The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-22
THE CULTIVATION OF FLOWER
GARDENS.

One of the cheapest luXuries In which per-
sons of moderate income may Indulge, and
one which becomes q lasting source OF plea
sure to young and old, is the cultivation OF a
flower garden. An Euglish writer has said,
of all occupations In the world 1t is the one
which best combines .repose and activity. !t
is not idleness; 1t Is not stagnation; and yet It
is perfect quletude. Like all things mortal IL
has its failures and Its disaPp0intmenls, and
there are some things hard to understand.
But it is never without lis rewards, and, per-
hsps, If there were nothing but successful cul-
tiyation, the aggregate enjoyment would be
less. It Is better for the occasional shadows
that come over the scene. The discipline, TOO,
Is most salutary. 1t tries our patience and IL
tries our faith. But even In the worst OF sea-
sons there is far more to reward and enc0ur-
age than dlshearten and disappoint. There 1s
no day Of the year without something to al.
ford Tranquil pleasure to The cultivstor OF
flowers, something on which the mind may
rest-rest with profit and delight.
After the first few difficulties have been
overcome, tue amount of care required by
flowers is trfiing compared with the gratlfca.
1ion they afford. Their cultivation is In Itself
a pleasure, rather than q labor, and Is one Of
the most healthful and fitting emplOyments In
which Young people can be taught to engage.
With children. the natural spirit OF Inquiry IN
cident to youth, will prompt them to discover
something of the nature and properties OF the
flowers they cultivate, and from this germ
may spring habits OF observation which IN
after wears will be of the utmost value.
1t is q common mistake to suppose that
flowers can only be raised in extensive
grounds. Light and air are Indispensable. but
there are few portions Of this city, even those
districts In which the buildings cluster most
thickly, that do not afford sufficient of these
reouisites for the successful cultivation OF
come, of the hardler kinds of plants. Several
wears ago, an exhibition was held IN London,
at which prizes were offered exclusively tor
flowers raised In pots by persons dwelling
within certain defined districts OF the city:
The promoters of this scheme were grained
to find that their experiment had succeeded
beyond their hopes. The number OF exhloit-
of beautiful flowers offered by them showed
no trace of the unc0ngenial surroundings
amid which they had been raised. These
flowers we're grown on the window sill and
parapets of the poorest sections OF city, the
fmpurlty OF the atmosphere OF which has be-.
come proverbial 1t is also noticeable That
large proportion OF the successful compeu60rs
at this exhibition were children.
The inin iteiy purer air and less crowded
condition of Charleston consequently oner
immeasurably superior advantages for the
cultivation of the window gardens to those
epjoyed BY the exhibitors OF this London fOw-
er show. The relief to the eye caused 0y the
downy leaves aud bright scarlet blossoms OF g.
sInele geranium will Danish half the gloom
from an otherwise utterly dull and reDelllng
house front, and If the practice of cultiVatlng
window gardens became general, acres OF
monotOnOns brick work might thus be trans
formed, and made to become bright and plea.
Bant