Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-10-05
WINDOW AND VERANDA BOXES
By EREN {. REXEORD.

Where vines are lacking a most ex-
cellent substitute for them about the
veranda is furnished by plants grown
In boxes made to fit the spaces be-
tween the posts.
These boxes the boys of the family
will be delighted to make if they are
like most boys know, if you will fur
nish them good tools to make them
with.
They should be at least a foot wide
and foot deep and the timber of
which they are made should be of fair
ly good quality, for it will have to re-
sist considerable pressure when the
box is filed with the soil.
These boxes will be found most sat
isfactory if allowed to project outside
the veranda rail. They should be well
supported by braces running from the
| bottom of the box on the outside to
the veranda floor.
Paint them some neutral color be-
fore filling them with soil.
II ordinary soil is used you will have
only an ordinary development of the
plants you set out to grow in it, while
what you want is vigorous growth.
Therefore, send the children out
with shovels and baskets and instruct
them to gather the rotten vegetable
matter to be found in old fence cor
ners and about stumps and logs.
No matter how full of roots it is,
the nutriment you are in search of is
there, and few roots more or less
will not interfere with the plants you
propose to grow in it. On the con-
trary they will prove of positive bene-
fit as they will help to keep the soil
light and porous.
Before filling the boxes with soil,
bore few holes in the bottom Of them
to allow for the escape Of surplus wa
ter. In all probability there will be no
surplus water to escape, but it is well
to be on the safe side. When you put
the soil into the boxes press it down
firmly. If dumped in lightly evapora.
ton will be rapid and the roots of your
plants may suffer in consequence.
At the outside Of the box set vines
of quick development like German ivy
tradescontia, moneywort, or the ma
deira vines. These will soon hide the
box completely and after a little they
will form a screen for all that portion
of the veranda below the rail-
Morning glories can be planted herr
and there along the box and trained
shade for the veranda as well as
screen.
Other Towering plants can be select
ed to suit individual taste. Almos
any plant can be used with reasonabl,
chance of success If care is taken t,
see that the soil in the box is alway
kept moist. This is the secret Of tn
success of the culture of plants il
window and veranda boxes. Do not b
satisfied with a quantity of water tina
will wet the surface of the soil an
leaves that portion of it two or thre
inches below almost as dry as befor
any was applied.
Use it by the pailful and make sur
that the soil in the box is moist. Her
is where most persons fail in box gal
dening. They use pint where pail
full is needed. They overlook the fac
that because of their elevated positio
these boxes part rapidly with mois
ture by evaporation.
Being exposed to hot air and win
on every side they are likely to bt
come dry in very short time, and tn
only way to prevent this is to max
it a rule to apply water in ibers
quantities every day. Do this and yo
J have no trouble in growing good plant
in them. Neglect to do this and 70
will meet with the failure you d.
, serve. While the ordinary window bo
J affords great deal of pleasure by th
it furnishes no shade for the window
Most delightful awnings can be mad
. with very little trouble by nailin
strips of lath together in a square an
! fastening them to the top of the viii
: dow, letting them slant downward
front on the angle of the ordinary clot
, awning. Support them by braces rul
ming from window frame to their ou
p side edge. Cover them with coars
wire netting.
l Plant quick-growing vines at tt
ends of the window boxes, and trai
p these up the strings until they can tax
, hold of the netting that covers tt
framework of the awning.
y In short time you will have all tt
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