Something About Window Boxes 
How to Make and How to Care for Them 
By L. J. DOOGUE 
A FEW words about window boxes are very 
pat just at this time. In the spring every 
one feels the necessity ot getting out into 
the garden and digging. The man with the garden 
goes there hut the man in the up-to-date flat must 
content himself by doing his gardening in his win¬ 
dows. Unfortunately the matter of window floral 
decoration is not seriously considered. A person 
in one house puts out a few boxes and Alls them with 
any old thing regardless of the suitability of the 
plants. In the next house, desiring to surpass the 
horticultural aspirations of their neighbor, they put 
out boxes and all goes merrily. Then these people 
go away for the summer and the boxes are allowed 
to take care ot themselves. The result is easily 
J 
imagined. About the middle of the summer the 
boxes look little better than a bunch of weeds at their 
best. In Europe they do this work better than we 
and the sight of the houses in the early spring is one 
to be lon<r remembered. There is no reason why 
the work cannot be done as successfully here as 
there. It can be—with a little thought. 
If you want flowers in your windows you must 
remember that plants need soil in plenty to make 
their growth and that a small box with a lot of plants 
cannot look well but for a short time unless new 
eartb and nourishment is supplied. That boxes 
should be lined with zinc and an outlet with a cork 
will save the possibility of splashing the windows 
below when watering. Boxes for the veranda should 
be large to hold plenty of loam. Make the loam 
I he attractive portion of this box is the Iceland Poppies 
Remove them after flowering 
A poor combination. I ooks well at first but the crowded planting will in time spod it. 
Do not crowd your boxes 
rich; loam with manure, old 
sods, leaf mold and bone 
meal and give frequent 
waterings. 
If you want window boxes 
take it up with your neighbor 
and then make it a street 
affair and get everybody in¬ 
terested. In this way you 
reach a harmonious under¬ 
standing and the result will 
be pleasing in a scheme ot 
window decoration worked 
out for the immediate 
neighborhood, rather than 
for individuals. By working 
up a community of interests 
the houses can be made at¬ 
tractive during the whole 
spring, summer and fall. 
In filling the boxes keep to 
the idea of a few kinds of 
plants in each box. A box ot 
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