3i8 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



about two inches wide, flush with the bottom and pro- 

 jecting an inch or so above the upper edges of the board. 

 Stain or paint this to match the window frame and give 

 it a heavy coating of spar varnish. Get two stout brass 

 brackets and fasten the shelf to the window frame in such 

 a way that the window may be opened, and the window 

 shade drawn down inside the shelf. If desired a similar 

 shelf, but preferably a narrower one, may be placed at a 

 suitable distance above it. 



To the top of the window fasten a small rod upon which 

 a curtain may shde easily. This support, which should 

 project far enough so the curtain will hang outside the 

 plant shelf, may be made of two heavy sockets strong 

 enough to support the rod and the curtain, two short end 

 pieces, two elbows and one piece of rod or tubing the width 

 of the window or of the plant shelf. 



A layer of sphagnum moss topped with white pebbles 

 or with clean, coarse gravel, into which the pots can be 

 sunk, will look neat, will absorb surplus water and will 

 keep the plants from drying out as quickly as they do on 

 unsightly saucers. The shelves may be taken down after 

 the plants are set outdoors in spring. 



An ordinary window may easily be converted into a 

 miniature plant conservatory. A storm window placed 

 outside the regular window forms the front, two narrow 

 windows of the desired width form the sides, and inch 

 boards covered with roofing paper and painted to match 

 the window trimming, form the roof and the floor of this 

 simple but roomy little bay. 



Soil for Potted Plants 



Soil for most house plants should be light, friable and 

 moderately rich. The ingredients may be good garden 

 loam, sifted leaf mold or decomposed sod, sand, and a 

 little bone meal — about a teaspoonful to a four-inch pot. 

 Geraniums do well in a heavier soil. Ferns, begonias and 

 other plants with root growth of a fibrous character do 

 well in a lighter mixture — that is, more leaf mold or sod 



