June, 1916 
15 
owner can choose green and white vincas 
for the drooping vines in the boxes, and 
the very darkest shade of scarlet geraniums 
for the color contrast. Not another kind 
of plant but these two and the effect is gor¬ 
geous ! 
The boxes on one house of this type run 
on the upper and lower piazzas on two 
sides of the house, and there are thousands 
of clusters of vivid scarlet set off by the 
green of the leaves, showing against the 
yellow-grey of the wall surface. It is much 
more effective than if this color had been 
broken by dabs of pink and purple and yel¬ 
low. 
Suppose your house color is any of the 
shades of grey. A color scheme of pink 
and white will be admirable against such a 
background. There is nothing more satis¬ 
factory for vines than the vincas or myrtles 
and the ivy family makes a close second, 
especially the German ivy with its light 
green leaves and rapid growth. 
The Best Plants 
For white flowers sweet alyssum is one 
of the best all-around growers. It is frag¬ 
rant, it is always in bloom, and the blos¬ 
soms are so fine and delicate that it makes 
a pleasing contrast with the more solid 
blooms of geraniums. Candytuft is also a 
very desirable white flower and a free 
bloomer. The habit of each is to run down 
over the edge of the box in a graceful, 
drooping manner. 
If you do not desire to confine the choice 
to one shade of pink and one kind of flower, 
you may still keep to the color scheme and 
obtain variety by choosing different kinds 
of flowers having pink bloom. Any of the 
Chinese or Japanese pinks, the pink be¬ 
gonias, the differing shades of pink ger¬ 
aniums, or the stock family with its many 
shades of pink will be good. The contrast 
of lavender and purple of the heliotrope is 
a pleasing addition. 
If the house color is in any of the shades 
of brown, the more brilliant play on scarlet 
will be beautiful. Yellow makes a fine com¬ 
bination with brown, but there are only a 
few yellow flowers that are practical for 
window-boxes. The best of these are the 
tuberous rooted begonias. The calendulas 
are low growing and free blooming, but 
seem a trifle coarse for the purpose. Nas¬ 
turtiums make a very good plant to trail 
over the edge of the box. There is a dwarf 
double yellow sunflower that looks well in 
a box. 
Geraniums are the best old standbys, for 
they run in all the shades of pinks and scar¬ 
lets, and one can always depend upon them. 
Give them rich soil and frequent waterings 
and they will repay all your labor. Also 
remember that it takes as much plant 
strength to perfect and ripen a blossom as 
it does to produce a new bloom, so it pays 
to pick the blossoms as soon as they reach 
perfection, giving the plant a chance to pro¬ 
duce a new one. 
The most difficult house color with which 
to make the planting harmonious is that of 
new red brick or red paint. It is a color 
so strong in itself that it kills or deadens 
the hue of any blossoms that might look 
well with another background. The most 
artistic treatment for it is boxes of green 
and white vincas, a mass of white alyssum 
with a row of white marguerites or white 
geraniums, small palms, aspidistras and a 
(Continued on page 64) 
FABRICS FOR THE LAST MINUTE HANGINGS 
The address of the shop where 
these fabrics are sold will be 
furnished on request; or they f 
may be purchased through the 
House & Garden Shopping Ser¬ 
vice, House & Garden, 440 ^ 
Fourth avenue. New York. a 
