Window Gardening: and a List of Some of the Flowers Found Growing Naturally in the Vicinity of Boston (Historical Gardening Book)

This historical book on Window Gardening and list of the flowers found growing naturally in the vicinity of Boston has been restored and edited for the benefit of future generations.From the original manuscript:In offering this manual to the amateur raisers of plants, it seems just to the originators of the suggestion which crystallized into the formation of a special committee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, to state the progress hy which the idea has grown to be an established fact.In March, 1872, a communication was read by the President before the monthly meeting. In this communication from Rufus Ellis, Henry W. Foote, and Cyrus Bartol, the desire was expressed that the Massachusetts Horticultural Society offer prizes for window gardens, conduct all the business of advertising, awarding prizes, etc.; and whatever money was required would be furnished by the petitioners.The plan, offered to a body of florists and nursery-men, was deemed impracticable, and on submitting its acceptance for a vote, it was not enthusiastically adopted.A committee was appointed by the Chair. A suitable schedule was prepared and correspondence was held with the clergymen of Boston, presiding over Mission Sunday Schools. Plants were distributed at Easter by charitably disposed persons, and by the churches.The report of the Chairman in December of that year gave the names of those to whom were awarded small prizes (over one hundred children), and the pleasant news of a -small sum of money in the treasury.The friends considered the seed well sown. Later years of great indifference in the Society caused them to consider it sown either in fallow ground or too deep to feel the kindly influence of warmth and encouragement.But the time for re-awakening came, just as spring comes to the seed sown in the ground: the ideal seed had lain still while the husks of ignorance and neglect decayed: the spiritual came out triumphant and friends rallied to the work.Conferences with those persons conversate with the desires, tastes, and possibilities of children, resulted in arousing many children to buy their plants, to be kept and at the proper time exhibited. All the exhibitions were held in the hall of the Society, but it was soon shown that there was need of more practical knowledge of how to reach the little ones. The committee had to join the ranks of learners. Last year, 1888, halls in different sections of the city were offered the committee, and several creditable exhibitions of plants and cut flowers made. To well grown and clean plants prizes of small sums of money were awarded. When the plants were but fairly well grown and the exhibitor very young, Prang's cards were awarded, accompanied by the nickel for car fare, for in very many cases the size of the pot, compared with the little arms that brought it to the hall, made it a cruelty to allow it to be carried home as it came. The opportunity was not neglected to point a moral, in a friendly way. After a simple address from some of the committee, in which attention was directed to the broken or blighted leaves, the dirty pot, or the general untidiness, it was astonishing to observe how quickly even quite young children were ready to act as judges, spy out the faults, and suggest how the owner of the plant could improve them.Testimony from the homes shows that all the inmates of the home come to claim a sort of ownership in the reward given for a satisfac- tory exhibition.The committee feels encouraged to cherish still further the growth of our “idea.” They offer this season prizes of books or school microscopes for the best kept window of plants. Children can be encouraged to look for flowers even in the city streets, and open lots. We know that while roses and scarlet geraniums cannot be found by the wayside, a lover of flowers picked nineteen varieties in a walk from Clarendon Street to West Chester Park. The blossoms of some were tiny, of others conspicuous. Read more