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THE FLOWER GARDEN
[Illustration: SWEET ALYSSUM AND GOLDEN SAXATILE ARE DESIRABLE FOR
ROCKWORK]
The Country Home Library
THE FLOWER GARDEN
by
IDA D. BENNETT
[Illustration: McC P & Co. SIMPLEX MVNDITIIS NY]
New York
McClure, Phillips & Co.
MCMV
Copyright, 1903, by
McClure, Phillips & Co.
Published, May, 1903, N
Second Impression
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE LOCATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE GARDEN 3
II. SOILS 17
III. FERTILISERS 23
IV. THE HOTBED, COLD-FRAME AND SAND-BOX 30
V. PURCHASING OF SEEDS 41
VI. STARTING SEEDS IN FLATS 48
VII. TRANSPLANTING AND REPOTTING 53
VIII. HOUSE-PLANTS FROM SEEDS 62
IX. OUTSIDE WINDOW-BOXES 88
X. VARIOUS ANNUALS FROM SEED 98
XI. VINES 128
XII. ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGE PLANTS FROM SEED 141
XIII. BULBOUS AND TUBEROUS-ROOTED PLANTS 147
XIV. AQUATICS 165
XV. THE CARE OF THE SUMMER ROSE-BED 173
XVI. THE HARDY LILY-BED 179
XVII. THE CARE OF CANNAS, CALADIUMS, DAHLIAS, AND OTHER BULBS
DURING WINTER 185
XVIII. HARDY SHRUBS AND PLANTS FOR FALL PLANTING 196
XIX. WINTER PROTECTION 203
XX. THE CARE OF HOUSE-PLANTS IN WINTER 208
XXI. COMMON AND ENGLISH NAMES OF FLOWERS 217
XXII. BLOOMING SEASON OF VARIOUS TREES, SHRUBS, AND PLANTS 234
XXIII. A CHAPTER OF ODDS AND ENDS 245
XXIV. A CHAPTER OF DON’TS 253
INDEX 259
ILLUSTRATIONS
Sweet Alyssum and Golden Saxatile are Desirable for
Rockwork _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
Ornamental Grasses and Foliage Plants 8
Manure Water is a good Way to apply Animal Fertiliser 26
When Plants Appear too Thickly in Rows, Transplant 32
A Well constructed Hotbed 32
Starting Seeds in Flats 50
Sifting Loam through a Sieve 56
Repotting 60
When Two or Three Inches High—Transplant Carnations into
Pots 72
An Easily made Carnation Support 72
Injured or Faded Leaves should be Removed at once 86
Outside Window-boxes 90
Boxes in which Scythes are Packed make very good
Window-boxes 94
Hanging-baskets for Windows 94
Small Water Gardens 104
Cool, Moist Spots between Stones 108
Dusting with Sulphur 114
Spraying with Bordeaux Mixture 114
Sow Poppies in the Perennial Border among the late
Flowering Plants 116
A Dead Tree Draped with Vines 132
Furnish Support for Vines to Run on 134
Vine-covered Shed 134
Clematis Paniculata Blooms when most Others have Ceased 138
Shift into larger Pots as Required 144
Should Bulb Outgrow its Quarters Shift into Pot two
Sizes larger 160
Wild Water Flowers for Edging Lily-pond 166
Water-lilies with Background of Bamboo and Native
Grasses 168
A Full blown Cat-tail 170
Native Plants Edging a Natural Water Garden 172
Training a Climbing Rose 176
A Rose covered Building 178
A Portion of the Grounds Protected by Shrubbery is the
Place for the Lily-bed 182
Turn out Ball of Earth to Ascertain if Pot is filled
with Roots 192
A Good Background for Low Shrubs 200
Plants for Late Winter Blooming should be brought into
the House before Fall 210
Fences may be Made Attractive with Vines or Plants 250
PLATES
FACING PAGE
I. Height and Season of Bloom of the Different Perennials 10
II. Plan for a Hardy Border 12
III. Plan for Rose-garden and Foliage-bed 14
THE FLOWER GARDEN
Chapter _ONE_
The Location and Arrangement of the Garden
A south slope is the ideal situation for a garden, since it insures good
drainage and the greatest amount of sunlight. The garden should also be
open to the east and west, if possible; that it may have the benefit of
the morning and evening sun. Shelter on the north is desirable, as north
winds are disastrous to Roses and tender perennials. Partial shelter on
the west should be given in localities where the prevailing winds of
winter are from that quarter.
The south side of a building, or even of a high fence, with trees and
tall shrubs at a little distance to the west, is best; though any site
that receives abundant sunshine through the morning and early afternoon
may be made satisfactory by planting trees and shrubs on the north and
west.
The garden should always be at the rear or side of the dwelling, never
in front or along the street. The reasons for this are obvious. The
garden proper is intended to furnish cut flowers, to provide a place of
experiment with new varieties, and to grow hardy perennials which have
certain seasons of bloom and cannot be depended upon, at all times, for
ornamental effect. One should feel free to work there unobserved of the
passer-by, and this is impossible in a garden close to the street.
Again, while the permanent garden is beautiful in itself, it is not
suitable for the lawn and greatly mars the effect of the grounds. Beds
of ornamental foliage plants—Cannas, Ricinus, Coleus, and the
like—appropriately placed, add much to the beauty of a well-kept lawn,
but should be carefully considered in relation to its size and the trees
and shrubbery already there.
