The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-08-09
Horticulture,

If there is any room for choice
in selecting the spot or a flower
garden, select one that is sheltered
from the wind and exposed freely to the
morning sun. With the proper amount
of care and watchfulness, flowers can be
made to grow anywhere, and no one,
even if confined to the smallest of city
back yards need be deferred from making
the attempt; but most flowers love warm,
sunny spots, where the chill nOrtherly
winds can not reach them, and, if the
garden is favOrably located, a large part
of the work end disappointment attendant
upon Horticulture may be avoided. As
the laying out ofthe garden must depend
largely on special local conditions, and
should be guided by individual tastes, we
shall not attempt to lay down any gen
eral rules futheT than to suggest that the
complicated and eccentric forms at one
time so popular are no longer cOnsideed
in good taste, and that the plan ofarrange-
ment is best which combines the greatest
simplicity with a due amount Of variety
in the shape of the bed. A thing es-
pecially to be avoided, except in ribbon
beds and mosaic" planting, is the elabO
rat geometIical figures which the average
books on flower culture are so apt to
suggest to their readers. In preparin the
grounds, raised beds with deep walks
should be dispensed with as far as pos
sible; they suffer from the intense heat of
the summer, and the rains wash down
their edges, giving an Untidy look and
sometimes laying bare the roots OF the
plants. Grass edges, unless well cared
for are obiectinab,e on account of the
difficulty of keeping the sOds from spread
ing; and this is true of all runn!ng-vine
edgings, except ivy. For large bed a
border of common fax, easily raised from
the seed, is very pretty II kept well
| trimmed and the dwarf box is unsUIpassed
The prettiest of all beds are those neat
! ly cut into the grass plot, and left without
! other edging. In these the brilliant hues
of the flowers contrast well with the soft
! emerald tint of the grass. 1t may be a
| slight objection to these beds that the
| dew on the grass makes it necessary to be
( " ell shod in attending them in the early
morning when flowers and the work of
gardening are most attractive. The walks
| b tween beds may beItrCdden down and
/ hardened with coal ashes and gravel.
! The most desirable soil for flowers is a
mellow loan. and that Will be much
| affected by excessive wet or drought.
/ As it is useless TO grow flowers In poor
| soil, the work of fersilizing and ameliora-
! ton must claim the earliest attention.
If the ground be clayey and adhesive,
| dress it with sand and well-rOtted ma
nure in sufficient quantity to make 1t
mellow and friable. Spade it and mix 1t
well. If the soil be sandy and loose,
spade in clay and manure in the same
way. Wood ashes are as good for all
kinds of soil, as they loosen those that
are close, and hold moisture in those that
are sandy. Every flower garden should
be well MANFRED every autumn---ths ma
nure covering the ground during winter,
and being well spaded in the spring.
Drainage, natural or artificial, IS alb
solutely essential to successful flower
gardening, no soil that remains saturated
| IOr many hours after even the heaviest
rain is fit for the growth of flowers. Be
fore it can be sccessfuIly cultivated 1t
must be thoroughly under-drained.---
GoodholDe's CycJ0pedjG.