 
 
 " proliferum. 
 
 Adiantum cuneatum, 
 
 " formosum, 
 
 " hispid ulum, 
 
 Asplenium flaccidum, 
 
 " marinum, 
 
 Blechnum brasilienae, 
 
 " corcovadense, 
 Athyrium Filix foemina, 
 
 F. f. Fieldii, 
 Scolopendrium vulgare crispense, 
 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, 
 Aerides V\'arneri, 
 Brassavola Digbyana, 
 Calanthe vestita, 
 Chysis Limminghi, 
 Cypripedium barbatum, 
 " venustum, 
 
 " insignis, 
 
 Dendrobium nobile, 
 
 " pulchellum. 
 
 Epidendrum vitellinum, 
 
 Leptotes bicolor, 
 Lycaste Skinneri, 
 
 " aromatica, 
 Mormodes " 
 Oncidium ampliatum, 
 " flexuosum, 
 " divaricatum, 
 " cupreum, 
 Pleione maculata, 
 Sephronites cernua, 
 " 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 Sieholdii. 
 Bambusa japonica variegata, and B. Fortunei variegata. 
 Bromeliaceae, most varieties. 
 Carludovica, palmata and plicata.
 
 256 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Croton pictum, C. pictum variegatunij C. discolor. 
 Curculigo recurvata. 
 
 FicHS elasticus. This is a very elegant plant for a window ornament, but now 
 a newer and much prettier variety, Ficus Chauvieri, 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. Miisa 
 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. 
 
 JRhopala corcovadensis. This 
 plant exhales a somewhat dis- 
 agreeable odor, but is neverthe- 
 
 Fig. 9.— Ccutaurea gymnociirpa. 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. All are handsome : 
 
 " Lomatia elegantissima, Aralia leptophylla, 
 
 " ferruginea, " trifoliata, 
 
 " silaifolia, Rhopala Australis, 
 
 " 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,
 
 WTXDOW GAEDENTNG. 
 
 257 
 
 keep in a dry cellar through the -svinter, 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 never 
 be lost sight of, is this : That all plants with soft woolly leaves are ill-adapted for 
 this purpose, but those with thick coriaceous leaves are always preferable— such 
 as Draccenas, Palms, Crotons, Anthurmm, 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 
 Agave americana. 
 " variegata. 
 Anthurium leuconeurum. 
 
 " magnificum. 
 
 Araha leptophylla. 
 " Sieboldii. 
 " reticulata. 
 Araucaria excelsa. 
 Aucuba japonica (vars). 
 Bambasa arundinacea. 
 Begonias (variegated). 
 Calamus aspenimus. 
 Carj'ota sobolifera. 
 Chamgedorea Arenbergii. 
 
 " desmoncioides. 
 
 " Ernesti Augusti. 
 
 " graminifolia. 
 
 " Hartwegii. 
 
 " Wendlandii. 
 
 Chamgerops Fortunei. 
 
 " humilis. 
 
 Cocos australis. 
 Coleus (many varieties). 
 Croton angustifolium. 
 " variegatum. 
 
 ■Leaved Plants. 
 Cyperus alternifoliusvariegatus. 
 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 liybrids). 
 Yucca aloifolia variegata. 
 " filamentosa variegata 
 " quadricolor. 
 " Stokesii. 
 17
 
 258 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Ornamental Flowering Plants. 
 
 Amaryllis (all varieties). 
 Acacia armata. 
 " Drummondii. 
 " grand is. 
 " Iliceana. 
 Azaleas (any varieties). 
 Begonia Digswellensis. 
 
 " fuchsioides. 
 
 " hybrida floribunda. 
 
 " manicata. • 
 
 " odorata. 
 
 " Weltoniensis. 
 Camellias (many varieties). 
 Callicarpa purpurea. 
 Chrysanthemums. 
 Coronilla glauca. 
 Cyclamen persicum (var.) 
 Daphne indica alba. 
 
 " " rubra. 
 
 Dielytra spectabilis. 
 
 Epiphyllum truncatum (varieties) 
 
 Eucharis amazonica. 
 
 Erica, many soft-wooded kinds. 
 
 Epacris (all varieties). 
 
 Erythrina Marie Belanger. 
 
 Genista Everestiana. 
 
 " racemosa. 
 Gardenia radicans major. 
 Hebeclinium ianthimum. 
 Lachenalia (many vars.) 
 Leucopogon Richei. 
 Linum Havum. 
 
 " trigynum. 
 Nerium Oleander. 
 Poinsettia pulcherrima. 
 Statice profusa. 
 Vallota purpurea. 
 
 Choice of Plants and their Arrangements. 
 Draccenas. 
 
 The most popular and suitable plants for gay decoration seem now to be tlie 
 Ihaccenas. 
 
 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 atmo.sphere of any mod- 
 erately 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. gUfilla, with its stripes 
 of white and green, still rare, is a great novelty. The colored leaved D. Coopen 
 and the green leaved D. Australis, D. inditisa, D. Veitchii, have all an elegant 
 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, congesta, rubra, stricta 
 and umbraeulifera, but the most preferable of these would be the rubra and 
 stricta. 
 
 Marantas. 
 
 Next in turn would be the Marantas, of which the best varieties would be M. 
 pulchella, Zebrina, and also a dwarf variety of the latter. 
 
 The zebrina is much the most popular of all this class, and according to tho 
 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 diflBculty in the use of the Maranta 
 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 Rosea 
 Pida is one of the 
 most exquisite of this 
 class, and to those 
 who have conserva- 
 tories, where it can 
 temporarily be r e - 
 moved to and from 
 the parlor, it will be' 
 well worth keeping. 
 