On a small city lawn not more than one such bed should be allowed. On a
large lawn three will give a better effect than a great number,
especially if care is taken to have them all visible from different
points on the lawn and from the house, never isolating them by so
placing that clumps of trees or shrubbery intervene, but using these
rather as a background for the beds.
It is from the hammock that the amateur gardener will most enjoy the
results of her labour. It is there she will find leisure to watch the
growth of plants, to compare the effect of different varieties, to note
where she may improve the vista by a different arrangement next year, to
observe the effects of locality, of the afternoon and morning sun and
all the peculiarities of plant growth that escape her when busy with
trowel and watering-pot, so that the view from it should be first
consideration.
A very good arrangement is to put a large bed of Ricinus on the most
remote space of the lawn—four plants in the centre of a twelve-foot
bed—surrounded with a row of Salvia splendens edged with Little Gem
Sweet Alyssum. Nearer, an eight-foot bed of the large-flowered Cannas
may be introduced and edged with Coleus or the second size of Caladiums,
while a six-foot bed of ornamental grasses—Arundo Donax, Erianthus
Ravennæ, Eulalia gracillima univittata—will make a satisfactory third.
Such beds are rich in tropical effects and give more distinction to a
lawn than any other class of plants.
Where there is an ample water-supply these beds may be elevated a few
inches above the lawn to make them more conspicuous; but where the
seasons are hot and dry and water must be carried it is better to set
them slightly lower than the lawn, so that all the available moisture
may be utilised. A few inches of margin must be allowed around the edges
of beds on the lawn so that the mower may run close to the beds without
injuring the plants, though even then it will be best to use the
lawn-shears. Such beds call for carefully trimmed lawns. Unless the
grass can be properly cared for, it is better to exclude flowers from
this part of the grounds entirely, as it is time thrown away to plant
flowers which will presently be hidden by tall grass and weeds. A
neglected lawn involves an amount of labour in the semi-annual cleaning
of spring and fall out of all proportion to the results, while a lawn
well cut and raked is more easily cared for with each recurring year,
the grass growing clean and straight, and the rake and mower passing
freely and easily through it.
The scheme for a permanent garden must be decided by the size and shape
of the plot of ground at command, an irregular plot sometimes lending
itself to more graceful arrangement than a symmetrical one. The
operation of laying out the beds will be the same, whatever the shape.
Having decided the boundaries of the garden it will be best to mark the
outlines by a cord attached to pegs driven into the ground. The sod
should then be removed from the entire area by cutting just below the
crown of the grass. Desirable arrangements of beds are shown in
accompanying illustrations. Two and one-half or three feet should first
be allowed for walks. The beds may be placed to advantage by finding the
centre of the plot and driving there a stake to which a cord is loosely
attached. Mark off on this cord half the diameter of the bed desired,
for centre of plot, four, five or six feet—fasten to the cord at this
point a sharp stick and describe the circle on the ground. In this way
the garden walks may be outlined and the inner and outer circles of the
round beds. The oval beds must be measured off and defined by stakes
driven into the ground. The width of the beds should be not more than
can be easily reached across for weeding and cultivating. Where the soil
has not been previously cultivated it must be spaded at least two feet
deep, and thoroughly pulverised. All roots and stones should be removed.
If the soil is clayey or gravelly it will be best to remove it entirely
and to fill in with soil better adapted to the growth of flowers. Or the
surface may be removed for several inches and laid aside. Then the
poorer subsoil should be dug out and removed and the surface-soil
replaced in the bottom of the bed with a liberal quantity of old,
well-rotted manure. The bed should then be filled to its original level
with leaf-mould or muck. If all the original soil is to be retained,
remove the top-soil for top-dressing. Spade the manure into the subsoil
and replace the surface-soil. In ground which has not been cultivated
this surface-soil is rich in humus or leaf-mould, which furnishes food
in its most available form for the young plant, and should, therefore,
be left where the plant can use it and not be turned under as is usually
done. Nature never turns the soil upside down; nor will the wise
gardener, except when a richer and better soil is to be added or when it
is necessary to work in manure.
In making beds that have been worked before and need no enriching,
excellent results may be secured by pushing a long spade into the ground
the whole length of its blade and twisting it around. This breaks up and
mellows the ground more effectually than turning it over, while it
leaves the good soil on top where the young plant-roots can get it.
Later, when the plant grows sturdier and stretches out its roots in
search of food, the manure-enriched earth in the bottom of the bed will
attract and draw them down into its cool, moist depths, away from the
heat and drought of the surface. But the young plants must have mellow,
nourishing soil from the start, or they will perish before they reach
this store-house provided for the mature plant.
Never prepare a garden by turning under the sod. I am well aware that
this, together with turning under the surface-soil, will be the method
of the average man who has had some experience of farming, but the
flower-grower cannot always follow farming methods with safety.
After spading the beds it will be well to inclose them with some such
permanent material as brick, cement curbing, or narrow boards. Four-inch
siding set in the ground an inch or more, and held in place on each side
by pegs of wood (old waggon spokes, which can usually be found at the
blacksmith’s, are excellent for this), make the cheapest and most
quickly constructed inclosure, and may be quite covered with such
border-plants as Dusty-miller or Phlox subulata. The boards may be given
a coat of dull-green paint or shingle-stain before being put in place.
