180 
WINDOW GARDENING. 
rich shades of brown and orange; and the delicate tracery of those with finely 
divided fronds, wonderfully set off like vegetable lace against the dark back 
ground of the weather-worn brick. 
Nail holes had been made here and there, where in former 
times were fastened the branches of peach, apricot, cherrj^, 
and plum trees to ripen their crops ; but they had long ago 
been given up. The idea occurred to him to convert it into 
a perpendicular fernery. He first of all thrust into some of 
the large holes in the wall, tufts of common Polypody, 
making their creeping roots comfortable with turfy peat, 
and securing them from falling out by means of a copper 
wire passed across the hole and held to the bricks by 
small staples. As these were found to flourish and give 
the wall somewhat the aspect of a ruin, he began to make 
holes to plant others ; and by degrees the wall was covered 
with Hearts Tongue, Asplenium adiantum, the Wall rue 
fern, the Mountain Polypody, the Alpine cijstopteris, and 
dozens of others that bear drought patiently, and naturally 
inhabit rocks and waysides. In the shady chinks next the butteries, he man- 
aged to coax the Maiden hair to make luxuriant fillets of herbage, and at th» 
foot of the wall there were tufts of lastrea, osmunda royal, 
and other ferns which the wall itself refused to nourish 
Themajority of these held their verdure far into the winter, 
the Hearts Tongue and common Polypodium were usually 
quite green the whole year round; and during the winter 
their rich dottings of golden spores sparkled Ir the most 
cheerful manner against the dark back ground of sheets 
of ivy and red brick. Of course the wall itself was crown- 
ed with Snapdragons, Wallflotvers, and other gay tenants 
of ruined towers, or pines, that make riot of man's work, 
and glorify the decay of art with the triumph of nature." 
Figs. 55, 56, 57, 58, introduce several " Eristic Terra 
Cotta Arborettes." These are made of Terra Cotta, or pot- 
tery ware, cast in a rugged form resembling the projecting 
limbs of an oak tree just clipped, and with cavities opening 
downward for the reception of earth and holding plants. 
Some of them have a solid interior, and each basin is by 
itself. These are undesirable, having no opportunity for 
drainage ; but where the interior is entirely hollow and can 
be entirely filled with earth, no rustic ornament is more 
suitable for fans or other plants to live in. They may decorate the hall, parlor, 
conservatory, or out door lawn. Their size is from one to three feet high 
Fig. 6C. 
