WINDOW GARDENING. 227 



grown plants of ornamental foliage, such as Coleus, Achyranthes, Ferns, or into 

 which you may transfer your pot plants from inside the window. These boxes 

 may be usually made of pine wood, painted green, and vary from six to eight 

 inches deep, and ten to fifteen inches wide. Fill up all the interspace not occu- 

 pied by the pots with sand ; also fit castors to the boxes, so that they may be 

 easily moved from one part to the other. Into these boxes may be set trellises, 

 and upon them may be trained the Fuchsia, Ivy, Clematis, or Morning Glory. 

 Different boxes may be used for different classes of plants: one for Geraniums, 

 another for Ferns, a third for Ivy, a fourth for Roses, a fifth for Evergreens, (the 

 Arbor Vitse being best,) another for Bulbs, (Tuberoses, Lilies, &c., being best.) 

 The length of these boxes should not exceed four feet. 



Mignionette boxes are generally made 7 inches deep, 7 inches wide, and from 

 Ij to 3 feet long. Mignionette looks best when the plants are grown en masse, 

 and for this there must be depth of soil. It is not a bad plan to plant a few 

 climbers in the boxes, so that when the Mignionette fades away the vines will 

 fill up the blank space. 



Tom Thumb Tropaeolums, Canary Bird Floiver, Asters, Stocks, Balsams, are 

 all very suitable for this style of box and balcony gardening. 



Zonale Geraniums, Pelargoniums, of all kinds will do well. Plants of varie- 

 gated foliage, like the Abutilon, need a slightly shaded locality. 



Heliotropes, Salvias, Verbenas, &c., require a strong exposure to sun and air, 

 and will bloom well in a southeastern exposure. 



In a western balcony the variegated leaved Ivy Geranium, scarlet, white, and 

 pink; Tom Thumb Geraniums, and Mignionette, will bloom most perfectly. 

 Ivies will twine about the frame-work, no matter what may be the exposure, but 

 the Madeira vine likes a warm place, and the Smilax anywhere. 



Fuchsias desire the shade ; hence, a northerly exposure, except when too cool, 

 will suit them ; also the Pansies, Myrtles, and Funkia variegata do best there. 



Brackets may be fitted to the sides of the window frame, and in them placed 

 pots filled with drooping flowers, like the Colisseum Iv^' and Tradescantia 

 Zebrina. 



At a slight expense you might construct a small hanging garden, similar to 

 one of the designs illustrated in the chapter for hanging baskets, and suspend it 

 at the end of the piazza. You may also introduce vases upon your veranda with 

 good effect ; but for this you do not need tall plants. The most effective flowers 

 are those of Pansies, Verbenas, and Petunias. 



Balcony gardening in winter is of course an impossibility, unless we make 

 exceptions in favor of a few Evergreens. These are suitable at all seasons of the 

 year, and nothing is more neat and tasteful, requiring less care than a box of 

 Arbor Vitses, for these are much easier to grow than Pines or Spruces. 



If the balcony is limited in space, do not attempt bushy plants, and shrubs 

 will be out of place. Here climbing vines are the most appropriate. 



But if you do have plenty of room you may introduce in the spring such 

 shrubby plants as the Azalea, the Weigela rosea, and the Spirea Prunifolia. A 



