New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1905-10-21

something that Will protect tHe IootS
from deep freezing, without smother
ing the tops.
For example, if you want to carpet
the ground in your flower border next
April with white flowers, instead of
having nothing but dirt to look at,
get five-cent package of alyssum, or
if you do not like that, then try the
rock cress, Arabs albida. Alyssum is
wonderful little plant for hiding the
ground beneath Towering shrubs, be-
cause it will "self-sow, and | have
seen thousands of these little SELF
planted seedlings which have come
safely through the winter without any
covering, although they were barely
an inch high when Jack Frost came
in earnest.
OF course, the surest and pleasant
est way to raise a big stock OF peren-
malls is to have a cold frame. You
can buy one ready made for about five
dollars, locally, or from the scotsman
and the makers of greenhouses. Then
you can be sure of having the very
best foxgloves and larkspur, to say
nothing of pansies and polyanthus.
And now is the time to make or buy
one.
The cheapest and easiest way to
get red flowers in August is to divide
a big clump of the splendid bee balm,
or Oswego tea (Monarda didyma).
This is a sort of mint and multiplies
almost as fast as the edible kind. l
have clump in my garden now
which | can dig up and separate with
my fingers into material to make a
continuous flame of red color twelve
feet long and four feet wide.
Don't be afraid to jam a spade right
down into the heart of any big clump
of flowers in your hardy border, pro-
vided it is naturally vigorous grow
ing species. Phlox ought to be cut
up and replanted every second year,
and indeed nearly everything in the
border will do better if divided every
two or three years, although precious
few people seem to know it.
Last November l divided lot OF
plants, and not one of them winter
killed. But you dare not take this
risk with small choice things in Octo.
Der, and in any case you ought to
cover newly set plants with litter, to
protect them from alternate freezing
and thawing as we'll as from deep
freezing.
Now is the time to take up gerani-
ums and other tender plants before
frost spoils them. If you have any
plant in the garden which is loaded
with flowers which the frost will spoil,
such as a marguerite, dig it up care
fully with a big ball of roots; put it
in a large pot, cut back the top, water
it thoroughly, shade it for several
DAYS to prevent willing and you will
have a beautiful house plant in Octo-
Der and November. Don't leave on
too many flowers, or you will fail. 1t
is better to sacrifice lot now for
the sake of having plenty OF flowers
when the wind bowls outside and the
snow is furrying.
All lilies ought to be planted in the
autumn-not in the spring.
The marshmallow, which glorifies
August with its pink flowers, TOUR ana
five inches across, will thrive in gar
den soil as well as in the marsh, and
you can buy it from any nurseryman.
Now is a good time to get it from the
wild.
Save your own flower seeds and ex-
change with friends Collect the seeds
of the best wildflowers, instead OF
robbing the woods and the public.
You can carry in your pocket few
envelopes; seal these; then cut one
in two; put in your seeds; label them
and then fold over the cut end three
times-each time about quarter OF
an inch. Then fold back the corners
and you have a seed packet which
will "stay put" and which you can
open at any time and close again
without fuss or spilling.-Wilhelm
Miller, Editor 1.-THE Garden Magazine"
in Chicago Inter Ocean.