Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-14
PLANNING A GARDEN
While Winter is Here Wise
Ones Prepare for the
Spring Planting,

At this season of the year, al
| though the frost is in the
ground. the lover of flowers and hor.
ticulture is planning the garden which
he means to have when the spring
comes. His literature includes
treatsies learned and catalogues con
fusing. but unless he makes plans and
preparations Before the actual gar
dening time arrives the result Is
bound to be haphazard. AS gener-
III thing. plants which have been
growing all the winter are not in
good condition In the spring and will
be constantly dropping foliage. But
| there are many plants from which
| cuttings may be taken, and these can
be growing while plans for the gar
den are maturing. Geraniums are
| easily grown, and there is always n
corner which can be made beautiful
with them. Only the young end OF
| the shoots should lie used, and these
| should be cut so that Joint OF the
plant will be under the surface of
| the soil. A sandy soil is better than
pure sand, although the plants Will
crow more rapidly in the latter. Its
disadvantage is that the plant has to
| be removed as soon rs some roots
| have formed. Many other flowers
may be grown in the same way, such
as coleus. begonias and parlor Ivy.
For A Vegetable Garden.
For the vegetable garden one may
start onion seed. either in the win
dow box or hotbed. Sow the seed
rather thickly IN drills one inch deep,
10 a.,
hotbeds. give frequent airings OH mild
days, and the sets will be ready to
transplant by April /. Other early
vegetables may be started without .
! hotbed. OF course, these will have
to be in small quantities, but they
may supply the table when the mar
ket prices are soaring. For instance,
start six or eight potatoes in small
box of very old manure, and set them
ont when sprouted.. Risk few seeds
of beans. corn, cucumbers, melon and
squash. and set out early In the gar
den. If they should happen TO be
nippcd by the frost. there will be no
great loss A good idea in planting
these seeds is to place them In paste
board horseshoe boxes will do.
These can be put in the ground and
will soon decay, thus saving the re-
tarding of the growth of the plant
which is bound to occur when 1t is
| transplanted.
1t is about this time of the year that
| the roots which have been kept In
the cellar during the winter, should
| be inspected, for one decayed tuber
will soon cause the depravity of all
| the others.
Cutting shrubbery.
BY the middle OF next month the
rose bushes will be ready to prune-
except the climbers, which refuse to
bloom on new wood. II has been said
that to be successful with roses one
must have hard heart and sharp
knife. and the truth OF this assertion
will he proved by little experiment.
J ing.
Shrubbery should not be cut back
in the spring. if profuse blossoming
is desired. If the bush is to be trans.
planted, then it is better to sacrifice
the blossoms and prune vigorously;
otherwise this should be done when
the blossoms are gone.
In making the plot of the garden
much space can he economical IL
plans are made for raising the pole
beans. cucumbers, squashes and peas
or wire trellises. The vegetables
will be found much easier to harvest,
and the wires can be used season az
| ter season.
When many cut flowers are used
| in the house during the summer, 1T
is well to set aside a piece of ground,
either in the vegetable garden or
some out-of-the-way place on the
lawn, for the raising Of flowers for
this purpose. When they are gath
| cred the lawn will not have the mu.
tilated appearance which one some
times sees They should be in straight
rows, SO that they may be easily car
ed for. Asters. coreopsis, shasta dais.
les. cosmos, dahlias, gladiolus. mas,
turtiums, sweet peas and verbenas ill
lend themselves charmingly to house
decorations, are easily grown and
| will furnish succession of blooms
throughout the summer.
| Will II Come to This7