Work in the Garden

Lake County Mail, Issue 37, 18 February 1948, Page 8

Work in the Garden

in a sunny open position. The soil should be enriched with well-rotted farmyard manure, and light dressings of lime should be applied in winter or early spring. As they have a definite flowering period it is well to group them and inter-plant with groups of other perennials to give early and late flowering. Another method is to plant up the border with carnations 18 inches apart, and inter-plant with gladioli in November. This will give a succession for the summer. Similarly, Iceland poppies, hyacinths or tulips may be used for spring colour, but nothing should be used which would crowd or shade the young carnations growths. Incidentally, always lift gladioli when the leaves yellow and before they turn brown. Lifted a,t this stage, most of the kittens will be removed with the bulb. Violets should be attended to during dry weather, for they suffer severely and become infected with “ red spider.” Keep them well watered and mulched with well-rotted manure if you desire good flowers on long stems next spring. Here again, young plants with a vigorous root system are' to damage. A new bed should be established every second year or so in well-prepared ground during the spring or early summer. Fuschias and hydrangeas, which provide such a wealth of late summer and autumn flower, should be well watered and given weak liquid manure to help prolong the display.