Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-26
Cheap ParIor Plants.

For room decoration why do not peo-
pie take some hardy things that do not
mind heat or frost or drought or flood
that is II none Of these things come in
too great extremes. There are such
things; but instead Of looking Tor them,
tender greenhouse things that require
much light and great care-things which
even florist with all his skill can
scarcely grOw-are taken in hand and
thus people very often fail Of success.
OF course after making close acquaint-
ance with plants and learning their lit
Tie whims and fancies and Just how to
humor them in those little niceties that
they set their hearts upon, the parlor-
gardener can do as well as the green
house gardener and often much better.
II, however, the harder things are
taken, success is certain without much
anxiety or care and one can practice on
them until they are able to care for the
more delicate things
Among the best Of these old-fashioned
plants easy to grow in sunshine or
shade there is nothing so good as the
various varieties of English evergreen
IVY AS usually seen in pots on street
corners, pretty as they are, they give
no idea of the great beauty which a
plant OF several years old presents.
we have seen some grown in moderate
sized tubs six or seven feet high and
trained over wires 80 as to make backs
to seats or even little arbor-like cover
ings or alcoves, admirable for standing
in wide entrys or halls. They may be
trained up in pots high enough and
thick enough to cover window-frames
entirely, not only up the sides but
round and over tops, making what is
usually a dreary room look like living
bower, or room adorned by the high
est art look all the lovelier for the in
cursion of beautiful Nature on her es-
pecial domain.
We have seen the ivy in Just these
conditions frequently and wonder WHY
the successful ex8mple is not catching.
We suppose IL must be simply q want
of forethought. We see and admire
and resolve that we will do likewise;
but we leave these fairy spots and get
into the rushing busy world, forgetting
the pleasurable impressions and only re-
membering them when chance throws
us in the way of seeing them again.
The time is now come when prepara-
ton may be made for these sort of
things. The young ivies should be
potted in the spring in good garden
soil and after gentle reminder that
they are expected to travel upwards by
being tied to stout stake set in the
center of the pot, set out in partial
shade to grow. 1t will need to have
just the same watering and Just the
same general culture as ordinary plants
and by fall will be large enough for
some show the same winter. Butitis the
second season and afterwards that the
great beauty of the ivy will be seen,
and it is just these three or four-years-
old plants that people very seldom see.
How dearly we should like to see a
couQle of pots of ivy in everybody's
winter-home, and especially in the
homes of the poor. We read every
year in the daily papers of some indi-
viduals at Christmas giving away loaves
of bread to the poor. This may be well
enough in its way, though it is looked
on often as huge joke and the loaves
tossed about in fun, and though it is at
other times merely dodge for cheap
advertising by some trader who thinks
himself sharp in thus cheating a pub
Usher of five dollar bill, we are will
ing to believe that some do it from
good motives and that some return gem
uine thanks for timely relief; but if
some one would distribute few hun
dreds OF well-grown ivy to the poor and
ignorant, not to say the vicious at this
generally cheerful time, we believe an
immense amount of pleasure would be
given to a class who know not what
rational pleasure is, and no doubt other
good wouldfollow.- Germantown Tele-
graph.