The Garden Under Glass

CHAPTER II A MODEST CONSERVATORY The Conservatory IN Window and Room The author’s difficulty in compiling this book is no mean one. He is rightly expected to give such advice as may be useful to the amateur with his small greenhouse in town, as well as to the wealthy flower lover with his palatial conservatory in the country. I endeavour to meet these difficulties by telling how best to grow plants, not so much to give perfect flowers fit for exhibition, but rather beautiful flowering plants, forming an unbroken succession of floral beauty. Having had a wide experience of gardening in all four quarters of the English compass, I have met with most of the difficulties of plant culture and can offer the results of this experience to my readers with a considerable amount of confidence. The window conservatory, as I have ventured to term it, could well be more generally a feature of the villa garden. I speak of the projection of a glass case from the window, which gives more space and more light for plants and would be a splendid place for showing to advantage plants which have been grown in the greenhouse. The condition of atmosphere will be somewhat difficult to adjust, but an endeavour should be made to have it as near as possible to that of the small conservatory I am about to treat of. The window conservatory is not intended for the growing of plants—indeed they could be grown there with but very 19