[Illustration: ORNAMENTAL GRASSES AND FOLIAGE PLANTS]
The permanent garden beds should have some such protection, as it
greatly lessens the work of caring for them. Sod borders are very
attractive, but involve an amount of care altogether out of proportion
to the effect, as they must be kept closely shaved and the constantly
encroaching roots of the plants must be as constantly curbed. This is
also the case with grass walks, attractive to look at, but a supreme
nuisance to the gardener. Walks of gravel, cinders or coal-ashes are
preferable, and should be dug deep enough to smother out all weeds in
the soil. If coal-ashes are used the paths should be nearly filled, the
roughest part raked off and the surface gone over with a heavy roller.
If left unrolled, however, the surface will be found firm and hard after
the first heavy rain. Very good and inexpensive walks are obtained in
this manner. Walks, of whatever kind, should never be hoed, and the
weeds must be removed from them by hand. Hardness and smoothness are the
requisites of a good walk. It is well to avoid self-sowing flowers like
Sweet Alyssum, or Petunias, near the inside walks, as they come up by
thousands in the spring and can only be removed by salting, scalding or
uprooting.
The beds should be well above the surface of the walks, especially those
containing hardy perennials like Peonies and Lilies. In the case of most
plants, water standing around their roots in winter is absolutely fatal.
The location of the beds and their consequent moisture and sunshine must
determine the flowers to occupy them. If you are fortunate enough to
have a corner low, damp and shaded in the afternoon, that is the place
to set out the beautiful Japanese Iris, Cypripedium acaule and other
moisture-loving plants, while the Gladiolus may be given a prominent
place in full sunshine. Asters and other flowers that do not bloom until
fall should have a less conspicuous place; they are so showy that they
will not fail to attract attention, wherever they may be planted.
Pansies and other low-growing plants should be set out in the bed next
the lawn. The general effect is finer when only one kind of flower is
grown in a bed, but when two or more varieties of flowers, harmonising
in colour, are grown together, the tallest must be placed in the centre
and the others grouped according to height. Various plants may be used
as edgings, due consideration being given to the plants which are to
fill the beds.
[Illustration: KEY TO PLATE I.]
GIVING THE HEIGHT AND SEASON OF BLOOM OF THE DIFFERENT PERENNIALS, ETC.
OUTER CIRCLE.
Pansies—all summer.
FIRST CORNER BED.
A—Montbretias in corners, scarlet and orange, 2 to 3 feet—all
summer.
B—Gladioli in centre, in variety, 3 to 4 feet—September, October.
C—Tuberoses, 3 feet—August, September.
Border of blooming Oxalis, pink and white, 6 inches—all summer
CENTRE BED OR MOUND.
1—Dark red Peony, 2 feet—May.
2—White Peony, 2 feet—June.
3—Pink Peony, 2 feet—June.
4—Large flowered perennial Phlox—August, September, October.
x A—Auratum Lily, 2 feet—August. September.
x B—Speciosum Album, 2 feet—August, September.
x C—Melpomene, 2 feet—August, September.
x D—Auratum.
x E—Longiflorum, white, 2 feet—June.
x F—Rubrum, 2 feet—August.
x G—Candidum, white, 3 feet—June.
Border—Phlox Subulata.
REAR CORNER BEDS.
North Bed—Anemones, Whirlwind and Queen Charlotte, white and pink, 3
feet—September.
Border—Wood Anemones.
South Bed—Asters, 2 feet—September, October.
Border—Auricula, 8 inches—May.
A mass of one kind and colour is more effective than a mixed bed. The
beginner will find that the percentage of success is greater in growing
a large number of one kind, all requiring the same conditions of soil,
moisture and sunlight, than in trying to force plants of widely
different habits to grow under the same conditions. Hardy perennials,
however, not many of which deserve an entire bed, do very well with
several varieties in the same long bed or border, and may be so grouped
as to give a succession of bloom throughout the season. A raised bed of
Peonies interspersed with the new, large-blooming Phlox and bordered
with Japan Lilies will give a succession of flowers from May to October;
or a long bed of Hollyhocks, or Hibiscus with a row of large-flowered
Phlox in front and edged with dwarf Phlox Drummondii will give months of
lovely bloom. This last combination also makes a serviceable screen
between the vegetable garden and the lawn, or to hide a rear fence.
In arranging parti-coloured beds of flowers, due attention must be paid
to the harmonising of tints. Do not combine magenta and scarlet, or
purple and blue. Separate them by the interposition of white—the most
valuable colour in the garden, as it not only harmonises all colours but
wonderfully enhances their brilliancy. White with scarlet, with blue, or
with yellow is always good. Lavender and heliotrope are lovely with
nearly all shades of scarlet, rose and pink. Blue flowers planted in the
rear of the garden increase its apparent size, while white, bright
yellow and scarlet, by bringing the background nearer, decrease it.
Monkshood and the tall blue Larkspur are excellent for rear beds.
The accompanying diagrams will be of assistance in planning the
garden—not so much in supplying plans to be followed literally as in
suggesting other plans and variations, while giving practical
information as to number of plants required, their distance apart and
the like. Soil and other details will be treated elsewhere.
