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By Henry T. Williams. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1878. 
No. 74. Price 12 Cents. 
LOVING FLOWERS. 
Who does not love flowers ? And how can we have 
them in abundance unless we cultivate them ? To 
do this successfully we must have a love for it. How 
often we hear it said, “ I would so like to cultivate 
them, but have no time.” 
Now, I think if one but possesses a love of the beau¬ 
tiful as seen in flowers, they can find time at least for 
a few of them, There are so many that are easily 
cultivated, and it takes so small a place to grow them. 
A small plot will suffice to grow quite a variety. 
Verbenas, Geraniums, Petunias, Carnations, and 
Phloxes are very easily grown, and there are many 
florists who send them by mail so cheaply. Can any 
other beautiful 
thing be so eas¬ 
ily obtained ? 
A profusion 
of lovely flowers 
about a home is 
a true index of 
taste and refine¬ 
ment. Plant 
them every¬ 
where— climb¬ 
ing over the 
porch, running 
along the lat¬ 
tice, twining 
around vases 
a n d hanging 
baskets, their 
grateful fra¬ 
grance and deli¬ 
cate colors 
abundantly re¬ 
pay all the la¬ 
bor and care 
they demand. 
Their culti¬ 
vation is a plea¬ 
sant task; so many points of interest connected with 
their care and culture, that much might be written 
upon the subject. 
In order to have a great display of flowers, we 
must select seeds adapted to the climate in which we 
live, and also those which give a constant bloom. I 
prefer hardy annuals, such as Asters, Balsams, Dian- 
thus, Pansies, and Stocks. A bed of Phlox Druin- 
^rnondi is indispensable. We get the quickest display 
from these, though we cannot well get along without 
perennials. 
We want white flowers in plenty; as we cannot 
make the tiniest bouquet without them. They are 
also in great demand for wreathing the pale yet still 
beautiful forms of the loved and lost. Their culture is 
not an irksome task, but a delightful and healthful 
recreation. It helps to relieve the tedium of farm life 
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Design for Garden or Lawn Gate. 
and tends to make our homes attractive, cheerful, and 
happy. 
A rockery is especially interesting, and combines 
many things of rare beauty. I do not mean a pile of 
stones thrown together in the centre of a lawn. It 
would look badly and be hardly possible to remedy a 
bad location by any skill in planting. It must have 
a good and appropriate position, and be furnished with 
suitable and healthy plants. 
Any florist can supply Ferns for such a structure. 
Choose the smaller growing sorts, and avoid those 
which branch widely. Small Ferns of different vari¬ 
eties can be procured from the woods, and other little 
woodland plants of pretty foliage j also different kinds 
of mosses, which add greatly to the beauty of the 
structure, and keep the plants moist. These answer 
for green, but we must have something bright. Ge¬ 
raniums of the single sorts, as they blossom early and 
continue in bloom through the whole summer. For 
the sides choose the low-growing plants, such as Mon¬ 
eywort, double Portulacca, Sedutn, Escholsia, and a 
few varieties of the Coleus. It requires but very little 
care. Give a good watering at night and it will repay 
you well and be 
a thing of beauty 
throughout the 
whole season. 
How can we 
best extend the 
cultivation o f 
flowers, and en¬ 
courage this 
love of the beau¬ 
tiful and of home 
ornamentation ? 
By discussions 
with our friends 
at our homes 
and our social 
gatherings, en¬ 
couraging them 
to join us in 
sending for 
choice seeds and 
rare plants, se¬ 
lected from the 
catalogues o f 
our best seeds¬ 
men and flor¬ 
ists, and more 
than all by inducing them to subscribe for some good 
floral paper, which, having once become acquainted 
with, they cannot afford to be deprived of. 
In this quiet, unobtrusive way we may and can do 
much to refine and elevate our friends and society 
around us, and help make their homes and ours more 
pleasant and attractive. 
Mrs. E. D. Allen. 
VI 
