FLO 



[ 35-2 j 



FLO 



FLOWER. Sec BLOOM. 



FLOWER FENCE. Poinda'na. 



FLOWERING ASH. O'rnus. 



FLOWER OF JOVE. Ly' chnis flo' s Jo'vis 



FLOWER-GARDEN is that portion of the 

 ground in the vicinity of the residence 

 disposed in parterres and borders, te 

 n anted by flowers and flowering shrubs 

 and among walks and lawns, so that th 

 occupiers of the house may have read) 

 access to what is so beautiful in form, co 

 lour, and fragance. See LANDSCAPE GAR 

 DENING, PLANTATION, &c. 



FLOWER-POTS are of various sizes and 

 names : 



Thimbles and thumbs ; any size under thre 

 inches diameter at the top. 



In addition to the above, there is a 

 description of flower-pots called uprights, 

 which are used for growing; bulbous 

 plants, the roots of which do not spread 

 laterally, but perpendicularly. They are 

 deeper in proportion to their width than 

 common flower-pots, and may be thus 

 particularised : 



For sizes larger than 15-inch it is 

 needless to have any pots but those ot' 

 the usual proportions. 



Thimbles are sometimes called "small 

 nineties," and thumbs, " large nineties." 



The form and material also vary. 

 Mr. Beck makes them- very successfully 

 of slate ; and the prejudice against glazed 

 pots is now exploded. 



It was formerly considered important 

 to have the pots made of a material as 

 porous as possible ; but a more miserable 

 delusion never was handed down untested 

 from one generation to another. Stone- 

 ware and china-ware are infinitely prefer- 

 able, for they keep the roots more uni- 

 formly moist and warm. Common 

 garden-pots, if not plunged, should be 

 thickly painted. Large pots have been 

 recommended to be employed, and there 

 is no doubt that this is a system much 

 abridging the gardener's labour ; but as 

 with due care small pots will produce 

 magnificent specimen plants, we cannot 

 recommend an adoption of large pots, in. 

 suring as they do such an immense sacri- 

 fice of room in the hot and greenhouses. 

 Captain Thurtell, one of the most success- 

 ful of growers of the Pelargonium, never 

 employed pots larger than twenty-fours. 

 It is usual to have saucers in which to 

 place flower-pots when in the house, and 

 so far as preventing stains and the oc- 

 currence of dirt, they are deserving adop- 

 tion ; but as to their being used for 

 applying water to plants^ they are worse 

 than useless, except to plants almost 

 aquatic. The great difficulty in pot culti- 

 vation is to keep the drainage regular ; 

 and no more eflective preventive of this 

 could be devised than keeping a pot in a 

 saucer containing water. No plan for 

 most cultivated plants could be invented 

 more contrary to nature ; for we all know- 

 hat she supplies moisture to the surface 

 of the soil, and allows it to descend, thus 

 supplying the upper roots first. For draw- 

 "ngs of various flower pots see Tite 

 Voltage Gardener, No. 64. 



FLOWER STAGES are made for the exhi- 

 bition of flowers at shows, in the green- 

 "louse, and elsewhere. The following are 

 lome very judicious observations on the 

 mbject :* The first object in the construc- 

 ion of stages should ba to have them 

 o formed and situated as to afford facili- 

 ies for grouping plants ; the second 

 ihould be to give plants more the ap- 

 learance of growing in borders than upon 



