HOUSE, AEEA, AND WINDOW GARDENING. 



197 



ver-edged, and the golden- 

 edged varieties witli bruad 

 leaves aud with narrow 

 leaves. Any soil seems to 

 suit them. 



Euonymus radicans — this 

 appears to he known only 

 in its variegated forms, of 

 which there are turee or 

 more. Its growth some- 

 what resembles that of 

 Ivy, some of its branches 

 throwing out side roots, 

 which will cling to a wall. 

 It clambers ovv.r rock- 

 work, and looks well 

 amongst dark evergreens, 

 the white parts of the 

 leaves being very distinct 

 and clear. 



Griselinia littoralis, and G. 

 lucida, are two New Zea- 

 land shrubs, with bright, 

 shining leaves, of un- 

 usually thick substance, 

 and are well worthy of 

 trial in balconies. 



Habrothamnus elegans is a 

 Mexican evergreen, which 

 is in flower nearly all the 

 year round, growing freely 

 in loaui, and. producing a 

 profusion of rosy- purple 

 blossoms. 



Laurustinus (Viburnum 

 'Imus) is a very useful 

 shrub, producing a prolu- 

 sion of trusses of creamy- 

 white flowers at the euds 

 of its branches in winter, 

 beginning in December, 

 and lasting for two or 

 three months. Tnere is 

 also a pure white variety. 



Myrtles — these are pro- 

 bably the best kind of 

 shrubs that cau be grown. 

 "When they can be induced 

 to flower their white blos- 

 soms are always much ad- 

 mired, while their loliage 

 is useful as a background 

 to other plants in ilower, 

 or for the decoration of 

 bouquets when the speci- 

 mens are large enough to 

 cut from. The leaves, 

 when bruised, are very 

 odoriferous. The plants 

 thrive in sandy loam and 

 peat. 



Oleander — the best variety 

 or this evergreen is Ne- 

 riutn splendens, which has 

 bright pink flowers, which 

 last in bloom for a long 

 time. It requires a light, 

 rich soil, and plenty of 

 water. 



Skimmia Japonica, and S. 

 oblata — both Japan ever- 

 greens, with thick pale 

 green leaves of pleasing 

 brightness. In green- 

 houses the ends of the 

 branches produce clusters 

 of sweet - sceuted white 

 flowers, which are fol- 

 lowed by scarlet berries. 



Sweet Bay (Lauras nobilis) 

 —this is grown for its 

 foliage only, as the flowers 

 are not showy. Its leaves 

 have an agreeable perfume 

 when bruised. It will grow 

 in any common garden 

 earth. 



Amongst deciduous tender shrubs, and half-hardy- 

 perennials for balconies, we must give the first 

 place to 



Aloysia citriodora— the Le- 

 mon-scented Verbena — 

 is one of the neatest 

 of flowering shrubs ; its 

 French - white b lossoms 

 are exceedingly light and 

 pretty, while the delicious 

 perfume given off by its 

 leaves at the slightest 

 bruise, or touch, is well 

 known. There is an East 

 Indian Grass, Cymbopogon 

 Schcenanthus, which emits 

 a very similar fragrance. 



Fuchsias — these are too well 

 known to need detailed 



descriptions. Although 

 they will live and grow in 

 almost any soil, peat, leaf- 

 mould, and old manure in 

 equal parts, to one of 

 sandy loam, suits them 

 best. 



Pelargoniums, at least the 

 hardier varieties, are very 

 ornamental when trained, 

 up a wall, or tied to the 

 railings of a balcony. 

 They may be well grown 

 in the f-ame soil as that 

 recommended for Fuch- 

 sias. 



Climbers foe, Balconies. 



Calystegia pubescens— this 

 is a double-flowered, rose- 

 coloured Convolvulus. As 

 its lower leaves are liable 

 to turn brown, and look 

 rather untidy, it should be 

 trained up behind some 

 short bushy plants, which 

 would thus conceal this 

 defect. It does well in 

 loamy soil, and blossoms 

 in July and August. 



Cobcea scandens — this free- 

 growing green-house per- 

 ennial may be used upon 

 warm walls during the 

 summer. 



