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The Country Geyitlcwoman 



hands of one of the most accomplished 

 artists in the arrangement of flowers. Some 

 Verbenas seemed to be coming into flower, 

 and other things which in the driving past 

 we could not make accurate notes upon — all, 

 however, shewing that the window was one 

 of telling effect, commanding the attention of 

 every passer-by, and affording the greatest 

 satisfaction to the humble inmates. 



There were a number of others much less 

 satisfactory in their effects. The idea with 

 many was to have as great a crowd of flowers 

 as possible, and where that idea prevailed, it 

 resulted in an exhibition of bad taste. Simple 

 flowers can be made to look highly interest- 

 ing ; indeed, the one set enhances the ap- 

 pearance and character of the others when 

 properly arranged and properly blended. We 

 cannot look for a finished result in all cases, 

 neither shall we expect to get it, even suppos- 

 ing window-gardening were much more gene- 

 ral than it is, but we praise every attempt, 

 and we would desire to give every encourage- 

 ment to the tyro and the flower-loving aspi- 

 rant. See, we would say to all, that an 

 assortment of flowering plants, be made to 

 contrast, and shade, it may be, with plants of 

 beautiful foliage, and as the trials go on so 

 will the desire for a better acquaintance with 

 plants ; and a better taste in arranging them 

 will naturally follow. 



The first thing that should be studied is 

 an acquaintance with the habit and colours 

 of the plants intended for cultivation. Once 

 this is gained, then the task is no task at all, 

 but a pleasure of the most exquisite kind. 

 We have all our degrees of pleasure and of 

 pain to which we have all to submit — our 

 crosses and losses, and we do submit to 



some more cheerfully than others. We 

 also have all our degrees of joy and 

 happiness. The beauty of the study of flowers 

 is, inasmuch as it not only tends to make us- 

 when happy more happy still, but when in 

 sadness, to offer or open up rays of cheering 

 reflection. And when we see our fellow-men 

 that toil hard with their busy hands all day, 

 come home to a happy household, and after 

 the evening meal go out and enjoy the balmy 

 sunimer evening all the more that the flowers 

 which he or she, or both, have nursed, mingle 

 their perfume with the evening gale, there 

 seems a consummation of happiness and plea- 

 sure that is really of itself worth living for. 

 Let us cheer, therefore, every individual, in 

 the exercise of a little spare time to go on- 

 wards, not only doing window gardening 

 himself or herself, but encouraging others to 

 do so as well. There would possibly be a 

 better outcome from this practical way of 

 teaching the people to look into and learn 

 from the great book of Nature that is con- 

 tinually spread before the eye. There is 

 nothing wearisome, nothing altogether mono- 

 tonous in Nature's works ; every day brings 

 with it some new features, and if there be 

 one study more than another that will draw^ 

 the hardened heart to a longing desire for 

 worshipping the God of nature, it will be those 

 beautiful children of the Earth that smile so 

 pleasantly upon every passer by. 



From the elevated position of the window 

 sill, an effect can be produced of a much 

 more striking character than any example 

 of similar extent of ground gardening ; and 

 this being so, we expect to see large num- 

 bers following the good example of the subur- 

 ban City gardeners. 



