How? When? 



HOME GARDENING GUIDE 



Where? Why? 



Window Boxes 



There's nothing finer than window and 

 porch boxes to make a house look "lived 

 in" and gay. 



The necessary boxes may be bought ready- 

 made, or constructed at home. Redwood 

 or cypress are the best lasting materials, 

 but ordinary yellow pine will do nicely 

 if well painted. Paint at least two coats, 

 and use brass screws instead of nails to 

 join the boards. 



Drainage of flower boxes is important. Use 

 about two inches of coarse gravel at the 

 bottom. Cover this with a layer of sand, 

 and then with good, rich soil. Fertilizing 

 may be done with liquid manure, but 

 commercial plant tablets are even better, 

 and much easier to apply. 



Plants suitable for window boxes are quite 

 numerous. Among the best are Petunias, 

 Nasturtium, Ageratum, Candytuft, dwarf 

 Marigold, Corn-flower, Babysbreath, Love- 

 in-a-mist, Verbena, Sweet Alyssum, Vinca, 

 English Ivy adds a nice touch, as do 

 various ferns. 



Good Points to Remember 



Pinch 'em off! To make annual flower 

 plants branch and grow more flowers, 

 most of the plants should have the top 

 of the stem pinched off when they are a 

 few inches high. Remove only the end 

 bud, about 1/4". 



Divide your perennials. Most perennials 

 must be divided every 3 or 4 years. Cut 

 away all the dead roots and stalks, save 

 the best portions, and start afresh. 



Flower bed preparation. A good border 

 needs a well prepared sub-soil. Dig deep 

 and condition the subsoil just once, and 

 you needn't bother about it again for many 

 years. For this happy situation, break up 

 heavy subsoil with sand, peat moss, hu- 

 mus, or lime. Top this off with fine loam. 

 The double-dug bed will be higher than 

 before, but will soon settle. 



Formula for Pansy Growing 



Pansies are not annuals but near-hardy 

 perennials that need special culture. Cold 

 frames, with glass sash and mats for win- 

 ter protection are essential. Soil should be 

 rich: up to one-third of soil can be well- 

 rotted manure or sifted compost. Sow seed 

 in August. Protect frame with shades made 

 by tacking muslin or cheese cloth over 

 window screens. Thin plants to stand 4" 

 X 4". After first frosts, cover with glass 

 and mats, and allow to freeze slowly. Re- 

 move mats in early spring and allow sun 

 to warm frame. Move plants into perma- 

 nent position when in full bloom. Keep 

 faded flowers picked; they will stop 

 blooming if any seeds are allowed to 

 form. Growing good Pansies from seed is 

 the test of a real gardener. 



Two Interesting House Plants 



The Heavenly Blue Morning Glory makes 

 an excellent house plant for winter flow- 

 ering if grown in a sunny window. Start 

 new plants in late August, using 6" pots 

 (they make heavy root growth). They can 

 be trained up strings on either side of the 

 window. Lobelia plants can be lifted just 

 before frost, cut back, potted and will 

 flower indoors in late winter. 



SWEET PEA 

 Spencer, Rose Pink 



5 "Where to Plant" Ideas 



Flowers in the vegetable garden. To have 

 plenty of cut flowers without disturbing 

 your flower borders, plant a few rows of 

 flowers along the edge of your vegetable 

 garden. Or set them out between rows of 

 early lettuce or radishes, where they can 

 bloom after the vegetables have been 

 used. 



Annuals in the tulip bed. Just after the 

 late tulips finish blooming, set out some 

 annuals between the tulip plants. If you 

 do this, you may safely leave the tulip 

 bulbs in the ground for several years, or 

 at least until they need separating. 



Flowers for trellis or fence. Vines for 

 quick cover here are quite numerous. For 

 brilliant color effects, plant Cardinal Climb- 

 er, Scarlet Runner Bean, Cypress Vine, or 

 Japanese Morning Glory. Less colorful are 

 the Cup-and-Saucer Vine, Hyacinth Bean, 

 Balloon Vine, and Heavenly Blue Morning 

 Glory. For heavy foliage effects, gourds 

 are good. 



For garage cover. Sometimes it is highly 

 desirable to screen off the bare walls of 

 the back-yard and garage. For quick re- 

 sults, the taller annuals, such as cosmos, 

 hollyhocks and sunflowers are desirable. 

 Any of the vines named in the last para- 

 graph above are suitable, too. 



Between drive and property line. This 

 narrow strip is often a very nice place for 

 a long flower border. A low effect may 

 be had by plantings of balcony petunia, 

 portulaca, and sweet alyssum. Or a hedge- 

 like effect is easy to get with Kochia, Four 

 O'clocks, Zinnias, or Marigolds. 



RUSSELL LUPINES 



PETUNIA 

 Rose of Heaven 



NASTURTIUMS 

 Gleam Hybrids 



PANSY 

 Swiss Giant 



