Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-21
Flower Beds for school Grounds.

Flower beds on school grounds give so
much pleasure for little effort that labor
is almost lost sight of. Even the youngest
pupil can aid in their preparation and
care; little fingers are often more def and
sklllful than larger ones.
| have selected a list of six different
flowers as most suitable and desirable, be-
cause easy OF cultivation, aud they will
give better returns for the labor and care
than many others. They are pansies,
verbenas, asters dwarf varieties,) nastur
tiums dwarf varieties, mig1onette and
sweet peas. If you buy one mixed pack
age of each kind, they will afford all the
plants you will have time to prepare beds
for and take care of this year, and the six
packages will only cost fifty cents Any
reliable dealer will furnish them to you
but you will secure better results if YOU
buy them of some one who makes speci-
atty of growing the flower seeds he sells.
Order the seeds early that you may have
them in time.
In selecting the place for the beds you
will be governed by the arrangement of
your grounds. No flowers will do we'll
with entire shade nor very near trees.
You can have them near the school house.
but not SO near that the rain drip
ping from the roof will injure the beds by
washing out the soil. Make the beds mar
row and long rather than square, that
they may be more easily cared for. You
will need something to enclose them or
the edges will be worn away by the rain
and the care. Pick up the stones you have
used for your play-houses and place them
close together, side by side, making a bed
for each kind you are to SOW, about four
feet long and eighteen inches wide If
you have no stones you can make very
pretty beds by simply cutting out the sod
just the size wanted for the bed. Either
is prettier than beds formed with boards
and is more durable. Sod is not good for
the sides because the grass will soon
encroach upon the plants. If you use the
stones and sod must be carefully cut out
The beds must be filled with good mellow
soil. If your school-house is near the
woods the oder boys can borrow wheel.
barrow and spade and wheel three or fou
loads of leaf mold to fill them. If you
are not near enough to get the leaf mold
you can cut the sod out near the roadside
and take the soil from there. 1t will not
be quite as good as the leaf mold and viii!
require little more work to prepare it
for the seeds, because it will have to be
fine and perfectly free from Jumps. This
year you will probably have to borrow
tools to work with, but, if you are careful
of them, and interested In your flowers, |
think it will be easy to secure a rake and
three or four hand weeders next year.
Make the beds smooth and level. It is
better to sow the pansy seeds in the bed on
the east side of the school-house. They
like light, but not too much sun; the seeds
must be very lightly covered and never al.
lowed to get dry after sowing, because the
tiny germ is Sc delicate that it will die if
the soil gets dry.
You will have nicer flowers if your, plants
are six or eight inches apart; if they come
up too thickly you can easily transplant
them. Keep the soil we'll stirred and free
from weeds, and, probably before the spring
term closes you will be rewarded by seeing
the little buds, that look like poke-bonnets,
appear, and the queer little faces will look
up into yours as though thanking you for
giving them chance to grow.
The sweet peas will come up sooner if
soaked in a dish of water for a few hours
before sowing. Put them in the ground
about six inches deep, one row on each side
of the bed. They will stand up better if
covered deeply. You will need a support
for them, and you can make it as soon as
they come up, and when they put out their
little tendrils their hands) there will be
something for them to cling to. Get four
sticks about one inch square and about four
feet long; drive one down about four inches
in each corner of the bed; get stout piece
of cord and tie to the tops of the sticks,
lengthways, then drive down small sticks,
five or six inches in length near the plants,
tying Irvine on the top of the sticks and
to the stout cork. This Will make cheap
support for the vines, and is something you
can make yourselves.
Nasturtium seeds ought to be sowed about
one inch deep. They will do well on poor
rocky soil. The other seeds must be sowed
and cared for much the same as the pan
sizes, except that they must be sowed lit
tie deeper.
You may not have many ti)wers before
the spring term closes, but if you take
good care of them you will have fine, heal
thy plants that will give you a great many
flowers all through the fall term The par
sizes will blossom until the ground freezes,
and, if cut back in the spring, will, give
you flowers all through the spring term
You will need to appoint committee to
give the plants little care tho" "a the
summer vacation.
There are other varieties Of flowers that
bloom earlier in the season, but they are
not so desirable for cut flowers as the cnes
| have recommended; with those you will
haqe enough plants to afford bouquet ev-
cry day.
If you could make I'd on the north
side of the school-house tor ferns, or under
the shade of some tree, 20 Selection
would be quite complete.