West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-12-30
Will Furnish Much Interest and
Pleasure Through the Period
When Outdoor Gardening Is I'm
practicable = Flowering Plants
Require Special Conditions


no hesitation In installing window
boxes in their homes. The old notion
that plants make living rooms un.
healthy is quite unfounded. according
to specialists OF the department, for
the consumption of air by plants is Sc
smali that 1t may safely be ignored II
the room is ventilated as IL should be
On the other hand. the window box
will furnish much interest and pleas
ure through the period when outdoor
gardening is impracticable. The fol-
lowing suggestions for a window box
are made by the departments garden
ers:
A good depth for an indoor window
box is 10 to IL inches. The larger
the body of soil. the easier to main
tain uniform moisture conditions.
Cover the bottom of the box with
stones and broken pottery to give
drainage, and cover this with layer
OF moss to prevent the soil above from
working down through the stones.
The drainage and moss should take up
TO inches. The soil should come
to within an inch and a half or 2 in
ches OF the top of the box.
Those who do not have gardens will
do we'll to get potting soil OF the near
est florist. II il is desired to prepare
IL, one part compost, one part good
loan. and one part sand should be
used. The compost should be COW ma
nure and good turf rotted together for
year and turned two or three times
In the interim. Well-decomposed leaf
mold would answer as a partial sub
stitute for the compost. In regions
where the forests have a large share
or beech, maple, elm. basswood and
ash. the best potting soil is woods
earth" This is soil from a sheltered
position in the woods. and has a large
proportion of leaf mold. Oak and
chestnut leaves do not decay into mold
as readily as those mentioned above.
One-twentieth part bone meal is a
good addition to the mixture. II the
loan is very heavy. containing much
clay. its proportion should be some
what diminished. II the loan is light
and sandy. reduce the amount of sand.
or In some localities omit il alto
gether.
Place the top of the box level with
the window ledge so as to get as much
light as possible. 1t may be fastened
with brackets. placed on table. or on
legs. Keep drip pan beneath to pre-
vent water from soiling the floor.
The box may rest directly above the
drip pan on legs half an inch to an.
inch high. or It may be water-tight
with the exception of a hole at one
end to :e' out the excess when over
watered
Allow the top of the soil to become
quite dry once in while. Experience
In watering will teach the owner to
regulate the supply. The boxes may
need watering every day in sunshiny
weather, especially toward spring, or
at least every other day. but in cloudy
mid-winter weather they may not need
II oftener than once week.
In steam-heated rooms a receptacle
containing water should be kept on
the radiator. SO that the air will not
become too dry.
Select plants with the same general
requirements, as plants of different
character demand different treatment
II requires more care through long
er season to produce blooms in a win
dow box than to grow good foliage.
Flowering plants are cxacting and
will not as a rule find enough light in
the ordinary living room. although
they may do well in a conservatory.
Vines are among the most satisfac-
tory plants for a window box. Among
those that can be trained up over the
window to make an attractive green
frame are English ivy (Hedera HELIX. .
Germany ivy (Senecio mikanioides)
and smilax (Asparagus asparagoides)
The hrst two are grown from cuttings.
which are best started in spring,
while the smilax is best started i'm late
winter from seed. Rooted plants OF
all Of these may, however, be purchas-
ed from florists. Strings to support
the vines are necessary.
Geraniums when grown with these
vines are attractive as foliage plants,
but are not likely to give much bloom
H. 2 soil moist enough for the vines.
Yg induce bloom. geraniums should
be grown in separate box or in pots.
hegonias are admirable plants for
growing in window boxes. The fol-
iage OF All begonias Is attractive. but
especially so are the beautifully mark
ed leaves OF the Rex variety. The
Beefsteak, Gioire de Lorrain and other
varieties may be expected to grow
we'll and to flower under the condi-
tions that suit the vines already de-
scribed.
Ferns in variety are available for
the window box and may be selected
ai any horist's to suit the taste OF the
grower. but dwarf varieties are better
suited for the room available. Ferns
may be grown with begonias satisfac-
toriiy Both require a temperature
lower than the average living room.
coleus Is another group Of plants
that may be grown into a window box,