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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 1908 



Vines for Window Boxes, Vases and Baskets 



By Ida D. Bennett 



HAT nature had a definite purpose in the 

 production of vines seems well attested by 

 the infinite variety and adaptability of the 

 varieties. Vines for every purpose are avail- 

 able, and where their use proves inartistic 

 or unsightly it must be because of lack of 

 discretion in selecting, planting or caring 

 for them, or from real indifference. 



With the novice in floral matters a vine is apt to be a vine 

 and nothing more, and to be used with little or no regard for 

 the position in which it is placed, and it is only a lucky acci- 

 dent that saves the planting from artistic disaster. 



There are many fine, hardy vines and many robust growers 

 of the annual varieties which give excellent returns when 

 planted on the sides of buildings, pergolas, summer-houses 

 and the like which would be sadly out of place if used in 

 vases, window boxes or other positions calling for a small- 

 leaved, moderate-growing vine. At the same time many 

 of the annual climbers are so dwarfed by confinement in a 

 limited space as to be tractable and useful, but as a general 

 thing choice should be made of the more delicate house and 

 greenhouse vines where available. 



The successful stocking of window boxes calls for a more 

 or less profuse use of vines, and the selection of these will 

 greatly depend upon the plants which are used in combina- 

 tion with them. Where plants with conspicuous and varie- 

 gated foliage are used it is better that the vines should be of 

 plain foliage, but with plain-leaved flowering plants such 

 variegated plants as the vincas and glechomas may be 

 adopted. The vinca is a favorite florist's plant, much used in 

 boxes, vases and baskets. It grows to considerable length 

 if left untrimmed, but will be far more profuse if cut back 

 more or less severely, as it throws two new branches at every 

 shortening of the sprays. This is a trailer pure and simple, 

 as is also the silver-edged glechoma, and quickly masks the 

 sides of the box over which it falls. 



Less thrifty in growth, rarely exceeding eighteen inches 

 in length, the variegated trailing abutilon is a most effective 

 drooping plant for boxes and baskets, especially when cov- 

 ered with its striking bells of red and yellow and of black. 

 Unfortunately, this blooms only in early summer, so can not 

 be depended upon for anything but beautiful foliage later 

 in the season. 



The trailing fuchsia, on the other hand, is a most persistent 

 bloomer and remains laden with its beautiful purple and 

 crimson bells until frost. It is equally useful for any position 

 where a drooping plant is required, but prefers a partially 

 shaded position, as a north window or a partially shaded 

 east one; for soil it prefers a liberal mixture of leaf mold and 

 sharp sand and well rotted manure, but will do well in any 

 good soil. I prefer to fill boxes which are to hold mixed 

 plants with a good compost rather than any one particular 

 soil, and by using a good, warm garden loam or soil from 

 rotted sod as a basis and adding a proportion of leaf mold, 

 sharp sand and well-rotted manure, a soil is produced which 

 will grow almost anything. To this may be added a little 

 ground bone, as the soil in these small repositories becomes 

 quite exhausted by midsummer and needs reinforcing with 

 something of slower assimilation. 



Less robust in growth, but very effective in outline and 

 coloring, the trailing begonia — Cissus discolor — and the trail- 

 ing geranium or saxifraga may be employed with plain- 



leaved plants. The former is somewhat difficult to grow 

 successfully and should be given a rather protected but sunny 

 position, but the saxifraga is of the easiest culture. We 

 used to find this plant in almost every collection of plants, 

 along with the farfugium and the calla lily, but of late years 

 it is little seen, and should be brought forward and given the 

 attention so good and useful a plant deserves. 



Among the various climbing vines which may be twined 

 to drape the sides of their receptacles is the bright little 

 manettia vine, with its cigar-shaped blossoms of fiery red, 

 tipped with yellow. This little vine blooms equally well 

 either summer or winter, and at the end of the season may be 

 taken up and potted off for winter use in the house. I like 

 to grow it, indoors or out, in combination with the white 

 solanum — Solanum seaforthianum — whose sprays of delicate 

 white blossoms, so freely produced, are delightful with the 

 stronger-colored manettia. The solanums are freer growers 

 than the manettia vine and may be used alone with excellent 

 effect, but take more to an upright position than to a recum- 

 vent one. S. azureum is a very free grower, with large grace- 

 ful sprays of purplish blue flowers freely produced through- 

 out the summer, but S. wedliandi is too rank a grower to 

 be useful in small spaces, though excellent on trellises or 

 pergolas. 



A large growing vine which still is most useful for win- 

 dow boxes is found in the passion flower — Southern Beauty. 

 This has large leathery leaves, which in themselves are highly 

 ornamental, but when it opens its large striking flowers of 

 white, blue and pink — which are produced from the axils 

 of almost every leaf — the effect is beautiful indeed and never 

 fails to call forth the admiration of every beholder. There 

 are many fine varieties of the passiflora, but none is so free- 

 blooming as this, which blooms when but a few inches in 

 length. Plants for use may be purchased already budded 

 of the florists in the spring; they will do well in almost any 

 position or exposure, and I have grown them with equal 

 success on the north and on the east side of buildings. 

 Planted out in full sunshine in a spent hotbed in summer they 

 make a wonderful growth, while in the more restricted con- 

 fines of a window box they keep fairly within bounds. 



Another attractive small vine is found in the Clerodendron 

 balfouri, with its scarlet flowers inclosed in a calyx of white. 

 This also works well with the manettia vine or with the 

 Solanum seaforthianum. 



In north window boxes, in vases and baskets, outside or 

 indoors, there is no more satisfactory plant than the Aspara- 

 gus sprengeri ; it does especially well in a north exposure, 

 but may be grown in a not too sunny position. The other 

 varieties of the asparagus fens will do well in shady positions, 

 but will not endure as much exposure as A. sprengeri. This 

 is especially fine for cemetery use, being beautiful in large 

 wrought-iron vases in combination with the S. A. Nutt geran- 

 ium and a few trailing scarlet nasturtiums, especially the 

 bulbous double varieties. 



One of the prettiest climbers is found in the graceful 

 maurandia — a delicate vine with dark green, heart-shaped 

 leaves and tubular flowers of pink, of white and of mauve. 

 It is a very robust grower when once established, clinging to 

 everything in sight — the plants in the box, the window 

 screens and the like — and for this reason needs some training 

 to keep it in bounds, but it is so dainty and thrifty that it well 

 repays a little extra care. 



