For October, 1923 



247 



In the Garden and in the Greenhouse 



GEORGE F. STEWART 



Ix THE Garden 



WE have again arrived at late October and early 

 November. This season, aside from the practical, 

 which at al! seasons has the interest of the plant 

 lover and gardener, attracts the eye of the artist and 

 the inspiration of the poet. Autunm landscapes are 

 familiar in all representative collections of paintings 

 and how often we gardeners have longed for the 

 artist's gift, when in our wanderings round the estate 

 we have come suddenly on some scene which would 

 make a lit subject for a painting. At least we think 

 so, but these gifted mortals of the brush might difter 

 with us. However, they cannot deprive us of our pic- 

 ture, which they probably do not see as we see it. The 

 gift of drawing is of great value to the gardener, 

 and we have known a few excellent gardeners that 

 had n(] luean gift in that line. 



Although I cannot do anything in that direction, 

 neither am I an expert at spelling, I think I can get 

 a glimpse of the viewpoint of that wonderful practical 

 thinker on domestic and world educational affairs. Dr. 

 Eliot of Harvard University, when he expressed him- 

 self something like this — that he would rather be one 

 who could paint well than be an expert at spelling. 



The poets also have given us word pictures of Oc- 

 tober. Xo, I shall not quote Shakespeare, but leave 

 that for Friend Cr;iig. Take this from a New York City 

 poet : 



A birdnote sounding here and there 



A bloom, where leaves are brown and sober, 



Warm noons and nights with frosty air 

 And loaded wagons say — October. 



— Thomas Stevens Collier. 



Or again from Massachusetts : 



We crown thee with gold. Queen October, 

 We clothe thee \\ith ]iurple today; 



But we leave King November the ermine 

 To wear with his garments of grey. 



Maples, brave knights of thy kingdom. 



The oak trees, thy counsellors strong 

 Are gracefully spreading their mantles 



For the queen they waited so long. 



— Mrs. Abbie Frances (Fiske) Jndd. 



Some one may properly ask what has poetry to do 

 with practical gardening? Well, in studying the root 

 meaning of the word poet in some of the ancient 

 languages, I find that the word sometimes used fur 

 the" production of flowers and fruit comes from the 

 same root ; also to use a little sentiment, is not a gar- 

 den "one lovely song?" I am not a poet — sometimes 

 I wish I could rhyme — but being a plain everyday gar- 

 dener I shall return to our work. 



In the garden, as soon as frost cuts down any of the 

 annual or bedding plants, or disfigu.res them so that 

 they become unsightly, consign them to the compost 

 heap. The tops of the herbaceous plants are about as 

 good a Winter covering for these borders as we could 

 wish for. Moreover, are they not Nature's covering? 

 If moving, or renovating any of the plants by reducing 

 the size of the clumps is contemplated, the stems may 



be laid aside in some convenient corner until the 

 ground freezes enough, so that with this covering the 

 border may remain frozen all Winter. Experience has 

 proved that alternate freezing and thawing is injurious 

 to plants during the Winter. It is far better for the 

 herbaceous borders that they be kept in a continuous 

 frozen condition until Spring. Any work that is going 

 on among these plants should be finished as quickly 

 as possible. Get anj- replantings of bulbs between the 

 clumps done right away or at least as soon as the bulbs 

 arrive. 



Lilies should be planted not less than seven inches 

 deep. We like to dust flowers of sulphur in among the 

 scales of the bulbs before covering the bulbs with peat 

 for about two inches deep, having the same under 

 them, and then covering with the ordinary border 

 loam. 



Tulips and Narcissi should be planted about six 

 inches deep, that depth is also correct for Hyacinths. 

 If the bulbs are of first quality and free from disease, 

 they should last in the borders without being disturbed 

 for at least three years. We have had them do well 

 for five years without being lifted, but after three 

 years it is generally best to lift them and only to 

 replant with the best bulbs. 



Small clumps of Grape Hyacinths, Crocuses, Scillas 

 and Snowdrops may be planted three to five inches 

 deep near the edge of the borders. They are the first 

 or among the first flowers to greet us in Spring, and 

 who has not been thrilled when the first flower is 

 found open ? 



Fine Fall displays may be enjoyed with the early 

 flowering Chrysanthemums, if one has the time and 

 material to afford them protection at night. Unfor- 

 tunately, as I pointed out in last month's notes, inland 

 from the seashore, many of us are located in early 

 and late frost belts, which do not prove favorable to 

 these beautiful Fall flowering plants, especially if, as 

 last year, they were accompanied by a blasting wind. 



In the formal garden, as soon as the Summer bed- 

 ding plants have been cleared away, the beds mav be 

 dug over and planted with bulbs. In my opinion these 

 formal bulb gardens are too often overcrowded. The 

 blaze of color becomes tiresome. I think it would be 

 far better to have a groundwork of pansies or forget- 

 me-nots and two sets of bulbs of the same color, if 

 at all possible. Early flowering Tulips and late Dar- 

 wins or Breeders could be planted in the same bed, al- 

 ternate rows of each, or perhaps better still, an early 

 flowering bulb and a late Darwin bulb. One set would 

 be out of flower about the time the other would come 

 in, extending the season considerably when these 

 deservedly popular flowers may be enjoyed. 



There is no doubt in my mind, that the ideal place 

 for growing and enjoying all the Spring flowering 

 bulbs is on the edge of woodlands, where the grass 

 grows naturally and perchance some brook meanders 

 its way through the plantation. Some of us have seen 

 and enio\^ed many such places "in the happy days gone 

 by" and we are still full of hope that we shall yet see 

 many of these beautiful natural Spring scenes. 



All the Gladiolus bulbs, except perhaps the last 

 planting, may be lifted and dried in the sun. A sunny 

 slope is the best place to dry them, and in case of rain 

 a few shutters placed over them will help the ripening 

 process. We always put in a plantation of these b'.dbs 



