Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-05-09
PLEASANT SUMMER WORK.
Planting a Garden and Watching the
Flowers Grow.

Planting a Garden and Watching the
Flowers Grow.
Not all flower lovers know how to raise
flowers and care for them, and few in
structions on such matters will be ac-
ceptable to those who have tried raising
plants and have become discouraged
through lack of success.
To get slips and root them is q pretty
sure way to have plants, if one under
stands them and attends faithfully to all
their needs.
There is no such thing as F'luck'' in
raising plants. They call for intelligent
care and will respond nobly. But there
is more pleasure and delight in sowing
the seed and watching them grow and
bloom than is to be obtained in any other
way. Additions, begonias, lantanas, hell
otrope, vineas, lobelias, sweet alyssum
and ageratums are all good Windowgar-
den flowers and easily raised from seed.
Little boxes, a bout 9 inches long, or 5
inches wide and 3 inches in depth, or
even shallow cigar boxes, are the best to
SOW seed IN. Any good garden soil is
suitable, although three parts sandy loan
to one part wood soil is better.
Slft the soil through a coarse sieve,
M the box and rap ON it gently to settle
the soil, then press it lightly and evenly
with the hand, leaving a good inch of
space between the soil and the top of
the box. Scatter the seeds over the sur
face, and if very fine do not cover them.
If the seed is coarse cover with a little
of the sifted soil. Sprinkle with water,
but very gently, SO as not to wash the
seeds out, and cover the box with piece
OF glass and set it where it will be warm.
treated IN this way the seeds will
quickly terminate. Keep them moist, but
not wet. and when the plants have at
tanned the third or fourth leaf transplant
them, placing them slightly deeper in the
sol! than they were before.
When they begin to grow give a little
manure water once week, and, as they
need 1T, transfer to larger pots or the
WlndoW-boxes where they are to remain.
10 make good window box use half
men pine, and make it long enough and
woe Woe enough to tit your window, and
nine or ten inches deep. Bore three
small holes at equal distances through
the bottom of the box and place a small
nat stone at each end and lay on these
a piece of lath exactly over the holes.
linen hll IN drainage Of charcoal or
WOOD clnderS even with the lath, and aft
erward the soil. Charcoal in the soil
keeps the earth from getting sour and
lmparts brilliancy to the flowers.
:, Growing plants must be shaded
through the hottest part Of the day and
should be showered frequently to keep
the foliage clean and bright, for plants
breathe through their leaves and cannot
keep good health when they are covered
with dust.
For back porch, or any other place
where vines are needed, wild cucumbers
grow quickly, and are exceedingly pretty
Morning glOrles trained up porch or
wall, with sweet peas and nasturtiums
growing IN front Of them, are beautiful
The gourd family, with the differently
colored leaves and fruit, make fast climb
ers, and are most interesting.
Where one has space which should be
a fan nj
nothing is better for the purpose than
castor bean.
A handsome bower for a backyard, and
one that will delight the children, is made
by long poles or sticks set into the ground,
wigwam fashion, with the ends coming
opening on the shady side. Dig up the
soil on the outside to the depth Of foot
and the same in width; then morning
glory seed planted thickly around it and
trained carefully converts the wigwam
into lovely and unique spot.
For flower seeds, to sow out of doors
in May when the ground gets warm,
there is nothing better than the old-fash-
Toned ANNALS, such as asters, phloX, ball
sans, marlgolds, verbenas, peoples, lark
spurs, bachelor buttons and dianthus-
garden pinks. These are all good flowers
for busy people, for they are sure to
come up and bloom early and late and
once we'll started will require but little
care.
To save the trouble of transplanting,
seed can be sown thickly, then thin out
and throw or give away what is not
needed
The flower beds can be made circular.
oblong, diamond, star or heart-shaped
When limited as to space a circular bed
Of pansies is beautiful and easily cared
for, and is better the second year than
the first.
Ageratum Lasseauxi, bordered with
sweet alyssum is lovely for companion
bed and makes charming combination
of rose color and white.
Try at least one novelty in flowers each
year; it is so interesting to watch the
growth and blooming of plant you are
acquainted with. Cleome Alba is novel
and beautiful, and grows readily from
seed. Some hanging plants and vines
will be pretty, and for baskets try the
moneywort, oxalis and saxifrage
Good bracket plants are fuchias, ivy
leaf geranium, the ordinary single Pc
tuna and streptosolen.
Seed-planting and flower-growing are
most fascinating pastimes and make old
Melancholy himself forget his legitimate