Fig. 65. 



-lOA 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 Mountain Polypody, the Alpine ajstopteris, 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 winter 

 their rich dottings of golden spores sparkled in 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 (Snfy^cZjrr^rons, Wallfloivers, a,nd other gay tenants 

 of ruined towers, or pines, that make riot of man's work, 

 and glorify the decay of art with the triumph of nature." 

 Figs. 55, 56, 57, 58, introduce several " Rustic Terra 

 Cotta Arborettes." These are made of Terra Cotta, or pot- 

 terj' ware, cast in a rugged form resembling the projecting 

 limbs of an oak tree just clipped, and with cavities opening 

 downward for the reception of earth and holding plants. 

 Some of them have a solid interior, and each basin is by 

 itself. These are undesirable, having no opportunity for 

 drainage ; but where the interior is entirely hollow and can 

 Fig. 6G. be entirely filled with earth, no rustic ornament is more 



suitable for 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. 