In planning a shrubbery (see Plate II.) it is neither necessary nor
desirable to use boards or other curbing for the beds, but the turf
should be kept neatly trimmed and cut. A plot 60 by 40 feet or more,
inclosing a considerable area of turf, gives room for rustic seats, a
stationary hammock, and a tree or two. The circle in the border greatly
increases the accommodation for plants and furnishes an ideal spot for
Lilies. The lily-pond in the centre will be discussed at length in the
chapter devoted to aquatic plants.
The rather complicated design in Plate III. is intended for a
rose-garden or for foliage-beds on a large lawn. It is not at all
difficult to construct, and a little practice with paper and pencil will
remove any apparent obstacle. If you will draw, on a scale of one inch
to a foot with a compass a succession of circles of six, eight and a
half, twelve and a half, fifteen and nineteen inches, respectively, the
foundation of the plan will be laid. Now, divide the fourth circle into
fifths and draw a half circle 4½ by 14 feet or inches on the circle of
each fifth by placing the point of the compass midway between the fourth
and third circle. This will leave a crescent-shaped bed. Mark off from
each side of these half circles or crescents, on the space between the
third and fourth circle, two and one-half feet for paths. Making the
lines parallel with the crescents, the remaining spaces will form
triangular beds, that for convenience may be called the third or outer
row of beds.
[Illustration: KEY TO HARDY BORDER. PLATE II.]
Name of Plant. Color. Height. Season of Bloom.
Feet, Inches.
1. Hypericum Yellow 1 6 All summer.
2. Deutzia Gracilis White 1 8 May, June.
3. Lychnis Roseum Pink 1 8 All summer.
4. Spiræa Filipendula White 1 0 May, June.
5. Platycodon Blue 2 0 All summer.
6. Anemone Whirlwind White 3 0 September, October.
7. Spiræa Anthony Crimson 2 to 4 0 May, sometimes all
Waterer summer.
8. White Foxglove White 3 0 All summer.
9. Scarlet Lychnis Scarlet 3 0 All summer.
10. White Foxglove White 3 0 All summer.
11. Lychnis Splendens Red 3 0 June, July.
12. White Veronica White 2 0 August, September.
13. Blue Veronica Blue 2 0 July, August.
14. Spiræa Van Houttei White 3 0 May, June.
15. Monkshood Fischeri Pale 4 0 September, October.
Blue
16. Hollyhocks in Var. 4 to 5 0 Summer, fall.
17. Monkshood, Uncinatum Dark 4 0 June, August.
Blue
18. Bocconia Cream 5 to 6 0 July, August.
1. Tall Shrubs. 2. Low Shrubs. 3. Herbaceous Pereum.
x x Hardy Lilies. —— — Edging Plants.
Now if radiating lines be drawn from the corners of the crescents to the
centre of the plan the point where they cross the third circle will be
the upper corners of the first row of beds—the lower corners being
formed by the point where the radii from the centre and left corners of
the crescents cross the second circle; the third and second circles
forming the upper and lower sides; the ends being formed by curved lines
drawn from the upper to the lower corners. Or, having completed the row
of five crescents and five triangular beds, mark off with pole or ruler
radiating lines from the corners and centre of each crescent to the
centre of plan; the point where these radii from the circle of crescents
cross the third circle will be the upper corner of the first row of
beds; the lower corners being formed by the radii from the centre and
left-hand corner of crescents; the ends being formed by curved concave
lines from upper to lower corner—the intervening spaces forming paths.
For Laying Out the Beds
Use a long pole with a sharp stake passed through a hole at one end and
fastened with a nail driven through it horizontally, so that it can turn
easily, with a number of holes for pegs at the required distances—six,
eight and one-half, twelve and one-half, fifteen and nineteen feet.
Drive the movable stake firmly into the ground, and do not remove until
the work is finished. Slip the sharp marking peg into the hole, which it
should fit closely, and mark out the circles. For the half circles, or
crescents, a nine-foot stick laid straight across the edge of fourth
circle will give an approximate fifth, the loss in the curve about
equalling the fractional loss caused by multiplying by three alone.
Drive a peg with a stick or string attached into the path a foot inside
the third line and mark the circles on it; mark the paths by lengthening
the stick or string two and a half feet and drawing sections of circles
on each side of the half circles from the fourth to the fifth circles.
Now bring the end of the long pole to the left corner of half circle and
mark the radiating lines and half lines to the centre, and mark off the
first row of beds as you did on paper. In this way almost any form of
flowerbed may be laid out. The following diagrams for foliage-beds on
the lawn will be helpful.
For a Twelve-foot Foliage-bed
One Ricinus in centre; three Ricini four feet from first, an equal
distance apart—or about eight feet. Alternate with these three clumps of
tall-growing Cannas. Surround with a row of scarlet Salvias, set one
foot from edge of bed and twenty inches apart. Edge with Little Gem
Sweet Alyssum.
[Illustration:
PLATE III.
PLAN FOR ROSE-GARDEN AND FOLIAGE-BED.]
Another Twelve-foot Bed
One Ricinus in centre, surrounded at three feet distance by six of the
largest sized Caladiums three feet apart. The third row, three feet
outside, to be composed of low-growing Cannas—Queen Charlotte, Chicago,
Florence Vaughan, or Papa—eighteen inches apart. Edge with dwarf
Nasturtiums.
