Gardening for Amateurs 



791 



The Gold Greenhouse 



BY cold greenhouse is meant one with- 

 out any heating apparatus whatever, 

 consequently all the plants grown 

 there must, in order to give satisfaction, be 

 quite hardy. This restriction applies only to 

 the colder months of the year, for the ordinary 

 greenhouse plants such as Fuchsias, Pelar- 

 goniums, tuberous Begonias, and many others 

 need no fire heat during summer. Decorative 

 plants of this class can be purchased so 

 cheaply during late spring that if it is pre- 

 ferred the house may be made gay with 

 them in the summer, while at other seasons 

 hardy plants must be depended upon. The 

 charm of a cold greenhouse devoted to Alpine 

 plants is referred to elsewhere, but apart 

 from these many plants of more robust 

 character are of great service for the un- 

 heated greenhouse, among them being some 

 hardy shrubs grown in pots. The Winter 

 Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is one of 

 these, and if the shoots are spurred back 

 after flowering, and the plants stood out of 

 doors during the summer, they will keep 

 in health for vears and flower freely. The 

 Laurustinus is another shrub suitable for 

 the cold greenhouse, more especially the 

 variety lucidum. The hardy Heaths, too, 

 are very bright and cheerful during winter, 

 for both Erica carnea and E. mediterranea 

 hybrida will, if lifted carefully and potted 

 in the autumn, blossom under glass. The 

 different forms of Veronica speciosa are 

 also satisfactory under similar treatment, 

 providing the winter is not too severe. 



Bright winter effects are also afforded by 

 the attractive fruits of different shrubs. Of 

 the smaller kinds, and therefore most suited 

 for the greenhouse, may be mentioned 

 Pernettyas of different sorts, of which the 

 berries vary in colour from white to purple, 

 and Aucuba japonica vera, a compact, green- 

 leaved kind, which bears bright scarlet berries 

 in great profusion. 



As spring advances, some of the flowering 

 shrubs that bloom naturally early in the 

 season can be recommended for the cold 

 greenhouse. Though the flowers naturally 

 do not open so soon as those given even slight 



warmth, they anticipate their usual season 

 of blooming out of doors. Of suitable shrubs 

 may be mentioned Azalea, Lilac, Deutzia, 

 Magnolia stellata, Spiraea arguta, and some 

 of the smaller Rhododendrons, such as 

 dahuricum, Early Gem, and praecox. 



Of suitable plants other than shrubs that 

 flower in the depth of winter are Christmas 

 Roses and sometimes Wallflowers, while 

 later on we have Primulas of different sorts, 

 Forget-me-Nots, Daisies, etc. 



Bulbs, of course, contribute largely to the 

 embellishment of the cold greenhouse, for 

 the majority of them are hardy. Apart from 

 such well-known flowers as Hyacinths, Tulips, 

 Crocuses, Narcissi, and Snowdrops, there are 

 Scilla bifolia, Scilla sibirica and its white 

 variety, Chionodoxa Luciliae, Chionodoxa 

 Sardensis, and the bulbous-rooted forms of 

 Iris. 



Many plants of a more or less tuberous 

 nature, such as Anemones, hardy Cyclamens, 

 Lily of the Valley, Solomon's Seal, Dielytra 

 spectabilis. and Spiraeas may also be in- 

 cluded. If hardy plants alone are depended 

 upon, the latter part of the summer is a 

 somewhat dull season in the cold green- 

 house, but many annuals, if sown in pots 

 in spring, will flower beautifully in due 

 course. Of such may be recommended 

 Candytuft, Lobelia, Nemesia, Phlox Drum- 

 mondii, Erysimum Peroffskianum, Clarkia, 

 Godetia, Mignonette, Nemophila, Salpiglossis, 

 Schizanthus, and Viscaria. 



There are times, especially during winter, 

 when foliage plants are much appreciated, 

 and the want may be supplied by some of 

 the hardy evergreen ferns, especially the 

 many varieties of Polypodium vulgare and 

 the Hart's Tongue Fern (Scolopendrium). 

 Sometimes the greenhouse is in such a 

 shady position as to be unsuitable for most 

 flowering plants, in which case by far the 

 most satisfactory plan is to grow a col- 

 lection of hardy ferns, selecting those that 

 are of free growth rather than the poor 

 weakly varieties, of which so many are 

 offered in nurserymen's catalogues. Ferns, 

 both deciduous and evergreen, may be 



