Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-27
Window Gardens.

@. L Allen in Garden and Forest.
The practice OF decorating windows with grow
Ing plants Is growing in every part OF the country
| and great diversity OF taste Is displayed In
| some places we ind In box that occupies the
window-sill O miniature flower garden as great q
variety as possible, and so crowded that tndivid-
uality OF form or color is entirely lost The result
| Is simply confused color, which Is anything put
peasant In another section We md boxes nlled
with coleus, and where but one or two colors are
used the effect Is very good With but one variety
| OF coleuS and the plants well grown and kept In
proper shape, a window-box can be made beautL
ful In other places we ind boxes OF palms, dra-
esenas, and the ike, and these are often beautiful
Again, we see boxes nlled with ferns, and for
shaded places nothing can be better. The fern
family Is very large, Dut It's members are usually
cOngenia al and haImoniZe well together. IL Is an
interesting TACT that each town has predomi-
nanJ style OF gardening and wfndow-gar0ening.
Every one apparently follows The nrst striking ex-
ample, and Luls emphasizes the importance OF a
good beginning. II the local florist makes taste
| Iul display, or some OF the pioneers in planting
giveobJecL lessons in simplicity and naturalnesS
OF material and arrangement, the town Will show
this influence for years in attractive streets and
lawns.
In London more good taste is displayed In the
arrangement OF window gardens than In any city
or town have sever visited. The first thing that
attracts attention Is the contrast OF positive, we'll
defined colors; the next is the plalnness Of the
boxes that contain the plants These are colsplc-
uous for what they do not show-color; IN TACT,
tney are made 10 hold the plants, and not to De
seem The plants principally used the Paris
daisy, shrubOy calceoiaTia and some Semi-douOle
Inc arrangement Is QulUe SIM
pie Usually there Is an outer row OF the yellow
calceolaria; through the center are, say, three
scarlet geranium5; the remaining room Is filled
with the cary SanIhemumS. For window gardens,
as well as for pot plants the English florists grow
the chrysantLeInum TO perfection; they keep 1t
dwarf aud stocky, which Is done by cutting we'll
Dack when young, and never advancing the plants
10 pot more than q inches In diameter. Occa-
s1onaily little lobelia may be seen In some OF
their arrangements, but this only tends TO inJen-
silly the other colorS, making each more promi-
nent.
These boxes are simple and inexpensive, and for
eject nothing can surpaSs them All the plants
are not only adapted 10 the purposes Tor which
lhey are used. but succeed admirably In their
climate, making a cheerful contrast TO the SCOT
cOlored houses. The use OF these boxes Is very
general; In some OF the streets nearly every house
mas Its window garden or box OF flowers; noticed
many houses In which every front window had Its
noWer-DoX. Flowers are lOI confined 10 the bal
comics OF the great houses. In the humber houses
| OF the middle and lower classes the windows
are bright with bloom. only lew plants are
seen Ia any one house, DuG wherever seen, the
chrySanthemum is the prominent plant, and, as
there grown, a better need not DC looked Ior.