Nine-foot Bed
One Ricinus trimmed in umbrella form—that is, the lower leaves removed
so that the upper may serve as a shade for the Cannas. First row, six
Allemannia Cannas; second row, twelve inches outside, twelve Burbank
Cannas, fourteen inches apart; third row, twenty-five Italia Cannas,
fourteen inches apart. Edge with Coleus, set fifteen inches apart.
Nine-foot Bed
Centre three discolour Cannas, grouped in the corner. First row, twelve
Black Beauty Cannas, eighteen inches apart; second row, eighteen inches
outside, twelve large Caladiums, twenty-seven inches apart.
Twelve-foot Bed
Three Ricini in group, equal distance apart. First row, three feet out,
scarlet Salvias, twenty inches apart; second row, twelve inches out,
white-flowered Vincas, twelve inches apart. Edge with scarlet Phlox
Drummondii or blue Tom Thumb Ageratum, six inches apart.
Nine-foot Bed of Ornamental Grasses
Large clump of Arundo Donax in centre. First row, three feet out, three
Erianthus Ravennæ, six feet apart; second row, twelve Eulalia gracillima
univittata, two feet apart.
Eight-foot Bed
A large clump of Setaria magna in the centre. First row, Coix lachryma,
eighteen inches apart; second row, twenty inches out, Pennisetum
Ruppellianum, eighteen inches apart.
* * * * *
I cannot too highly recommend the planting of ornamental grasses on the
lawn. They are extensively used in parks and in other public grounds,
but not nearly so extensively as they should be on private grounds. Many
of them are perfectly hardy, and once established grow in beauty from
year to year; others in the Northern States may be easily wintered in
the cellar, while still others may be cheaply and easily raised from
seed each year.
Chapter _TWO_
Soils
In every garden the matter of soil is of first importance. In case of an
outdoor garden the existing conditions will largely determine the class
of plants to be grown.
A good loam—that is a non-coherent mixture of clay and sand with a
proportion of such decayed vegetable matter as leaves and the fibrous
roots of grasses—is the best garden soil, being what is termed warm and
early. Soil containing a good proportion of sand is warm, while a
preponderance of clay makes what is known as cold or wet soil.
If there is good drainage, cold soil can be rendered lighter, sandier
and more friable by the liberal application of manure, which in two or
three years will quite change its character. But this is a long time to
wait, and to get quick results it will be necessary, after laying out
the garden and outlining the beds, to remove the earth to a depth of
twenty inches or more, filling in with soil suitable for the class of
plants to be grown in each bed. In the beds intended for Roses, however,
the clay may be left, as Roses require this soil. Where it is not
present it should be supplied and added to each year, as the heavy
manuring which Roses require constantly reduces the relative proportion
of clay. For the Pansy bed nothing better than leaf-mould from the woods
can be procured. For this bed remove six or eight inches of earth, spade
in a good supply of old, well-rotted manure from the cow-stable,
top-dress with several inches of leaf-mould. You will have a bed that
will give magnificent Pansies and few weeds. For the Salvia, Canna,
Ricinus, Caladium and other strong-growing plants no soil is better than
the muck or peat of swamps—soil composed of partly carbonised vegetable
matter decomposed by the action of water. Leaf-mould consists of
vegetable matter which has decayed without being submerged, and it
usually contains a liberal quantity of sharp, white sand, to which it
owes its friable, non-adhesive character. Leaf-mould is commonly found
around decayed stumps and in hollow places in the woods, where the
leaves have drifted and decayed. It is ready for immediate use. Muck or
peat, however, which is found in bogs and swamps, is unfit for garden
use when freshly dug—except for aquatic plants—being tough and fibrous.
It should therefore be dug during the summer, thrown in a heap and left
for the winter frost to rot and render tractable. For immediate use the
best method is to place it in a deep hole in the bed and cover with
several inches of loam, or old muck. If this is kept worked or mulched
to exclude air and retain the moisture in the muck, excellent results
may be secured. The bed may also be partly filled with muck and covered
with loam, the whole object being to prevent the muck drying out into
hard lumps, as it will, when green, on exposure to sun and air. The
following spring the loam may be spaded into the muck, giving a warm,
mellow, exceedingly rich soil that will grow anything. The importance of
starting out with good soil cannot be too strongly urged. It seems at
first sight to call for a considerable expenditure of time and
money—especially where the earth must be purchased and the labour paid
for—but in the long run it is a decided saving.
With unsuitable soil there must be many failures, resulting in loss of
both plants and seeds, and this in itself is no small expense. The
labour of caring for such a garden is many times greater, for the
top-dressing of manure required produces an incessant crop of weeds,
which must be removed, not once, but many times during the summer, while
beds filled with leaf-mould or muck need but one or two weedings. The
weeds which grow naturally in these soils do not flourish in the open
ground. A few Smartweeds and Nettles may be expected in the one case,
and Violets and Spring-beauties in the other. In the manured garden soil
an endless procession of Purslane, Malice, Ragweed and the like must be
constantly watched for. The presence of clay and gravel in the soil
always renders it hard and given to caking, necessitating frequent
cultivation; while muck-beds, after the preliminary spading in the
spring, remain free and mellow throughout the season.
