182 THE SCHOOL GARDEN BOOK 



It is entirely practicable to have a successful window 

 garden on a northern exposure. In order to obtain the best 

 results here, as in other situations, it is desirable, of course, 

 to choose plants which thrive in the shade. There are a 

 number of flowers which may be utilized for this purpose, and 

 in most northern exposures one can depend upon a certain 

 amount of sunshine either in the morning or the afternoon. 



The Plants to Use 



The caladiums belong to one of the most beautiful 

 groups of plants which may be used in such boxes for they 

 are among the most decorative of all our foliage plants. 

 These caladiums may usually be purchased from the florist. 

 Two or three such plants will make a very satisfactory show 

 throughout the season. 



Asparagus sprengeri is another excellent plant for the 

 north window-box. It grows luxuriantly in partial shade, 

 and if a good-sized specimen be planted it will rapidly in- 

 crease in leafage during the weeks of early summer. The 

 Boston Fern, or some of the recent varieties of it, may also be 

 used to advantage in such a box. An excellent combination 

 may be made by putting a good -sized Boston Fern in the 

 middle of the box and a plant of asparagus sprengeri on 

 each end, utilizing some vine to plant along the front margin 

 of the box. Among the other plants that may be utilized 

 for the north box may be mentioned some of the hardier 

 begonias like the Rubra Begonia, some of the more beautiful 

 fuchsias, of which the variety called Phenomenal is a good ex- 

 ample, while for the vines one may use some of the ornamental 

 vincas, the manettia vine or the Japanese Morning-glories, 

 as well as the maurandia vine and the Trailing Fuchsias. 



