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Garden Gossip Galore 
On the one hand, there has been so much 
said, and so well said, on How to Make Victory 
Gardens Like You and Do What You Want 
Them TO DO that anything I might attempt 
se would be like gilding the lily, or some- 
ng. 
Writers got off to a flying start last season 
giving fifst aid to Victory gardeners, in books, 
magazines, the home town paper, radio, etc. 
I look for a much greater outpouring this 
season. 
Perhaps I can serve best by suggesting 
some ways to unscramble this mass of infor- 
mation, tinged with misinformation, so as to 
utilize the data that applies to your own prob- 
lem. And stop your worrying about countless 
things you are told to do, but are not of vital 
importance. 
In the first place, relax. Don’t get the idea 
that you can’t grow a good garden even if 
you can not have the ideal conditions, the 
equipment, the knowledge possessed by old 
timer gardeners. On the other hand, don’t think 
it’s about all over but the shouting, when you 
pee prepared the ground and planted the 
seeds. 
Gardening is easy. It’s fun! True, there are 
many things that should be learned and prac- 
ticed, in order to get the best results. But, on 
the other hand, it’s really amazing and cer- 
tainly gratifying to note the worth-while re- 
sults attained by inexperienced gardeners, even 
children, who make what would be considered 
great blunders, by others better informed. 
It’s another case of “Ain’t Nature Wonderful.” 
Nature comes along and patches up a lot of 
our mistakes. To be sure, the more we can 
learn about Nature’s ways and methods, and 
co-operate with her, the better. But, let’s 
shelve the idea that there is any great mySs- 
tery about gardening. It isn’t hard. It’s easy. 
It’s fun, when you catch the gardening spirit. 
‘Too many cooks spoil the broth” seems to 
apply to this matter of so many real as well 
as would-be experts pushing you around, tell- 
ing you what to do and what not to do. Too 
many “schools of thought.” 
Take the matter of varieties, for example. 
Better stick to tried and true kinds that have 
a record of best results for the most gardeners. 
Too many writers stress planting of this or 
that—varieties that may have done well in 
some localities, under certain conditions. 
Dehlia Don'ts 
Don’t plant before ground warms up. Gladi- 
olus’ bulbs may be planted very early, but 
Dahlias are much more tender. 
Don’t plant the whole clump that you dug 
up last fall. Divide it so as to leave an eye or 
two on each tuber. ; 
Don’t plant tuber in upright position. 
it flat instead. Cover about 4 inches. 
Don’t set tubers closer than 18 inches in 
row and rows closer than 2 feet. 
Don’t get the wrong idea about the size and 
value of a dahlia tuber. Different varieties 
make different size tubers. Pompon dahlia 
tubers usually quite small. 
Don’t forget your dahlias after planted. 
May need a little watering to bring them up. 
Begin hoeing soon as plants are up. 
Don’t cut dahlia blossoms during the heat 
of the day, if you can avoid it. Very early in 
morning or late in evening much better. 
Don’t think that dahlias will mix, planted 
close together. They will come true from 
divided clumps, but not from seed. 

Lay 
If have no Mission Marigold, you hain’t seen nuthin’ yet, | hold. ° 
“‘Keep the Ball A-Rolling’’ 
The old idea with many folks was to have 
one big spring gardening spasm, followed by 
Spasmodic cultivation and let it go at that. 
But now, with garden space so valuable, and 
produce from the garden so expensive, and 
also more appreciated when it is fresh, we 
are learning how to get the greatest efficiency 
from our gardens. 
Companion and succession crops are planned 
to use space to best advantage and for as long 
a portion of the season as possible. 
_Companion crops are early and late maturing 
kinds grown in alternate rows, so that when 
the early crop is off the late one may occupy 
the whole space for balance of the season. 
For instance, early radish, beets, lettuce, may 
go between rows of cabbage, tomatoes, squash 
or melons. 
Succession crops are those following each 
other. Fhe ground used for green onions from 
sets, radish, lettuce or early peas may be used 
after these crops are off for celery, late sweet 
corn, beans or turnips. Two, three or even 
four crops of some things may be grown one 
after the other in a season. 
Finding Room for Flowers 
Maybe you can find more room by spading 
up some of the neglected corners or waste 
places. Often a few feet along both sides of 
the lawn can be used—less grass and more 
flowers. As a rule, it is better to use such 
space, stolen from the lawn, along the sides 
or lot lines, rather than to have beds in the 
body of the lawn. However, this is a matter 
of personal preference and fitting the flower 
beds to the individual yard. ; 
Often flowers can be worked in around the 
shrubbery. Tulips and other fall bulbs are 
especially adapted to this handling. Planting 
in borders or in groups, according to room 
and arrangement of shrubbery, will produce 
pleasing effects. 
Then, again, drastic pruning of trees will 
help wonderfully in making two flowers bloom 
where but one bloomed before. Or, maybe 
none bloomed, because of too much shade. 
How to Transplant Weeds 
This is easy. It’s a gift with some gardeners. 
Simply have the ground Wet when you go forth 
to give the garden the once over. Cut the 
weeds off well under the roots, but don’t scatter 
them about. Follow the hoe with your feet, 
packing the recently loosened soil as you go. 
Then to complete the job, turn the hose on 
before the soil has had time to dry out well 
after hoeing. This treatment is practically 
sure to leave a good stand of weeds, full of 
life and pep. 
More About Elmohr 
Under date May 15, 1944, one of the largest 
and best known Iris growers in the United 
States wrote me the following amazing report 
regarding how Elmohr, account of its heavy 
substance, can take it. Quote. 
Elmohr came into bloom yesterday. About 
4:00 p. m. a heavy storm came up. Heavy rain 
and strong wind. Kept that up all last night. 
The poor Irises were torn off the stems in 
many cases. Some were blown out by the roots 
—no kidding. 
Tonight I went out to view the wreck—and 
there stood ELMOHR, not one standard folded 
over. All erect and beautiful. The very same 
bloom as of yesterday. 
If ever a miracle took place in my garden, 
that was it. And to top it all off, I think El- 
mohr is the biggest flower open in my entire 
garden. Unquote. 
e 17 
