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GARDENS EVERYWHERE 



Roof Gardens 



GARDENING in crowded cities and 

 even in less congested sections 

 often must take the form of a roof garden 

 or a box garden. The roof garden is 

 usually a collection of boxes placed upon 

 the roof. These boxes may be just soap 

 boxes or cracker boxes. But a box the 

 size of the ordinary window box is a better 

 kind to use. Such boxes placed along the 

 edges, and through the central portion of 

 a small roof give the effect of a real gar- 

 den. The paths or passage ways between 

 the rows of boxes may be sanded or covered 

 with pebbles. This adds to the reality of it. 



It is necessary to have good rich soil 

 and good drainage in the boxes. Put 

 into the bottom of a box about an inch 

 of broken pot, charcoal or even stone, if 

 no better material than this latter is 

 obtainable. This gives a good drainage 

 area. Over this layer the soil should go. 

 Make the soil rich with rotted manure. 

 If this is not available buy sheep manure. 

 The plants will grow better if they are 

 watered once a week with Liquid manure. 

 Of course do not do this until the plants 

 are of some size. I knew one man who 

 soaked up the refuse of fish and watered 

 his roof garden with this solution. He was 

 a fish man and so had the wherewithal 

 to make this fishy drink for his plants. 



In such an outdoor box garden one may 



PLANS FOR MAKING A ROOF GARDEN 

 A REAL SUCCESS — SEEDS BEST TO 

 PLANT — HOW TO TRANSPLANT WITH 

 LITTLE SHOCK TO SEEDLINGS — A 

 GIRL'S TRITOMA BED AND WHAT SHE 

 MADE FROM IT — THE SCHOOL GAR- 

 DEN CONTEST FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 



Conducted by 



ELLEN EDDY SHAW 



New York 



plant almost anything if sunlight is plenti- 

 ful. Trailing nasturtiums make good vines 

 to drop over the edges of the boxes. 

 Petunias, zinnia, candytufts, asters, mari- 

 gold and cornflower will do well in this 

 sort of garden. Even dahlias and rambler 

 roses will flourish. 



The roof garden is not a dream if one 

 is willing to spend some thought, time and 

 money upon it. It is a possible garden 

 for many schools where ground space is 

 limited and sky space is the only available 

 place. If the box is to go in a shady place 

 try pansy, fuchsia, geranium, begonia, 

 godetia, phlox and English ivy. Some 

 might like to plant a few boxes to vege- 

 tables. Radishes, parsley, lettuce and 

 beans may be tried. The boys in this 

 picture showing a roof garden tried corn. 

 This planting of corn did not yield a satis- 

 factory crop but the boxes of green corn 

 were a delight in one crowded district 

 of New York City. 



Transplanting 



'"TRANSPLANTING is a sort of an 

 *■ operation which gives a shock to 

 a little seedling. A seedling is growing 

 nicely when suddenly some one takes it 

 from its quarters and places it in entirely 

 new ones. Because of this shock one 

 should transplant with as little fuss and 

 disturbance as possible. 



Those little wooden seed labels which 

 were made in the manual training shop 

 are good instruments to use in transplant- 

 ing. Lift carefully several seedlings at 

 once from the earth. If the soil is watered 

 a little some time before, quite a bit of 

 soil will adhere to the roots of the plants. 

 With a label make a hole in the new plant- 

 ing spot. Water this hole. Lower into it 

 three or four seedlings. Firm the soil care- 

 fully about them. 



These groups of plants, if shaded a bit 

 from the strong sunlight, should thrive. 

 If one or two die some are still left in each 

 group. After several days weed out all 

 but one seedling from each group. Of 

 course you will chose to leave the sturdiest 

 of the plants. 



Transplanting is not so critical if done 

 by this group plan. Remember to trans- 

 plant when the second pair of true leaves 

 appears. 



School Correspondence 



FIVE years ago my father bought three 

 tritoma roots, paying fifty cents for 

 them. One plant father gave to a friend. 

 The remaining two he planted about the 

 first of May. The plant he gave to his 

 friend died, so he gave him another. This 

 left one plant in our garden. 



The next spring, about the last of April 

 or as soon as the eyes began to sprout, 



A simple and effective decoration. This yard took first prize in the Washing- A roof garden on one of New York City's school roofs. The only garden these 

 ton People's Garden Exhibit boys could have 



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