Replacing soil presents more difficulties to city dwellers than to those
living in the country, or in small towns, but, as there are in the
vicinity of most of our cities rich peat lands, it ought not to be
difficult to obtain one or two loads of this useful material. Near the
small towns are always to be found farmers who own or live near
marsh-land, and can supply muck, especially where they have been
ditching. A good waggon-load may be had at prices ranging from fifty
cents to two dollars, according to the distance to be hauled. The cost
in the city would, of course, be much greater.
It is well for the amateur gardener to learn early in her experience to
keep her eyes open to all things pertaining to the success of the
garden. When driving, note the marsh-lands easily accessible from the
highway, especially where they have been ditched or partially reclaimed,
and interview the owner or tenant. In the dull season on the farm the
owner of such soil may be glad to earn an extra dollar or two, and it
may also be suggested to the farmers’ boys, who have marsh-and
wood-lands, that they may earn pocket-money by calling on people known
to be cultivating flowers or building new homes, to solicit their
orders. Many people who grow flowers do not know where to apply for
earth, and an advertisement in a local paper would, doubtless, prove
advantageous to customer and purveyor. On hillsides along the road, and
places which the rain has washed, one may gather quantities of pure
white or grey sand for potting. Yellow sand is not suitable for such
use, as it contains much clay and cakes badly after watering, while the
white or grey sand remains line and loose.
Leaf-mould is not so readily procurable, as it must be gathered from
suitable patches through the woods, and the farmers do not like to
bother with it. Besides, they are likely to dig up much undesirable
under-soil. It is better to go one’s self for this. A still better way
is to make your own leaf-mould. Thus: when sod is removed from the
ground for any purpose, shake out the fine soil that adheres to it for
future use; or slice off the fine roots with a sharp knife just below
the crown of the grass. This is known as fibrous loam, and, in
combination with leaf-mould, old manure and fine, sharp sand, makes the
very finest potting soil. Throw the tops of the sods in a heap in some
out-of-the-way corner and add the rakings of the yard in fall and
spring, all weeds pulled during the summer, all vegetable refuse,
potato-parings, apple-peelings, corn-husks, and berry-hulls—anything
that has vegetable matter and will decay. All dish-water and slops that
are not needed on the garden may be thrown on the pile, which should be
turned over occasionally during the winter. By the following spring you
will have the finest kind of leaf-mould. Not all of the pile will have
decayed, but along the sides and underneath it will be found ready for
use. Add to it every bit of available vegetable matter during the year,
including the annual flowers pulled up after their season of bloom, the
tops of such root-plants as Cannas, Caladiums, Gladioli, etc., and you
will soon have a supply quite adequate to the needs of an ordinary
garden. Where there are water-works the hose may be turned on frequently
to hasten decomposition. If it is impossible to replace all poor soil in
the garden with better, by the addition of leaf-mould and manure, much
may be accomplished in the way of building up the old and rendering it
suitable.
If the plot to be used can be ploughed up, well manured, and sown to
clover, the clover turned under in the fall, a good top-dressing of
manure given, and the whole turned again in the spring, the soil should
be in good garden condition.
Where the soil is a good, warm loam the addition of fertilisers will
always give excellent results, though there is the disadvantage of weeds
and extra cultivation to consider. The first cost of suitable earth is
great, but it pays in the end in the saving of fertilisers, labour,
expensive seeds and flowers.
Chapter _THREE_
Fertilisers
Fertilisers in the form of animal manures, chemicals or vegetable matter
come next in importance to a good soil. Horse, cow, sheep, and poultry
droppings are the cheapest and most direct in results. Of the four, cow
manure is probably the best for the majority of plants, especially
Pansies, Iris, Violets, Ferns and others which love a cool soil. Cow
manure is known as a cool manure, and is suitable for a warm or sandy
soil. Horse manure, which is more heating, especially when from young
stock, is better on cold or clayey soil, as it has the effect of
breaking up the adhesiveness of the clay and promoting the formation of
sand. Hen manure is very warm and is therefore most suitable for cold
soils. Sheep manure is especially desirable for Roses and house-plants,
about one part manure to six of earth being the proportion.
Good results may be obtained by the use of any or all of these, if in
the proper condition and judiciously applied. Manure is in proper
condition when it has passed completely through the heating or
fermenting stage. Fresh manure should never be placed where it, or the
water that leaches from it, can possibly come in contact with the
plants; manure should be six months or, better still, a year old before
being used. Old and well-rotted manure has much the appearance of rich,
black earth, and is readily assimilated by the plants. It should be fine
and free from such rough litter as corn-stalks, cobs, and long straws,
and should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. As manure is full of the
seeds of weeds and grasses, it is better, when applying it in the
spring, to remove a portion of the top-soil and work the manure into the
subsoil by spading, and then to return the top-soil. This will prevent
their germination and save a great deal of weeding during the summer.
Manure that retains its original form is too fresh to use and should be
thrown in a heap and frequently forked over to hasten decomposition. It
will be fit by another season, but older stuff must be procured for
present use. Where there is room it is a wise provision to keep a pile
of manure from year to year, in order to avoid the inconvenience of
looking for it when you need it. No better expenditure can be made by
the gardener than in purchasing several loads of old manure, when it is
discovered in some neighbouring barn-yard. If one has no supply and must
purchase, the matter should be attended to in the fall at latest, to
allow ample time for saving it. Farmers usually draw the manure on the
land as it accumulates, so that it is difficult to obtain in the spring.
