GREENHOUSE, WINDOW AND GARDEN. 



239 



most all kinds of plants during- S'ummer, 

 whether in window-boxes or otherwise. 

 Windows facing the south are not so de- 

 sirable, as the shutters or blinds are of ne- 

 cessity kept too closely drawn in summer 

 for the plants to succeed well on the inside, 

 and if the plants are placed outside even in 

 window-boxes, they usually present a shabby 

 burnt up looking appearance in a very short 

 time, unless some means can be found for 

 shading- them during the extreme heat of 

 the day. 



Many of the choicer kinds of what are 

 often termed house plants, viz., plants that 

 ha\* occupied vases and jardinieres during 

 winter and spring, or that have perhaps 

 been kept in a south window during that 

 time, will succeed much better if removed 

 to windows facing the north or east during 

 the summer months. This is often even 

 better for the plants than standing them out 

 in shaded positions on the lawn or in the 

 garden, as plants that are stood out in this 

 way are often neglected, and allowed to 

 become too dry at the roots for the well- 

 being of the plants. 



Plants such as dracenas (cordylines) as- 

 pidistras, cyperus (umbrella plant), farfu- 

 giums (leopard plant), ficus elastica (India 

 rubber plant), ferns, begonias, abutilons, 

 fuchsias, and other tender plants taken 

 from the house or window, will however 

 find an ideal position for the summer in win- 

 dow-boxes on the north side of the house. 

 Boxes placed on the rails, or on the steps 

 of a verandah facing the north, also provide 

 a good position for these plants in summer, 

 the plants often helping materially to 

 brighten up a part of the house that might 

 otherwise look dull and uninteresting. 



Avoid giving the plants too much water 

 when placed in positions where the sun 

 scarcely ever reaches them, as the evapora- 

 tion and exhaustion of moisture is very 

 slow, the plants requiring much less fre- 

 quent watering than in more exposed situa- 



tion. Water should be given plants when 

 they require it, and not on stated fixed days, 

 when oftentimes water would be better with- 

 held from them. Plants are not like clocks 

 and watches, to be regulated and run with 

 mathematical precision, according to dates 

 and figures, but are more like children who 

 thrive best when given their bite and sup 

 when they are hungry and thirsty. The 

 prompt and practical application of experi- 

 ence, gained by close observation of the 

 needs and requirements of different plants, 

 under perhaps widely varying conditions, is 

 really the best guide for their successful 

 culture and care. Nature, in plant-life es- 

 pecially, is constantly presenting itself to 

 our notice in ever-varying, ever-changing 

 conditions. Intelligence and diligence are 

 essential features necessary to be brought 

 into active use to be successful in plant 

 culture. 



But these remarks are perhaps out of 

 place in what should be a really practical 

 article, so I must not diverge from the line 

 of practicality again. 



It may perhaps be thought undesirable to 

 have boxes of plants either in window^s or 

 on the verandah, on the score of cleanliness, 

 as it is impossible to have these without a 

 little dirt and disorder under almost any 

 circumstances. This objectionable feature 

 may in a great measure be done away with 

 if pot plants only are used in the boxes. By 

 packing the pots in the boxes firmly around 

 with fresh green moss, the plants will not 

 dry out so rapidly, and will grow and suc- 

 ceed almost as well as if planted in soil, es- 

 pecially if a little liquid manure, or a mild 

 fertilizer of some kind be given them about 

 once a week. Many of the commercial fer- 

 tilizers can be successfully used for plants in 

 positions of this kind, with no objectionable 

 feature to prevent them being used. 



I have used moss on the outside of boxes 

 and tubs of plants with great success, stick- 

 ing the clumps of moss on the boxes with 



