Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-03-29
9 1911
WINDOW AND PIAZZA
 BOXES---TKEIR USE
A. A. Harper Tells Graphic Readers How to Build Them, Paint Them
 and Fill Them.

Last week I promised to talk on window boxes. The first thing will be the construction of them They are usually made of pine or cypress As cypress is more durable the length and width will, of course, depend on the windows to be fitted They should not be less than eight inches and twelve inches wide, and for pi- aga boxes they should be larger so you can grow larger plants in them. It is but to have the bottom of two pieces and let them not be less than half an inch apart so as to have am- pie drainage, or if one board is used. bore several one inch holes for the drainage. That is part of the secret of growing in boxes, for if the sur plus water is not drained off it causes the soil to sour; your plants get dyspepsia and cannot digest their food, the leaves turn yellow, and growth stops. The soil for boxes should be carefully prepared and it must be rich if your plants are so- ing to come through the season in healthy condition.
 Take good loamy earth, two parts, one part manure and one part sand and leaf mold. Mix we'll together and pile it up for week or ten days un- til it has time to heat and sweat. Then place in your boxes. packing it down we'll. Be sure to leave space at the top for water.
 Plants for Boxes.
 Some of the best plants to use in window boxes where they are planted directly in the soil and left all sea- son are the different varieties: ger anlums, petunias, Abutilons, helio- trope, dwarf nasturtiums, lantanas and verbenia, or if you want a tall box use dwarf cannas. The above make a good selection for sunny box and where some shade is to be had as on piazza or north window. Fuchsia, vernon, begonia, acalphia, sotens, palms in small sizes. impa- tians, suttani and holstii hybrids aud as dropping plants, varigated and green vincas, knalworth ivy, German ivy asparagus sprengerii cobaes isy, geranium, swansonia.
 Ferns are fine, ii planted in shady box but the monday sun will be too hot for them, but if you have real shady window that the wind will not strike too hard fill with ferns and after the season is over, take into the house and give sunny light. Next winter you will have something that will give satisfaction You must use good taste in choosing colors. Combinations don't have a root of color in the box window and piazza iboxes should never contain pink and scarlet together, as we sometimes see, although scarlet and white, pink and white, yellow and scarlet or any of these colors look we'll by themselves White petumas and white verbenia for trailing plants are fine, if used with red geraniums Be sure to paint your box the color of your house if possible. If not, you can always paint box or flower recepticle green, for green harmon izes with all colors, and in filling your boxes with plants be sure the ball of earth is we'll soaked with water. Blooming plants for windows and foliage plants for piazzas are better than the reverse order. Of course, there are a good number of Towering plants adopted for piazza and porches, but foliage plants are more suitable for the latter and they should be used more sparingly in window boxes for some strong color [ is needed to show up the effect, es- pecially if the window is high. It is pleasing to note each year the increasing demand for window i