CHAPTER XXIV THE POSSIBILITIES OF A CITY FLAT

The possibilities of the city flat will depend upon just how much window space the flat affords and how much sunlight the windows receive, for upon the amount of light will depend not so much the quantities of flowers which may be grown, as their character.

It may be possible that, in a restricted area, but one window can be devoted to the growing of plants during the winter season and where that is the case one will wish to realize as much pleasure as possible from that one window. If it is a sunny window then it will be an easy matter to fill it full of bright flowers. Now no flower so well withstands the heat and dust of our living-rooms as the geraniums, but it is by no means necessary that they should be of the more common zonal type. The Lady Washington geraniums—pelargoniums—are319 far more beautiful and even more prolific in their bloom. They may be purchased all ready to bloom of the florist or easily raised, from spring sown seed, to blooming size by fall. Heliotropes, the sweetest of all flowers, will bloom freely in any sunny window if the precaution is taken to spray or wet the foliage thoroughly every day; without this refreshing bath the foliage will curl up and die and the buds blast.

The carnation is an excellent plant for the sunny window but must be sprayed frequently to keep in check the red spider, and all the spring blooming bulbs can be depended upon for the winter window garden and have this advantage that they can be potted in the fall, tucked away in a dark closet somewhere and brought out when ready to begin blooming, and again relegated to any out of the way place as soon as their season of bloom is passed.

The most convenient way of growing house plants where there are only common windows to accommodate them is in boxes made to fit the320 window-sills. The ready-to-use metal boxes are very handy and satisfactory, but not as attractive as simple boxes made of wood to match the standing woodwork of the room; these should have a metal lining to protect the woodwork and if the expense of boxes of hardwood in a rented flat seems undesirable, very simple boxes of cheap wood may be made to imitate the hardwood finish by giving a covering of the paper or wood pulp that comes in all the natural hardwood finishes. This is simply pasted on the boxes and when dry should be given a coat of sizing-glue dissolved in hot water to a thin paste, and when this is dry a coat of varnish or jap-a-lac. This will be so successful that few casual observers will detect the substitution. A very pretty plant box can be evolved from a single cheese box, cut down a couple of inches covered with the paper and supplied with legs or mounted on a small lamp stand, or white enamel will be charming, especially when the box is filled with blooming tulips or narcissi, or given over to ferns, asparagus vines and the like.

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Where one has a window opening on to an air shaft or a court that gives no view but infringes one's privacy a delightful screen which will not deprive one of too much light and air, but effectually screen the window is made from a box the length of the window-sill, fitted with double casters to allow it to be moved from place to place. A long rod or wire, long enough to extend upright as high as the screen is desired, cross over and return on the other side, should be fitted into the end boards close to the back by boring holes with a drill the size of the rod for nearly the depth of the wood and the ends of the wires firmly sunk in them. The frame is then covered with wire netting or twine and the box planted to some light, graceful vine like the asparagus plumosus nanna, the manettia vine, clarodendron, but the plumosus nanna is an excellent choice. Such a screen is very convenient and artistic between two rooms where it is desired to leave a door open for air, but desirable to screen the contents of one of them.

It is the summer flat, however, that offers the322 greater possibilities of floriculture for in this season the boxes may be placed outside of the windows if properly secured, and a much greater variety of plants grown, for there is no exposure for which there are not many delightful things available. A north window, that to many would seem especially undesirable for plants, will often be found to develop the most interesting boxes. All the hardier varieties of cultivated ferns may be usual here, all the blooming and fibrous rooted begonias, all the asparagus fern, especially A. sprengeri, the various impatiens, especially I. sultani, the trailing fuchsias, abutilons, variegated wandering Jew, aspidistras, farfugiums. Palm grass, Pannicum Excurrens—a palm-like grass which one has to send to southern florists for but which grows rankly at the north, either in the house or in the open ground—is good. I bedded one out in spring, intending to lift in the fall for interior decoration and found it to have made so sturdy a root growth, and so immense a top that it defied a spade to move it and had to be abandoned to the frost. Within323 doors its long, curved leaves are most attractive and interesting. It is a magnificent plant for the rear wall of a sun room or conservatory.

If one occupies a flat with a rear outside staircase, then one may utilize the top of the railing to place boxes of trailing nasturtiums and bright flowers—a planting of nasturtiums in the rear, a middle planting of geraniums, justitias, petunias, verbenas, phlox drummondii, etc., and a fringe of sweet alyssum or other delicate trailer along the front will give a succession of bloom all the summer long.

Along the outer edge of the steps one may arrange small but deep boxes of earth and in each plant blooming vines such as the Japanese morning glory, the cob?a scandens, flowering beans, or that gay little new vine—the cardinal climber. These may be trained to run on wire or cord so as to afford privacy for the stairway, or if this is not desired, trailing vines and erect plants may be used instead, the trailers masking the unlovely architecture of the stairs.

Possibly one may be in possession of one of324 those flats whose side windows look out upon the roof of a lower building—a tin roof expansion of ugliness which is a hindrance to spiritual calm and mental cheerfulness. If this is the case, why not utilize it to create a roof garden? If the area is small one can utilize all of it, if too large then pre-empt the portion nearest one and draw a trellis of wire across the boundary line on which one may grow in long, narrow boxes of soil morning glories galore. It is not necessary that these boxes be of anything but the roughest construction; home-made boxes, evolved from old packing cases, are as good as anything as they will be masked by the plants and vines; these should extend around three or even all four sides of the roof, those in the rear and, if it is desired to secure privacy, those on the sides, being planted with vines or tall-growing plants like ricinus, cannas, cleomes, cosmos and the like. It will not be desirable to leave too much open space in a garden of this sort, unless it will be possible to cover the roof with sand or sawdust that325 can be wet down with the hose to create a moist atmosphere; but where this can be done a very successful roof garden can be created with the principal expenditure that for earth and sawdust. Most flowers of the summer garden can be grown in such a position and one could arrange a very satisfactory little lily pool and fountain by means of a big zinc tub, a length of hose, two or three water lilies and some gold fish. A few inches of earth in the tub will supply a footing for the lilies and a mask of plants around the base will hide the crudeness of the pool.

When one has undertaken a garden like this it will be found surprising how many things one will pick up in one's little excursions out of town to add to it; all one's friends will take an interest and pleasure in donating seeds and plants and if the roof affords room for a hammock and a few chairs, the question of where to go for a summer vacation will not take on such poignant interest, nor the inability to afford one be so great a tragedy. Such an oasis in the heart of a city will be326 a delight to a child and solve the problem of keeping it off the street and from undesirable companions. I should like to think that a good many such little oases will develop and that I might know of them.

It might be that two or more people have homes overlooking a roof who would join together in the making of a garden. In that way a larger area could be undertaken and the expense would not be seriously felt. If the roof is one exposed to much sunshine, then one should select plants which revel in sunshine like the annual poppy, the verbena, salvia, sweet alyssum, candytuft, ageratum, dahlia, canna, California poppy, asters; all these are hardy, easily grown plants, which will give an abundance of bloom all summer. Of course geraniums' and coleus can also be depended upon to do their prettiest, but one and all should have a daily or semi-daily showering with a hose to remove the grime and dust of the day and freshen the foliage as well as to provide the necessary water to drink. Probably the entire success of the roof garden will depend327–328 upon just this one feature of an adequate water supply at the roots and a thorough cleansing of the foliage each day. Given this there is no reason why a garden of this sort should not be a success.

The End