THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 371 



WINDOW GARDENING. 



BY JOHN K. MOLLISON. 

 (Continued from page 336.) 



FILMY FERNS IN CASES AND UNDER BELL-GLASSES. 



f|IRST on our list ia H.fuciforme, a native of the island of 

 Juan Fernandez, of Robinson Crusoe celebrity. It has 

 beautiful pale bluish-green fronds, and ia considered the 

 finest of the genus. 



Ox the Trichomanes, the only British speciea is 

 Trichomanes radicans, which we noticed in a former paper. Both 

 it and its variety, T. Andrewsii, are excellent ferns for the Warrington 

 case. Among others we have T. scandens, a grand climbing fern, 

 excellent for covering a piece of rockwork. It has large elegant yel- 

 Jowish-green fronds. 



T. reniforme, a very distinct species of great beauty, witb large 

 kidney-shaped entire fronds. 



T. venosum, an extremely beautiful fern for a case. 



But the loveliest of all ferns, the beauties of which surpass the 

 power of pen or pencil to portray, is the Todea superba. Nothing 

 can surpass the extreme beauty and sumptuous appearance of this 

 fern. No fern-grower should be without it. I consider it as the 

 highest point of honour in fern cultivation to have the credit of 

 possessing a well-grown plant of this queen of ferns in a case. 

 Next to it stands Todea hymenophylloides, commonly known 

 as Todea pellucida, a New Zealand filmy fern of great beauty, and 

 nearly hardy enough to stand outside during a very mild winter. It 

 is a recognized favourite with all fern-growers, and very distinct from 

 any other kind of fern. 



Todea Larharea is also a very desirable fern, free-growing and of 

 easy culture. 



Todeas are not creeping ferns like the Hymenophyllum and Tri- 

 chomanes ; they are really tree ferns, and require more soil to grow 

 in, of an open peaty nature, to allow them to develop their luxu- 

 riantly beautiful fronds. 



Along with the filmy ferns several other species of ferns, that love 

 shade and moisture, may be grown with advantage, such as the 

 Adiantum capillus-vencris for instance ; also some of the Selaginellas, 

 such as 8. denticulata, S. helvetica, and S. Martensii, may be grown 

 as a variety to the general arrangement, but do not let the mosses 

 get unruly; keep them within bounds, so that they may not choke 

 or interfere with the ferns. 



The Australian Pitcher-plant (Gephalolus follicularis), the Side- 

 saddle plants (Sarracenia), the Fly-trap plants, and many other 

 curious plants, may be grown with advantage ulung with the filmy 

 ferns. 



December. 



