Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-18
POTTERY FLOWER BOXES

The principal reason why flowers are
not more generally grown indoors is
doubtless because so many people OBJ
ject TO the presence of dirt and un-
slightly flower pots in their living
rooms. They love green and growing
things, but not enough to tolerate the
lack of beauty of the usual receptacle,
the danger of injury to woodwork from
surplus water, and the dirt and care
involved by the presence of plants as
now commonly found indoors.
These Objectionable features are no
longer necessary. By growing flowers
and foliage plants in the pottery win
dow boxes now available in the best
shops of the larger cities one can have
beauty of receptacle, leaf and bios
som without danger to varnished or
painted woodwork, and even without
having to see the surface of the soils
in which the plants are growing. These
boxes are made by various potters in
great variety of sizes. colors and de-
signs and as soon as the public learns
to appreciate their beauty and con-
venience there should be such de-
mand that the number of patterns will
be largely increased. At present the
boxes vary greatly in price, the simpler,
smaller ones being available for 81 or
SO while the larger sizes with elaborate
decorations may cost twenty times as
much.
These boxes are commonly provided
with pottery inserts having drainage
in the bottom. The plants to be grown
are to be planted in these insets which
may be taken out whenever desired.
One can, however. by a little care in
watering grow most houseplants sue
cessfully directly in the boxes.
The transferring of flower or foliage
plants in pots to the insets or the boxes
is a very simple matter. Choose spec
linens in flower pots of a size that the
ball Of roots and soil will easily go in
the box. Set the plants side by side
filling all vacant spaces between the
roots with potting soil or good garden
soil. Firm thoroughly, smooth the sur
face and give good watering.
Having your box planted it is now in
order to cover the soil with lawn.
This is a very simple process. Scatter
lawn grass seed sparsely over the sur
face and cover it with a thin layer or
fine moist soil Set in cool room away
from direct sunlight for a few days to
allow the plants to recover and the
seed to sprout. They give plenty of
sunshine till the grass is well started,
watering when necessary so carefully
that the grass will not be washed out.
You will shortly have miniature lawn
that will compete in attractiveness with
the flowers above, and you will also
nave Il llllle SdIdCl tItI 10 dpONO 10
proach from any point of view.
Before many weeks the grass will get
so tall that your friends may suggest
the necessity of getting out the lawn
mower pair of shears will take its
place. however, very well and enable
you to trim the surface quite evenly.
With the ordinary shears the pieces of
grass cut off are likely to drop down
where they may wither and become
unsightly. This may easily be avoided
by using a pair of flower shears which
hold the cut pieces that they may be
discarded. This moving of the lawn
is a benefit in that it causes the growth
of grass to thicken up.
There is, of course, no limit to the
variety of house plants that can be
grown in the pottery boxes. They en-
able one to give the plants ideal con-
ditions for growth, and are so easily
moved that they can be taken from the
window sill whenever wanted for
decoration on the dining table or any
other place.
Any Towering or foliage plant looks
so much better in an attractive box
than in an ordinary flower pot that ii
seems a revelation of it's beauty. The
decorative effect is also generally
greatly increased by the massing of
three or four plants together in one re-
ceptacle. Geraniums, the Chinese and
Obconica primroses and the Lorraine
begonias are very desirable Towering
plants for these boxes. Among the
foliage plants the plumose asparagus,
IL ILL