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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



March, 1913 



The low-growing flowers should be planted for massed carpet effects 



room in a city flat is usually at a premium. But many beau- 

 tiful things may be grown in window-boxes, and balcony 

 boxes are still more rich in possibilities. In planning win- 

 dow-boxes the first essential is that they should be placed 

 well beneath the windows and very firmly secured. Secondly, 

 they should if possible, be of the self-watering construction 

 in order that no leakage may inconvenience the dwellers in 

 the flat below and lead to unfortunate complications. 



Only low-growing plants and trailers should be planted in 

 window-boxes as the idea is to give a bank of luxuriant 

 bloom below or at the sill, but not to obscure the light to 



A garden of Delphiniums and other hardy perennials 



too great a degree. In south and west windows almost any 

 sun-loving plants may be grown — Geraniums do especially 

 well, and Verbenas, Phlox Drumondi, Sweet Alyssum, 

 Justitias, and Petunias will be a mass of bloom all Summer. 

 On rear porches, stairways and like places one may plant 

 boxes of trailing Nasturtiums, Japanese Morning Glories, 

 the new Cardinal climber and other vines. But it is the flat 

 dweller who has at command a flat roof adjoining her room, 

 who is fortunate indeed, for here she can evolve, with a 

 little ingenuity, a garden that will compare very favorably 

 with one on the ground. The open sides of the roof should 

 be masked with wire-netting stretched 

 from substantial supports and in front 

 of this, long wide boxes of soil should 

 be placed, letting these rest on trans- 

 verse strips of wood to lift them off 

 the roof. Against the netting vines 

 suited to the exposure should be 

 planted. For low growth the Mau- 

 randia is exquisite, being very fine and 

 graceful in foliage and profuse in its 

 lavender, white and pink flowers. 

 Thunbergia is another low-growing 

 vine which gives quantities of white 

 and of yellow flowers all Summer and 

 is of the earliest cultivation. For taller 

 vines the Cardinal climber is fine, 

 bearing a wealth of vivid Cardinal 

 flowers all Summer. This combines 

 exceedingly well with the Cobaea 

 scandens and with the white Solanum. 

 In front of the vines one may plant 

 flowers of medium height — the Scarlet 

 Salvia and White Nicotiana, White 

 Snap Dragon, White stock, and the 

 white Candytuft, while low-growing or 

 trailing plants may be used as edging 

 and to screen the front of the boxes. 

 Where a high wall forms the 

 boundary of one side of the roof, tall 

 plants like Cannas, Ricinus, Calad- 

 iums, and the like may be employed 

 to give a semi-tropical effect. If there 

 is sufficient room a central bed of tall 

 plants will add much to the general 

 effect. Should, however, the condi- 

 tions prevent the growing of vines and 

 tall plants along the edges of the roof, 

 then resort will have to be made to 

 narrow boxes filled with low-growing 

 and trailing plants. The sanding of 

 the unoccupied space will add much to 

 the general garden effect of the 

 scheme and the placing of a seat or 

 few lawn chairs will convert the bare 

 and objectionable roof into a delight- 

 ful and restful place. 



In north windows or those which 

 give but little sun all sorts of vines, 



