BALCONY GARDENING. 227 



not an acre lot, therefore be content with a few good plants, 

 remembering that by trying to grow many you will succeed 

 with none ; each plant will crowd its right and left hand 

 neighbor, and all will become drawn and weak. 



If your balcony is small, do not attempt to grow shrubs, 

 but be content with climbers for the sides, a few hardy 

 herbaceous plants, and annuals. If you have plenty of 

 room, grow as much as you can without crowding. 



Now, as we said, let the season be the first of May, and 

 supposing we have a sizable balcony, all fitted with boxes 

 filled with prepared soil, what shall we plant ? 



First, a Weigela rosea, one of those beautiful exotic 

 shrubs introduced from China, and bearing, in June, lovely 

 bunches of pink flowers changing to white. Let us 'set 

 this in one outside corner, and on the other side, to match it, 

 plant a Spirea prunifolia, a beautiful species, which, about 

 the middle of May, puts on an emerald jacket, and buttons 

 it with innumerable silver white buttons. Let us now 

 select climbers to grow up over the window, to be planted 

 at each side, close to the wall of the house. We need 

 something that will endure the hottest sun without injury, 

 for our wall is of brick, and a July sun against a brick wall 

 is very often scorching. It will be too hot for honeysuckles 



