The daily gazette., 1882-04-21
DECORATING CITY YARDS.
A WAY IN WHICH TO MAKE A THING
OF BEAUTY OUT OF THE FEW
SQUARE FEET OF EARTH
KNOWN AS THE CITY
BACK YARD,

SQUARE FEET OF EARTH
KNOWN AS THE CITY
BACK YARD.
IL looks hopelets, know, but Sill 1t is
possible to transform the little city back
yard into blooming garden that shall
be q source Of delight through all the hot
months Il the summer, and through all
the crisp days Of the autumn. Nature 10
very good TO US; she provides flowers for
all laceB, and plants that will grow un-
der great disadvantages, If We only know
how TO manage them. At the outset l |
will maze the admission that there are |
few places where q overs are grown with
more difficulty than in the city back |
yard. But 1t is glorious thing to over |
come difficulties. There is Q happy |
seDs4 Of having conquered, In seeing
that waste place, the little bin Of earth,
all verdant and abloom. 1t does one
good, aud 1t does ones neighbors good.
| And how can IL be accomplished?
IL IS necessary that most Of the back
yards of cities should be used as place
for drying clothes. This fact must not
be lest sight of. The centre Of the yard
must not be laid out In such way that
II cannot be walked on. Tho best way
is to have grass In the centre-gooo,
even turf. Ah but you say, "My grass
plat always looks ragged; little tufts of
UNHEALTHY looking gr6ss spring up here
and there, and the rest Is brown eartb."
We'll, have you ever looked into tie
matter to find out the reasoL? Take
spade aud turn up few inches OF the
soil, and you will find that 1t has no
deph Examine the roots Of the grass.
and you will find that they ouly 60 do, n
an inch or two and then meet hard clay
or gravel. Show the grass to gardener,
and lie will tell you that that kind Of
grass will not flourish In partially
shaded place. Now for The remedy.
Send 10 the nearest stable for load Of
The best rOtted manure that they have.
II they happen to be sweeping your
street get somebody to carry into
your yard q few baskets of the street
sweepings. Their hire man to come
with his spade, and let all the old soil
be turned over and shaken up and
mixed with the manure to twice the
depth Of the spade. If the soil then
seems bard, get load of sand and
have it mixed in. It is some trouble,
and may cost you four or five dollars
altogether, but you are doing it to
stay. Now go to the scotsman and
tell him you want grass seed mixture
to grow in partially shaded place.
Early in the spring or late in the fall
rake this mixture into your prepared
bed, and rake it pretty deep. Give ii
a good watering with the house hose,
and let 1t be to grow. You will have
provided path about this grass-plat,
and you must manage for awhile to
have your clothes-line in q line with
this path, 80 that your laundress may
not be obliged to tramp over the
sprouting bed. Presently the young
grass will be up. For while 1t will
need special care. 1t must be kept
well watercd till the roofs of the grass
have found their way into the deep
! soil that you have prepared for them.
Then it only needs to be kept close
ly cut. You may not care to buy o
4 lawn mower; so buy grass hook at
rs cents; and let me tell you that there
is no way of getting the delicious
smell of new-mown hay into the hear
Of the city 30 satisfactorily as to gC
out and NOV oyer your back yard il
the cool of a summer morning. Thii
grass plat, If well tended, will be 9
source OF delight to you--alWays 9
restful spot Of green to look al. Ii
the fall, give it dressing of street
sweepings, and If there comes long
drought, give it good westing dowI
now al d then. The centre of YOU
prass-plat will probably be the sunnies
spot in your yard. 1t will be gooC
place for garden vase or large rustic
basket, fyou have garden vase anC
want a great flame of brilliant flower
the summer through, plant it will
nastuTtinms. The tender green of th'
foliage and the varied ysllows ant
reds Of the flowers make most attrac
tive object. Or if you have plenty o
money you can have your vase file
at the Tourists with plants of varie'
foliage. Only give your vase plenl
of water; it is surprising how thirst
vase-plants will be, and when th
season is well along add little en-
richment to the water-a tablespoon
! full of guano or Bowker's "Eood 70
Flowers" to each gallon of water.
a IT. you have grass-plat IN the centr
and walks about that, you will naiursl
ly keep q flower bed about the edge {
your garden. A good deal of this be
will be shaded, and you must not forge
that fact in setting your plants. Their
are plenty of plants that ike the shade
or partial shade at least. The fuchsi
ia thrlves best where 1t has only an hcu
or two of direct sunshine daily. Th
begonias thrive well in the shade. Th
pansy takes a cool and shady plact
with plenty Of moisu Ferns an
some Of the palms must have the deepeI
shade in order 10 thrive at all. Tbes
>" plants will give yCu variety enough 4
the shaded parts of your flower bed
and you can keep the sunny spots I.
the rcsss and geraniums and the quicl
growing annuals which are 90 lit
trouble and make so much show u
ss. aster, the balsam, and the pure whit
Do candy-tuft. Make your border dee
to make it rich, and give it plenty, fgae q
lhs led Ifyou have no hose have ; big waite
49, ing pot, and every evening drench u
foliage OF your plants, IL washes of Il
I ~ IL