LIGHT - Garden

In the first place, almost all plants, whether they flower or not, must
have an abundance of light, and many require sunshine, especially during
the dull days of winter. Plants without sufficient light never make a
normal, healthy growth; the stems are long, lanky and weak, the foliage
has a semi-transparent, washed-out look, and the whole plant falls an
easy victim to disease or insect enemies. Even plants grown in the full
light of a window, as everyone with any experience in managing them
knows from observation, will draw toward the glass and become one-sided
with the leaves all facing one way. Therefore even with the best of
conditions, it is necessary to turn them half about every few days,
preferably every time they are watered, in order that they may maintain
an even, shapely growth.

As a rule the flowering plants, such as geraniums and heliotropes,
require more light and sunshine than those grown for foliage, such as
palms, ferns and the decorative leaved begonias. It is almost
impossible, during the winter months, to give any of them too much
sunlight and where there is any danger of this, as sometimes happens in
early fall or late spring, a curtain of the thinnest material will give
them ample protection, the necessity being not to exclude the light, but
simply to break the direct action of the sun's rays through glass.

A great variety of plants may be grown in the ordinary window garden,
for which the sunniest and broadest window available should be selected.
There are two methods of handling the plants: they may be kept as
individual specimens in pots and "dishes" or "pans" (which are nothing
more or less than shallow flower pots), or they may be grown together in
a plant box, made for the purpose and usually more or less decorative in
itself, that will harmonize with and set off the beauty of the plants.

The latter method, that of growing in boxes, offers two distinct
advantages, especially where there is likely to be encountered too high
a temperature and consequent dryness in the air. The plants are more
easily cared for than they are in pots, which rapidly dry out and need
frequent changing; and effects in grouping and harmonious decoration may
be had which are not readily secured with plants in pots. On the other
hand, it is not possible to give such careful attention to individual
plants which may require it as when they are grown in pots; nor can
there be so much re-arrangement and change when these are required--and
what good housekeeper is not a natural born scene shifter, every once in
so often rolling the piano around to the other side of the room, and
moving the bookcase or changing the big Boston fern over to the other
window, so it can be seen from the dining-room?

If the plants are to be kept in pots--and on the whole this will
generally be the more satisfactory method--several shelves of light,
smooth wood of a convenient width (six to twelve inches) should be
firmly placed, by means of the common iron brackets, in each window to
be used. It will help, both in keeping the pots in place and in
preventing muddy water from dripping down to the floor or table below,
if a thin, narrow strip of wood is nailed to each edge of these shelves,
extending an inch or two above them. A couple of coats of outside paint
will also add to the looks and to the life of these shelves and further
tend to prevent any annoying drip from draining pots. Such a shelf will
be still further improved by being covered an inch or two deep with
coarse gravel or fine pebbles.