Show 11 I Several New Ideas For Pretty Window Gardens II IHE fact that Paris Js one of the most beautiful and attractive T cities In the world indeed Is I dubbed ilia belle Is due in a great measure to the wealth of flowers to be seen everywhere Not F1 only are the boulevards shaded by ri beautiful trees but the shrubs and plants In these avenues are merely a 1 trifle more luxuriant and lovely than ti their contemporaries growing in the window boxes that look down In a I I bright blooming fauhion from the r neighboring houses I Even out of the fog and mist of London it Lon-don loom dainty and artistic window f pictures In flowers and In the German cities the love of nature Is also made u evident In this gracious manner In America lately we have made some feeble efforts in the direction or outdoor out-door window culture Several cities s arc the proud possessors of blocks WINDOW BOX beautiful in which the inhabitants oC the houses vie with each other in unique and charming arrangements of plants and blossoms These efforts have not been sufficiently suffi-ciently concerted BO far to produce any 1 decidedly marked change in the aspect of our streets still we have grasped the possibilities of this cult and a hint I cto the adaptable American woman is sufficient The following very practical and ornamental i or-namental devices for window decoration 1 decora-tion are Ideas materialized by a well known florist and may be successfully adopted by the lover of flowers One of his moro ambitious creations may for want oC a better name be called a greenhouse In miniature It IB made of glass and wood like Its name r 1 sake and may be bought of any desired k de-sired uhapo or clae to lIt over a window box outside a window or if preferred 4 IH equally well adapted to the inside of r a room As air IB almost as great a necessity to plants as to animals these houses are ventilated by means of line wire gauze placed at the back of the case nearest the window pane In this way air is admitted and all Impurities are excluded The house I YiI iW 4 PfPEi i 1riW1L t 4it ge3Ji C PASSION FLOWER SILL GARDEN is fitted in position by means of strong Iron brackets fastened to the wall outside out-side the window The case may come half way up the window pane without greatly interfering with the light It should be at least twelve Inches high on the outside and slope upward toward the window at an angrle of thirty degrees de-grees The plants will then have plenty of room in which to grow and can be arranged ar-ranged from the inside of the house The glass case does look somewhat like an inclosed shop counter Still the Importance of a window garden being under glass cannot be overestimated WINDOW ROCKERT The changes of temperature outside are so variable even in spring1 1 that the precaution pre-caution appeals to one at once Another advantage of tho glass case is that it may be heated a receptacle I for holding hot water being fitted In the bottom of the case For one of these covered winter houses begonias fucfislas and plants oC that family thrive best and with proper care will blospom all winter long H one wants to be very elegant and dainty a fountain playing In the middle mid-dle of the greenhouse is a pretty addItion addi-tion These can be bought at moderate cost The piping is eIther connected with an ordinary water tap or a pan is filled with sufficient water to make the fountain run for some time The miniature greenhouse Is rather expensive and will be beyond the reach of the many who have only a few dollars dol-lars to expend on the garden The simplest and cheapest form of window garden Is the window box This may not be as dainty and original as IIrr ORNAMENTAL FLOWERS IN FANCY FAN-CY JARS the contrivance just described but in good colorings when prettily filled and painted It IB most attractive Many lovely ones are to be purchased with tiled and mosaic designs although the homemade box lined with zinc is avery a-very acceptable substitute These boxes box-es hold a quantity of earth and in summer sum-mer calceolarias geraniums and nasturtiums nas-turtiums bloom abundantly and look well in them Fuchsias trained out in fan shape on thin sticks painted green and Ivy treated treat-ed in the same way when placed In the center of the box are extremely pretty Very few persons realize the beauty of passion flowers as a window adornment adorn-ment The Parisians plant them In small pots made to harmonize with the brick or stone work of the house and train the vine around the entire frame of the window making a charming bower A single grapevine grown In a window box and trained like the passion pas-sion flower In another exquisite and seldom sel-dom seen effect Whero water Is available avail-able a miniature rockery can be at ranged sloping down from the sides to the center of the window sill where a basin 1 is fixed to catch the little rUts Hardy ferns and mosses will do well in thin rockery Ornamental pots set on window sills are always to be neon and appreciated Some of the new Doulton ware Jars are particularly nice for this purpose Of course you know the plants must never be placed directly in the ornamental jar but first planted In an ordinary onetime one-time spaces between being filled in with moss or sand Pretty also are the hanging baskets hung outside the t window win-dow filled with a variety of creeping ercus A stiff though curious effect Is produced pro-duced with cacti These look well all the year round hut must be protected by glass as they are sensitive to I changes In temperature I I once saw a pretty picture made by a small close clinging cheeping plant which was apparently Incorporated In the lower panes of a I largo window The creeper although a tropical one seemed to thrive splendidly Upon Investigation I found that the window was double The lower part of the frame was hollow hol-low and filled with earth in which the creeper had been planted The Italian loggia has become so much a part of our modern architecture that one may gather valuable hints as to outdoor decorations from the exqul L 4 I MINIATURE GREENHOUSE site manner In which plants aro arranged ar-ranged in these pleasant galleries It Is within tho power of the clover window win-dow gardener lo work out many lovely schemes and now In tho spring Is tho time to begin There is a philanthropy I In this kind of work It is thrice blessed I bless-ed not only to him who give but to him who takes In the pleasure from the sidewalk Even the homely fire escape the garden of the flat and apartment house may be made to blossom as the rose when a little care is expended upon Its iron rlgldncss A common box such as grocers have filled with soap starch and the like Is an excellent bed for this irurden to Paint I the box a good green color with three coats of paint l then have a florist fill it with good rich earth If the season sea-son is not too far advanced seeds should be planted otherwise small geraniums ge-raniums petunias or any sweet smellIng smell-Ing flower may be substituted and will be a joy all summer Room must be left In the box for the plants to grow and all overcrowding avoided Nasturtiums alone can make a pretty effect in one of these boxes and when trained up on cords above the window I forming1 an arbor the shade Is very grateful On a hot day this little bit of nature Is wonderfully appreciated by i the stay at homes A thing of beauty and a Joy for the whole winter was made by an enterprising enter-prising girl who in a tiny apartment which did not boast a window sill determined de-termined to grow a few flowers The services of a carpenter were called into requisition and at a cost of 26 cents aboard a-board two feeti wide and the length of the window was fitted in with Iron brackets costing 10 cents apiece When the board was stained and pots of blooming wax plants and geraniums were nicely arranged on top the spot proved to be the most attractive one in the room EDITH LAWRENCE |