144 Balcony and Area Gardening. 



the sun is very strong is the proper time to do it. In 

 dry warm weather the plants should all be watered at 

 night after sundown. It is very refreshing to them 

 after a hot dusty day, and braces them up for the coming 

 morrow. 



The best way to cultivate flowers on a balcony is by 

 means of boxes, which are preferable to pots, as they 

 do not dry up so soon, and the roots of the plants have 

 more nourishment and room to spread. The best sort 

 of soil is the same as that recommended for Window 

 boxes. And no lack of useful flowers need be 

 experienced for nothing looks better on a balcony than 

 some of our hardy common flowers which may be 

 bought in the market for a few pence per dozen, such 

 as, Wallflowers, Stocks, Arabis, Daisies, Hepaticas, 

 double and single Primroses and Polyanthuses, Pansies, 

 Violas, Forget-me-nots, and Auriculas, not forgetting 

 the splendid, hardy border plant so suitable for pot 

 culture, Dielytra spectabilis, with its graceful drooping 

 spikes of rosy pink flowers. These are the standard 

 spring flowering hardy plants so fashionable now for 

 Spring gardening. They flower in conjunction with 

 the grand display of Spring flowering bulbs. 



Among Spring bulbs we have first the noble 

 Hyacinth with its magnificent spikes of fragrant 

 waxy-looking bells, of nearly every shade of colour. 

 You need not purchase the new or costly named sorts 

 of this charming flower. Older sorts for Spring display 

 in masses can be had very cheap, and flower just as 

 well and sometimes better than the costly sorts. The 

 Tulip is the Queen of Spring flowers and the grandest 



