WINTER. 131 



In winter, too, summer plans may be laid ; beds may be 

 arranged as to what plants are to go into each ; schemes 

 and alterations written out, and many a fine morning's 

 saunter among the empty borders and beds may be made 

 pleasant by such " forward-looking thoughts," 



Indoors gardening, or window gardening as it is gene- 

 rally called, will, however, be the chief resource of lovers 

 of flowers during the dull dead months of winter. Hya- 

 cinths, Van Thol tulips, scillas, narcissus, polyanthus, cro- 

 cuses, and snowdrops, may all be cultivated in the sitting- 

 rooms, if care is taken to keep them moist by means of 

 moss laid on the pots, or around them, so as to lessen the 

 evaporation caused by the dry air. Snowdrops and crocuses 

 dislike being forced ; they are not easily got to flower out 

 of season ; but a few pots of them kept cool, and allowed 

 plenty of air, will be cheerful looking indoors, even when 

 their brethren are flowering without, for the weather then 

 is frequently wet and stormy. Much disappointment is 

 often experienced in buying plants in flower, or about to 

 flower, from a nurseryman, from the change to a warm, 

 dry room, causing them to fade rapidly ; they should be 

 inured to the change by degrees ; if brought from a cool 

 greenhouse, they may be kept for a day or two in a cool, 

 not cold, room, the pots covered with moss, or plunged 

 into it in a basket, and when established in the warm room, 

 they should be kept moist by sponging the leaves occasion- 

 ally vat\\ tepid water. All watering should be done early 

 in the day, and the water should never be given quite 

 cold, as the chill checks the roots. After all, it must be 



