Chapter XIV: Conclusion

And here, my dear ladies, ends the series of notions upon horticulture in the house that I proposed to give you. Can the Parlor Gardener flatter himself with having inspired you with a little interest for those plants that you already loved without knowing it,--for you were predisposed by your nature to do so,--and that you will love better and better in proportion as you know them more? One thing above all ought to have struck you in the course of our discourse: it is, that in all that I have taken the liberty to recommend to you, there is not a single process that each of you cannot practise by yourself; not a single culture that you cannot succeed in by conforming to my hints. Success in our undertakings, whatever the thing may be that we undertake to do, is always pleasure--often happiness.

Let us understand each other, however. I do not pretend that every thing you do will be always crowned with success; you will often go wrong, and then your attempts will necessarily fall through; this is inevitable. But this much I can promise, and answer for--that with a little reflection you will always be able to discern the cause of your failure; and this being seen, you can then begin again, and obtain from a second attempt what you could not from the first.

My dear ladies, I shall enjoy the pleasure--in imagination, at least--of seeing you engaged in adorning with these beautiful children of Flora, first your mantel-piece, next your _étagère_, then your flower-stand, your balcony, and your terrace, all in due succession. I can picture to myself the liveliness of the satisfaction with which you will watch the growth and the opening of the first bud of the first camellia, grafted with your own hand, and that also with which you will gather the first fruit of the first cherry tree that you will have forced under my directions. No doubt the ladies of your acquaintance will take pleasure in following your example--this inoffensive taste for gardening is also a growing and spreading thing. Permit me, then, dear ladies, to indulge the hope that there will spring out from all this--amidst the violets and mignionettes--a little kind recollection of THE PARLOR GARDENER.

INDEX.

A.

Alaterne, 122

Aquarium, 86

Aquarium, construction of, 89

Aquarium, parlor, 88

B.

Balcony to the East, 100

Balcony to the North, 98

Balcony to the South, 107

Balcony to the West, 103

Bean, Spanish, 100

Buddleya, 112

Bulbs, choice of them, 21

C.

Cactuses, 34

Camellias, 84

Christmas rose, 119

Chrysanthemums, 106

Cleaning of plants, 18

Clematis, 124

Clianthus, 112

Cobea, 100

Crocus, 25

Currants, 138

D.

Delphinium, 125

Digitalis, 99

Double window, 143

E.

Echinocacti, 35

Epamprement, 137

Epinoche, 91

F.

Fruits grown on the terrace, 129

Fuchsias, 116

Fruit trees, dwarf, forced, 138

Flower bulbs, 21

G.

Galanthus, 118

Garden in the apartment, 11

Garden on the étagère, 31

Garden on the flower-stand, 44

Garden on the mantelpiece, 20

Garden on the terrace, 120

Garden on the window, 96

Gesneria, 147

Glass shelves, 145

Gloxinia, 147

Glycine of China, 124

Grafts à la pontoise, 82

Grafts of Camellia, 84

Grafts of Orange, 80

Grafts, what practicable, 78

Greenhouse, cold, 56

Greenhouse, warm, 73

Grevillea, 146

H.

Hepatica, 99

Hibiscus, 125

Hollyhock, 124

Holly, variegated, 122

Honeysuckle, 124

Hyacinth, flowering in water, 21

Hydrocharis, 92

Hypericum, 99

I.

Ivy, Irish, 98

J.

Japan quince, 119

Jonquil, 24

K.

Kennedia, 146

L.

Larkspur, 125

Ligatures for grafts, 81

Lobelia, 146

M.

Mandevillea suaveolens, 46

Melocacti, 35

Mesembryanthemums, 38

Mignionette, 102

Mimosa pudica, 92

Mimulus, 99

N.

Nemophiles, 99

Nipping off buds, 134

P.

Pansies, 102

Passion flower, 46

Pelargoniums, 71

Periwinkle, 122

Plants bought in flower, 45

Plants for the double window, 130

Plants for the flower-stand, 45

Plums, 137

Pruning grapes, 134

Q.

Quince, Japan, 119

R.

Ranunculus, 62

Ranunculus, aquatic, 94

Raspberry bush, 137

Rhodiola, 5

Rice, grafted, 92

Rose, Bourgainville, 124

Rose, Boursault, 124

S.

