CONSERVATORIES, GREENHOUSES, VINERIES AND FRUIT HOUSES. 



FIG. 278. 



The con- Incidental reference has been made in other chapters to the furnishing of conservatories. 



servatory Very much will depend, of course, on the use to which they are to be put, and the 

 floor. taste of the users, but the following remarks are of more or less general application. 



The most common mistake is to pave them with many coloured tiles in a startling 

 and obtrusive star or check pattern, instead of subordinating the whole of the interior 

 treatment to the flowers, which should obviously and confessedly form the centralizing 

 interest. In the case of all but the most elaborate conservatories, a dull red or buff-coloured 

 tile free from any suspicion of shiny glaze, which will form a soft and pleasing contrast 

 to the dark green foliage characteristic of hot-house plants, is most useful and may be 

 in the form of either " quarries " six inches square, laid either square or diagonally, or 

 tiles six inches by two inches laid in the " herring bone " pattern so often used for wood 

 block flooring. In either case a little relief may be given by a narrow margin of darker 

 brown-coloured tiles six or nine inches from the wall. 



When an important conservatory is attached to a classic mansion, in which case a 

 large amount of open floor space would probably be required, the pavement may be laid 

 with marble either in squares of one or alternating colours, or lozenges and 

 diamonds, as in the sketch (111. No. 278), which is not such a costly 

 process as might be supposed. For somewhat smaller structures a pleasing 

 floor may also be obtained by using sawn limestone in conjunction with 

 green slate, blue and green slate or red and yellow sandstones, the effect 

 of the last on a large scale may be judged from an inspection of the 

 pavement on the terrace in front of the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, 

 London. 



Blank walls Probably the majority of conservatories possess a certain amount of interior blank 



in conserva- wall, and unless the proportion of this is so great as seriously to interfere with the 

 lories. lighting, it may be regarded rather as an asset than otherwise, for it allows of much 



individuality of treatment and delightful results. Where from four to six feet of space 

 in front of it can be spared for a soil bed, naturally treated artificial rockwork, such as 

 that described in Chapter XIII., may be employed with charming results, though there 

 is a distinct danger of pettiness and over-elaboration in treatment to be guarded against, 

 due to the effort to make the very most of an exceedingly limited space. In large 

 schemes of this kind, a dripping well for ferns with pools for gold fish may be added, 

 but to attempt this on a very small scale is apt to result in an effect which suggests 

 nothing so much as a leaky pipe and a damp place. 



Treillage The graceful treillage which has been brought to such a pitch of elaboration by 



in the con- French artists is, in its simpler forms, eminently adapted to the interior ornamentation 



servatory. O f conservatories. It may be treated either as a form of wall decoration in itself or 



may provide a support for the slighter exotic climbing plants, or screens to break up the 



interior space into two or more compartments may be constructed of it. Owing to 



its somewhat delicate construction it should not be used where there is danger of its 



being damaged. In any case it should be designed specially to meet the requirements 



of each individual case. Where treillage is too elaborate or too fragile, simple forms of 



ornamental trellis, designed after the style of that used in connection with so many Queen 



Anne or early-Georgian houses, may be used with great effect. 



Of the smaller furnishings, chairs, tables and what not, it is only necessary to say 

 that they should be light and portable, and of a nature to withstand the humid atmo- 

 sphere of a glasshouse and, as in the case of the paving, quiet and harmonious in 

 colouring. 



In most gardens, even if there is no conservatory to be kept supplied with a succes- 

 sion of flowering exotics, a range of glasshouses, large or small, is usually considered 

 necessary. This is particularly so when the domain is situated at some distance from 



218 



