PLANTS IN VASES AND TUBS IN THE OPEN AIR. 137 



months in the open air in summer. All of these, in fact, may be 

 treated much as the Blue African Lily is treated, allowing always for 

 the differences between evergreen shrubs, like the Orange, Eugenia, 

 and Myrtle ; herbaceous plants, like the sweet-scented Plantain Lily 

 grown in pots and in courtyards in France, and summer-leafing 

 shrubs like Fuchsia, Justicia and Pomegranate. 



The need of the orangery strictly so-called is now lessened by 



two causes: (i) our rich, hardy garden-flora with many things as 



lovely as any that grow in the tropics ; (2) the 



Mrs Earle on nearly universal adoption of the greenhouse, in 



plants in tubs, which many plants find shelter in winter that in 

 old times would have been housed in the orangery. 

 But notwithstanding these changes there are still some plants worth 

 while to keep over the winter in any convenient way, and the follow- 

 ing extract from The Garden shows how a good amateur gardener 

 manages them as an aid to her flower gardening. 



" A great deal of real gardening pleasure is to be had from grow- 

 ing plants in pots and tubs or in vases and vessels of various kinds 

 both in small and big gardens. I use large Seakale pots, when they 

 are no longer wanted for the Seakale, by turning them over, putting 

 two bits of slate in the bottom of the pot, some drainage, and 

 a few lumps of turf, and then filling up with good garden mould. 

 Another useful pot is one called a Rhubarb pot. If you live 

 near a pottery they will turn you out almost any shaped pot 

 you fancy. Flat ones, like those used by house painters, make 

 a pleasant change, especially for small bulbs. Petroleum casks 

 cut in two, burnt inside, then tarred and painted, are invaluable 

 tubs. I use butter-casks treated in the same way, and have 

 some little Oak tubs in which bullion came from America. These 

 are very strong, and some water-loving plants do much better 

 in wood, since the evaporation in summer is not nearly so rapid 

 as from the earthenware. That is an important thing to remember 

 both as regards sun and wind. If the plants are at all delicate 

 and brought out of a greenhouse, the pots, when standing out, 

 ought to be either quite sunk into the earth or shaded. This 

 cannot be done in the case of pots placed on a wall or terrace 

 or on a stand, and so they must not be put out in the open till the 

 end of May. Constant care about watering is also essential. Even 

 in wet weather they often want more water if the sun comes out, as 

 the rain wets the leaves, but hardly affects the soil at all. On the 

 Continent, where all kinds of pot cultivation have been longer 

 practised than in England, flower-pots are often glazed outside, 

 which keeps the plants much moister because of less evaporation, 

 and makes less necessity for frequent watering. The large red jars 



