Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-05
Proper Care of All
House Plants t h e
Window Box, Hang
ing Basket and Flower
T a b1e-Ideas for
Christmas Decoration.

Plant a window-boX of any con-
venient size to place in sunny WIN
dow and fill it with fine, rlch eartn.
To make the earth rich, mix 1t with
well rotted manure, put 1t INTO pan
and set in an oven until steaming hot.
When cooled, it is ready for use and
you will have no trouble with any
kind of worms. If you wish to plant
seeds, put the earth into a box or pot
and moisten we'll the day before.
After planting, cover with glass and
keep moist. Lift the glass a little for
air if in the sun. When transplant
ing plants, wet the earth. then cut out
as large squares as you can around
the plants; lift the plant out and place
it in the pot very carefclly in order
that the roots may not be disturbed.
Fill up with earth and water. we'll.
For plants that will not bear moving,
plant the seeds in eggshells with
holes punched in the bottom for
drainage. Sink them we'll into the
earth in this way they can be trans
planted without injury.
In your window box you could plant
little geranium slips. If previously
rooted. SO much the better. Also, lit
tie asparagus ferns and any other
small plants which you think will live
in the house. From this box plant
may be removed at any time to fill
pot or table centerpiece.
Watering Plant.
More persons spoil their plants by
overwhelming them than by any other
one thing. To make young plants
bloom keep them in rather small pots,
shifting them only. when root-bound.
Foliage plants should be kept in
rather large pots and shifted to still
larger before they become root
bound. All plants should be well
drained. When boiling potatoes with
the skins on, pour off the water and
diluting it slightly keep it as fer
for begonias. Ammonia is an excel
lent fertilizer for house plants. but do
not make 1T too strong. A teaspoon
full to quart of water is enough. If
the fire gets low on cold nights you
will find your house plants badly
the morning. Put them in a still,
dark closet and cover with news
papers, and next morning you will
find every plant as fresh and nice as
If it had never felt frost bite Pro-
tect your plants from frost near the
portiere or heavy curtain against the
window.
Line hanging basket with moss
and very rich. light soil For ferns
the long frond variety should be
selected. The Wandering Jew isl
grow. snowy basket is one made
wholly of red geraniums, double
petunias and myrtle. English or grount.
ivy myrtle endures almost any tempera-
ture.
To make very pretty hanging
basket select a large yellow gourd.
cut off the top and scr ape out the con-
tents. bore three holes in the bottom
cover the gourd with raffia or a wide
meshed covering of wicker or soft
cane soaked in water until pliable.
A nice shelf of flowers may be
erected in bay window. Fasten with
brackets to hold it up and cover with
a piece of bright oileloth.
Get wooden kitchen table and
cover the top with a square of limo
leuin. Paint the table legs with
.varnish to match the top. This will
hold about fifteen pots of flowers at
one window.
Place on a mantelpiece some jars
of water filled with Ivy. To add va
riety and color. sprays of green.
white and lavender Wandering Jew
may be mixed with the ivy. Keep
we'll supplied with water.
How to Cure for Ferns.
There is a mistaken idea that once
fern attains large growth it
should remain SO for the rest of its