October, 1905 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



261 



The Garden 



The Garden Month by Month — October 



CTOBER is at once the season for closing 

 up and finishing the garden work in the 

 open for the year, and the time of prepara- 

 tion for the spring. One rarely has need to 

 dismantle a garden; nature does that quickly 

 enough, and all too soon; but there is much 

 to do in clearing up, and October is a busy month for putting 

 things away, for cleaning up the garden — a task that needs 

 to be performed almost daily in the quick fall of leaves — 

 and in a general way getting matters in condition for the 

 winter. 



The dahlia, the canna and the caladium will come to an 

 end with the first frosts quite certain to arrive early in the 

 month. The roots should be preserved and kept in proper 

 condition through the winter for planting again next spring. 

 When their tops have died and dried off, dig up the roots, 

 taking some earth with them, which should not be removed, 

 and spread them on a board in the sun, covering them at night 

 with blankets or pieces of carpet. If the weather permits 

 the sun exposure should be repeated for several days. The 

 tops should not be cut off until the second day, and about six 

 inches of stalk should always be left. The cellar, if not cold 

 or damp, is an excellent place in which to keep these roots. 

 It is not advisable to store them in sand unless it is perfectly 

 dry. Gladiolus roots should also be ripened in the sun and 

 put away for the winter. The stalks should not be re- 

 moved until they are ready for final storing. 



There is a lot of miscellaneous work to be done in the 

 garden besides getting the roots put away for next spring. 



A supply of pot soil should always be carried over the winter. 

 Occasions for its use are sure to arrive, and it will certainly 

 be wanted in early spring when there will be no opportunity 

 of obtaining it unless provision has been made in the previous 

 fall. All tender garden plants require some attention and 

 provision should be made for their shelter during the winter. 

 Some of this work can, however, be left until the next month. 

 The flower stalks of all herbaceous plants should be cut off, 

 and all other unsightly objects removed. Fertilizer is not 

 now needed for plants within doors, but will be required 

 later on. All plants should be thoroughly fumigated or 

 sprayed for insects; this is a phase of garden activity for 

 which there seems no end. 



The chief satisfaction the garden lover has in October is 

 the blooming of the chrysanthemums, this being the flowering 

 season for outdoor plants. Cosmos also will now be in full 

 bloom, in the early part of the month, and may reach ma- 

 turity in September. The early blooming cosmos, which is 

 coming so rapidly into favor, has somewhat destroyed the 

 novelty of the late blooming variety, which gives such ex- 

 ceeding beauty to the fall garden, but its presence is always 

 a delight, and this easily grown plant and the garden-grown 

 chrysanthemum give a final brilliant glory to the outdoor 

 garden season. 



October is the month for peony planting, which will give 

 much better results if planted now than in the spring. They 

 should not be moved after being planted. Complete results 

 are seldom had before the third year. But whenever success- 

 fully grown these plants are immensely ornamental. 



The Bulb Planting 



The most important part of the October garden work is 

 the planting of bulbs. Plant bulbs and more bulbs is the 

 motto for this month. The wise garden lover will have 

 made his purchases in September, and as early as possible, 

 in order to secure the pick of the new stock. But whether 

 bought first or last there is no limit to the value of bulb 

 planting nor of the satisfaction that will be obtained from 

 the results next spring. Like all good garden work bulb 

 planting must be done in an orderly way with a definite view 

 not only to the results that will come, but — and this is the 

 most important aspect — with due regard to the habits of the 

 bulbs and their manner of growth. The article by Leonard 

 Gilbert on " The Autumn Bulb Planting," printed in the 

 September number of American Homes and Gardens, 

 may be read and studied in this connection; meanwhile, some 

 other general hints may be given here. 



A common error in bulb planting is to place the bulbs too 

 near the surface of the ground. No bulb should be less than 

 five or six inches deep, as many of them are forced up by the 

 frosts and entirely lost. The deeper they are planted the 

 later they will bloom, a useful hint for those who wish to ob- 

 tain a succession of flowerings. Although a certain irregu- 

 larity is sometimes affected in bulb growing the most satis- 

 factory results will be obtained from bulbs of uniform size 

 and weight. Bulbs whose flower stalks are known to have an 

 average uniform height should be planted together, and any 

 raggedness of appearance in blooming thus avoided. 



Hardy lilies should be planted in the open in October, 

 most of them doing better at this season than if planted at 



other times. The Lilhim candidum should have been planted 

 in August, and is the chief exception to October lily planting. 

 Lily culture is not developed nearly as much as it should be 

 by most garden lovers, perhaps largely because they are not 

 planted at the best season. Few plants are so beautiful and 

 give such exquisite results. 



In choosing bulbs for the house care should be taken to 

 select the best only, using the largest bulbs and named vari- 

 eties. Hyacinths and narcissus are the most favored plants 

 and give the best results; they are also the easiest to grow. 

 The mammoth yellow crocus when grouped in pots makes a 

 brilliant showing, and the Spanish iris is also sometimes used. 

 Some varieties of gladiolus are also used for winter blooming 

 and are very beautiful. Tulips are difficult to grow, and 

 the beginner, at all events, must expect failure. Most 

 growers will be spared disappointment by avoiding them 

 altogether. 



Most of the bulb catalogues contain cultural directions for 

 bulb growing of all sorts, and the amateur without experi- 

 ence will find it best to follow these directions very care- 

 fully. There is no secret in obtaining success with bulbs if 

 they are planted in the right way, in soil suited to them and 

 under conditions adapted to their growth. They must, of 

 course, be good stock or very unsatisfactory results will fol- 

 low. Cheap bulbs are not at all suited to house growth, 

 and are seldom available for the garden unless there is very 

 ample space, and bulb planting can be proceeded with on a 

 large and generous scale. When this is possible with good 

 stock the results will amply justify any expenditure. 



