Evening star., 1902-03-15
LET FLOWERS BLOOM
THEY RELIEVE BRICK AND NOR
TAR ASPECT OF CITIES.
Hanging From Windows and Growing
on Balconies They Adorn
the Town.

FROM tHe New 1ork Tribune.
The practical possibility OF plant decora-
ton to help in beautifying New York is one
Of the subjects to which the Municipal Art
Society is giving its attention. Some hotels
and clubs already realize the advantages
OF the attractive appearance to be effected
by floral decoration. These, being open all
summer. contribute much pleasure to the
people staying in town. Ii is also suggest
ed that all hospitals take up this improve
ment not only for the pleasure of their pa
tients. but to create an atmosphere of
cheerfulness. the value of which is recog-
nized. The Municipal Art Society, in its
effort to interest every individual in the
beautifying OF the city, has developed some
practical information regarding the easi-
ness Of the means to this end.
1t Is during the hot months Of July and
august that the effort to increase general
interest In the movement is most needed
because Of the conditions Of weather and
the absence from town of many people who
during the spring and fall keep some flow
ers growing for their own pleasure. There
are already some houses in the city whose
occupants while out of town in the summer
leave their window boxes of flowers and
little plots Of lawn in the care of a neigh
boring florist. Any florist will care for the
plants at little expense.
Window Boxes.
The carrying out of the idea of plant dec
oration In city with almost no visible
earth space Is best accomplished by means
of window boxes. One Of these, which has
been in successful operation for two years
Is on the wide window of physicians Of
fee, and is especially designed to keep the
plants at their best through the heat of
summer. 1t is hung below the windowsiIl
and is made Of galvanized iron. Into il the
plants are set without being removed from
their ordinary flower pots. This is done for
two reasons-first. that great quantities OF
water may be poured into the box and
drunk up through the bottom of the pots.
thus making it possible to supply water
freely during the sunny hours of the day
without discooring the leaves or willing
the blossoms. The constant supply of water
has been found to keep the plants in lux
uriant flower throughout the greatest heat
of summer. The second advantage of the
separate pots is that plant of transient
Towering capacity can be inserted for the
sake of variety, and removed when its bios
SONS are exhausted. These variations can
be thus accomplished without endangering
the roots of neishboring plants. AS the
various flowers grow they can be reset in
larger pots. This was even done success
fully with an ivy whose branches were
clinging tightly to the sides of the box
after some years growth.
Ivy and Geranium.
Naturally some plants thrive better than
others in the same conditions. The hardest
have proved to be the ivy and the scarlet
geranium, which flowers throughout the
summer. Another easily kept combination
is the ivy geranium, with it's pink blossoms
and trailing green branches, with which
scme white flower such as sweet elysium
or the tiny white aster. is effective. An
other portion of the house front which can
be treated to a variation of the window
box is the stone or iron railing at the head
of a high stoop. box filed with the
smaller plants and trailing vines can be
suspended over the sides of this The lit tie
space protected by an iron railing in front
Of SO many houses can be made cheerful
by planting sweetpeas against the. waN.
The delicate and fragile beauty of these
flowers Is really attained with little care,
and many blossoms can be picked of daily
for table decorat ton without being missed
from the profusion on the vines. For the
shady SIDE of the street many plants can
be selected which do not require much sun
to bring out their fcwers. There Is a chu-
drGnS hospital on the shady side of the
street which is made beautiful through the
summer by having the space between the
low ground floor windows filled by Dox
containing cannae plants, which shoot up
to a height cf about three feet ana Dear
scailet flowers. Around the roots nastur-
tiums are growing Their 6r,1ana n;, rhs ofaa aars
lower leaves Of the caEnae plants.
An apartme mt house which has for some
time paid much .snticn to It's floral deco
ration has plan for achieving variety
through the seasons. Evergreen trees IN
tubs stand at each side CT the entrance dur
ing the winter. In spring these are taken
awaS and replaced by large pots OF the
yellow and white fielc daisy. which is very
hardy and flowers profuseiy for about SIX
weeks. When summer comes these are
taken away and replaced by tubs OF hy-
drangeas. which are at their best In mid
summer and last until Tall, when the eyers
greens are brought back and put In place
for the winter.