196 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



with pots is ten feet long, and one foot wide. Upon 

 this space it is evident that you can arrange 



10 pots, each 12 inches diameter (outside). 



40 „ „ 6 „ 

 90 „ • „ 4 „ „ „ 



v 160 „ „ 3 „ 



The following table gives, approximately, the 

 weights of pots of various sizes, and of the crocks 

 and soil in them : — 



Hardy Shrubs. 



Outside Diameter, 

 in inches. 



Empty 

 Pot. 



Weights 



Con- 

 tents. 



Total. 





lb. oz. 



lb. oz. 



lb. oz. 



Three 



4 



9 



13 



Four 



10 



1 1 



1 11 



Six 



1 9 



3 3 



4 12 



Eight 



3 11 



5 1 



8 12 



Nine 



5 4 



10 



15 4 



Twelve ' 



11 



25 8 



36 8 



Reverting now to the supposed space of ten feet 

 by one foot, it will he seen that the total weight 

 of the 



160 pots of 3 in. diam. will be 130 lbs Ooz. 



12 



151 

 190 

 365 



Hence it is manifestly better to use small pots in pre- 

 ference to large ones if the plants will grow equally 

 well in both ; since the smaller pots proportionately 

 cost less, hold less, and weigh less, being thus in all 

 respects more economical. Nevertheless plants in 

 small pots undoubtedly require more care and atten- 

 tion than those in larger pots. 



Shrubs for Balconies. — Many of the dwarfer 

 kinds of shrubs which will be recommended for 

 planting in areas can be grown on balconies, pro- 

 vided that sufficient room can be found for them. 

 In order to force plants into bloom, we curtail their 

 root-room by growing them in the smallest pots 

 possible. So also, if we desire to encourage the pro- 

 duction of foliage, we allow plenty of room for the 

 roots to ramble in a natural way, and we give water 

 frequently. 



The selection, therefore, of shrubs, and other 

 plants for balconies, greatly depends upon the accom- 

 modation which can be afforded for tubs, boxes, and 

 large pots ; and this, of course, must be limited by 

 the strength of the balcony to bear such weights. 

 If a balcony should be pronounced unsafe, it can 

 readily be made available for almost any weight by 

 means of light iron pillars from the ground, or from 

 the area below. Climbers can be trained up these 

 pillars, and thus convert what might have been an 

 eyesore into a real ornament to the house. ...... , . 



Berberis Darwinii, and B. 

 Stenophylla — very pretty 

 evergreen shrubs. The 

 latter flowers in March, 

 and the lormer m June ; 

 the apricot-coloured hlos- 

 soms are freely produced, 

 and are always admired. 



Buxus sempervirens (co u- 

 mon Box)— several varie- 

 ties, all evergreen. 



Colchican Laurel. 



Common Laurel. 



Crataegus pyracantha, 

 although usually seen 

 traintd up the walls of 

 houses, may be grown as 

 a bush if the longest 

 shoots are cut back. It 

 produces abundance of 

 pinkish-white flowers in 

 May, followed by orange- 

 scarlet berries, whichhang 

 all through the winter. 



Ligustrum Japouicum — 

 broader leaves than the 

 common Privet, and a 

 brighter green colour ; it 

 produces large panicles 

 of sweet - see uted white 

 flowers in June. 



Mottled and the green Au- 

 cuba. 



Pernettya mucronata — this 

 evergreen requires peat, 

 and grows about three 

 feet high if planted in good 

 peat. Leaves aarti green, 

 flowers small and whitish ; 

 its scarlet berries, which 

 remain upon the plant 

 throughout the winter, 

 are its ciiief ornament. 



PLillyrea latifolia— for pot- 

 culture in any soil. 



Santohna Chainae-Cyparis- 

 sus (Cotton Lavender, or 

 Winter Lavender) grows 

 about two feet high, and 

 has a profusion of little, 

 hoary, grey-green leaves, 

 which cover its branches. 

 The plant emits a pleasing 

 fragrance if the hand is 

 passed gently over it. It 

 produces yellowDaisy-like 

 floweis in the summer. 



Veronica Andersoni — this is 

 only one out of many very 

 beautiful kinds of Vero- 

 nica which may be used. 



Tender Shrubs for Warm Balconies. 

 The following are very desirable shrubs for cultiva- 

 tion in tubs, or large pots, in balconies not exposed 

 to draughts, or cold winds, and where some pro- 

 tection can be given in severe weather. We will 

 take the evergreens first. 



Buxus Balearica has leaves 

 much larger than the 

 common Box, being nearly 

 two iuches long, and of a 

 bright, shining green. 



Camellias may be grown out 

 of doors in covered bal- 

 conies with a north, or 

 north-west, aspect. They 

 will stand many dee ret- s of 

 frost if the soil at the 

 roots is dry at the time, 

 but the early morniug sun 

 must not be allowed to 

 fall upon them after a 

 frost. At all times they 

 require very careful water- 

 ing, being equally liable to 

 injury from too little, or 

 too much, water. The 

 beauty of their flowers is 

 well known, but even if 

 they should not bloom, 

 their evergreen foliage is 

 very handsome. 



Coprosma Baueriana — the 

 variegated form of this 

 dwarf New Zealand shrub 

 is a very ornamental plant, 

 the margins of its leaves 

 being either white or yel- 

 low. It may r be readily mis- 

 taken for a good variety 

 of the Japan Euonymus. 



Coronilla glauca — a very 

 pretty evergreen, upon 

 which little bunches of 

 yellow Pea-like flow rs 

 may be found from early 

 spri> g until late in au- 

 tumn. Peat, mixed with 

 a little sandy loam. 



Desfontainea spinosa is a 

 beautiful evergreen, from 

 Chili and Peru, having a 

 thick mass of Holly-like 

 lenves, with rich scarlet, 

 tubular flowers, nearly two 

 inches long. It requires 

 to be kept very dry at the 

 roots during winter. 



Ery thrin a crista-galli— 

 though this is an ever- 

 green in its native country, 

 Brazil, it is usually cut 

 down by frost out of doors 

 in England. Neverthe- 

 less, if mulched at the 

 roots through the winter, 

 it will shoot up again in 

 the spring, aT'd produce 

 large, scarlet, Pea-shaped 

 flowers in great abun- 

 dance. The intensely red 

 colour of these blooms has 

 caused it to be known as 

 the Coral Plant, 



Escallonia macrantha has 

 bright, shining leaves, of 

 a dark green colour, and 

 flowers freely in August, 

 producing quantities of 

 little crimson bells. A 

 mixture of loam, sand, 

 and peat. 



Euonymus Japonicus (the 

 Japanese Spindle Tree) is 

 a most useful evergreen, 

 and is, perhaps, more com- 

 monly used as a pot plant 

 than any other shrub. 

 There are several va- 

 rieties, the b^st of which 

 are the broad-leaved sil- 



