THE GARDENING WORLD. 
319 
May xi, 1907. 
I 
About Window Boxes. 
What are you going to do with your 
window-box this summer? Are you go¬ 
ing to re-fill it with exactly the same kinds 
of plants as were used last year? Mar¬ 
guerites at the back with scarlet Gera¬ 
niums and yellow Calceolarias in front? 
It will be a pity to do that; even if a 
slight variation is contemplated in the 
way of a few pink Ivy-leaved Geraniums, 
or a Petunia or two. My opinion is that 
vou are not about to make the best of 
vour miniature garden on the window- 
ledge. 
The plants are right enough, and there 
is no need to criticise; the only objection 
is they are what may be called stereo¬ 
typed subjects, such as will be all too 
commonly seen in every street. 
Why not have something fresh ? Some- \ 
thing out of the ordinary ? 
Any number of subjects may be named 
that will thrive in the limited space of an 
ordinary window-box, and that will pro¬ 
duce unique effects and afford much in¬ 
terest. Take Mesembryanthemums, for 
instance, a group of fascinating little 
plants that are pre-eminently adaptable 
for the purpose of furnishing window- 
boxes, and although not perfectly hardy, 
they are as easy to keep through the win¬ 
ter as Geraniums and Marguerites. For 
window-ledges in sunny aspects where the 
midday sun beats down with all its power 
few if any plants will thrive better than 
Mesembryanthemums. Interesting in 
foliage and habit of growth, they also pro¬ 
duce bright and pretty flowers': moreover, 
they are subjects which demand very little 
attention, even in the matter of watering, 
and their display of blooms spreads over 
a' long period of the summer and autumn. 
The pink-flowered species are perhaps 
the most effective, but a careful blending 
of colours may well be arranged. M. 
crassifolium is a pink-flowered species of 
trailing habit, suitable for the front of 
the box, where its stems may hang over 
the edge and assume their natural pen¬ 
dant habit. M. intonsum is also pink, a 
tiny carpeter of less than an inch in 
height. M. mucronatum is almost 
shrubby, a suitable species for the back or 
ends of the box. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUMS 
AND 
MIMULUS. 
we see a window-box furnished completely 
with Mimulus. 
Many other subjects may be used for 
the window-box. Try and hit upon some¬ 
thing original, something different from 
the things your neighbours grow. You 
will thus get the more enjoyment out of 
your window-box. 
Heather Bell. 
which someone has compared to foam on 
account of that particular shade of colour. 
Every plant flowers freely, so that there is 
quite a mass of flower on plants even re¬ 
cently established. The leaves are heart- 
shaped, as the specific name indicates, 
and in spring and early summer are of a 
pleasing light green, but towards autumn 
they become more or less tinted with 
bronze and purple, and are then effective 
as a covering to the ground. 
From what has already been said it will 
be noted that the plant is easy to culti¬ 
vate and easily propagated by division of 
the clumps or by cuttings of the running 
underground stems. So readily does the 
plant take to new soil that it may be 
planted in March and will flower freely in 
May upon the rockery. The accompany¬ 
The Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia). 
Of deeper colour, almost red, is M. 
spectabile, which grows about a foot in 
height, M. uncinatum being taller still. 
M. aurantiacum is of a fine rich shade of 
orange, while M. verruculatum is of a 
clear yellow on almost woody stems from 
12 to 15 inches high. There are many 
other beautiful Mesembryanthemums 
available, and quite a collection may be 
grown in a couple of window-boxes, the 
effect produced being distinct and pleas¬ 
ing. 
In shady places window-boxes might be 
filled with Mimulus. Some, of the fine 
strains m cultivation now produce flowers 
of such rich and showy colours, and of 
such striking combinations, that a win¬ 
dow-box filled with them is as beautiful 
as a group of Gloxinias. How easily 
grown they are; and yet it is not often 
THE 
?om Flower. 
ing illustration will give an idea of the 
habit of the plant and its free flowering 
character. 
+++ 
(Tiarella cordifolia). 
Besides the Saxifrages which give their 
name to the order, there are several other 
genera of closely allied plants of a her¬ 
baceous character suitable for the rockery 
or border. That under notice is a rock 
plant of the first water, and will presently 
be in bloom, though later than usual this 
year. The plant forms a neat tuft with 
running underground stems which in¬ 
crease the plant fairly rapidly. The 
stems are only about 6 in. high, and pro¬ 
duce racemes of amber-white flowers, 
Auricula and Primula Exhibition. 
The eighth annual exhibition of the 
National Auricula and Primula Society' 
(Midland section^ was held at the 
Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston, Birming¬ 
ham, on May is*t. 
End of the Scillv Season. 
The flower season of the Scilly Isles 
ended last week. The total quantity' of 
flowers sent to the mainland was over 900 
tons as against 800 tons last y’ear. Owing 
to low prices many acres of blooms must 
be left to decay'. 
