50 MY GROWING GARDEN 



One season I bought dormant roses from a 

 nursery north of me, which came and were planted 

 before April fifteenth. They were so sturdy and 

 stocky and good-looking that I ordered "more of 

 the same;" but the second shipment, caught in that 

 big nursery's spring rush, was delayed until early 

 May, so that the second lot of roses were not 

 planted until May fifteenth. Most of the plants 

 were yet "dormant," or unstarted; but though the 

 planting was careful, the ground warm, the rains 

 encouraging, more than a third of them either 

 failed to grow at all, or died after making a weak 

 start. All of the earlier lot grew without check, 

 and bloomed beautifully the first season. 



I have had other similar experiences, and I have 

 suggested to some of my rose-growing friends that 

 it would be showing good business courage if 

 there were plain refusal, on the part of the nursery- 

 man, to ship roses after a certain critical date 

 for each climate range. Failures would be fewer, 

 and consequently planting would be more liberally 

 undertaken; for nothing so discourages the average 

 garden-maker as having plants die for him when 

 he has done his best. 



For me, dormant roses must be planted in 

 March if they are available and if the ground can 

 be worked, but certainly before April twentieth. 



