The new catalogs inspire a perfect garden frenzy ! Do read Catalogs 
them intelligently by acquiring a bowing acquaintance with 
ordinary descriptive terms like foment osum which means 
"covered with a down," or glaucous which refers to a grayish 
color. As a further illustration take the varieties of Phlox. 
Phlox suffruficose, is somewhat shrubby; paniculata, indicates 
loose disposition of florescence ; decussata, refers to the arrange- 
ment of leaves — in pairs at right angles to next pair above or 
below; divaricata, grows in a straggling manner; subulata, is 
awl-shaped or tapering to a point and may refer to the unopened 
flower in the case of the Phlox. Don't be content to say "We 
always get our seeds from Dreer or Henderson, ' ' but vary your 
orders and try the novelties. It keeps up the seeds-men's 
interest as well as your own and has a highly moral effect on 
your gardener. Do not order more than you really need; it is 
a fearful waste. Two people who have small gardens could 
share a package of seeds, avoiding mixed colors, or one could 
start one variety and the other another and then divide the 
seedlings. It is much better than keeping stale seed, or wasting 
through lack of room. Each could have much greater variety 
too, in this way. It is well to wait a day or so after making the 
first spontaneous list and then with a clear memory of past 
failures and successes, go calmly over it with a blue pencil. 
Send in your order early, you get better seed and better service, 
and there is time also to send elsewhere if certain things can 
not be obtained. In ordering plants, buy as near home as 
possible, thus saving transportation expense and loss of plants. 
When convenient, go to the nursery yourself and bring the 
plants home. If plants are not received in good condition, make 
an immediate protest. Reputable firms like Bobbink and Atkins 
or Andorra will always make good and they are the ones to buy 
from. Order your commercial fertilizers in bulk. Look over 
your spraying list and order what you need so as to have it on 
hand. Don't fool yourself into thinking you will not need it. 
Another preparatory garden activity is cleaning the pool, Cleaning 
and if one wants color, painting it. Use if possible a marine the Pool 
paint and allow it to dry thoroughly before putting back the 
gold fish. The gold fish must be well fed after their long fast 
or they will consume one another, and precaution must be taken 
not to disturb them when they are spawning. Take out the Lily 
tubs and reset the Lilies if they are crowding. You will get 
little bloom if you do not use plenty of manure and dried blood. 
Write for your new or tender Lilies early, and in selecting, 
choose those whose manner of growth is suited to the size of 
your pool. For instance, do not order Gigantea or Tuber osa 
when your pool would look better with the dainty Pygmiea, a 
free bloomer only 1^ to 2 inches across. William Tricker, of 
Arlington, N. J., has all sizes and varieties of aquatic plants. 
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