Sedum (stone-crop), 38

Seed-bed, 58

Sempervivum (house-leek), 5

Shrubs, branching, 124

Shrubs, climbing, 124

Slips in the cold portable greenhouse, 66

Slips in the warm portable greenhouse, 73

Slips of begonia, 69

Slips of camellia, 74

Slips of chrysanthemums, 71

Slips of dwarf succulent plants, 68

Slips of leaves, 68

Slips of pelargoniums, 71

Slips, rose, 71

Snow-drop, 118

Spanish beans, 100

Sparmannia, 148

Stapelia, 36

Stock gillyflower, 102

Strawberry, Alpine, 132

Strawberry, Chili, 132

Strawberry, Goliah, 132

Strawberry, Queen of Great Britain, 132

Strawberry, Virginia scarlet, 132

Strawberry, Wilmot superb, 132

T.

Terrace, balcony, 110

Terrace, garden, 120

Thinning grapes, 134

Thunbergia alata, 46

Tomatoes grafted on potatoes, 78

V.

Vases, hanging, 101-104

Vine cultivated in flower pot, 133

Violet, double climbing, 47

Virginia creeper, 124

W.

Watering, 13

Warmth, 16

Winter rose, 119

Wood pink, 46

Y.

Yxora, 148

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The epacris is a New Holland shrub, which the first settlers mistook for a kind of heath, and which is still called heath in Australia, where the true heath (_erica_) is unknown.--Mrs. Loudon’s _Ladies’ Companion to the Flower Garden_, edited by A. J. Downing.

[2] Tussilago--coltsfoot. _Vanilla tussilago_ is probably the tussilago fragrans.

[3] Round-shaped cacti, which take their name from their resemblance, in form and spines, to a curled-up hedgehog.--Mrs. Loudon’s _Ladies’ Companion to the Flower Garden_.

[4] HAND-GLASSES--Portable frames or covers, formed of iron, zinc, or wood, and glazed. These glasses differ from bell-glasses in being longer and composed of numerous small pieces of glass, which are fastened together by narrow strips of lead. Hand-glasses are generally square; but they may be made of an octagon, or any other shape that may be found most convenient; and they are sometimes made with a pane to open to admit air, or with the upper part to take off. This is very convenient; for as hand-glasses are chiefly used for protecting half-hardy plants during winter, it is necessary to give them air every fine day, and it is very troublesome to be obliged to lift the hand-glass off the plant, and to lay it on one side, whenever this is done. Bell-glasses, on the contrary, being principally for preventing the evaporation of moisture from the leaves of cuttings, do not require any opening, as the plants seldom want any air till they have rooted.--Mrs. Loudon’s _Ladies’ Companion for the Flower Garden_.

[5] Peat mixed with sand.

[6] From the word _pompon_, the worsted ornament worn in soldiers’ caps, in lieu of feathers.

[7] Frog-bit--a pretty little British water-plant with white flowers.--Mrs. London’s _Ladies’ Companion for the Flower Garden_.

[8] Description of the water ranunculus in America by Dr. Darlington, of West Chester, Pa., in his _Flora Cestrica_:--

“_Ranunculus_, Linn., (Latin _rana_, a frog, the plant often growing where frogs abound.)

“_Ranunculus aquatilis_, Linn., water ranunculus; _Vulgo_, river crowfoot.

“Root perennial. Stems numerous from the root, procumbently floating, nine to eighteen inches long, very slender, smooth, jointed, branching, and usually throwing out a couple of filiform roots at the joints. Leaves alternate, one at each joint, ... segments half an inch to an inch long.... Petals white or ochroleucous, yellow at base....

“Habitat, flowing waters; Brandywine, frequent. Flowers June to August.

“_Observation._--I have often found this plant entirely submersed (and usually in swift-running water) so deep that the flowers certainly never reached the surface. Professor De Candolle enumerates five varieties of this species, four of which Professor Hooker gives as natives of British America; but I have only met with the present one in this county, (Chester County, Pa.)”

[9] The althæa is an hibiscus.

[10] The eighth, being peculiarly a French strawberry, has been omitted.

[11] It would be well to try this method with other grapes.

[12] Order Bromeliaceæ (the pineapple family) consists of American and chiefly tropical plants; with rigid and dry channelled leaves, often with a scurfy surface; a mostly adnate perianth of three sepals and three petals, and six or more stamens; the seeds with mealy albumen.--Gray’s _Botanical Text Book_.

[13] Order Gesneriaceæ, consisting of tropical herbs, with green foliage and showy flowers.--Gray’s _Botanical Text Book_.

[14] There is an interesting history of the yxora in Mrs. Loudon’s book.

Transcriber's Notes:

Italics are shown thus: _sloping_.

Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.

Perceived typographical errors have been changed.