CHAPTER XIII 

 PLANTS FOR WINDOW BOXES 



It would be difficult to find a more unsuitable position for 

 plants than a window box. When the window is open they 

 are in a strong draught. Much of the dust that passes 

 through is intercepted by and deposited on the leaves. They 

 are exposed to extremes of temperature — hot sunshine and 

 keen winds — and when rain falls, unless it is blown directly 

 towards them, they get very little of it, because they are in 

 a recess and are also overhung by the eaves. Yet when 

 well chosen and well managed, they certainly brighten up the 

 front of a house, and for that reason they will always be 

 popular. 



The worst material for a window box is metal, it gets so 

 hot in summer and so cold in winter. Porcelain is little 

 better. The box should be made of wood. If desired, it 

 can be faced with tiles or with cork, either of which will 

 serve as an additional protection to the roots. Cork is not 

 so formal as tiles, but it has the disadvantage that earwigs 

 and other insects are apt to hide in the spaces between 

 it and the wood, sallying out at night to feed on the plants. 

 If the box is painted with creosote it will last very much 

 longer than it otherwise would do. The bottom should be 

 pierced with holes in order to let any surplus water escape. 

 As regards size, the box should fill the whole length of the sill, 

 otherwise it cannot be fixed securely in position. In breadth 

 it should not exceed the sill by more than 2 in., and as it 

 is important not to shut out light from the room, 6 in. 

 should be the outside height measurement. 



Perhaps the commonest method of managing a window 

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