32 WINTER GREENERIES AT HOME. 



must be duly provided for in order to the support of that 

 life. But in respect to their habits and wants, plants differ 

 very greatly. Some grow as standards, others as climb- 

 ers, or creepers, or droopers. All alike require light, heat, 

 and moisture, but in very different degrees. In their 

 natural situations, all these differences are fully provided 

 for ; the places are as varied as the plants themselves. In 

 every latitude, or degree of heat ; in forest-shades, or the 

 broadest sunlight ; in and under water, or at its margin ; 

 in rich, deep alluvial soil, in the crevices of naked 

 rocks, or on dry and barren sands everywhere, plants are 

 found in natural conditions perfectly suited to their habits 

 and demands. 



Now, these are the plants which for the most part are 

 cultivated in greenhouses. Almost every desirable species 

 has its representatives, coming from all around the world. 

 As their habits and wants are unchanged, you can see that 

 their new and artificial conditions must be made to con- 

 form as nearly as possible to their original natural situa- 

 tions. If you were to visit any extensive collection, you 

 would probably find many separate greenhouses with 

 marked differences of light, heat, and moisture. The one 

 problem of the florist is to make the places suit the plants; 

 and just as he is able to do this he succeeds. 



But with us in our "little greeneries," the problem is 

 somewhat different, while the end in view is the same, that 

 is, success in having only healthy and flourishing plants. 

 We must take such rooms as we have, and of course 

 can not alter them to supply all the varied conditions re- 

 quired by widely different plants. Besides, our several 

 rooms are likely to have very considerable differences in 

 regard to exposure, temperature, etc. But whatever they 

 may be, they are our only places for plants. Our problem 

 is therefore a much narrower and simpler one than 

 that of the florist, namely, the selection of plants to suit 

 the place. That is to say, we must confine ourselves to a 



