Evening star., 1915-12-26
Adds to Rooms Attractiveness and
Costs Little in Work
or Money.
Ferns, Ivy, Smilax and Geraniums
Most Easily Grown-How to
Make a Box.


An idea used to prevail that the pres
ence of growing plants in a living
room was unhealthful. The fallacy of
this belief has been demonstrated by
scientists, who have shown that plants
use so little air that their presence,
on that score, means no more than
their absence. while the minute amount
of carbonic acid gas the presence OF
the plants brings about has no effect
whatever on occupants of the room.
An expert florist has prepared a list
of suggestions for making window
boxes and for keeping the plants in
them in vigorous growing or blooming
condition. Little work and little ex-
pense are entailed in preparing the
boxes, while their proper care Is a
mere trif1e in the routine of the days
work.
Preparing the Box.
A good depth for an indoor window
box is ten to twelve inches. The larger
the body of soil the easier to maintain
uniform moisture conditions.
Cover the bottom of the box with
stone and broken pottery to give drain
age, and cover this with a layer OF
moss to prevent the soil above from
working down through the stones. The
drainage and moss should take up two
to three inches. The soil should come
to within an inch and a half or two
inches 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. If it is desired to prepare
it, one part compost, one part good
loan and one part sand should be used.
The compost should be COW manure
and good turf rotted together for a
year and turned two or three times IN
the interim. Well decomposed leaf mold
for the compost. In regions where the
forests have a large share of beech,
maple, elm, Eastwood and ASH, the pest
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 If the loam is very heavy.
containing much clay, its proportion
should be somewhat diminished. If
the loan is light and sandy. reduce the
amount of sand. or in some localities
omit it altogether.
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 a drip pan beneath to pre-
box may. rest directly above the drip
pan on legs half an inch to an inch
high, or il may be water-tight with
the exception of a hole at one end to
let out the excess when overwatered.
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 sunshi1y
weather, especially toward spring, or
lnxy but tynn n1n ydNy
midwinter weather they may not need
1t oftener than once a week.
In steam-heated rooms a receptacle
containing water should be kept on the
radiator, SO that the air will not be-
come too dry.
Foliage Plants Most Satisfactory.
requirements. as plants of different
character demand different treatment
1t requires more care through a longer
season to produce blooms in a window
box than to grow good foliage. Flow
ering plants are exacting. and will not
as rule find enough light in the ordi-
nary living room, even though placed
near the window, although they may
do well in 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
German ivy (Senecio mikanioides)
and smilax asparagus asparagsides).
The first two are grown from cuttings.
which are best started In spring,
while the smilax is best started in
late winter from seed Rooted plants
Of all of these may, however. be pur-
chased from florists. Strings to sup
port the vines are necessary
Geraniums when grown with these
vines are attractive as foliage plants,
in a soil moist enough for the vines.
To induce bloom, geranfums should
be grown in a separate box or in
pots.
Begonias Especially Desirable.
Begonias are admirably fitted for
growing in window boxes. The foliage
of all begonias Is attractive. but es-
pecially so are the beautifully marked
leaves of the Rex variety. The beef
steak, Gloire de Lorraine and other
varieties may be expected to grow well
and to flower under the conditions that
suit the vines already described.
Ferns in variety are available for
the window box and may be selected at
any florists to suit the taste of the
grower, but dwarf varieties are better
suited for the room available. Ferns
NAV be grown with begonias satisfac-
torily. Both require temperature
lower than the average living room.
Coleus is another group of plants that
NAV be grown in a window box, but
,hcy must have sun. The leaves of
these plants have a wide range of color
and markings as well as of size and
shape. They must have a warmer at
mosphere than the plants already
mentioned, temperature of SIS de-
grees TO so degrees at night being de-
sirable. The mealy bug Is often quite
troublesome on coleus.
For an upright plant growing foot
or eighteen inches high aspidistra Is
SATISFACTORY The leaves of this plant
grow in somewhat the same manner
as garden flags, but there are varieties
with yariegated leaves as well as those
with green leaves.
Kenilworth ivy Is trailing plant
that is attractive when 1t droops over
the sides of the box 1t Is delicate
looking, easily grown vine, with small
leaves and smap white flowers. 1t Is
usually grown from seed, but late In
the season IL may be better to purchase
plants from the florist.
Another good plant for dropping over
the box is the Mesembryanthemum tri-
color. or air plant. 1t Is very easily
grown from cuttings.
To make a variety some OF the Sed-
ums are very attractive and stand more
neglect than many other plants Sedur
acre. or "love entangle." will form 9
mat on thte surface or hang over the
edge of the box, while Sedum specta,
bile. "old hen and chickens" will
make little clusters OF blue-greer
among other greens.