A Greenhouse for a Short Parse. 75 



What was the reward ? A charming retreat of blossom and per- 

 fume, even though the very snows lay on the roof, without any ex- 

 pense or trouble of fire heat. We began with boxes of verbenas and 

 pots of scarlet geraniums in the fall, to bloom at intervals through the 

 winter ; stocks transplanted while blooming in October, and keeping 

 fresh until March ; double zinnias of gorgeous colors, taken up with- 

 out disturbing the earth at the roots, and furnishing gay color until 

 Christmas ; chrysanthemums of all sorts from August cuttings, con- 

 tinuing until late in January ; Mexican ageratum, also from the open 

 gi-ound, cut back, and then throwing up such a wilderness of shoots 

 that it might be cut any day during the winter ; as the last-named gave 

 us light blue, the dwarf French marigold (^Tagctes signata piunila of 

 the catalogues), supplying yellow, and admirable for the purpose too, 

 because throwing up young buds for bloom even until Februaiy, if the 

 forming seed are promptly removed. Sweet alyssum, candytuft, and 

 feverfew gave us plenty of white, until relieved by the daisies in March. 

 Helichiysums, white, maroon, and yellow, eschscholtzias (far finer in- 

 doors than as commonly grown with us out of doors), carnations, Hed- 

 dewigii pinks, etc., made the shelves gay and bright. The writer pur- 

 posely refers to plants obtained from the garden, to which must be 

 added the invaluable maurandias, and the so-called Austrian ivy {^Se- 

 7iecio scandefzs.) I said invaluable maurandias, for there is hardly a day 

 in the year that we need be without them : at this writing, January 7, 

 T:hey are opening their white and purple miniature vases around me. 

 The ivy was a beautiful object, running the length of the ridge-pole, 

 and crowded with hundreds of clusters of its canary-colored blossoms. 

 Nor were more distinctive greenhouse plants forgotten. 



Camellias slowly unlocked their sculptured beauty ; azaleas tottered 

 like caryatides under great bouquets of color ; callas lifted their ivory 

 couches out of their green investiture, all fit for a fairy's sleep ; bicolor 

 and tricolor geraniums put on their wintry " togam versicolorem," and 

 rhyncospermums shook out their shining stars of snowy white on a 

 background of rich dark green. Fuchsias, eupatoriums, rondeletias, 

 jasmines, lantana, English myrtle, Chinese oranges, night blooming 

 cereus, cypripeditim insigne^ added their varied charms. Pansies, 



