84 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PLANTS FOE HOUSE DECOKATION. 

 By Mr. John Wills, F.B.H.S. 



[Read March 8, 1892.] 



No one who has visited the pleasure gardens of the rich or 

 noticed the humble garden-plots of our country cottagers, or 

 even glanced at the window-boxes and pot-plants in the artisans' 

 dwellings in many of our smoke-begrimed towns, can for a 

 moment doubt that the love of flowers generally, and the taste 

 displayed in their arrangement, have increased tenfold amongst 

 us during the last twenty years. And that this increased love of 

 flowers has immensely benefited horticulture and those engaged 

 in its most elevating pursuit, is also a well-known fact. And as 

 the amount of money spent on any particular luxury or amuse- 

 ment is to some extent a measure of its popularity and progress, 

 it will perhaps be interesting first to trace the rapid strides 

 which have been made of late years in the floral decoration of 

 houses and public buildings, as indicated by the sums of money 

 spent upon it, and then to consider some of the plants most 

 suited to the purpose. 



Twenty-five years ago £25 or £50 would have been con- 

 sidered — was considered — an extravagant and altogether un- 

 heard-of sum for any nobleman or gentleman, however wealthy, 

 to spend upon the decoration of his house for a dinner party or 

 a ball, or any other entertainment, But in 1871 the rage for 

 elaborate floral decorations came in, if one may say so, with a 

 rush. It was initiated by the late Sir Edward Scott, whose love 

 of flowers and whose liberality were both unbounded. He gave his 

 house up into his florist's hands for three full days, with carte 

 blanche orders, regardless of expense, the only stipulation being 

 that the handsomest decorations possible should be produced, and 

 the result was both so novel and so beautiful that almost every- 

 one who gave great entertainments during that London season 

 of 1871 followed in the track which he had pointed out. 



During the following years many and much larger decora- 

 tions took place, amongst which may be instanced what at the 

 time was called the "hanging gardens of Babylon," on the 

 occasion of a ball given by the Marquis of Bristol, when six tons 



