196 THE GARDEN OF A 



where I am sitting, freezias, Roman hyacinths, pink 

 and yellow oxalis, and cyclamen are in bloom, the 

 delicate colour being enhanced by half a dozen 

 medium-sized plants of the ubiquitous Boston fern 

 (Nephrolepsis Bostoniensis). This fern should be 

 divided every spring and not allowed to grow too 

 large, as the pots are then heavy to handle, and 

 the fronds are less vigorous and perfect than with 

 the smaller plants. 



Now that we have this fern, there is no excuse 

 for keeping the rubber plant, that abomination of 

 stationary motion that would be quite as satisfac- 

 tory if made out of zinc and painted. 



I returned home too late to prepare anything 

 except bulbs for my window garden this season, 

 for pot plants bought of a florist and brought 

 from greenhouse heat to the conditions of a living 

 room soon grow feeble, and seldom adapt them- 

 selves to the new condition. From outdoors in is 

 quite change enough to be overcome. 



After all, I am quite sure that bulbs are by far 

 the most satisfactory things for window culture. 

 They may be brought from the frames in succes- 

 sion, and removed again to be dried off when out 

 of flower, and what in nature is more pitiful than 

 a pinched and starving house, plant? nothing 



