A reprint of a classical work in the Cambridge Library Collection.
The later nineteenth century saw a dramatic increase in the popularity of domestic gardening and the cultivation of plants and flowers in the home. Largely a middle-class pursuit, it caught the attention of writers and publishers who recognised and nurtured the growing demand for advice. This detailed guide first appeared in 1877 and was written for those living in towns and cities who, without substantial gardens, cultivated plants mainly in their windows.
The author, John R. Mollison, intended for it to be 'understood by all', and advises on matters ranging from suitable vases, window boxes, hanging baskets and soil, to watering methods, insect prevention and the labelling of specimens, while also discussing the health-related pros and cons of keeping plants in the home. Complete with an alphabetical list of suitable species, and illustrated with a host of wood engravings, this attractive resource will interest both gardening enthusiasts and social historians.
1. Introductory remarks
2. Suitable pots, vases, and hanging baskets
3. The window box
4. The window greenhouse
5. Soil and drainage
6. Potting and watering
7. Filling window boxes
8. On plants in our dwellings
9. On the general care of plants and the window greenhouse
10. Insects, their prevention and cure
11. Propagation and training of plants
12. Select flowering plants suitable for window gardening
13. Bulbous, rooted, and rock plants
14. Hardy ferns for window gardeners
15. Hardy ferns (cont.)
16. Greenhouse ferns and mosses
17. Plant growing in Wardian cases
18. Filmy ferns in cases and under bell-glasses
19. Pot-plants for windows, and the labelling of specimens
20. Balcony and area gardening
21. The floral decorations of rooms, halls, and passages
22. Monthly calendar of operations
23. Concluding remarks on window gardening
Alphabetical list of plants suitable for window and balcony gardens and the decoration of rooms