Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11
JAZZ ANESE GARDENS
How to Make Spring Window
Boxes.
SOWING THE SEED
LOOK WELL THAT THE SOIL IS
JUST RIGHT.
Little Precautions in the Beginning
Bound to Show in
Results.

In a modern multimillionaire's palace
there is a drawing room which Is album
dainty supplied with tables holding Louis
XIV snuffboxes and miniatures. while the
chairs and tables might have come straight
from the Trianon. Amid all this beauty
there is something wanting. and this want
is soon discovered. There is not book, a
flower or a plant to be seen.
How many otherwise beautiful rooms
have lost their attractiveness simply from
lack Of blossoms or plants scattered
about
Of late years handsome plants of all
kinds have been added to other artistic
housefurnishings as matter OF course,
and hardly a well-appointed home ex-
lists without at least a rubber plant or
Boston fem being numbered among Its
treasures, and In the spring window boxes
will make streets bright with their bloom.
Although the cold weather is not yet over,
very few persons appreciate what can be
done right now in tn eway OF preparing
outdoor window boxes In these boxes
bulbs may be planted in layers In suita-
BILE soil, and each variety, If properly plant
ed, will come up in turn. With slight trou-
BILE or expense a beautiful window garden
will be ready to greet the first real ap-
proach of spring Unless one is a horticul-
turist by instinct the making OF a WINDOW
box is better left to good florist He
will very likely ask about dollar loot
for the work.
Nasturtium seeds for the spring garden
and window box may also be started now.
Fill empty eggshells with good Loan Whlch
has been finely sifted. Then soak the mas
turtium seeds for a few minutes In tep1d
water and place one seed In each shell
to terminate Set the eggshells close to-
gether in a pan filed with sawdust. Cover
the pan and set it in shady spot
A Good Idea.
Plants raised in this way from seed are
very easy to transplant, as the eggsneA
may be broken without injuring the ten
der roots The&siny plants must be pro-
tected from the rays of the sun for several
days after transferring.
The quaint Lilliputian gardens of Japan
are now very smart for dinner table DEC
orations These miniature landscape gar
dens have been brought to such pitch OF
perfection by the Japs that in a space OF d
few feet it is possible to depict two or three
mountains. with a running stream, paths
down the sides, tiny stream crossed py
bridges and leading to four-inch huts, val
leys clothed with real, living verdure ana
often half dozen kinds OF gnarled forest
trees reaching to the enormous helgnt OF
a foot or so. AS far as the trees them
selves are concerned, oaks, larches, pines,
expresses and naples are the kinds which
lend themselves most readily to the Japa-
nese gardeners skill. If for artistic effect a
desired the Jap is equal to the emergency
and introduces in soma occult fashion
known only to these oriental people piece
of rock with tiny tree growing out or IL
Dwarf Japanese plants will thrive in the
window of an ordinary room, just as an
india rubber plant would. But they are
grateful for plenty of open air in the sum
mer These little plants are rather expen-
sive, the cheapest being usually a dollar
and half, and the gardens described often
mount up to large sum. But with a little
ingenuity we western people can make
very creditable imitation. In the nursery
a table devoted to a Japanese garden Is
good investment as it keeps the small oc-
cupants proftably employed.
A Cover Of Salt.
When preparing the mold for planting
garden seed the home gardener should cover
it with salt from one to two inches thick,
and he need have no fear that the flowers
will be choked with weeds. The salt should
remain on the mold for week or ten days
and be continually uloistened. Before
planting the soil should be well watered
and left overnight and the salt scraped
from the surface in the morning, when the
mold will be ready for the seed or plant,
whichever it may be. One OF the advan-
tages of homegrown flowers is that you
can be sure of their freshness. while those
urchased from the shops and street vend'
ers seldom last very long,
Now that flowers have become such a
favorite gift at Eastertide-and at this hoii-
day season the florists have no conscience
in the matter of price-it may be of use to
know how to preserve the life of cut how,'
ers.
A Taste of Salt.
Before placing flowers in vase or bowl
throw In a little salt or baking powder. and
X you want your dowArst 70 last for seyeral