Ashes contain a certain amount of phosphates, which tend to sweeten the
soil. They are also beneficial in increasing the strength or stiffness
of the stalks, and for this reason are valuable for Aster and Gladiolus
beds; they should never be mixed with manure, as is frequently done, but
should be strewn over the surface of the soil after the other
fertilisers are worked in. Ashes mixed with manure release the ammonia
of the latter, depriving it of one of its most valuable properties.
Ammonia itself is not a fertiliser but a stimulant, creating in the
plant a desire for the food stored up in the manure—in other words, an
appetiser. Plants, like people, will not eat unless they have an
appetite, and manure mixed with ashes is poorer and much less valuable
in every way to the farmer and gardener. Soot is another excellent
chemical fertiliser, adding much to the richness of colour in both
flower and foliage. Apply either dry or mixed with the surface-soil, or
in the form of a tea made by pouring water over the soot in a vessel.
Draw off the liquid after the mixture has settled and apply it around
the roots of the plants, taking care that it does not touch the foliage.
It is especially good for Pansies and Roses.
Manure-water is a good way to apply animal fertiliser, as it is fairly
free from the seeds of weeds, which constitute the chief drawback to the
solid form. To prepare it take a water-tight barrel or half-barrel and
put a spigot in the side near the bottom. Place three or four inches of
clean straw in the barrel, letting it come well up above the spigot,
then fill half full of manure. It is not necessary that the manure
should be so very old; it needs only to have passed the fermentation
period. Fill the barrel with water. Fit a tight cover over it and it is
soon ready to use. As long as the liquid runs the colour of coffee or a
strong tea the manure will not need renewing, and more water may be
added from time to time, but when it shows signs of exhaustion empty the
barrel, put the refuse on the compost heap and fill the barrel as
before. If the liquid is to be used on pot-plants it will be better to
use boiling water in the barrel to destroy the eggs and chrysalis of the
white-worms and other larvæ that infest the manure; or add a half
teaspoonful of Paris green to the water. The first drawings from the
barrel should be well diluted before using, especially when applied to
dry soil. If hen manure is used, it should be made much weaker than
other manures, as it is very heating and likely to burn the roots of
plants. A convenient way to handle the manure barrel is to carry a
watering-pot of water to the barrel each time, emptying it in at the top
and drawing off a corresponding amount at the spigot—in this way the
barrel is kept constantly full and extra steps saved. Liquid manure may
also be prepared by filling a pail half full of manure, adding boiling
water, and dipping off the liquid when the sediment is settled.
[Illustration: MANURE WATER IS A GOOD WAY TO APPLY ANIMAL FERTILISER]
After a heavy rain there will often be a pool in some corner of the
barn-yard where sufficient liquid manure may be dipped up to fill a
barrel or hogshead. Where the barn-yard is paved with cobble-stones—as
all barnyards should be, for health and cleanliness—a catch-basin may be
easily arranged which the natural slope of the land will fill when it
rains. This will more than pay for the trifling outlay for its
construction, as it need only be a depression in the soil, covered with
cement. Even stiff clay will answer. It is surprising how carelessly
farmers let such valuable property go to waste while they buy load after
load of manure at the stables in town and haul it long distances. The
yield of the strawberry-and asparagus-beds alone would be sufficiently
increased to pay for such a catch-basin many times over.
Soapsuds furnish another excellent fertiliser, and every drop of water
from the wash-room, bed-room and kitchen should be saved and applied
around the roots of plants—especially Roses, Dahlias, and vines, which
never seem to get enough of either moisture or nourishment. Slop-water
should not be put on the foliage of plants, as it leaves a scum that is
difficult to get rid of.
A very good substitute for commercial bone-meal may be manufactured at
home by saving all the bones from the kitchen, throwing them into a
stone jar, covering them with strong lye, and allowing them to remain
until soft enough to be pulverised and dug into the soil. The lye that
remains may also be applied to the soil after being diluted with water.
Blood obtained at the slaughter-house is an excellent fertiliser,
containing much easily assimilated plant food in a soluble form.
Feathers contain much valuable material in the way of phosphates, but
are not suitable for the annual beds. They may be applied to shrubs and
hardy perennials by digging them into the ground at a little distance
from the plants, where the roots will reach out and find them.
Hoof-parings from the blacksmith shop are also valuable for the
perennial bed. Indeed, with all the forms of plant food available there
is no excuse for starving plants. There are, of course, many commercial
plant foods and fertilisers on the market, bone-meal and guano being the
most reliable among them, but many of them are expensive and uncertain
in their action. Being highly concentrated they are likely to do harm in
the hands of the inexperienced. The natural manures are the safest.
In using liquid manures either on the open ground or on potted plants,
they should only be applied when the soil has been well watered the day
before, never when it is dry. The plant, being supplied with all it
needs to drink, absorbs only what it requires for nourishment and is
less likely to be injured by an overdose. The moisture in the soil
serves also to reduce the strength of the manure.
In applying old cow or horse manure to new beds a wheel-barrow load to
every nine square feet is not too much for strong growing plants such as
Ricinus, Cannas, and Salvias. Half that quantity of hen manure will be
sufficient.
