350 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



maybe, is yet lying frost-bound. Perhaps this may seem to 

 be somewhat a dull limit to put on the possibilities of the 

 cold greenhouse, but think of the early Azaleas, Camellias, 

 Mezereon, and double-flowered cherry and peach and plum 

 of the host of hardy bulbs Narcissus and Tulip, Hyacinth 

 and Lily, and rare Iris, which are so beautiful as to win for 

 themselves a comparison with the gorgeous Orchids of the 

 tropics. Think, too, of everyday flowers {i pale Primrose " 

 with all her sisterhood, the lovely blue Forget-me-Not, and 

 Lily of the Valley, so common yet so precious that florists 

 not only force it into bloom in winter's cold, but lock it up 

 in ice that we may rejoice in it during summer heat ; are not 

 such as these always welcome ? There is no fear, believe 

 me, that we should lag far behind our neighbour in the 

 matter of choice and fragrant flowers even though we can- 

 not vie with his stove exotics. 



It is in the dead of winter those few weeks that usher in 

 and follow Christmas that the resources of the cold-house 

 gardener are taxed to the uttermost. Chrysanthemums 

 admirable plants for the unheated greenhouse if well managed 

 begin by that time to look uncomfortable and to damp off ; 

 and except Roman Hyacinths and the earliest of Van Thol 

 Tulips, it is a little soon for bulbs. It is well, at this dreary 

 season, especially if a conservatory must be kept in good 

 order, to have a supply of evergreen shrubs and ferns, so that 

 greenery at any rate may cheer us, even if flowers be few. 

 Myrtle, both large-leaved and small, Laurustinus, Veronica, 

 Eugenia, and Aralia are all well adapted for this purpose. 

 A hardy Fan-Palm or two may be added, with small-leaved 

 variegated Ivies and evergreen Ferns, such as the finer Hart's 

 Tongues and Welsh and other forms of Polypody. These 

 and such as these are a great stand-by in the way of sturdy 

 foliage plants, and will serve many a good turn at all times 

 of year. 



During those same few dark weeks, when all nature is at 

 rest, I am bound to say that a small, movable heat-radiator, 

 set going by a lamp, was of great use in the conservatory, as 

 much for the purpose of drying the air as to keep out frost. 

 It saved the plants from that shuddering look which even the 

 boldest will put on under stress of severe cold, but this was 

 never used and, in fact, was not required except in case of 

 very hard weather. No form of cold greenhouse is more de- 

 lightful, perhaps, than a 



Rose Garden under Glass, and this requires absolutely no 

 thought of heating even of the most temporary kind. It has, 



