24 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



May 16, 1912. 



heart was one plant of another variety 

 of echeveria, probably E. Desmetiana. 

 The heart was filled with about seventy- 

 five red alternantheras and edged with 

 a row of echeverias containing fifty 

 plants. The rest of the bed, surround- 



ing the heart, was filled with Alter- 

 nanthera rosea, about ninety of them, 

 except that there was a single row of 

 fifty yellow alternantheras all around 

 it, separating the Alternanthera rosea 

 from the echeveria border. 



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VASES AND '^ 

 WINDOW BOXES 



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SPBING WORK FOR PLANTSMEN. 



Building the Boxes. 



Conditions in cities often make it nec- 

 essary to have plants up off the ground, 

 perhaps for protection, but also because 

 there may not be room to plant on the 

 ground. These conditions have brought 

 lawn vases, rustic boxes and stands, and 

 the porch and window-boxes into gen- 

 eral use. 



To have these at their best, the con- 

 struction of the vase or box, the mixture 

 an^ condition of the soil, and the plants, 

 must all be right, well chosen, and 

 planted, and then proper care should 

 be given to them. From an experience 

 of twenty years I give briefly the more 

 important details on the subject. 



Window boxes should be seven to 

 nine inches wide and deep, inside meas- 

 urement, made of wood or metal. Cy- 

 press is the best wood and galvanized 

 iron the best metal. The drainage con- 

 sists of %-inch holes every twelve 

 inches in the bottom of the box. The 

 boxes should be one inch shorter than 

 the width of the window, to allow for 



space at each end. For long porches or 

 windows of unusual width it is better 

 to make the boxes iu two or more sec- 

 tions. 



Porch Jjoxes should be; two or three 

 , inches wider than window boxes, on ac- 

 count of their drying out faster in the 

 more open position in which they are 

 usually placed. Before painting, the 

 boxes should be charred inside. This 

 consists of washing them with kerosene 

 on the inside, both bottom and sides, 

 then lighting the oil and allowing it to 

 burn until a thin, charred coat is pro- 

 duced, when the boxes are turned over 

 and the flames smothered. This will 

 add many years to the life of the box. 

 Before filling, the boxes should be fitted 

 and proper fastenings provided. The 

 proper color of paint is hard to give, 

 unless all the surrounding conditions are 

 known. It is safe to use a deep green 

 color if plenty of vines are used in 

 planting. 



As stated before, good soil must be 

 used. This is only obtained through 

 carer ul composting; it can be made as 

 follows: Pasture sod, chopped up, two 

 bushels; rotted manure, one bushel; 



sandy garden soil, one bushel; bt)ne 

 meal, two quarts. These must be well 

 mixed and made up in the fall for next 

 season's use if possible. The bottom of 

 the box should receive the drainage 

 material, consisting of broken pot- 

 sherds. Over this place a thin layer of 

 moss or excelsior to prevent the soil 

 washing out. The coarsest part of the 

 soil is now put in, following with finer 

 soil, until the box is two-thirds full. 

 This will allow of deep planting. 



A Good Assortment of Plants. 



Start with the vines along the front, 

 and see that the roots are firmly packed 

 in the soil, as the continued tugging by 

 the wind is likely to loosen them, result- 

 ing in weak growth. In very exposed 

 places it is well to have the boxes 

 deeper, to allow for this planting, also 

 giving more protection to the roots of 

 the plants.- Next to the vines place 

 the fillers, such as the Boston fern or 

 Asparagus Sprengeri. In the back place 

 the flowering plants. Geraniums are the 

 most desirable plants for sunny posi- 

 tions. TJiese should be of sturdy young 

 growth, and one Variety should be used 

 only, as a mixture ofi colors, unless well 

 chosen, will only give a patchy effect. 

 The dark red geranium is a favorite; 

 scarlet looks well in certain places, 

 while the light shades of pink are to 

 be carefully tried to avoid disappoint- 

 ment, especially on dusty streets. For 

 such a position use smooth-leaved 

 plants, as many as possible, to prevent 

 the dust sticking to the leaves, and if 

 the boxes are so situated as not to be 

 washed by rains, sprinkle them over 

 occasionally, to keep them clean of dust. 



There are other plants that can be 

 used if carefully matched as to color of 

 leaves or flowers, such as achyranthes 

 and coleus, alyssum and ageratum, petu- 

 nias and cannas. Cannas of the dwarf 

 sorts, as Express, Chabanne or Austria, 

 also dracsena and Yucca aloifolia, Phor- 

 miun tenax, and the variegated form, 



Heart-shaped Bedding on a Lot in Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago. 



