The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-04-27
A Wildh over Garden.

The fashion of cultivating a wildfower
bed has given rise to many beautiful
effects in place of the stiff ribbon gar
dening in vogue few years ago. The
growing of native plants has become a
fad in many places, and the most de-
ightful natural beauty is thus evolved.
There are several florists who now make
IL business Of furnishing native plants for
wild beds, rookeries and for bog and
water gardens. Some of our most Ct
fective and beautiful native plants, like
the nympheas and many of our orchids,
belong to the water or to the boys, and
can only be grown under Similar con-
ditions. Others grow we'll in ordinary
garden soil, but the variety is not large
1t is better to beg i'm with simple bed
of woodland plants such as grow in the
ordinary soil if you wish successful
woodland flower bed. Select IL shady
spot; replace the soil removed with a
wagonload Of earth from rich woods.
Do not attempt to grow the plants of
open meadows i'll this place, but plant it
with ferns and woodland flowers The
writer knew a woman who attempted
to raise wildtlower bed on the gravelly
soil dug out of her cellar when the house
was built and used for economic reasons
to I'LL in the foundations of her house
She apologized by saying she was de
termined to have flowers and she could
not make geraniums grow" 1t need not
be added that the wildtlowers did not
groW any better If you do not value
and coleus it is useless to try TO
cultivate them. They will re roy
just as much care in the preparation
Of the soil, and they must be treated
with rotted leaf mold and the other
fertilizers that they, get in the woods.
Ma'denhalr ferns, columbines and all the
delicate wood flowers, like dicentra, ane-
mones. viole:s, hepatiacs and others grow
we'll i'll such bed as we have described
There must be succession of plants. SO
that there will always be something in
blossom i'll the bed. In June bed there
should be columbines, yellow and Dink
lady slippers vlolets and early ferns. For
maindenhair ferns, purple fringed or
chldS, pyrolaS, princes pine and other
plants that flower in July. n display of
cardinal flowers and ostrich ferns 0neht
to be planted in rich earth taken from
the river or lake side and kept moist.
Both these plants need sun, vet they need
to Dc Kept moist th BY putting decayed
conditions both these plants grow to three
and four feet in height. The ferns grow
IN curving vase shape and protect the
roots of the cardinal flower, which
throws its huge spikes of cardinal red
flowers above them. They make low
hedge against the foundation of the
house. Among these plants yellow lady
moist. they blossom i'll June, before the
cardinal flowers begin to send up their
blosSoming stalk With the help of
small boy who has hand wagon which
can be carried into the woods il woman
with some knowledge of plants can
achieve a great deal in the way of dec,
Grafton. 1t is best always to select the
to cultivate and prepare the beds early.
Net out the various ferns and othcrplants
as soon as they begin to appear, taking
them with abundance of the earth around
them. so as to disturb them as little as
possible. Plant them toward night and
cover them if they show any sign of
willing. No bed is more delightful than
have taken yourself from the woods will
give more delight than those you buy, but
for variety it is always best to buy
few native plants that are not to he
found in thespecial locality where you
live.
Death to Moths.
Benzine and carbolic acid, one gallon
to one ounce is sure death to moths. But
it cannot be used in delicate fabrics and
from its intammable character must be
used with great caution. \ hand atom
izer is the easiest way to apply it.
The fumes of burning camphor gum or
sulphur will suffOcate moth nillers. IT,
is a very disagreeable operation, but is
so effective that any room where they are
known to be should be fumigated this
month. To do this with entire success
remove the contents Of trunks and ward
robes and hang on backs of chairs: close
doors and windows; set Il painful of water
in the middle of the room, at safe dis
lance from all the hangings and fur
niture; in this place small iron pot half
filled with ashes and the camphor; for Il
room Is by Is feet use a piece as large
as a walnut: saturate with alcohol and
set the camphor on fire. 1t will burn
hercely at first, but if proper precautions
are observed there is no danger. Leave
the room as soon as you are satisfied that
your furniture is i'll no danger of taking
fire; allow the mass to burn itself out.
which it will do in half an hour; open
the windows and doors for an hour.
Moths prefer soiled to clean garments.
The first step toward the safety of gar
ments before putting them away is to
turn pockets inside out, beat all dust,
saturate and clean with benzine if neces-
sary: Allow the clothes to hang in the
sunlight for several hours. Moths hate
the light. They work in the dark