Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-16

sren. not . great deal can be said A
month or six weeks later. people will begin
% think about starting the bot bed. and
hey wili get up the toxss Of prepared
sarth from the cellar, packed away last
fall, 10 which 10 start the seeds and bulbs
for early summer blooming And If Is al
s ys a happy day -hen ne bring up that
prepared earth There 10 so much sngzes-
..vensss 20 Il. We already sss the bare
ground, smoking under the heat Of the
A pril sun. and hear the brooks baebling
down through the favIne to the siTss-ooe
Of the plezszntest sounds of the whole
year. Then one can hardly help seeing
tie beautiful flowers Of palsy aad asser,
aad inhale the delicious fragrance Of petu-
nia and taberose, though there be bo, .
box Of prepared earth from whence to
gather ali the Inspiration. Only the true
from .ach source.
We were speaking of the window garden.
A bank Of fifty three pots hitthe large ~-n-
doss. occupying the entire south side Of
sunny diuirg room, which We knew. They
are arranged on low broad shelf, running
the entire width Of the ROOM, and are on
leyei sith the lover part Of the windows,
about foot from the floor. Most of these
plant. are slips Of last Augu.ts striking
out, and they are nov coming into blossom.
seranlums, saivias, fuschiAs-and they are
"lovely," as everyone says who sees them.
the ehildrea-and form
ltsIe bank VI solid green, enlivened by a
few foliage plants and bright blossoms,
which has been the one pleasant spot
Of The home Furnishings this entire winter
what there has been of it.
While this little bank Of green gives one
a practical reminder Of the spring which il
coming-are not the days already twenty
minutes longeri-fhe floral papers and
magazines keep one informed of what is
talked about and going on among the pro-
fessonsl gardeners and those who have their
conservatories and ornamental planting by
the acre. Then there are the euriosities
of gardening One of these is the manner
Of duarfng plants as practiced by the Jap
ane.e and Chinese gardeners, of which
Weeks Magazine for January gives figures
Of several examples. We cannot say that
We have any admiration for these dwarfed,
distorted and abnormal productions, but
hey show to what an extent plants and
shrubs may be trimmed, cut, bent. pinehed
in and mutilated and yet live, as they do in
some cases, to be more than a century Old.
But they give us an idea of what plastic
things growing plants are, and how with
judiclous pruning and shaping we may
make the trees and shrubs of our grounds
and gardens much more symmetrical and
beautiful than they are in many cases.
Sindy the trees as you see them and notice
how very few are what would be termed
exhibition or typical specimens.
The smia1 leaves turn yellow
because the plant has completed
its growth. The pot is full
of little bulbs and when the leaves turn
yellow the pots should be dried off and al
lowed to remain SO. Then with watering
aud sun the bulb. will start again and very
soon there will be beautiful string of the
rich, glossy dark green leaves of this very
popular vine.
Try the strawberry next summer for an
edging plant 1t has much to recommend
it for this purpose besides its fruit, and if
the runners are all kept off nothing can be
prettier
novelty in the way CT ornamental
plants is described by Garden and Forest
as the towering apple, introduced from
Japan and said to be perfectly hardy in
this latitude. The botanical name is Pyrus
maiHs aortbanda, by which it may be Or
dered of any reliable florist. The beauty
of its 5elicately colored masses of bloom is
beyond description and no small tree is
better suited for planting out on the margin
of a large shrubbery, or ss single speci-
men tree upon the lawn.
One of the floral magazine. with which we
take great deal of pleasure these long even
irgs il Popular Gardening, AMI We cauno,
begin to tell quarter part of the sensible,
. -, Al, =,
Der. 1t is = gardening paper for the people
and il rightly named. Why, the January
number comprises more thar one hundred
and thirty eight articles, long and short, all
good, and many of them illustrated.
Among other things it describes plant
stand for flowers, so built that the pots are
out of sight This might do to look at,
but we should think it would be task
to handle the pots, as one must
more or less, to give good care
to the plants themselves. We have never
considered the pots Objectionable. One
lady of our acquaintance who loves flowers,
covers the earth in the pots with clean,
sharp sand. This gives them a very neat
appearance ana moreover We all Know
paws VI a"'
good made soil for pot plants.
A single allusion 10 the window plants.
Everyone hs. noticed how the geranizms
are determined to grow towards the
sun. They want an abundance of