Evening star., 1897-02-27


impulse to go out and
plant something is as imperative with
every tue son and daughter of Adam as
the Englishmans craving to go out and
kill something.
garden, or sc mething akin to it. be-
comes an absorbing desire. The florists
know this full well, and seize on this favor
able mood TO flood the malls with gor-
geousy illustrated catalogues of floral i'm
possibilities. over which the recipient
dreams and plans, and figures, until his
brain reels And, indeed, madness GER
tainly lies in that direction unless one. has
learned to sw allow florists adjec tives with
a grain of salt
Only those who have planted and watch
ed over a seed, or bulb, or root, noting
each phase of development from the hour
when the earth gives way before the gen.
tie but irresistible force of the growing
shoot to the opening of the perfected flower
only they know the pleasure to be derived
from flowers. And it Is pleasure almost
any one may know If he or she will 20
about it in the right way.
That way is made up of a few funda-
mental rules, and though, as Mrs Micaw-
Der says, Experienced does it," one must
nave an idea or two to start with. The ex-
periences Of others teach quite as pro-
htably as our own, if will only accept
them.
The Way Suggested.
Now, first of ALL my 1ower-loving friend,
where are yorr Horticultural experiments
to be made? If in one of those dismal bac k
yards, shut in by hideous board fences,
coal sheds and tall buildings to which most
city people are limited, then l am sorry
for you. And 1 feel like saying don't"
Still something may be done even there
You may have a neat bit of sod and by
digging out the heavy, dark soil along the
fence and shed. and filling In with good
light soil that has felt the sunshine YOU
may induce the patient, faithful honey
Suckle or good-natured morning glory to
accept precarious existence there Do
not plant anything else unless in boxes
raised above the ground on supports, and
so exposed to ventilation. The soil must
be aerated, or it is deadly to all plant life.
One thing more. If the rear wall of your
house Is toward the south or east you
may accomplish something Ike a miracle
Dig hole near the house two feet deep
and two feet wide and fill in with a layer
of good compost first, then up to the level
with mellow garden soil. Then plant a
moon flower. A fine plant can be bought
In the market for 10 cents. You will think
1t Is never going to start skyward, but
when it finally does start. watch it grow
Six inches in twenty-four hours-that is its
usual record. Trained on strong cords it
VIII Sas easily &c cover G the s9d Of, the tauest
when the moon is near the full take a
chair out into that despised backyard uwo
chairs If you prefer, my dear young LADY,,
and sit there in the white light, silent, as
in the presence Of a mystery, and watch
those great silvery disks open, and if you
are not filled with unutterable thoughts, a
poet for the time being, l have no further
use for you.
have a large front side yard, or even
more space at your disposal, to be made
beautiful Now comes the important ques-
ton whether you wish to make a perma-
nant garden. that shall 1ovaly
from year to year, or whether it is to be
the brief delight Of one season. In either
case the first thing to do is to study care
fully how to produce the best effects with
out first making annoying and expensive
mistakes. Whatever you do, don't rush out
and buy whatever takes your fancy, and
plant, helter.skelter, anywhere. as happens
to be convenient. You might by a happy
chance produce some pretty effects, but the
probabilities are that your garden will be
a dead failure What you must do is to
station yourself opposite your house and
ground, with pencil and note book, and
become landscape gardener on small
scale. Every one owes to public opinion
and his own self-respect that the front of
his premises shall present an attractive
appearance.
BY Taking Thought.
In imagination lay out your walks, lawn.
beds and borders. and plant in them such
things as, after profound consideration,
seem likely to do the best and make the
finest effect. Never lose sight of the point
mentioned, whether you are planning for
permanent or temporary beauty. Having
decided these points, draw plan Of the
whole, and then consult a florist, or your
catalogues always remembering that grain
of salD, and estimate the expense, modify
ing your ideas according to circumstances.
Better far a well-kept bit of lawn without
a flower or shrub in sight than badly plan
ned and worse-tended beds and borders.
If your lawn is rough and full of coarse
81 asses and weeds, don't attempt to doctor
1t. Have 1t spaded up early in March, and
the undesirable roots thrown out and
burned up, not spaded under, to reappear
IN all their pristine ugliness. Have the sur
with good garden or meadow soil, mixed
with compost, or little bone meal. Then
sow thickly with lawn grass and white
clover seed, and press the top fiat and
Will have pretty lawn, always supposing
that you have made a judicious use Of hose
ana ana lawn mower, and waged war. merciless
don't forget that 1t takes as long to produce
really fine, close, velvety lawn as it does
to produce gentleman, and 1 believe that
Is sald to require three generations.
To hide the iron wire fence nothing is
better than honeySuckle
With cultivators beautiful close hedge
can be achieved in two or three years, and
one that Is green nearly the year round.
There are ever-blooming sorts, too. SO that
one may have constant fragrance and
bloom.
If you prefer your lawn interspersed with
shrubbery and flower beds, great care must
be exercised In the choice of plants. For
circular flower bed in the center of a.
. small lawn nothing is finer&than cannas.
They can be bought at a log figure now.
except the new and rare dies. Select a
tall-growing sort for the middle "A "flam-
lingo" is as fine as any. Their plant one or
two rows, according to the size of the bed,
about this choosing only scarlet and yell
low varieties and Of lower stowth.%s Never
mix In piEks ard purples with your flaming
reds and yelows. White waald be hand
some for either the central %piant or the
otar.tov outer row. but the wh,te sorts are more
Masses OF Color.
A bed Of all pink or all scarlet geraninms
is always attractive or OF coleus. careful
ly chosen with regard to color and habit
of growth. Assagdeeorative effect is want
cd especially. ever-blooming plants OF fol-
iage plants are far away better than roses,
which, however beautiful In themselves,
are too intermittent In blosm and irregu-
lar IN growth for >the best effect on lawn.
Along the front Of your house run bor-
der not less th4n two feet six,inches wide.
Nearest the house plant one or more
hardy climbfnge roses, Fef the new ~ever-
blooming sorts. As these Will require sew
eral yoare to make Ynuoh show. p42Ut In