THE FLOWER GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. 323 



trees that come with the Daffodils, but are not so well able to brave 

 the climate. These shoots of early shrubs are also usually best 

 arranged each by itself, though some go well together, and graceful 

 leaves of evergreens may be used with them. One advantage of 

 dealing with one flower at a time is that we show and do not 

 conceal the variety of beauty we have. For, all thrown together, 

 that variety will be much less evident than if we make clear the 

 colour and form of each kind. Some proof of this may be seen 

 in the work of the best flower painters. In the work of M. Fantin- 

 Latour, for example, his nosegays of many flowers, evidently bought 

 at some country market stand, are painted as well as his simple 

 subjects but these last are far the best pictures. However, there 

 is such a wide range of plants, shrubs, and woodland and hedgerow 

 flowers, that we niust not hesitate to depart from any general idea 

 if it tends to keep us from making the best of things in simple and 

 ready ways. 



Water Lilies and Water-side Plants for the House. — 

 Often the water and the water-side will give us fine things for house 

 decoration, and the new Water Lilies of rare distinction help very much, 

 as cut in the freshly expanded state they keep very well for some 

 days and give us quite a new order of beauty. For this purpose we 

 want bold and simple basins, as if we can put some of their handsome 

 leaves in with them the effect is all the better. Although very fine in 

 the open water, where they do admirably, the effect of the flower 

 near at hand in the house is quite different and very beautiful, and 

 as these plants increase their value as cut flowers for the house will 

 be found to be great. There are also plants of the water-side which 

 may help with foliage or flower ; one of the best being the Forget-me- 

 not, which flowers so well in the house, and the great Buttercup. 



Leaves. — Many as are the flowers of the open air excellent for 

 house, the leaves of the open air tree or shrub or plant are hardly of 

 less use for the same end : notably the foliage of evergreen shrubs 

 in warm and sea coast districts, from evergreen Magnolia, Poet's 

 Laurel, Cypress, Juniper and Thuja, Cherry Laurel, and Bamboo ; even 

 in the coldest districts we have the evergreen Barberry, and more than 

 fifty forms of the best of all evergreen climbers, the Ivy, and the Holly 

 with its scarlet, yellow or orange berries. The trees in autumn give 

 us leaves rich in colour — Maple, Medlar, Mespilus, Parrottia, Tulip-tree 

 and many others. The shrubs and climbers, too, help — Bramble, Wild 

 Roses, Water Elder (Viburnum), Common Barberry, with its graceful 

 rain of red berries ; Vines in many forms ; hardy flowers, too, help with 

 Acanthus, Alexandrian Laurel, Solomon's Seal, Iris, Plantain Lily, 

 Rock plants are rich in good leaves : Cyclamen, Heuchera, Christmas 

 and Lenten Roses, the large Indian Rockfoils and the Barrenworts; and 



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