Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-04-06 | Page 8 | Uncle Sam's Aids Flower Gardeners

ClE SAMS AMS AIDS AM l cOrl cO C V rl P f X X N l i r v r A i t 1 Q c 1 b. b l GA Porch and Window Boxes Should Be Planned to Fit Design of House This is the e eighth of oC a series of ot articles on flower lower gardening written especially for NEA service and The Telegram By DR WM W WM A. A. A TAYLOR Chief Bureau of Plant Industry U. U S. S Department of ot Agriculture Porch and window boxes as soon as s they arc placed and planted become become be- be come ome part of the architectural scheme of f the home This is LS s an added reason v for or careful and intelligent in- in planning The Thc boxes themselves them- them Ij ox ii S selves elves e I v e s anti and all plants lams lants to grow row in fj t them hem should har- har harm hari har- har harmonize m i t. t monize with each other ther and with the N. N F 4 general style of the he home There are arc re t flowering 1 0 V C r i n g p plantS lants and foliage plants lants suitable for box culture in variety variety va- va enough that Dr Taylor most gardeners will be able to make selections elections that will prove suitable and attractive additions additions to the architectural ural tural plan and will still satisfy personal per per- onal preference in flowers Howers Annual plants arc are the first reliance of oC f most gardeners although the geranium gera- gera ium num one of ot the tender perennials is s one of the flow flowers rs most adaptable to o box culture Ageratum Chinese pinks jinks pansies sweet alyssum candytuft candy- candy tuft lobelia mignonette nasturtium petunias and verbenas are of easy culture and with exception of the pansy ansy most of these thrive In full sun un Calliopsis is snapdragons and or strawflower are cas easy to o grow crow and somewhat taller CACTI FOR SOUTH WINDOW For the hottest southern exposure or some forms of cacti are growing Ving in favor crotons fancy ancy leaved caladiums and or silk oak oal arc are lender tender perennials per per- usually regarded as greenhouse greenhouse green green- house plants but suitable for boxes in n the sun when it is convenient to lo buy plants in the spring or to winter them Gardeners usually transplant to boxes instead of planting seed in them Failure with porch boxes can usually usually usually ally be traced to one or two causes Either the soil is not prepared properly properly prop prop- erly or the boxes are arc not large enough Plants in boxes cannot draw water from the subsoil and to hold an adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate water supply the boxes should be nearly a foot in cross section Many boxes particularly the readymade readymade readymade ready- ready made metal window boxes are arc too small All boxes must provide for drainage by holes in the bottom and anda a layer of ot coarse gravel cinders or broken pots to favor or drainage to these holes The soil must be spongy and capable of absorbing a quantity of water without becoming heavy and md waterlogged LOAM LOA IS BEST SOIL It is not practical to do much cultivating cultivating cultivating cul cul- and soil for boxes should not cake or puddle and harden Friable garden arden loam with the addition of a t liberal quantity of thoroughly decomposed decomposed de- de composed leaf mold or compost makes a desirable combination but the organic material must be fully decomposed Active decomposition in the box is likely to be deadly to the plants Ordinarily such sueh a mixture mix mix- mixture mixture mix mix- ture will supply most of oi the plant- plant food for the seasons season and md soil for Cor boxes should be renewed each year car If the plants seem to need feeding a weak solution of liquid manure will act as a tonic A teaspoonful of ot ni nitrate nitrate nitrate ni- ni of ot soda or sulphate of ot ammonia to a 11 quart o of water is a f fair fir ir tute In hot weather particularly a mulch of n a-n Inch or more of pulverized pulverized pulverized pulver pulver- peat will add odd greatly to the water-holding water capacity of or the tine bo box and will also help keep the tho plants cooler and prevent a crust on the soiL roil Window boxes should be placed ona on ona a 1 slight slant so that water will flow low from irom the drainage e holes to th the lower outside ledge If Ii they are arc level or tilted inward the escaping drainage Is likely to sta stain the walls alls I. I Friday rida Starting Starlie plants ts indoors i j. j