WINDOW GARDENING. 



565 



WINDOW GARDENING. 



naturally pendulous habit ; and if they 

 can be adapted to the basket, they will be 

 very effective. Monochatum alpestre is a 

 beautiful winter flowering plant, but will 

 require tying down at first, and training 

 neatly over the basket. In planting the 

 hard-wooded plants, remember what has 

 been said with regard to soil ; the softer 

 plants are more easy to cultivate and safer 

 to begin with ; but the former are more 

 permanent, and do not so soon outgrow 

 their room. 



Ferns. Of a like permanency are ferns, 

 which require much the same soil as the 

 last that is, equal parts of peat, loam, 

 and sand, having some broken crockery 

 mixed with it. One of the best ferns for 

 baskets is the common polypody, or 

 Phegopteris mil gar e ; this may be planted 

 in nearly all moss, with a small portion of 

 soil. Another excellent fern, and, indeed, 

 one of the handsomest, is Asplenium 

 flaccidum^ of a beautiful drooping habit, 

 and also viviparous, producing young ferns 

 all over the old fronds. Let this fern be 

 placed in the centre of the basket ; it will 

 require nothing more, but will show over 

 the sides and look exceedingly beautiful, 

 being of a bright lively green, and one of 

 the best and handsomest ferns in cultiva- 

 tion. Pteris serrulata and P. rotimdifolia 

 are also good ferns for baskets, and easily 

 grown, being of a free habit. There are 

 several sorts of British ferns which may 

 be grown in this way, particularly the true 

 British maidenhair (Adiantnm Capillus 

 Veneris), which, spreading at the roots, 

 will soon cover the surface of the basket. 

 Next to this may be placed Asplenium 

 lanceolatum, which is also a spreader ; 

 likewise A. marinum. 



Management. Baskets are sometimes 

 managed in the same way as vases, and 

 even troughs. The plants are grown in 

 ordinary flower pots, plunged in moss, 

 placed in the baskets, &c., when in perfec- 



tion. This plan has its advantages ; for 

 as a plant gets shabby, it can be instantly 

 changed for another. All window gar- 

 deners who are fortunate enough to possess 

 a frame, pit, or small greenhouse, would 

 do well to adopt this plan ; for a plant is 

 not so likely to become one-sided if grown 

 in a frame ; the one-sidedness of plants 

 grown in windows being evidence of the 

 advantages to be derived from the posses- 

 sion of other means. But it does not 

 follow that window plants must be ill 

 looking because one-sided ; nor should 

 their tendency that way be checked by 

 turning them, as they are weakened there- 

 by. Whether inside or outside a window, 

 plants naturally turn towards the light, as 

 every one knows who has had any practice 

 with them. Whatever means are at com- 

 mand, the main points in window garden- 

 ing, as in all other plant culture, are 

 peifect cleanliness, a free open soil and 

 good drainage, a fair even temperatuie, 

 and uniform moisture. Where there is a 

 tolerably clear atmosphere, window yay- 

 dening may be conducted without glazed 

 coverings, but in the midst of town smoke 

 and dust, glass cases become absolutely 

 necessary. 



Window Gardening, Plants and 

 Shrubs suitable for. 



To dwell singly on every genus of plants 

 that is suited for window culture is im- 

 practicable, and the best thing that can be 

 done to afford the greatest amount of 

 assistance to the window gardener in the 

 smallest possible compass is to give a 

 tabular view of some of the plants that 

 are most eligible, showing at a glance a 

 ist of the plants themselves, the aspect 

 "or which they are best suited, the time 

 during which they are in flower, and any 

 irief cultural observations that may appear 

 necessary. The letters N. , S. , E. , W. , de- 

 note north, south, east, and west aspects. 



