

23S5E?E^£: 



r GARDENING 



YOUNG FOLKS 



CONDUCTED BY ELLEN EDDY SHAW 



The Roger Williams Park School 

 Garden 



THE site on which this garden was made was 

 originally a dump heap for all kinds of rubbish 

 in Roger Williams Park, Kingston, R. I. About 

 half an acre was levelled off in the summer of 1907 

 and two or three inches of loam placed over it and 

 seeded down to grass. In the spring of 1908, a 

 fence was built and seventy-two plots each 10 x 20 ft. 

 were laid out and started. 



In 1909 the fence was taken down and all of the 

 section in which the garden was situated was devoted 

 to the development of a model school garden. This 

 plot consisted of about 5 acres of land, surrounded 

 on two sides by water and by driveways on the 

 other two sides. The garden was enlarged and 

 flower borders were planted along four sides. A 

 botanical garden was also started in which the com- 

 mon flowers and vegetables, together with the vari- 

 ous economic plants, were arranged according to 

 their botanical relationship. 



The following year the garden was still further 

 enlarged and sections were devoted to observation 

 plots of various economic plants, as well as a sec- 

 tion for experimental work with fertilizers, and for 

 cultivating and planting experiments. 



In 191 1 the garden was enlarged still more and 

 about one hundred dwarf fruit trees were set out 

 together with various bush fruits and grape vines, 

 to demonstrate to the pupils the adaptability of 

 dwarf fruits and bush fruits for planting in the home 

 yard. In between these trees melons, squashes and 

 cucumbers were raised. 



In 1912 and 1913 ornamental trees and shrubs 

 were set out. A section of the garden has also been 

 devoted to the cultivation of corn for the boys' 

 corn growing contests. Plans are under way at the 

 present time for installing a system of water from a 

 near-by hydrant, and for the construction of a 

 tool house and lecture room. 



Rhode Island E. K. Thomas. 



Small Beginnings 



MANY city people are discouraged because there 

 is so much bad air and so little good soil in 

 their yards. In such cases hardy, adaptable things 

 must be planted. Plant what you can under these 

 conditions; not what you most wish for. Syca- 

 more trees do well in cities. Use these for Arbor 

 Day needs in city schools. We could make far 

 more of shrub planting than we do. Let masses of 

 shrubs gracefully outline the boundaries of the 



school garden or playground. Use a shrub or two 

 in the city backyard. Among the shrubs which 

 stand a great deal of disappointment in their con- 

 ditions are the following: Philadelphus grandijlora, 

 Spir/za Japonica, Forsythia suspensa, Syringa vul- 

 garis, snowberry, and weigela. Hedge plants 

 which are likely to do well under adverse conditions 

 are California privet, Bcrberis Thunbergii and Van 



The rain-barrel becomes decorative at the Jacob Riis 

 Settlement House. This shows one way to have a little 

 green in a paved court 



Houtte's spirea. The wisteria and ampelopsis are 

 vines to be recommended for city plantings. 



Even the paved school yard may have its outdoor 

 window boxes filled with privet, geraniums, pet- 

 unia, and other plants which endure. 



So many towns and small cities have numbers 

 of boys and girls whose homes consist of small 

 houses and yards. These yards are often very un- 



attractive. Suggest a good shrub, a border plant- 

 ing, and perhaps a fruit tree. An Arbor Day lesson 

 centred about the thought of the beautification of 

 the backyard would be well worth while. Set an 

 upper grade to work on finding out the best shrubs 

 and vines for the town. Send to Washington for 

 the pamphlet on the improvement of school grounds. 

 Be sure that the soil in which the shrub is to be 

 placed is fine and rich; even if the rest of the yard 

 has poor soil it may be possible to procure a little 

 richness for one spot. Use well-rotted manure, 

 muck, leafmold; or buy some bone meal and work 

 this in. Visit the best gardens and parks in your 

 town and see how planting is done, how spaces are 

 kept, how group arrangements are employed. 

 Take, for example, such a park as Highland Park 

 in the city of Rochester, N. Y. There could be no 

 finer model for children to work from. 



Add a garden of small fruits to the school garden. 

 This is often done in the school gardens of Canada 

 and England. We do not see it often here. 



Weekly Calendar for April 



1st week (6=11). Now spring vacation is over 

 the school garden should be hurried on. Line off 

 the garden. Keep on the strings for a while to 

 establish boundary lines. Put out into the garden 

 the sweet peas started in pots. Watch for the 

 growth and opening of the early bulbs. Be sure 

 that the garden paths are rolled. 



2nd week (13 = 18) Continue the outdoor gar- 

 den work. True up the lines. As soon as the 

 individuals take up their plots have all strings re- 

 moved and the soil worked to a fine condition. If 

 dahlia roots have been given to the school, plant 

 them now. Plant more peas. If you have bed- 

 ding plants in the greenhouse take them to the 

 coldframe to harden them off. Set house plants 

 outdoors in warm rains to receive a sprinkling. 



3rd week (20=25). Radishes may be planted in 

 the outdoor garden and spinach, too. The lettuce 

 and other seedlings raised indoors in boxes should 

 be set outdoors in the day time or transplanted into 

 the coldrame. Vines raised in pots may be planted 

 out in sheltered and warm spots. Sow seeds of 

 climbing nasturtiums and convolvulus. 



4th week (27=May2nd). If the weather is warm 

 plant the children's outdoor garden. Sow radish and 

 carrot or radish and beet together to save space. 

 Transplant seedlings into the open garden. Stake 

 the sweet peas. Slip the old geraniums for fall 

 blooming. Keep the garden soil loosened. 



Land about the Roger Williams Park school garden decorated with trees and shrubs Setting out dwarf fruit trees to demonstrate their adaptability for home yards 



185 



