WINDOW GARDENING. 



253 



" The Tuilleries gardens at the time of the great fetes, were largely decorated in 

 this Why — each of the numerous lamp-posts having a bed of flowers around it, 

 and the whole scene being turned into a kind of conservatory in a few days. 

 The number of flowers required to do this was something enormous. 



" The extent to which the floral embellishments of the Hotel de Ville were 

 carried, may be judged from the great number of plants grown at Passy for that 

 purpose, — the New Zealand Flax, which is so very useful for indoor or outdoor 

 decoration, being grown to the extent of upwards of 10,000 plants and Palms, 

 and all plants with fine leaves in great quantity. 



"One plant, cultivated in 

 great abundance around 

 Paris for winter blooming, is 

 well worthy of increased at- 

 tention, Epiphyllum trun- 

 catum. 



" There are several varie- 

 ties, and they certainly form 

 most beautiful objects on 

 dull December days. 



" The variegated form of 

 the common Roast-beef plant 

 — Iris foetidissima — may be 

 seen occasionally used with 

 good effect. This is a true 

 hardy native which will 

 deserve culture. It forms a 

 very pretty plant for room 

 decoration, requires none 

 but the most ordinary at- 

 tention, and is easily ob- 

 tained. 



"The Acanthuses, too, 

 and particularly A . lusitani- 

 cus used so effectively out of 

 doors, are also grown '-abun- 

 dantly in rooms, where they 

 do very well. Everything Fig. 7.— Yucca aioefoiia. 



proved to do well without the protection of a case is a gain to the very large 

 class, who, from choice or necessity, like to grow plants in rooms." 



A few years since a valuable communication on this subject of room decora- 

 tion was given by a French gardener, Antonine Chantin, of Rue de Chatillon, 

 Paris, to the Floral "World of London. Mentioning the most popular plants 

 used in the window embellishments of the French Capital, as their culture 