Chapter _FOUR_
The Hotbed, Cold-Frame and Sand-box
The hotbed is an enclosure, affording bottom heat and protection from
cold, for the propagation of tender plants unsuited to sowing in the
open ground, and for starting plants too early in the season for
open-air operations. The hotbed is usually started in February or March
in the latitude of Philadelphia, while April is early enough in the
latitude of Detroit and Chicago. Plants are transferred to the open
ground when all danger of frost is past. With the exception of a few
plants like Poppies, which do not bear disturbance, all seeds yield
better results if planted where they have protection in their early
stages from drying wind, burning sun and nipping cold. This protection
the cold-frame gives, while the hotbed affords the additional advantage
of artificial heat. Plants thus started will be ready to transplant
about the time seeds could be started in the open ground—an important
gain in northern latitudes, where, between the early and late frosts
there is hardly time for the maturing of annuals.
The hotbed should be situated on the south side of a building, wall or
fence, where it will have the full benefit of the sun and be protected
from cold winds. It is also desirable that the land should slope toward
the south, that all surface water may drain away, and that the bed may
receive the greatest amount of sunshine during the day. In constructing
a hotbed dig a pit two feet deep. This may be lined with planks or
bricks, or left with its earthen walls. Over this build a frame of rough
lumber around four posts of three-or four-inch stuff, three feet two
inches high in the back, and two feet eight inches high in the front. If
the pit is not lined, this will bring the frame below the surface and
allow a sufficient slant for the free shedding of water and the
concentration of the greatest amount of sunshine on the bed. Regular
hotbed sash are three feet by six, and cost about two dollars and
seventy-five cents each, glazed and painted. These are usually arranged
to rest on the frame, simply sliding up and down, the size of the bed
determining the number of sash. A bed three by six, however, is more
easily handled than a larger one; and two or more beds, set end to end,
or one long, narrow one divided by partitions into three-by-six beds,
will be more satisfactory in every way than a wider one. The partitions
are necessary, not alone to strengthen the frame and support the sash,
but to insure to each section the special treatment it requires. Not all
seeds germinate in the same temperature, or require the same degree of
moisture. There is, also, a great difference in the period of
germination; some seeds sprout in from three to five days; others
require as many weeks. With separate sections seeds of similar habits
and requirements may be planted together.
Florists’ sash makes an expensive hotbed, and quite as satisfactory
results may be obtained by using such old window-sash as may be picked
up for about twenty-five cents apiece where buildings are being torn
down or from junk or hardware dealers. Old sash will probably need some
glazing and painting, and these are among the things the amateur
gardener should learn to do for herself, as sash must be water-tight and
in order at all times. A sudden hail-storm, a mischievous cat or
careless handling may leave one with broken glass that must be replaced
at once. When old sash is used the back of the frame should be higher
than the sides by the thickness of the sash, so that the sash may be
fastened to it with hinges if desired. A cross-piece from the back to
the front for the sash to rest on will give greater stability and
prevent draughts of cold air on a sudden fall of temperature.
[Illustration: WHEN PLANTS APPEAR TOO THICKLY IN THE ROWS, TRANSPLANT]
[Illustration: A WELL-CONSTRUCTED HOTBED]
Having constructed the pit, fill it with fresh manure from the
horse-stable—that from young, grain-fed stock being best. It must be
perfectly fresh, gathered from the stalls in the morning, and should be
mixed with a quantity of litter—long straw or leaves. This serves as
fuel, insuring a continuous heat. Without it the heat germinated by the
manure would quickly die out and the bed become cold. Throw the manure
loosely into the frame, close the sash and wait for fermentation or
heating. This should take place in from twelve to twenty-four hours; if
longer than that it will be as well to throw out the manure and begin
again, making sure this time that the manure is absolutely fresh. When
the thermometer by rising to 100 or more degrees shows that fermentation
is well under way, the manure should be well tramped down, as level and
smooth as possible. Over this place a couple of inches of fine, old,
well-rotted manure. This will afford nourishment for the young plants
should they make sufficient growth to need it, or on account of stress
of weather be detained in the hotbed longer than expected. If this is
not supplied the tender roots of the plants are apt to go in search of
the crude manure in the bottom of the hotbed, and be injured by contact
with it. When plants that have come up thrifty suddenly turn yellow and
look as if they had been scalded, though sufficiently protected from the
sun, it is probable that their roots have been burned by the manure.
This may be determined by digging down to the roots. If they have
reached the manure the cause is evident; other plants in the same beds,
with shallower roots, it will be observed, are not affected in the same
way. As this is not likely to happen until the plants have made
considerable growth the season will probably be enough advanced to
permit of planting out, especially with protection at night, or they may
be transplanted into the cold-frame until the weather is warm. Such
mishaps seldom occur, but when they do, they must be met promptly. Few
plants will make over four inches of roots before transplanting, and
when they reach the old manure they usually spread out without going
deeper.
To return to the construction of the hotbed: Cover the manure with four
inches of rich, fine loam, free from rough lumps and stone; it would
better be put through a sand-or coal-sieve if not mellow and fine. Make
as level as possible, and place a thermometer in the soil to register
the temperature. When it has risen to 90 degrees or above, and then
fallen to 75 or 70 degrees, the seed may be sown.