 The Poinsettia Pul- 
 clierima. . 
 
 No plant of the 
 present day has s o 
 striking a ilower or is 
 better capable for 
 Parlor Ornament than 
 this. It is not a plant 
 for continuous room 
 culture, but only for 
 tempoi-ary 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 Gymnostachijum Verschaffeltii, is very suitable for vases, and in our illus- 
 tration, Fig. 3, is used in a handsome silver staud 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 
 
 Fi'T- 10.— Dracaena Terminalis.
 
 260 
 
 WI^'I) OW GA RDENING . 
 
 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 : 
 
 Argyritcs, small foliage, prettily spotted and blotched with white. 
 Bicolor splendens, a strong grower, green ground with dark red centre. 
 
 Chantini, foliage red, 
 centre spotted av i t h 
 white. 
 
 Wif/htii, foliage 
 green, beautifully spot- 
 ted with red and white. 
 Picturatum, long, 
 narrow foliage, band of 
 rosy red down the cen- 
 tre. 
 
 Verschaffeliii, green 
 ground with crimson 
 centre. 
 * The best soil for the 
 Caladium is fibrou.s 
 loom, and plenty of leaf 
 mould and silver sand. 
 
 Segonias. 
 
 In some respects the 
 most gorgeous of all 
 plants with variegated 
 leaves. They should be 
 mostl}^ as single plants, 
 1. e. only one plant in 
 the centre of each box 
 or basket. A large 
 leaved Begonia in the 
 Fi;;. 11.— Ci'.iminiiii. wiudow imparts an in- 
 
 describably rich appearance. The following are best varieties : 
 
 Begonia Rex, 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, Snundersonii and x>'^^'^iflora are three very pretty varieties ; 
 when in flower, the contrast of tjieir 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. cnrnea pink; B. inamorata, flesh color, may be added; the first arc white.
 
 WliXnOW GARDENIiYG. 
 
 261 
 
 and produced 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 lai'ge 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 growing Cocos 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 that after some descrip- 
 tions of our celebrated travelers, 
 the cultivation of palms was 
 nearly left untried. "Kings 
 among the grasses," as Alex, 
 von Humboldt 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 imibrella- 
 shaped fronds, like Corypha and 
 Ghamaerops, Trinax, Mauritia 
 and Sabal species called to great 
 
 interest and induced to a study Fig. 12. Begouia, grown on bracket. 
 
 of the physiognomy of them. Consequently numerous kinds of species came 
 into trade and were civihzed in our greenhouses. If we take in consideration 
 how very few kinds of palms (in Linnjeus 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 Humboldt, 
 it was tried first to study 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 M'as 
 acquired, and as soon as young plants were raised they showed the interesting 
 habit of the old big plants. Dwarf kinds of palms wore 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 lit for cultivation in the open air during 
 the summer season. Chnia, Japan, Hindoostan, Australia, Mexico, South 
 America, provided us with the best species. 
 
 Fi','. 13. P.ilm foiT.'iWe Dccoratiou. 
 
 "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 necessar}' to plant them into flowerpots, which are one-third longer than the 
 ordinarj' kind of pots, of about the same proportion as Hyacinth pots. Nearlj- 
 all genuine palms root deeply in the bottom.
 
 WJXnOW GARDENING. 
 
 263
 
 264 ]vn\Dow gardening. 
 
 We laenLiou : The growth of the Cocos 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 partof 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 jn&vs, 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 pahns, but will produce a splendid group, palms and ferns 
 together. 
 
 We give an instance : with a Latania borbonica (Livistonia), the Pteris serrulata, 
 Adiantura Capillus, Veneris, cuneatum, tenerum, pubescens, formosum, Pteris 
 hastata, Davallia, canariensis, piidata, 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, Oharludovica 
 palmata, Lamatophyllum, borbonicum and Strelitzia, etc. We give in the follow 
 ing list only such plants, which are well suited, as we know b)' 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 tcell-heated room or parlor. 
 
 1. Palms with primatisect fronds : Areca rubra, pumila, lutescens, aurea, *Ba- 
 ueri ; Astrocaryum Ayri, Elais guine-ensis ; Caryola urens, sobolifera; *Ceroxy- 
 lon andicola ; Chamsedorea gracilis, graminifolia, desmoncoides, elegans ; Eruesti 
 August!, *lunata, *Schiedeana, pygmsea, *elatior, *Mexicana ; Cocos plumosa, 
 oleracea, Euterpe edulis ; *Jubgea spectabilis, (Cocos chilensis) ; Oreodoxa regia, 
 Sancona; Oenocarysus frigida; *Phoenix dactilifera, *reclinata, *silvestris, farini- 
 fera, *Sieforthia elegans. 
 
 2. Palms with fan-shaped, or umbrella-shaped fronds : *Chamaerops humilis,
 
 WINDOW GARDENiyG. 
 
 265 
 
 *excelsa, *rortunei, stauracantha, *histrix ; *Corypha minor (Sabal,) *Palraetto 
 (Sabal and Chanijerops,) maritima, miraguama ; Trinax baibadensis, argentea, 
 *Livistonia australis (Coiypha), sinensis ; *(Latania borbonica), Rhapis flabelli- 
 formis. 
 
 3. Plants with a habit like palms, belonging to the Cyclantheae, Pandanea) 
 and Cycadeae ; Charludovica atrovirens, palmata; Pandanus graminifolius, java- 
 nicus, fol. var., utilis, odoratissimus, amaryllidifolius, pumilus, *Cycas revoluta, 
 Ceratozamia raexicana, (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 INIagnolias, Passion Flowers, Water Lilies, 
 Pasonies, &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, Dractenas, Yuccas, Aralias, &c., &c. 
 
