Timely Topics for tine A.mateur Gardener 



JANUARY is the half way point be- 

 tween last year's garden and the 

 garden that is to be. You can have 

 a better garden than ever next sum- 

 mer by planning now. In devising im- 

 provements, if you have a lawn, or in- 

 tend to make one, bear in mind that it 

 is equally as important to the general 

 appearance of the home as flower beds 

 andborders, or the trees and shrubs. Some 

 people think it is of even more import- 

 ance, and like to have their places en- 

 tirely green without any color to relieve 

 them. Others give their undivided at- 

 tention to the flower-borders. A few 

 think trees and shrubs are all that is 

 wanted. 



Draw a diagram of the home grounds 

 to scale. Don't say "It's too much 

 trouble." It's not, if you approach the 

 work in the right spirit. When you 

 draw the plan, have in mind the effect 

 that the proposed planting will produce 

 in after years. 



The home grounds should be modelled 

 after Nature. Freedom from formality 

 is best, but not a copy of Nature in her 

 wildest moods. A lawn dotted with 

 plants and trees in a haphazard, in artistic 

 manner is not desirable, nor is it well 

 to plan a set design drawn according to 

 Euclid, nor are forest conditions what we 

 want, or a tangled wild wood — we should 

 plan a scheme resembling natural con- 

 ditions, sensibly arranged. 



Plan to place the trees and shrubs 

 mostly in groups, seldom alone. Main- 

 tain an open expanse of green, and an 

 open outlook. The junctions of the 

 roads and walks should be planted with 



shrubs. When the driveways curve, 

 make the curve appear necessary by 

 judicious planting. Arrange the plan 

 so as to beautify waste places. Don't 

 forget the value of planting trees, not 

 only for ornamentation, but also for 

 comfort and protection. 



PLANNING THE KITCHEN GARDEN 



Every home should have a kitchen 

 garden. You get better things than 

 money can buy — fresher vegetables, 

 better varieties. At home, one can 

 select the varieties that stand for quality, 

 not those that are grown for their abihty 

 to keep or to ship long distances. 



Measure accurately the length and 

 breadth of the plot of ground that you 

 intend to devote to the growing of 

 vegetables. Make a diagram of it. 

 Then decide which way the rows should 

 run. Some plants, like com, potatoes 

 and curcurbits require more space than 

 others. On the diagram, draw a line 

 for every single row that is to be planted 

 and name each crop. In parenthesis, 

 immediately below the name of crop that 

 it is to follow, place the name of each 

 succession crop. A diagram of this kind 

 planned now will be of much value when 

 planting time comes. 



THE GROWING OF HOUSE BULBS 



If you took the advice given in our 

 lawn and garden notes for September 

 and October, you will now have a stock 

 of bulbs in pots for bloom during the 

 winter months. The bulbs will flower 

 profusely if given half a chance. Fail- 

 ures are due to improper care and to in- 

 experience on the part of the grower. 



The most common fault is in the matter 

 of irregularity in temperature and in 

 watering. Bulbs will not do well in a 

 temperature that is too warm in the day 

 time and too cold at night. The temper- 

 ature should be more uniform. The 

 soil in the pots should not be allowed 

 to become too dry. Water as often as 

 necessary to keep moist. 



THE WINDOW GARDEN 



Window plants are susceptible to cold 

 drafts of zero weather. On cold nights 

 place sheets of newspaper or similar 

 material between the plants and the 

 window. 



Keep as moist a temperature as pos- 

 sible around the plants. Spray or 

 syringe the foliage on fine, sunny days. 

 When possible ventilate the room on 

 warm days. This may be done by 

 lowering the top sash of the window and 

 thereby avoiding the entrance of direct 

 drafts on the plants. 



FLQ-wl^RS FOR EASTER 



With the exercise of a little care and 

 intelligence, the amateur may force 

 flowers for Easter with success. Among 

 the plants that are useful to grow for 

 this purpose are hortensia, the green- 

 house spiraea and the freesia. Do not 

 forget that the spiraea must be kept con- 

 stantly moist. Buy the roots at once, 

 and pot them. In the course of five 

 weeks they may be brought into the 

 warmth. The hydrangea needs similar 

 treatment. Both of these plants require 

 from 10 to 12 weeks to come into 

 flower fi-om the time they start to 

 grow. 



TKe Cultivation of Hardy Flo^svering SKrubs 



THE cultivation of hardy, flowering 

 shrubs is worth the serious thought 

 of those interested in that line of 

 horticulture. This branch of floricul- 

 ture has advanced in equal proportions 

 with any other. The change that has 

 taken place within the last 30 years is 

 immense. At that time the number of 

 varieties was very limited, but now 

 many enterprising nurserymen have 

 added considerably to the list of hardy 

 shrubs, until there is an almost unlimit- 

 ed list at our disposal. 



Before considering the use of decidu- 

 ous shrubs for planting, let me urge on 

 all planters, and on every gardener, the 

 necessity of securing stock from some 

 reliable nurseryman who has the reputa- 

 tion of furnishing, good, clean, healthy 

 stock, true to name. Otherwise all the 

 work will go for naught. I have seen 

 many failures in this line through pur- 



John "WalsK, Montreal, Quebec 



chasing from unreliable firms who send 

 out stock regardless of its fitness to 

 stand the freezing and thawing they 

 are subjected to in this ever-changing 

 climate. The nurseryman will be in 

 strong evidence this spring, because the 

 winter has been so changeable and so 

 mild. Hardy stuff is bound to suffer 

 from so many extreme changes. In my 

 garden I had to gather snow to cover 

 the roots that were exposed to the se- 

 vere frost — a thing I never had to do 

 before during my long experience in 

 this country. 



In starting shrubs I would urge on 

 planters the necessity of beginning in 

 the right way. The ground should be 

 prepared thoroughly. Don't dig a hole 

 half big enough and cram the roots 

 into it. Dig out all the old soil to the 

 depth of at least 16 inches, leaving a 

 little to spare, rather than make a hole 



too small. Instead of using the old 

 sour soil, it is better to pay a carter 

 a, fair price for good rotten turf that 

 has been stacked up for at least one 

 year. With the addition of a little 

 manure, success is assured. 



It may be necessary in some locations 

 to use drainage. In the case of a low, 

 wet place a layer of broken bricks or 

 slate should be put in the bottom. 

 This will prevent the roots from enter- 

 ing the cold, wet soil. 



There are several methods of plant- 

 ing, either singly or in groups. The 

 most popular way lately has been in zig- 

 zag borders. When this method is 

 adopted a nice effect is produced. It is 

 especially suitable for covering a fence 

 or other unsightly objects. In this sys- 

 tem the shrubs can be graded accord- 

 ing to the height they grow. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of the newest and best 



