El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-18
WINDOW BOXES
BRIGHTEN HOME
Expert Describes Method
For Insuring Success of
Indoor Gardens.

| Washington, D. c., Nov. 1S-The in
I door window box, properly planned and
| tended will afford much pleasure and
! satisfaction to the housewife who
| the winter months. It is a mistaken
notion that plants when kept in living
| rooms use up certain elements of the
air in such quantities as to make it
/ unhealthful for individuals using the
room.
It is much harder on plants to be in
a room with people than for people to
be in a room with growing plants
Plants, indeed, use air, but use such
a small proportion that the effect of
the plant in the room is negligible il
the room is ventilated at all This
also holds good for cut flowers or
plants in a sick room, although the
odor of some flowers may be depressing.
to the patient, and bad for that reason.
window Box Described.
A good depth for an indoor window
box is about II inches. The bottom
of the box should be covered with
stones and broken pottery to give
drainage and this should be covered
by a layer of moss to prevent the soil
above from working down through the
stones. The drainage and moss should
take up about three inches. The
greater the body of soTT aDOve the moss
the more uniform it may be kept as
to moisture The soil should come to
within an inch and half or two inches
of the top of the box.
The indoor window box should be
made to fit into the window To get
as much light as possible it should be
level with the window. It NAV be
fastened with brackets or placed on a
table. or have legs made for it. There
should be a drip pan beneath to keep
water from sOiling the floor. The
box may rest directly above the drip
pan on legs half an inch TO an inch
high or the box may be water-tight
with the exception of a hole at one end
to let out the water.
Watering Is Important.
The top Of the soil should be allowed
to become quite dry once in a while
The results Of watering will teach the
owner to regulate the supply. Boxes
may need watering in sunshiny
weather especially toward spring.
every day, or at least every other day,
than once a week. AS a rule it is bet
ter to water lightly and frequently
than heavily and infrequently The
specialist of the department Of agri-
culture advises this, although just the
reverse is considered best when water
ing is done out of doors in the sum-
mer.
One Glass of Flowers Best.
A large proportion Of the plants in
a window box should be of the same
be successful Plants of different
character need different treatment. 1t
is very difficult to raise Towering
plants in window box with the excep-
ton of begonias Ordinary Towering
JlantS are very eXacting and will nL
find enough light in the ordinary liv-
ing room, even though placed near the
window, although they may do well in
a conservatory. The main object of an
indoor window box is to furnish the
leaves rather than to raise flowers in
doors
The department Of agriculture's spe-
cialist makes the following sugges-
tons for a window box:
Begonias are one OF the most attrac-
tive plants that may be used for an in
door box. Both Towering and nom
Towering varieties will give satisfac-
ton; in fact, the Towering variety is
one of the few plants that will blossom
indoors without special cultivation. The
begonia is not very particular in its
requirements and will flourish with
ordinary care.
Ferns Do Well Indoors.
Small ferns obtained from a florist
will flourish. These are particularly
adapted to house culture, as they do not
require direct sunlight
Even more hardy than ferns is the
foliage plant known as the aSpidiStra.
This adaptable plant-groWth will stand
a measure Of neglect drouth, and dust
and still thrive. 1t does not require
sunlight.
Geraniuns may also be used as foliage
plants, though they must not be ex-
pected to blossom in the window box.
KenilwOrth ivy may be planted along
the edge. It viii grow nicely from
seed. Smilax may De grown from the
back of the box, and trained up about
the window to give the effect Of an
attractive bower.
Roses Need Great Care.
The inexperienced grower of plants
indoors cannot expect to do well with
roses. These plants are most exacting,
and not only will they probably fail
to flower, but also their foliage may
be affected by mildew and blight
The ordinary individual who desires
other varieties of growing flowers, may
supplement his window box with
Towering ported plants brought in from
outside, including bulbs raised as de-
CPT1hn6 in a nrPViOug article of this