 Plants for windows must have a showy torm to look well, not only from 
 outside, but also in the room. Place tlie 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 
 ofPereskia. 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, Hj^acinths, Narci.ssus, Jonquilles, Scilla Siberica, 
 early Tulips, some kinds of Iris, Pi-imula chinensis. Primula veris, Cycla- 
 men persicum, Neapolitan Violets, Ilepatica, 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 fllicaulis, double Petu- 
 nias, etc. Ladies or lovers of plants cannot well suppose that there is any 
 scaiceness in 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 regular 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 little 
 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 
 
 WJND W GARDENING . 
 
 decoration fine Fuchsias in flon^er, 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 clastica. Palms, Musa, Strelitzia, Ara- 
 lias, Yuceas, Pandanus, Marantas, €yperus alternifolius, and some larger 
 kinds of Ferns. 
 
 Autumn offers a good variety of flowers and plants, which 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 
 be 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. angiilosa, Rus- 
 sian and Neapolitan Violets, 
 Fis. I.X Faiior Fountain and Flower stand. Cyclamen persicum, Hosteya ja- 
 
 ponica. Primula chinensis. Primula acaulis flore pleno. Delphinium foimosum, Om- 
 phalodes verna. Phlox verna, Adonis vernalis, Irissusiana and persica, Fritillaria 
 meleagris. Anemone nemorosa fl. pi., Pulmonaria virginicia, Sanguinaria cana- 
 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-Uke
 
 WIXDOW GARDENING. 
 
 267 
 
 or Pompone Chrysanthemums. Later in the winter season, vrhen flowers become 
 rare, you can have plants with large and beautiful foliage, whose form and liveh'- 
 green is ver}"- 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 may be 
 seen; to make the composition light and graceful by putting ferns and grass-like 
 plants between others 
 with large leaves, for 
 instance : Ficus elas- 
 tica, F. Cooperi, F. 
 australis, Abutilon 
 Thomsonii, A r alia 
 Sieboldii, A. lepto- 
 phylla, A. papyrifera, 
 Camellias and Azaleas 
 with Cyperus alterni- 
 folius, Panicum plica- 
 tum, Phorimura te- 
 nax, Poh'podium au- 
 reum, Dicksonia um- 
 b r o s i a, Nephrolepis 
 exaltata, Opliiopogon 
 saburan, japonic um 
 and spicatura, Isole- 
 pis pygmaea, Pteris 
 arguta, hastata and 
 serrulata, for one 
 large group. Put fol- 
 lowing plants in the 
 Mindow : 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 (Tussilago,) I-ig. Ifi. Ornamental Flower Stand, 
 
 Convallaria majalis. Gardenia citriodora, blue Cinneraiia, Rosa Lawrenceana, 
 Bouwardia jasminiflora and splendida, Selaginella umbrosia, Eranthemum 
 tuberculatum, Sanchezia nobilis, Eucharis amazonica, Vallota purpurea, 
 Spreckelia 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 recurvata. Dracaena con-
 
 268 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 Blechnuui australe, spicatum and 
 B. frasineuni, Pteris arguta, Pteris longifolium, Aspidium violascens, A. moUe, 
 Asplenium decursive, pinnatum, Cyrtomium falcatum, 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- 
 nopodium lanalum, Alys- 
 suiu 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 Di"a- 
 caeiias, small Palms, Pan- 
 danus utilis, Philodendrum 
 pertusum, Alocasia macror- 
 rhiza, fol.var., A. Jenningii, 
 A. meta,llit;a, A. arborea, 
 Croton pictum, and C. va- 
 riegatum, and different 
 species of IMai'anta, Ama- 
 ryllis Tessani, A. solandrae- 
 flora, A. vittata and A. 
 legina, Vallota purpurea, 
 Pitcairnea punicea, Aech- 
 miea fulgens, Tillandsia 
 farinosa, pyramidalis and 
 amoena. 
 
 A composition of plants 
 with thick and fleshy leaves 
 Fig. n. Flower Bo:c and trc<^ trellis. and branches is aLtiactivc 
 
 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 califoruicum, Aloe mar- 
 garitifera, Sedum Sieboldii, fol. var. 
 
 It is some years since very successful and lasting efforts have been made to 
 cultivate air plants (Orchids) in the room, (they have lately become cheaper.)
 
 )VINI)OW GARDENING. 
 
 269 
 
 Nothing indeed can be more charming as flower stands in rustic style, covereil 
 ■with these interesting plants, mixed with Ferns, Selaginella, New Orleans moss, 
 Tillandsia useoides, Nidularia, Aechmaea and Pitcairna. Of Orchids, are re- 
 commended the following : Cattleya, Lselia, Lycaste, Maxillaria, Oncidion, Odon- 
 toglossum, Schomburghia, Acropera, Acineta, Epidendron, Gongora, Lygopeta- 
 lum and Brassia species. 
 For wardian cases the 
 smallest species 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 ver}' 
 interesting D i o n a e a 
 muscipula which is one 
 of our native orchids as 
 well as Goodj'cra \n\- 
 biscens ; place them to- 
 gether with several kinds 
 of ferns. A glass case 
 filled with these plants 
 is an elegant ornament 
 for the parlor. Othei 
 Orchids only cultivated 
 in pots will do well for 
 window decoration 
 Take for this purpose 
 Bletia hyacinthina, Li- 
 modorum, Tankervillae, 
 (Phajus grandifolius), 
 Cymbidium oloefoliura 
 and C. ensifolium, Ca- 
 lanthe vestita and vera- 
 trifolia, and various 
 species of Cypripedium 
 
 It shows of a refined Fir is Flower Box with -iiboi indchrabina-HK^ 
 
 taste to decorate with air plants, fein« and fine chmbing plants as Cissus discolor, 
 Ectrites Melalenca, Miconia speciosa, Pothos argyraea, Echites argyraea violacca, 
 Passiflora trifasciata, kermesina, and P. princeps, Dioscoreadi.scolor, Manettia bi- 
 color, Thuubergia chrysops, Th. grandiflora 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 
 
 WII^'BOW GARDENING. 
 
