﻿^mmng j^Mii 





t>*r- THE ^ 



jLOMSrS 



TflBSi^lfBTimiriiiiim r?T^ .mrr" >ffillllllllllllllllllllll1TnnifnOffilM!riii 



ii^iWaBiiii MumBuiii 



WINDOW BOXES 



is^ WIN BUSINESS 



l^"tf/t the arrived of warm weather comes another opportunity for the 

 florist, that of filling window and porch boxes. In this lies the means of 

 adding to present profits and also of developing a depend^ce upon flowers 

 ihat will redound to florists' advantage in other sales when winter returns. 



yfi 



wt 



INDOW boxes confer their 

 favors alike on the out- 

 looker and the onlooker. 

 Window sills are the thresli- 

 Q? "^ S* II olds of the doorways 



\_^PC>\ through which ttose who 

 ^ \—^ live or work within look 



(/yi\ at the outside world; be- 

 ^^^^^^J cause of the approximate 

 height of window boxes, 

 Ihe eye easily rests on them before go- 

 ing farther. In a dwelling, the family 

 gains constant pleasure from watching 

 the growth of the plants and caring for 

 them. In an office building, the wheels 

 of business turn more smoothly when 

 there are flowers blooming just a few 

 feet away. In a factory, the strain of 

 speeded-up work is lightened and the 

 wearisome monotony is brightened by 

 flowers in boxes where the workers can 

 readily enjoy them. 



On the other hand, 

 the passer-by outside 

 is attracted by any 

 building which has the 

 touch of life and beau- 

 ty given to it by win- 

 <low boxes. They pro- 

 vide an element of 

 finish, of distinction, 

 to home, store, factory 

 and office building 

 alike. If used to adorn 

 a home set in carefully 

 landscaped surround- 

 ings, they serve to con- 

 nect the house with its 

 environment and so en- 

 nance the total decora- 

 tive effect. 



Presenting Plants. 



. In the case of dwell- 

 ings particularly, the 

 same principles would 

 •''Pply to porch boxes, 

 ^vhich add both to the 

 'ivableness of the house 

 ''"• those who inhabit 

 It and to its pleasing- 

 "f^ss as a part of other 

 people's scenery. Car- 

 rying the idea still fur- 

 ther, plant boxes for 

 !, n ""^i^i^igs or side 

 \n s of bridges, espe- 

 Ify of concrete 

 "ridges, and concnete 

 >'^f s for the safety 

 glands between the 

 't^^^s of street traffic 

 ti!- ^/^<iitional ways in 

 bW^ P^*°^«' ^hJther 

 •nnT''^ or foliage, 

 »n be attractively pre- 

 ^^"ted to the publi?. 



' Clearly there is a large possible de- 

 mand, which florists may profitably cul- 

 tivate. Whether they simply sell the 

 plants or seeds and the soil and fertil- 

 izers, or make up the box and deliver 

 it complete, it will not only be worth 

 while doing in itself, but will stimulate 

 a love for flowers and a dependence 

 upon them which will lead to an increasp 

 in the cut flower trade. The retailer may *■ 

 assume a continual charge over the 

 boxes of a customer, changing the 

 plants with the season and making any 

 recommendations for their care which 

 periodic inspections may suggest. 



Developing the Demand. 



Public interest in the increased use 

 of window boxes may be aroused in at 

 least three ways. Newspapers have suc- 

 cessfully carried out window gardening 



Boxes Such as These R 'present Good Business for the Florist. 



contests, providing additional publicity 

 for both themselves and the boxes. In 

 most cities there are improvement so- 

 cieties, which may organize a home gar- 

 dening campaign. Florists' clubs them- 

 selves can either include the idea of 

 window decoration in their flower weeks 

 or undertake separate campaigns to 

 stimulate that particular demand. And, 

 of course, the individual retailer may 

 have, in addition, his own line of at: 

 tack on the empty window sills of his 

 customers. 



A letter from Ohio, called forth by a 

 paragraph on the editorial page of The 

 kevicw for March 25, says: "In this 

 town of 6,000 I don't think there are 

 a half-dozen window boxes. In another 

 town in which I lived, almost every 

 other house had a porch box and many 

 lijul vases on the lawns. How can I 

 get them started here 

 and how can I learn to 

 fill the boxes proper- 

 ly?" The preceding 

 paragraph offered a 

 few suggestions in an- 

 swer to the first part of 

 that question. Whether 

 the florist fills the box 

 himself or simply sup- 

 plies the prospective 

 gardener with plants, 

 soil, fertilizer and ad- 

 vice, he will wish to 

 know what the pro- 

 posed location of the 

 boxes is to be, in order 

 that the plants may be 

 properly chosen ami the 

 boxes approgj>iately 

 made. 



The Box Itself. 



Window boxes may 

 be bought ready-made, 

 with pattern tUing or 

 made of highly finished 

 wood and supported by 

 fancy brackets, but a 

 strong pine box of the 

 necessary length, from 

 ten to twelve ioches 

 wide and at least six 

 inches deep, will serve 

 quite satisfactorily, if 

 painted a suitable 

 color. After the plants 

 are growing well, es- 

 peciaJly if vines or 

 drooping plants are in- 

 cluded, tke appearance 

 of the box itself will 

 make little difference. 

 Good drainage is par- 

 ticularly desirable and 

 may be provided by 