Eccremocarpus (Calampelis) 

 scaber — a very elegant 

 climber, with oranee 

 flowers, which looks well 

 trained up a pillar, or 

 allowed to ramble over 

 netting on a warm south 

 wall. A light, loamy soil 

 suits it best. It can be 

 grown from seed or cut- 

 tings. 



Lathyrus — the Everlasting 

 Pea (L. latifolius) has 

 always been a great fa- 

 vourite ; its spi'kes of 

 crimson flowers are pro- 

 duced in quantities in 



Ausrust, and if the pure 

 white variety of it can be 

 obtained, there are few 

 flowers to surpass it. The 

 purplish - blue Lord An- 

 son's Pea (L. Magellani- 

 cus) is another desirable 

 kind of Everlasting Pea, 

 which flowers in June. 

 Both these species are 

 perennial, and scentless. 

 The best of the scentless 

 annual species is the Tan- 

 gier Pea (L. tingitanus), 

 which produces large dark 

 purple flowers in July. 

 Lophospermum scandens — 

 a Mexican climber of ele- 

 gant habit, having large, 

 showy, rosy flowers. It 

 does best when grown 

 every year from seed in 

 good light soil. It is an 

 evergreen, and produces 

 purplish-violet flowers in 

 June. 



Maurandya Barclayana— an 

 elegaut little twining 

 plant, with blue and 

 white flowers ; it requires 

 wires, or a trellis, to sup- 

 port it, and a light, rich 

 sandy soil to grow in. 

 Cuttings struck in a 

 green-house, or warm 

 wiudow, may be put out 

 ot doors when there is no 

 further risk from frost, 

 and they will bloom from 

 July to September. Plants 

 may also be raised from 

 seed. 



Pharbitis hispida— this is 

 better kuown under the 

 name of Convolvulus 

 major, of which the blue 

 variety with a white tube 

 is most commonly seen. 

 The flowers appear in 

 August. The seeds should 

 be sown in a mixture of 

 sandy loam and leaf- 

 mould, and the pots kept 



in a warm place until the 

 seeds begin to grow. 



Sweet Pea (L. ocioratus) — 

 the most popular of all 

 the annual climbers, may 

 be had from white to 

 crimson, scarlet, and pur- 

 ple, almost to black. 



Tropseolum aduncum — the 

 Yellow-flowered Canaden- 

 sis, or Canary Creeper — is 

 one of the best climbers 

 for a balcony. It grows 

 in any light rich soil. It 

 is always admired, and 

 looks well mixed with 

 other TropEeolums. 



Tropseolum mains — the 

 common Nasturtium — re- 

 quires to be trained, or 

 tied, to a netting or other 

 support. There are many 

 varieties of it, the pre- 

 vailing colours being 

 bright scarlet, orange, 

 and crimson. It will grow 

 freely in any good light 

 soil. 



Tropseolum speciosum — this 

 very elegant climber is 

 diffi "ult to grow in the 

 South of England gene- 

 rally, even under the care 

 of professional gardeners ; 

 yet in Scotland it is by no 

 means uncommon, and we 

 have seen it well grown I y 

 amateurs in North Wales 

 and in Kent. It would be 

 best to get an established 

 plant of it in a pot, and to 

 shift it into a large pot 

 without disturbing or ex- 

 posing its roots, its long 

 slender blanches, covered 

 with delicate foliage, will 

 run along horizontal wires 

 or strings for a long dis- 

 tance, and the last three 

 feet of each shoot is 

 crowded with little scarlet 

 blossoms in June and 

 July. 



Hardy Annuals. — Where balcony horticulture 

 must be limited to the use of flower-pots, there is no 

 class of plants which will produce so much colour 

 as hardy annuals. The usual month for sowing- 

 annuals is April, but if it be desired to have a 

 certain kind of plant in bloom for a long time, this 

 end may be often attained by sowing a batch of the 

 seed every month from February to June ; if the 

 plants raised from the seed sown first are not injured 

 by a late spring frost, flowers may be had early in 

 May, and from thence up to late in the autumn. 



When we say that an annual blooms during a 

 certain period of the year, it must not be understood 

 that one sowing will always insure this ; it does so 

 in some cases, but in many it is necessary to sow 

 more than once. 



There is an immense variety of plants which come 

 under this heading, and it would be impossible to 

 grow them all. A selection is therefore desirable, 

 and unavoidable, and the following list will be found 