 For amples and hanging lamps, we recommend a plant of great value ; it is Cor- 
 deline vicipara, now called Cloro phyton Sternbergianum ; known a long time 
 in Gardens. It produces on long hanging stalks a great many young plants 
 with air roots ; is therefore useful by this habit for Orchid stands and baskets. 
 In larger parlors which are only moderately heated, plants from greenhouses 
 and conservatories can be selected for a required decoration. The best selection 
 
 . . 1!). Flower Stand for J'atlor Window. 
 
 would be : Azaleas, Camellias, Citrus sinensis and grafted Citrus aurantium, 
 Daphne laureola, odorata, Cneorum ; Olea fragrans ; Eugenia australis ; Crypto 
 meria japonica, Cephalotasus Fortunei, Rhododendrums, Kalmia, Ilex aquefolium 
 fol. var., Aucuba japonica and its varieties. Viburnum Tinis with fine white 
 flowers in winter, Laurus nobilis, regalis and L. Camphora, Tristania laurina.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 271 
 
 Eucalyptus globulus, Melianthus major, Melia Azedarach, Sidajaponica, Cestruiu 
 aurantiacuni, Melaleuca alba, decussata, ovalifolia and hypericifolia ; and Eryo- 
 botria japonica. He who is fond of more tropical plants should use in such mode- 
 rate temperature : Aralia Sieboldii, leptophylla, quinquefolia; Solanum Warsce- 
 
 witzii, robustum ; Caladium violacum, cupreum (porphyroneurum), Caladium 
 javanicum; Heclichium Gardnerianium, Bambusa Metake, Chamaerops For- 
 tunei; Phormium tenax, Dianclla coerulea, Ruellia varians, Solandragrandi flora,
 
 272 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Brugmansia arborca fl. pi., Sabal minor (Cor3-pha"), Chamaerops Palmetto 
 (corypha) of Ferns especially : Balantium antarcticum, Blechnum australe ; 
 Cyrtomium falcatum, Cyathea australis and Cyathea medullaris. 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 fohage 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 
 
 Fig. 21. Aqnarixim. with ailior. 
 
 water from flowing over. The complaints of ladies that plants spoil the furni- 
 ture will, if this caution is emplo\'ed, 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 
 for these sweet beings, leaving enough room to develop a refined good taste, and 
 gaining 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, Lilias, etc. ; every Fern possesses the quality for 
 softening the greatest contrast. Of plants with variegated and silver leaves, choose 
 
 only such, which go well with other plants, and arrange like this : Centaurea 
 gymnocarpa, candidissima and C. plumosa, Cinneraria 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 Lawrenceana, Lobelia ramosa and 
 erinoides, Iberis sempervivens, Dianthus chinensis and imperialis flore pleno, 
 
 18
 
 274 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Cuphea, platycentra, Anemone coronaria, Sanoitalia procumbens fl. pi. Primula 
 cortusoides, Gazania splendens, Geum coccineum, Ajuga reptans fol. var., Arabis 
 albida fol. var., Cyclamen persicum and Coum, Saxifraga sarmentosa, Cerastium 
 tomentosum, Myosotis azorica, Ornithogalum aureum, Erinus alpinus Calan- 
 drina umbellata, Viola cornuta, lutea and Viola odorata the Czar, Campanula 
 puUa (pussilla), C. soldanellifolia, Vidallii, Garganica, cochlearifolia and Solda- 
 iiella 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 flower 
 stand requires mostly 
 plants with ornamental 
 and variegated foliage, to 
 be seen from above. For 
 instance, all the varieties 
 of Begonia Rex, hydro- 
 cotyledes, manicata, 
 Warcsewitzii, Dregei, 
 smaragdina, stigmosa, 
 Pearcei and ricinifolia ; 
 different Caladias, San- 
 chezia nobilis, Maranta 
 zebina, pardina, vittata, 
 regalis, and Lindeni, sur- 
 rounded by Torrenia asi- 
 atica, Hoya carnosa, Tra- 
 descantia discolor, Gym- 
 nostachys Pearci, Pepe- 
 romia argyrsea, P i 1 e a 
 m u s c s a and various 
 kinds of Gesneria and 
 Gloxinia. 
 
