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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Gardening as a Hobby 



MOST peojik' like flowers, some because a garden or 

 vases of flowers always improve the outside or in- 

 side of a house, some because they love Xature and 

 everything that is hers, and some because of the color 

 and shape of the flowers themselves. Imagine the pleas- 

 ure gained b_y the two latter in possessing flowers grown, 

 cherished and brought to a state of perfection by them- 

 selves, the flowers are not beautiful strangers, but real 

 friends whose perfections and imperfections only the 

 grower can truly see. 



From a Nature or beauty lover's point of view, garden- 

 ing is an ideal hobb}-, and 1 should like to point out a 

 few of its other advruitages as an occupation for spare 

 time. 



1. Firstly, as most people usually work indoors, they 

 want a free-time occupation that gives them plenty of 

 fresh air and exercise, takes their minds away from busi- 

 ness and worry — something intensely fascinating, and 

 that yet repays them for their labor and something they 

 can do whenever they feel inclined, without a lot of 

 preparation and dressing up. 



2. Secondly, one wants a hobby to interest one indoors 

 as well as out, and this, gardening does. During the wet 

 weather while one's soil is benefiting by the rain, one 

 can sit comfortably inside poring over the wonderful 

 details of a nurseryman's catalog (and they are won- 

 derful, too) deciding how best to spend one's money, 

 and what sow and wliere to sow it. so that no time may 

 be lost m carrying out one's dreams when the sun shines 

 again. 



3. Thirdly, hobbies are most satisfactory when they 

 pay for themselves and this, after a little while, garden- 

 ing will do. One can supply the house with flowers, in- 

 stead of having to buy them at the jjrice they are, one 

 has what one likes instead of what one can afford. One 

 may also grow one's own vegetables, always fresh, al- 

 ways handy, with an added flavor given by the exercise 

 and pride taken in their growing. 



4. Last, but not least, conies the fact that there are 

 so many difl'erent branches in gardening th;it one can 

 always .'atisfy one's own special bent of mind while ben- 

 efiting by it. Have you a bent towards chemistry — 

 study the different soils, how to improve them by the 

 addition of various fertilizers and manures. Are you 

 a mathematician or designer ? Plan out your garden, lay 

 out and measure the beds and paths, improve on them 

 every year if you like. Are you an artist? Paint your 

 garden in harmonious colors and make a picture of it, 

 varying it to suit you. Are you keen on travel? Get 

 plant? from different places. Having to know how. 

 where and under what conditions the plants grow will 

 give you an idea of the country where they live. Are 

 you keen on literature? Nearly every plant has a history 

 surrounding it and fables attached to it, while the historv' 

 of gardening itself is an interesting study — and thus 

 everybody may find a branch of gardening which appeals 

 particularly to him or her. 



To a person keen on making a hobby of gardening, 

 no place is too small for a garden — one may have plants 

 in the house, while a verandah may be made beautiful 

 with many kinds of not plants — Begonias, Pelargonium:;, 

 Colcus, Primulas, brilliant flowering Cacti, ferns and 

 hanging baskets. One can even fix up a tiny greenhouse 

 at one end of the verandah and this holds untold possi- 

 bilities of Gloxinias, Cinerarias. Stre]itocarpus and the 

 more delicate pot plants. This kind of gardening needs 

 the care and- time of an outdoor garden, even more, for 



there is watering often three times a day, a great deal 

 of repotting, weeding and grub hunting to do, but who- 

 ever knows the delicious look and feel of a well kept 

 greenhouse or verandah considers them well worth the 

 trouble. 



Most people have outdoor gardens, and with a little 

 ])lanning these may be made beautiful. Tall Sweet Peas 

 against the hedge, borders of Violets and Pansies, 

 Daisies and dainty Delphiniums, rose bushes, bulbs, per- 

 haps a small lawn, a tiny shaded corner for English 

 Forget-me-nots and Primroses, and a vegetable garden 

 and even a few fruit trees at the back. Of course, there 

 is a certain amount of preparation to be done, the garden 

 du.g over, drained (most gardens have water laid on and 

 a tap), paths made, beds raked, and then, one may plant. 

 To start with, it is best to buy most of the plants from 

 a nurseryman (although certain plants. Poppies, Corn- 

 flowers, etc., should be sown in the ground where they 

 are to remain). Of course, the season must be taken 

 into consideration, and deciduous creepers, rose bushes, 

 shrubs and fruit trees planted when they are dormant in 

 Winter. When the garden is going one can raise all 

 one's own plants, which is much more interesting and 

 economical. With vegetables, too, the season must be 

 considered — cabbages, tomatoes, etc., bought from the 

 nurseryman, peas and beans, root crops, etc., sown into 

 the ground. When buying fruit trees, too, go to a good 

 nurseryman who will know more about the varieties suit- 

 able for your climate and soil than you do — and then 

 think of the pleasure of pruning j-our own trees and eat- 

 ing your own fruit. 



In many gardens there is a small piece of waste ground, 

 [jerhaps a sunny spot or strip, that is only suitable for 

 a rockery. It is always interesting to build one. and plant 

 it, for the plants are quaint and as Africa is such a dry 

 hot coimtry there are plenty of plants to choose from, 

 and provided there is plenty of soil rammed in between 

 the stones, and the plants or cuttings watered until they 

 become established, they may be left to grow with an 

 occasional weeding and watering, the Mesembr\-anthe- 

 mimis forming sheets of color in the smr in the flowering 

 season. 



One side of gardening that is very interesting is spe- 

 cializing in one direction. Besides the pleasure and pride 

 gained from producing perfect blooms, there is always 

 the thrilling expectation of producing something that 

 has not been seen before. Then, too. there is always the 

 healthy rivalrv between oneself and some neighbor spe- 

 cializing in the same direction, and there are alway.s 

 shows and the chance of figuring on the prize list, Roses, 

 Carnations (and one may try growing the seed of both) 

 Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, each is fascinating and worth 

 the attention thev require. Books have been written on 

 each one of these so that one can learn as much as one 

 likes about them, though nothing teaches like each year's 

 experience, .\nother interesting line one may have in 

 one's garden is the collection of some special kind of 

 plants, — herbs, bulbs. 



Of course, in gardening, one must expect the draw- 

 backs that occur in everything, accidents will happen and 

 one is bound to make mistakes. The boy may pull up 

 your plants, mistaking them for weeds, you may forget 

 to water at a critical moment, your water supply may be 

 cut off, hut in spite of these and other misfortunes, such 

 as plant cliseases, (which can generally be cured") that 

 mav haiip^n, sooner or later plants always repay you if 

 {Continued on page 807) 



