Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-13
WINDOW GARDENING.
Pots and Flower stands.

WINDOW GARDENING.
Brackets, Pots and Flower stands.
twenty years ago, woman who kept
plants" was regarded by her neighborS as q
person who wantonly wasted her time, and
solemn matrons and pert little girls united in
conforming her wtckednesS. Ten years ago,
when the House and Home Papers, and tae
florists advertisements had done their perfect
work. three-quarters of the Windows In many
houses were SO screened by vegetation as to b,
practically useless, and some were unopened
for many consecutive months for fear OF dis
dillieS set on the sash. Now, the golden mean
| has been reached, and one finds a reis pnabia
number Of plants in nearly all pretty sitting
! rooms, but does not often encounter 50 dense a
forest Of greenery as to make him thill that
he has strayed into a conservatory by mistake.
| This change is partly owing to the natural re-
action from the over-cultivation OF flowers. and
partly to the invention of improved accomn)-
datiOnS for them. Formerly. the window Selt,
with the addition OF an expensive shelf or box
made by a carpenter, table, or huge wooden
| structure, immOyaoie by womlnly hands AMI
hldeouS to wominly eyes, afforded The only
resting places for flower pots. The hanging
basket had indeed been revealed to the dom IS
tic toTist, and it was hung in all poSs places
| and many that would have been deem ID imoos-
| Sible, If woman had any conscience when once
mounted on hobby. but still nobody had found
any way of cult!' ating plants in a weil-cur-
ia ned room In 1911 somebody invented an
iron bracket for no" er pots, much to the JOY of
| Tie few who had been using WOODEN brackets
| for fvies and other plants that did not ab5o-
luteiy refuse to grow when set in dark corners.
Then somebody found out that with tn .se
brackets 1t was possible to use the Whole leng6h
of wiAdoY casing without interfering with the
cur; ain OF the sash without tntercepting much
light and then the trace beg IN to increase. a
Il ousand brackets were maze the first year:
the EeXt tn number doubled and now the
n anufa turerS are reckoled by the score, the
brackets that they make by the million, and
the trade IN the requisites for window garden
ing, which used to be duh in the autumn and
lively in the spring, is now at its height during
the last six weeks of autumn and the ttrst
month Of winter. The brackets themselves
have grown almost as much as the trade, the
little circular bit of metal able to accommodate
one pot having developed into groups of four or
| five branches and into shelves mounted on
brackets and capable Of accommodating three
| flower pots. Last OF all has come the bracket
with curved arms, having six branches which
Mrs. Amaryllis can fix this bracket to the outer
| casing of her bay window, can set her geran-
1ums ana pelargoniums upon 1t, display them
all day to her neighbors, and give them all the
sunlight that they need, and when night comes
She can swing them back into the ROOM lower
the curtains, and at the same time secure a
pretty deeorson for the pier spaces Of her
prices Of these different styles OF bracket ran re
from ten cents to $2.25.
Brackets have theiFf disadvantages like every
thing else earthly, and ladies who do not like TO
climb into chairs to water plants prefer the lit
tie shelves which are fitted With swinging
brackets, so that they may be drawn out from
the window few inches when one wishes to
lower the curtain, and pushed back when one
desires more space in the room. This shelf can
be set halfway between the top and bottom OF
the opening of the sash. All of these brackets
come in two or three styles, SO that the lover
of the sickly green that passes for bronze, the
sensible being who prefers the dark, plain
brown which Is both neat and cheap, and the
woman OF gorgeous tastes, who likes the mix
ture of gilt and BACKED called Egyptian bronze,
can crafty their tastes.
This year there has been lively dem and for
rustic vases. which are now Sc! up in bay win
doWs and filled with sun-loving plants and
vines. The fashion originated with certain
ladies who disliked to give up their lawn vases
to the tender mercieS of the killing frost just
when they were looking their best, and so trans
TERED their contents to the house, defying the
sarcasm of the household angels who never
can see why anything should be done that has
not been done before. These vases are often
given suitable companions in the cottage
baskets which are made Of terra-cotta and
simulate messy twigs and branches. Some
times the terra-cotta log which either stands or
hangs as one pleases is preferred to the cot
tage style. 1t must be owned that real plant
lovers prefer something palmer than these,
and although ayerse to the bare ugliness of the
clay potts. buy the red pots that cost fifteen or
more elegant. Gilt and black, arranged in
simple patterns, look well in any room and
with any foliage, and can be found in the lat
t!ce, arabesque and frosted styles at prices
ranging from fifteen cents to Sl.75. There are
some very elaborate and imported pots with
handles and OrnamenJed with bands of painted
color that are more costly; and Philadelphia
manufactures some pots enclrcled by embossed
vines that are both pretty and cheap. Majolica
pots, handsome although they are, are purchased
principally by persons who leave the care OF
their plants to servants, and their sale is an in
significant branch OF the trade.
Flower stands which one finds in houS IS
where the window seats are narrow vary in
price from one dollar to nine or ten and are OF
an infinite variety Of shapes. There are trays
set on casters and used for large single pOJS;
long. narrow trays that set on brackets, or can
be fastened In such way as to supplement
narrow window seat; there are square stands
for three or four pots; stands made up of three
single trays for as many pots; stands OF three
graduated curved steps, and stands in which all
the steps are straight, and lastly, stands with
Roman and ogee arches with little trays set here
and there between their summit and base
Some prefer to place zinc trays in these stands,
but most persons prefer to leave their airy light
ness unbrOken by anything but the plants and
pots. Wire trelltSeS which are used instead OF
those made OF wood cost fifteen cents, the price
OF simple style suitable for q fuchSia to the
baSket-shaped SWeet-pea trell1SeS and the bal
loon trellis.
Last of all come the window boxes and
shelves, which are no longer made AFTER the
rustic patterns, but initiate marble, and the
fernerieS, which cost from siXty-five cents to
SIP. These are liked by those who have little
leisure or strength for the work involved in
keeping plants In pots, but who like to have a
little green spot in their sitting roems-[Boston