 Fig. 21, an Aquarium 
 covered by a little arbor, 
 to be used for window 
 decoration or flower 
 tables. Plants, as the 
 
 Fig. 23. Flower Basket -H-itli Gold-fish basin. CUt showS US, are : CypC- 
 
 rus alternifolius, Calla athiopica minor, [ris faetidissima, Acones graminifolius 
 and Isolepis parlatoris. For climbing plants, which will well cover the arbor, 
 take : Pilogyne suavis, Tropaeolura tri-colorum or Smilax microphylla (MedeoU 
 asparagoides.^ 
 
 «T ' m
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 2*1 
 
 Fig. 22 represents a Glass rotunda or Bell Glass, surrounded by different dwarf 
 plants exposed to dry air, as : Lychnis Haageana, Spigelia niarilandica, Mimu- 
 lus quinquevulneris Convolvulus mauritanicus and Calcajolaria rugosa flori- 
 bunda. The inside plants are like those which are proposed for Wardian caseS; 
 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 : 
 Nesembryanthemura cordifolium, Carexjaponicus, 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, Iledichium, Alpinia nutans, Curculigo 
 recurvata, Pothos, macrophylla, Antluirium, Philodendron pertusum and Palms 
 as : Chamaedorea lunata, elatior, gracilis ; — Cycas revoluta, Rhapis flabelliformis, 
 and large ferns as : Blechuun australe and brasiliense, Pteris, argyroneura and 
 tricolor, Pteris arguta and hastata, Polypodium aureum, Nephrolepis exaltata, 
 Cyathea medullaris and australis; Pteris cretica alba and Cyrtymium 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 e-speciall}' 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 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 pinnatifida, Solanum robustum, laciniatum, "Warcsewitzi ; 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- 
 pleris germanica, Adiantum pedatum, Onoclea sensibilis. Heliotrope, Jasminum 
 gracile, Rosa Bourbon, Souvenir de Malinaison, Rosa Thea, Souvenir d'un, 
 ami. Hydrangea hortensis, Lilium lancifohum 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
 
 276 
 
 U'lXnOW GARDEXING. 
 
 yig. 24. Parlor Flower Staud.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 27" 
 
 climbing plants decorating the arbor are well fit : Hedera algeriensis and Roegneriann. 
 Cissiis antarcticus, Rhuscus androgyus, Pilogyne suavis, Rubus inoUucanus, Adlurai^i 
 cirrhosa, Clematis azurea grandiflora, lanuginosa, and Fortunei. 
 
 Fig. 27. The Flower fountain is, when small, determined for ornamental table deco- 
 ration. In larger style it may be well suited for hall decoration or ornaments O^r a tent
 
 278 
 
 WIND W GARDENING . 
 
 out of doors. The light and graceful wire-work can be covered with : Maurandia, 
 Rhodochyton volubile, Eccremorcarpus punicus, Lophospermum, Tropaeolum tricolor 
 
 or T. pentaphyllura, Thunbergia, Solanum jasminoides, Bignoniajasminoides, Medeola 
 asparngiodc's and Cardiosperraum Flalicacaba. For the large shape take also :
 
 WIJ^DOW GARDENING. 
 
 279 
 
 various kind of Passiflora, Seneciomikanoides, 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 discolor and Warcsewitzii ; 
 
 Fig. 27. Floral decoration in the form of a fountain, 
 
 the basin above has only light delicate plants as : Ferns, Selaginella, various kinds, 
 Isolepis gracilis, Torrenia, asiatica, Eranthemum Cooperi, Hybiscus Cooperi, Fittonia ar- 
 gentea, Allemanthera, 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 ol plants. Below, in the stand at 
 the bottom, you will perceive drawf plants of the following species: Stachys 
 lanata, Coleus Beauty of Villamore, Nemophila insignis, Verbena tencrioides and 
 Sanvitalia procumbens mixed with Sweet Alyssum and Lobelia ; or, in a different 
 style : Sempervivums Sedums, Mesembryanthemums, Cactus, Echeveria, Cras- 
 sula. Aloe mixed with Phlox setacea and Cerastium tomentosum. Then higher 
 
 up on the stand you have in fiat vases: 
 Sedum Fabaria, Plumbago Sarpentae, 
 Epiphyllum truncatum, Daphne Cneo- 
 rum. The four vases contain : Agave 
 anuricana fol. var.: Corypha australis, 
 Latania borbonica, Cycas revoluta, or 
 Bromelia sativa fol. var.; Nidularia ful- 
 gens, Asplenium, Nidus avis, Echeveria 
 metallica, Alocasia metallica, Statice 
 Ilalfordii, 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 
 
 joy- 
 
 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 
 Fig. 21. Portable self-operating parlor fountain, by Contract, renewing them from time 
 to time. We 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 Orchids, 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
 
 WIADOW GARDENINO. 
 
 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 of 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 witli 
 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. Fi.s. 29. a Saucer Garden. 
 
 A very charming effect can be produced by placing a wet sponge in a glass 
 bowl, and sprinkhng over it canary seed, grasses and flax seeds ; soon it will l)e 
 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 maybe constructed as follows: Fill a common tumbler of 
 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 seed and 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 the roots
 
 282 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 Fig. 30. Gra«a growing in Pine Cones.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 283 
 
 Avill 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 grass. 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 grown in water ; 
 fill 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 f 
 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 beFi«:. 31. Dracket 
 plainly seen piercing through the lace, and the vines can twine der ga" jeLI'" 
 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 'i., j 
 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 pig. 32. chandelier Decorations, 
 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 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 lovel}' 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 the 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 
 FiR. :i3. Flora vaso. feathery green foliage. You ranst 
 
 sprinkle it every day with waiinish 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 hasJcet, which is made by simply 
 taking a large Turnip, scraping out the inside so as to leave a thick wall of an
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 285 
 
 ;nch 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 foreii^^n 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 Sweet 
 Potato Vine. 
 
 Arrangement and Choice of Flowers 
 for Wreaths, Bouquets and Vases. 
 
 The art of arranging flowers grace- 
 fully and well, is not so easily taught as their cultuio, for it lequiies an aitistic 
 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, i'rench, and even the Kussian 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 
 
 T»TiVZ>OTr GARDEAIXG. 
 
