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AV I N I )() W r. A ItDEN I NO. 



" Enjoyable as such a window cjarden must be to the lover of flowers, it is, perhaps, 

 upon a scale be3'oncl the roucli of more humble admirers of Flora. The Belgian 

 window garden, figured and described by ^I. Paqukt, is within the reach of all, and 



will be understood by a glance at the annexed 

 elevation, fig. 1, and section, fig. 2. In tlio 

 latter it will be seen that the sill of the win- 

 dow is extended in breadth beyond the face 

 of the wall of the house by brackets a, gene- 

 rally highly carved, as in the sketch ; two or 

 more shelves are placed across the window, 

 which, with the sill, are covered with plants 

 in pots. A roof of glass is hinged to the 

 window-frame, at any convenient height ; 

 for it should here be remarked that windows 

 on the Continent are, in general, much higher 

 and broader than with us ; if, for example, 

 (as shown in the diagram,) the frame extends 

 three parts of the way up, suflScient light is 

 admitted into the room. These sloping roofs 

 fall down upon a stone or wooden front, 

 either solid or filled with glass, as seen in fig. 2, and are opened and shut for ventila- 

 tion by raising up the bottom part of the roof, and securing it at any point of elevation 

 desired, by the curved handle b. The plants are watered and arranged from the room 

 within, as the windows are hung on hinges, in two parts, and do not generally run up 

 and down, as with us. 



" In cases where the sloping roof extends to the top of the windows, as is some- 

 times the case, the window being thrown open, the owner can enjoy their fragrance 

 and beauty, while the plants are not subjected to the dust, heat and dry air of the 

 room, and with the large squares of glass used, they lose little of their effect, even 

 when the window is shut altogether. 



" Fig. 3 is another example of the same kind of window garden, placed opposite the 

 center window of a drawing-room, and extending considerably beyond the breadth of 



the window on both sides. It is supported on 

 highly ornamental metallic brackets, and the 

 bottom part, in which the pots are set, or 

 plants planted in, is of stone, slate, cast-iron, 

 or wood — the three first, of course, the most 

 durable — as this part of the case is kept con- 

 stantly Avet. It should rise to the level of the 

 window-sill, but no higher; indeed, a few 

 inches lower would be no disadvantage. — 

 3 Large panes of glass are used both for the front, ends, and top — one or more of them 

 a. may be made to open for ventilation ; the wall of the house and the casement of the 



ii Ikkki 



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