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WHEN THE GARDENER ^ 

 BUILDS HIS HOME 



ESTELLE H. RIES 



Housing the Plants as an Essential Feature of 

 Your Initial Plan — The Bay Window, the 

 Sun Room, the Greenhouse and Other Pos- 

 sibilities for Continuing Your Garden Indoors 



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|HE decorative possibility of plants in and 

 about the house and a liking for their care 

 ? and propagation are recognized essentials 

 of most present-day households. Flowers 

 need no longer be confined to seasons when they will grow 

 out-of-doors in these latitudes, but may be enjoyed through- 

 out the entire twelvemonth. People who love green things 

 about them find it imperative to provide a suitable place for the 

 growing of plants and flowers indoors; a location convenient and 

 accessible which at the same time actually adds to the charm of 

 the domestic interior. So in building the new home it is well to 

 bear in mind the necessity for such structural provisions. To 

 the member of the family who sincerely cares for flower culture, 

 these features will be as interesting and in a sense as essential 

 as the heating system, the plumbing, or the electric fixtures of 

 the dwelling proper, and a thorough consideration beforehand 

 of the various problems involved serves to prevent errors costly 

 to correct in a completed building. 



A LOGICAL place for the window garden is afforded by the 

 bay windows of the living-room or of the large hall some- 

 times found in the modern house. Like any other place designed 

 for special usage, the window garden can be more economically 

 and conveniently installed at the outset than later on as a 

 troublesome alteration. 



A southern exposure is, of course, preferable, though a western 

 or eastern are also desirable. When installing a bay window 

 off the dining-room for the special purpose of a window garden, 

 it is best to extend it beyond the usual depth and to make it at 

 least four feet deep. If possible, lay the floor of this space with 

 square red tile set in cement and either inclined in one direction 

 or centrally with a drain so that surplus water used in sprinkling 

 the plants may be readily drained away and undue dampness 

 avoided. It is also well to tile the wall from floor to window sill. 

 Boxes are then made to fit the space allotted for them and should 

 be lined and provided with facilities for drainage. . 



Make provision for double windows to exclude the cold drafts 

 of winter, with ventilating panes at the top and bottom, and 

 place in the ceiling as a ventilator some small form of register 

 with cords leading into the room so that it may be opened and 

 shut to control the movement of air. Perhaps the best means of 

 heating the window garden is by hot water, as this more nearly 

 approximates the graduating character of the outdoor atmos- 

 phere; any method selected being placed so -as to maintain the 

 most equable and easily regulated temperature, in control of 

 which a thermostat will prove serviceable. It is desirable to 

 have a glass door in front of the bay window to further regulate 

 the temperature about the plants when the main part of the 

 room is too warm or too cold. Window shades drawn down 

 at night help to keep out cold air; the Venetian type with wood 

 slats is recommended. 



FLOWER-POT brackets add much interest to the window 

 garden. They may be attached to either walls or ceiling, 

 must be strongly constructed, preferably of wood, and capable of 

 holding double the weight put into them. A most useful type 

 is that with movable arms which may be swung out of the way of 



curtains. The absence of all metal likely to rust is 

 also desirable. 



Simple stands of mahogany, wicker, and other 

 materials are also available for indoor use. About 

 nine inches is the correct depth no matter what the height and 

 width. A metal lining with holes for drainage, space between 

 the metal and wood into which surplus water may filter, and 

 handles for lifting are indispensable features of any well-equipped 

 plant-stand. Do not rest wooden window boxes directly on the 

 sill ; in the absence of an inside metal lining, raise the box an inch 

 or so by strips at the ends so that there is a space between the 

 bottom and the surface upon which it rests. Otherwise it stands 

 in water, contrary to the best interests of the plant. 



Jardinieres are, of course, primarily ornamental in purpose 

 and are made not to hold soil but the pot in which the soil is 

 placed. They are nearly all glazed and not provided with 

 outlets for water. In addition to being ornamental they also 

 serve to catch the drip from the pot and to prevent excessive 

 evaporation. If the space is packed with sphagnum moss the 

 plant may be much benefited. Whatever the type of vessel 

 in which plants are grown, there should always be openings in 

 the bottom to permit the escape of the surplus moisture. When 

 the proper drainage is not supplied, the soil becomes water- 

 soaked and sour, the air is prevented from coming in contact 

 with the roots which proceed to decay; the plant droops, loses its 

 leaves, withers, and finally dies. 



For individual plants, a saucer of the same material as the pot 

 is part of the equipment. Some pots come with such saucers 

 attached but besides being unwieldy, these are highly undesir- 

 able because of the lack of drainage. A pan of gravel may well 

 be used, for this absorbs the surplus water from the pot and slowly 

 evaporates it into the room, keeping the surroundings suitably 

 moist. 



Hanging baskets are graceful and decorative adjuncts of 

 living-room or porch. They should be hung firmly on small 

 galvanized chains or wire stout enough to support twice the 

 weight of the plant (to allow for the weight of the water) and 

 hooked into a material strong enough to sustain the weight of the 

 filled basket; not, for example, into a plaster ceiling which is 

 almost sure to crack. Select a hook with a decided "*s" termina- 

 tion to prevent the chain from slipping off. 



Hanging baskets are apt to be a nuisance when it comes to 

 watering them, for they dry out quickly and need considerable 

 care. The " Illinois" hanging basket does away with the usual 

 splashing and spilling of water. Built on the same principle as 

 the self-watering window box it holds moisture for days and 

 neither drips nor leaks. 



The window garden not only adds a very attractive decorative 

 feature to the interiorduring the winter and fall months, but may 

 be arranged to include a space for sowing seeds of flowers (and 

 vegetables if so desired) to be transplanted out-of-doors as soon 

 as it is safe to do so, thus securing at the earliest moment a most 

 attractive display. 



THE outside window box is an artistic feature, adding greatly 

 to the exterior appearance of the house and is a source of 

 interest, pleasure, and even education to those within. A win- 



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