 In our country flowers aro 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 parure 
 
 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 mative 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, as a 
 general rule, harmonize with the 
 natural foliage of the flowers ; if 
 this is disregarded it will tend 
 Fig. 35. vase of Cut Kioweis. to ovcrpower instead of increas- 
 
 ing the brightness of the flowers. Very dark green looks well with only 
 large, pure-tinted heavy flowers, like Roses, Camellias, Dahlies, etc., although 
 it will look well with white flowers of finer structure, if then- texture is thick 
 and waxen and especially with wild flowers 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 beauty 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 foli- 
 age will last a long time. The leaves of the scarlet geranium preserve many
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 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 perfect, but they 
 require a soft mossy foli- 
 age of Lycopodiums or 
 Ferns. 
 
 Azaleas are charming 
 for every kind of adorn- 
 ment. There are no 
 flowers more perfect for 
 ornamenting the hair and 
 dress, but they fade 
 
 quickly unless damp blot- Fig. so. Basket of Cut Flowers. 
 
 ing paper or cotton or wool is rolled around their stems. 
 
 Dentzia gracilis is very beautiful for any decoration; and it is in much request 
 so that the florists force large quantities of it every winter. Rosesof every shade 
 are always admirable; too many of them were never seen. 
 
 Stephanotisfloribundais 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 
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 The Parisian ^um^es 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 provided 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 
 up 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. 
 
 Fig. 38. A Cornucopia of Flowers. 
 
 To mount Geraniums, Azaleas, 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, 
 hen the wetted wool and the wire should be arranged as described for Camellias.
 
 WINBOW GARDENING. 
 
 '^SQ 
 
 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 more 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 n aking 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 efiect 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 centre piece, and a 
 fringe of some delicate fern, leaves or flower, should 
 
 droop over the edges. Fig. 39. wreath of Flowera. 
 
 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 GARDENINQ 
 
 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 floAver, 
 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 the 
 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 
 Fig. 40. paiio.- .staud for Cut Fio%ver8. IS mined 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, 
 rather than the great assortment of rich and rare blossoms. 
 
 Variegated foliage is exceedingly pretty for bordering bouquets, baskets and
 
 WINDOW GARDEXIXG. 
 
 291 
 
 flat dishes. Begonia leaves and those of Cissiis 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 Clive, 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 
 prett3^ 
 
 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 Jul}', 
 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-j 
 lows : Fill a glass dish with curled parsley] 
 leaves, put a white jon quil 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 
 Pajonia, and stick the melon full of 
 dahlias and asters. 
 
 In one of our illustrations (43) may 
 
 be seen a beautiful design arranged Fig. 41. ornamental stand lor vase of flowers. 
 
 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 Lygedium scandens, and from the
 
 292 
 
 IV J. YD W G A RDENTNG . 
 
 top, which is in the shape of a cup, droop more plants, same description as at 
 (.he base. 
 
 Bridal bouquets must be chief!}'' 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 nchest effect.
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 293 
 
 Green is essential in all bouquets, and the foliage of the respective flowers is 
 always best fittai to show off their peculiar charms, j'et a feathery and plumy 
 green adds grace to all arrangements of flowers. 
 
 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 Heathj 
 and white Violets, mingle together in odorous beauty to adorn a bridal scene. 
 
 Rose-buds should not 
 be foigotten, 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 quicklj'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 beautj% 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- I,-ig. 43. Table Decoration with Stand of Ferns. 
 
 quired to make a brilliant di.splay. 
 
 Branches of Ivy are lovelj^ and mingle well with scarlet and M'hite 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 
 
 wnxnow gardening. 
 
 ilrops 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, 
 ;ind long ivy wreaths can be twined about them. 
 
 Other baskets 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 Hj'acinths 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 ail crevice.s, 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 
 far from close inspection, very 
 arge, bright flowers are the most 
 desirable. Dahlias for the centre 
 piece, surrounded with full blown 
 Fig. 44. Stand of Oruaiucntai Grasses. roscs. Chrysanthemums, etc-i little 
 
 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 brandies 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 no decor-
 
 WINDOW GARDENING. 
 
 295 
 
 ation which equals that of flowers on festive occasions, and 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 eSective in trimming vases and 
 rooms. 
 
 To Revive 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. 
 
 Cnt Flotcers, Jioio 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 I'or Table Uecoratiou. 
 
 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 an}^ leaves or blossoms begin to look with- 
 ered, those also should be cut away. 
 
 Fig. 46. Flower Stand for the Table. 
 
 Flowers decay much sooner when tied in bunches or bouquets than when 
 arranged loosel3^ 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 they have 
 plenty of air. 
 
 Branchlets of flowering shrubs and stalks of the lily tribe can be advanta- 
 geously arranged in 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, aa 
 
 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 without- 
 disturbing the stems.
 
 298 
 
 WIIfDOW GARDENING. 
 
 For short stemmed flowers, a mixture of damp sand and powdered charcoal 
 ill 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 he 
 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. 
 
 Fig^. 48. Dish of Flowers and Ferns for the Tahle. 
 Tiie 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 
 wooils, if a few fronds of fern, especially those of the delicate Maiden Hair, are 
 
 Fig. 49. Ornamental Silver .auil Cold Stand for Fruit or Flowers. 
 
 taken with it, and suffered to form a part of the foliage of the group, you will 
 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.
 
 WINBOW GARDENING. 
 
 299 
 
 Small bouquets for the hand soon fade if no effort is made 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 
 ihem 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 stems 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 bo.x is not per- 
 fectly air tight, furnish it with a layer 
 of damp moss or cotton battmg. 
 
