CHAPTEE XIV 



CONSERVATORIES 



The gardeners in private places often spoil their plants 

 by overdoing the size. It is no doubt tempting to 

 a man who is a good cultivator to push the cultiva- 

 tion on to its utmost possibility, but it is easy to 

 go beyond the bounds of beauty, and to get a coarse 

 look. The plants are in perfect health, but are fed 

 up so that they have that over-fat look of prize 

 beasts at a show. Besides Chrysanthemums, the 

 plants that gardeners favour most in this way are 

 Calceolarias of the show sorts, Cinerarias, and Begonias. 

 Often, in conservatories and drawing-rooms, I think 

 how pretty that plant would be if the flowers were 

 only a little smaller ; not that I ever think these 

 Calceolarias and Cinerarias are good room plants ; 

 they have no natural grace or refinement, and except 

 in the case of the clear blue and the white, the range 

 of colouring of the Cinerarias is of a coarse and un- 

 pleasant character. Begonia metallica is one of my 

 favourites among room plants. It makes a plant of 

 fine size, and is full of the truest beauty and refine- 

 ment, both of flower and leaf. 



How seldom does one see a conservatory arranged 



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