IN THE MAKING 3 



gardens it is best to stake all fairly tall plants that have 

 slender stems. 



The most important point about staking is that it 

 shall be done as inconspicuously as possible and in such 

 a manner that the plant is not diverted from its natural 

 habit of growth. For most purposes, the green wooden 

 stakes, for sale by all seed houses, are best adapted. 

 Plants with a single stem, such as Lilies, Foxgloves, and 

 Mulleins, may have the stake (always considerably 

 shorter than the full height of the plant) placed behind 

 the stem and secured with green raffia about the centre 

 of the stem, leaving the upper half to curve gracefully 

 at will. It may be necessary to change the stakes once, 

 anyway, during the growth of very tall plants, and such 

 strong growing plants as Mulleins, Hollyhocks, and 

 Dahlias will require very heavy stakes. Plants with 

 many stems, such as Boltonias and Heleniums, should 

 have several heavy stakes placed in and about the 

 clumps with strong cord stretched from stake to stake, 

 thus allowing all the stems to maintain their natural 

 position while still being upheld. The fine appearance 

 of such plants is quite spoiled if they are bunched to- 

 gether and tied to a single stake. 



Plants with long, weak stems and broad, heavy 

 flower heads, as Michaelmas Daisies and Gypsophila 

 paniculata, are best supported on pea brush, the weak 

 stems being drawn over and tied to the spreading 

 branches of the brush. When the plants have attained 