 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 
 bo 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. so. Decorative Bird case for 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 wnvnow gaedexing. 
 
 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 drear}' 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, " Kahire's Jewels " whose life seems to be examples of 
 humility, purity, and patience. 
 
 Ruskm says : " Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordmary humanity. 
 Children love them ; quiet, tender, contented, ordinary people love them as they 
 grow; luxurious and disorderh* people rejoice in them gathered. The}- 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 whose 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 precious 
 always — 
 
 "Bright gems of Earth in which, perchance we see 
 What Eden was — what Paradise may be." '
 
 i:NrDEx: 
 
 PAKT I. 
 
 C?HAPTER L Window Gardening : Its Pleasures — Increase in Popular Taste — Refining In- Pagks. 
 
 fluences S to 10 
 
 II. Location and Designs for Window Gardens U to 22 
 
 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, fcc 49 to 52 
 
 VII. Propagating Boxes, Heating Cases and Cold Frames 53 to 56 
 
 vni. Window Pots, Boxes, Jardinieres and Plant Stands 57 to 70 
 
 IX. Conservatories and Greenhouses 77 to 90 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Plants for Window Gardens. 
 
 Chapter X. Hanging Baskets 91 to 110 
 
 XI. The Ivy for Decorative purposes Ill to 118 
 
 XIL Climbing Vines— Balcony Gardening 119 to 13T 
 
 XIIL Bulbs 133 to 157 
 
 XIV. Ferneries, Wardian Cases, and Fern Decorations 158 to 188 
 
 XV. The Camellia 189 to 191 
 
 XVL TlieRose 192 to 197 
 
 XVIL Tlie Fuchsia— The Myrtle 198 to 203 
 
 XVin. The Heliotrope 204 to 206 
 
 XIX. The Geranium 207 to 211 
 
 XX. The Oleander, Bouvardia, Mahemia Odarata 212 to 214 
 
 XXL Verbenas, Petunias, Pyrethrums 215 to 218 
 
 XXIL The Miguionette, Cinerarias, Wall Flowers, Stocks 219 to 222 
 
 XXIU. Carnations 223 to 225 
 
 XXIV. Alpine Plants 226 to 232 
 
 XXV. Miscellaneous Plants 233 to 246 
 
 PART III. 
 
 Parlor Decorations. 
 
 Chaptkr XXVI. T7ie Decoration of Parlors and Living Rooms with Ornamental Plants 
 
 and blowers 247 to 300
 
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 
 
 The Editor would acknowledge ■with pleasure proper credit to the followiiif; Books or Journals 
 ■wliicli have l)een consulted for necessary information : 
 
 The Floral World Loudon, Kiigland. 
 
 The Gardeners' Magazine " " 
 
 The Parks, Gardens and Promenades of Paris By William Kobinsoiu 
 
 Frauengarten, Illustriste Gartenbuch By H. Jagi-r, Leipsig. 
 
 Rustic Adornments for Homes of Taste By Sliirlcy IIibl)erd. 
 
 Flowers for the Parlor and Garden Edward S. Rand, jr. 
 
 Practical Floriculture Henderson. 
 
 Window Gardening, English Pamphlet Robert T. Fish. 
 
 Indoor Plants Miss E. A. Maliug. 
 
 Hearth and Home, and American Agriculturist. 
 
 The Horticulturist. N. E. Farmer. 
 
 The Fern Garden '. Shirley Hibberd.
 
 TILE FLOWER BOXES 
 
 Of Various Sizes and Patterns, for 
 
 THEY ARE FACED WITH 
 
 ORNAMENTAL TILES, 
 
 Set in Walnut Mouldings, Plain and Rustic. The lining is of zinc, so lliat they 
 may be filled with earth, or with common pots containing plants. 
 
 ALSO, m GLAZED STONEWAEE, 
 
 Ornamental Flower Pots, 
 
 Hanging and Wall Baskets, 
 
 Brackets, Rustic Seats, etc. 
 
 MINTON'S FLOOR TILES 
 
 FOR 
 
 ^onscrbatoncs, ^jcsti^ults, ^alls, ^cartl^s, tic. 
 
 GARNKIRK CHIMNEY TOPS, 
 
 &c., &c., &c. 
 
 ]VriLI.EIl & CORTES, 
 279 PEARL STREET. • • • NEW YORK.
 
 4K mi % 
 
 •<s> 
 
 Ol?' VARIOUS SIZES, PATTERNS AND DECORATION. 
 
 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15 INCHES IN DIAMETER, WITH 
 
 COMPLETE. 
 
 Tlie largest aBsortment in the United SUtes, and sold at LOWER PRICE than any other houso 
 in this hue of business. Also, 
 
 GLASS SHADES for POND LILIES, 
 
 ■with Mirrored Stands, to represent water, of 7, 8, 9, 10, U and 12 inches in diameter, and larger 
 sizes when specially ordered. 
 
 Class Shades for Clocks, Birds, Wax Flowers, etc. 
 
 SHEET ^\^AX, 
 
 of Bchelffele's superior manufacture, for making Wax Flowers, Gilt Lraf Moulds, (76 different 
 •tyles) Moulding Tools, Flower Cuttkrs, Dry Colors in Homo — Vials, Brushes, Moss, StameuB, and 
 other materials and tools used iu Wax Flower 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 
 mail on receipt of a 3 cent P. O. Stamp. The trade and teachers of wax flowers will please enclose 
 their business card.
 
 MAKE YOUR HOMES 
 ATTRACTIVE! 
 
