Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-08
MAY 8, 1910.
WATER LILIES IN WINDOW BOX

treasure troVe to fiat dwellers, but
they are not living up to their privi-
leges If they are not raising white
water lilies as we'll
Even If you are three or four stories
above the ground, If you have lew
feet of q tiny back porch which is all
your own you may have these beauti-
full things, white as the thoughts OF
an angel" just outside your door, the
fragrant blossoms all golden-hearted,
opening to the sunlight, one after an
other from early summer until the
frost hitas the later buds at the close
of the season.
The methods of lily growing under
these trying conditions are very sim
pie after all:
Buy a common wash tub made of
galvanized iron so 1t will not warp in
the sun. Have 1t painted slate color
or green on the outside so 1t Will not
draw the heat too strongly, then give
the inside two or three successive coats
of shellac or even paint or yarnish,
anything which will keep the acid OF
the galvanized iron from poisoning the
roots Then fill the tub nearly full OF
rich soil and put the inexpensive root
in, with a few stones around 1t to hold
it in position until the tendrils can
fasten themselves to the earth. Fill
with water and give the tub sunny
position and the work is done-only
the pleasure will follow.
If room on the porch Is scarce, ana
1t is very apt to be, have a strong
frame built for the tub outside the
railing where it will take up no room
whatever. The one we have in mind
was over the alley supported by braces
of strong oak and these are reinforced
with iron braces so the tub cannot pos
sibly fall. Then you have only to keep
fresh water in it, giving more as the
other dries up; then the little brown
points begin to come up and later de-
velop into big green leaves; after
while a little brown thing Will snow
itself which has round point instead
of a sharp one then you have lily
bud which will open with its fragrance
to the sunlight some day; in the after
noon it will draw back into the water
only to come out fresh again the next
day. This process will be repeated for
three days and then it's work Is done
and the blossom g-es back into the
water to ripen its seed If 1t ripens at
all. But this beautiful flower Will be
followed bv others all summer long
and they will be a joy to every be-
holder.
When the late buds fail to mature on
account of cold weather take the water
out of the tub, let 1t dry up and put
it away in as cool cellar or base
ment as you can Hnu, tHuS hSoPlh6
the root dormant until the Following
spring, when it can have more water
and sunlight
The same little fiat where the water
lilies grew so successfully last year is
to have, the coming summer. big
Egyptian lotus with its massive leaves
and enormous fragrant blossoms. the
tub Is to be placed on shelf or
cypress wood, but any strong plank
will do; the shelf, two inches thick, Is
already in position, covering an unused
corner in the stairway on the outside.
The tub has been purchased and
painted-it Is of the largest size-and
the soil will be prepared by using
about six inches of, dead leaves at the
bottom-the more the leaves are rotted
the better--and then a sandy soil or
rich loan; If it can be mixed with
one-seventh of dried and shredded cat
tie manure 1t will be so much the bet
ter, as the lotus is a gross feeder.
The tub need not be entirely filled with
water in this instance, but be sure to
keep couple of inches of water above
the soil in the tub; then the great
stalks will grow two or three feet above
the wet earth around their feet, and
the foliage alone, even without the
gorgeous blossoms, will be constant
joy.
These tubs of aquatic plants, when
they are once placed in position, are
less trouble than the common window
box plants, for no weeds ever trouble
them-all they ask for Is plenty OF
water, and the birds come to drink and
go away refreshed. Try 1t, fiat dwell
a. 4 g. HrV