March, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



77 



The garden walks are always made more interesting by low-growing borders 



ferns and shade-loving plants may be grown. I always 

 find my north boxes much the finest, for in them I grow the 

 Asparagus Ferns to perfection, wonderfully velvety-leaved 

 Begonias, Ferns, trailing Fuchsias, flowering Abutilons and 

 the like. 



For screening a window with an objectionable view try 

 making a window-box just the width of the window and 

 mounting this on a castored base. To this attach a light 

 but firm frame covered with poultry netting and just the 

 size of the window and plant in the box plants of Manettia 

 vine and of the Solanum Jasminoides, the white of the one 

 and the scarlet of the other are beau- 

 tiful together, or, one may use the 

 Maurandia vine or the Asparagus 

 Plumosus Nanus which makes a most 

 delightfully lacey screen. A screen 

 arranged in this way, growing on a 

 movable support can be turned away 

 from the window when desired or 

 rolled into the kitchen or bathroom 

 for showering and cleansing. 



THE GARDEN' IN THE TEMPORARY 

 HOME 



^Vill naturally differ in many essen- 

 tials from that in the permanent 

 home, but need be none the less inter- 

 esting. It will consist for the main 

 part of Annuals and Summer bloom- 

 ing bulbs, though bedding plants may 

 form a not-unimportant part. Sum- 

 mer blooming bulbs form an econ- 

 omic expenditure as when their season 

 of bloom is over the bulbs may be 

 lifted, with their increase, and stored 

 in some convenient place until wanted 

 again in, perhaps, some far distant 

 home. In point of bloom and ease 

 of culture Gladioli are always a 

 sensible choice and the newer varieties 

 leave little to be desired in size and 

 quality of bloom. There are a few 

 special sorts which should always be 

 included in the list — Princeps, one of 

 the finest of all-red sorts in size and 

 freedom of bloom, Blue Jay, the best 

 of the blue sorts, White Lady, the 

 only pure white, Sulphur King, the 

 best yellow, and such soft pinks and 

 salmons as Henry Gillman, Columbia, 

 Wm. Falconer, and America. The 

 culture is so simple as to call for but 

 passing mention. Good, mellow 

 loam, deep planting and a fair 

 amount of water during the blooming 

 period. 



Montbretias which resemble the 

 Gladioli somewhat but are much 

 smaller in bloom and more branched 

 and graceful, require practically the 



same treatment of Ismenes, though they give but one flower- 

 ing and that soon after the planting in early June, are so 

 beautiful at this time as to more than compensate for failure 

 to repeat the performance and the broad, strap-like leaves 

 are ornamental at all times. Gloxinias and Tuberous Be- 

 gonias in sheltered spots well repay the initial expense, and 

 the less well-known Watsonia mixes admirably with Gladi- 

 oli which it resembles in growth, but with many branched 

 stems bearing fragrant, pure white flowers. 



Wherever there is room for them among other flowers 

 one may introduce the Tuberose, planting, if possible, a 



A graceful arrangement of Arabia albiada 