 WHITTEMORE'S 
 
 PORTABLE 
 
 A FLOWER GARDEN 
 IN EVERY HOUSE! 
 
 WINDOW 
 
 Oiled and polished 
 $5.50 each, ac- 
 and Finish. 
 
 In Ash for outside 
 
 GARDEN. 
 
 >\^ S\ Walnut, $5.00 to 
 
 '(^^^-V^'^^NM cording to Design 
 
 $4.75 and $5.00. 
 
 PATBNT APPLIED FOK, 
 
 The above cut represents the WINDOW GARDEN attached underneath the 
 window, either inside or outside the house. Its artistic beauty must be appa- 
 rent to all. 
 
 Its Extreme Simplicity of Arrangement 
 
 renders it an easy matter for any lady to put up or take down. 
 
 IT IS NOT SCREWED TO THE WALL, 
 
 and vet is so firmly attached, that it is capable of sustaining over 100 lbs. weight. 
 Full Directions for Putting Up sent with each Order. 
 
 The standard length is three feet, which is about the average width of windows, 
 but parties can send the measurement of their windows and have them made any 
 desired length, not exceeding four feet, with additional cost. Those made in 
 Ash can be painte<l to correspond with the color of the house. 
 
 The cut represents the use of flower-pots, but a zixc pax lilled with dirt can 
 be used instead, if desired. These are furnished to parties ordering at ^2.50 each. 
 
 The Window Gardex can be taken to pieces and packed for shipment. Sent 
 to any part of the country on receipt of price. Samples may be seen at oflBce of 
 «' The Horticulturist," 5 Beekman St., N. Y. 
 
 Orders maybe addressed to 
 
 WHITTEMORE'S WINDOW GARDEN, 
 
 Care HENRY T. WILLIAMS, Publisher, 
 6 Beekman Street, ... - New York
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 1 f mMitatt®; 
 
 »lnd Pictorial Home Companion. 
 
 Anewbeantifnl paper, devoted specially to the Cnltun. of Flowors for the Flower Garden and 
 Plants for Window Gardcnini? or In-Door Omament. Embellished with many exquisit^e Illustrations, 
 and printed in superior taste.' Tells the Ladies all about Flower Seeds. Bulbs, Lilies, \ erbenas. Bed- 
 din^' Plants, Ornamental Plants, etc., etc. Cannot fail to be heartily welcomed as a general lavonte 
 among all Flower lovers ; or a chamiing Comi)anion for every Parlor or Country Home. 
 
 " THE FIRST AND THE ONLY PAPER OF ITS KIND IN AWERICA. 
 Very cheap— 0\LY 7.5c. PER YEAR. Clubs wanted everywhere. Ten copies only COc. each, and 
 a copy free. A package of Flower Seeds free to every subscriber at 75c., full price ; or to any one 
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 ■WIIVDO'W CtARDEMNG. By HENRY T. WILLIAMS. A new Book, with 200 fine 
 Engraviugs and 300 pages, containing a Descriptive List of all Plants, suitable for \Vindo\y Culture, 
 Directions for tlieir Treatment, and Practical Inf.u-mation about P ants ami I'loweis lor the Parlor, 
 Conservatory, Wardian Case, Fernery, or Windou- Garden. Tells all about r.ulbsf,)r House Culture, 
 Geraniums Hau^in'' Baskets, Insects, Plant Decoration of Apartments. The Illustrations are un- 
 usually beautiful and mauy of them perfect Gems of exquisite beauty. It is a vahiable Bot)k on a 
 popular subiect and will be highly appreciated by every one. Supplies good i)ractical information 
 that can be found in no other volume. PRICE, $1.50, by mail, postpaid. 
 
 EVERY WOMAN HER OWN FLOWER GARDENER. By D.USY 
 EYEBRIGIIT. A deli-htful little Treatise on Out-Door Gardening for Lames— Practical, limely. 
 Charmingly written. Cannot fail to be universally liked. Valuable information about Pansies.Koses, 
 Geraniums Climbing Plants, Annuals, Perennials, Fuchsias, Ribbon Beds. etc. Send font. Printed 
 In excellent taste. PRICE, ,50c., postpaid. Bound in cloth, $L postpaid by mail. 
 
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 Handsomely Illustrated Magazine, devoted to Flowers, Home (Jardening, Designs of Cotla--es, l^ruit 
 Culture and Rural Embellishments. Invaluable to every one who has a Garden or Fruit Grounds. 
 The oldest journal of (iardening and Rural Art in America. Established by A ,1. Downing, in 184t). 
 Subscription terms reduced to $2 per annum : six months for $1. Get up a Club : 2 copies, $.5.50, 5 
 copies. $T..")0 : 10 copies, $10. CAnh agents wanted everywheie. 
 
 FOREST TREES: for Slielter, Ornament, and Profit. By ARTHUR 
 BRY \NT Sk Pies 111 State Hon. Soc. A new volume on Tree Culture, specially adapted to meet 
 the Forest Tree necessities of the coumrv. It gives every instruction desired by the tree grower. How 
 
 3SSllieS OI llie COUlllI V. il, J^IVL:- i,vt;i , i.i-in,i,L.v^u ui,.,..^,. .... ...^ ^. _..„.. — -.. 
 
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 ten ^irbook of'practican\uerest Vo%Tver^ in the United States and the bestwer written on 
 
 this subject. Every Western Farmer should have it. Price, post-paid by mail, $1 .oO. 
 
 LADIES' CARINET INITIAL, NOTE PAPER. A superb novelty in Stationery ' 
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