The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1910-12-09
BULB PLANTING

All during October is the great
bulb planting time. Many kinds can
be set later, especially the lilies, and
some gardeners have been known tc
set out the Christmas bulbs after
towering or to break the ground at
ter hard freezing when a thaw sets
in in January, but this late planting
IS not advised.
Ii you cannot get bulbs until late
and lilies of the valley and many har
dy lilies are not to be had until late
November-keep the ground free from
freezing by covering with four or five
inches of litter or leaves. This will
work better if coarse bagging is first
spread over the ground.
rich sandy loan is best. There must
be no fresh manure or the bulbs will
rot. 1t is a good plan in an old gar
den to put little sand in the bottom
OF the hole dug for the bulb to rest on
See that the beds do not hold water
Round the tops SO the rains drain off,
Most beds after planting and the
ground has frozen are benefited by a
covering of rough manure, cid leaves
and evergreen boughs to keep it in
place. Ii put on too early there is
danger of mice. Remove gradually in
the spring, but do not let the covering
remain after growth is well started.
Bulbs may be planted in any way
the grower desires. Set beds of the
more formal sorts, as hyacinths, tulips
ana narcissus are snowy even in small
gardens. Dealers make a speciality of
this planting and when the dimen-
sions of the bed are given will tell the
exact number and distance apart the
bulbs must go. Oval, round. square,
diamond and crescent shapes are pop
ular, and fancy scroll designs are cut
from the sod, with several rows of
hyacinths or tulips set therein.
COlOring is a matter of taste, but
care must be taken to select kinds
that mature at the same time and are
of similar heights. Hyacinths and tu-
lips are sometimes combined, but look
better separately. Beds OF solid color
ing are growing in favor.
In formal gardens and parks new
bulbs are set in each fall; the old ones
can be transplanted after the foliage
has yellowed into the beds and Dor
derS and allowed to grow on until
they deteriorate. Since bulbs are
much cheaper than when they were
fewer, growers dig up their hyacinths
and tulips after ripening and dry them
off for another years planting If the
space in the beds is wanted for plant
ing take up the bulbs and ''heel-in" in
some corner OF the garden until the
foliage yellows and the bulbs mature,
when they can be dried and kept in
cool place until the following autumn
il you do not know the definite
depth of planting for different bulbs
it is good rule to cover with soil
one and half times their own depth.
Hyacinth bulbs should be set from
three to four inches below the sur
face and from six to ten inches apart
Tulips should go in six-inch holes
and six inches apart
In planting Oulbs for bedding make
the holes of equal depth or the blooms
will be irregular. The holes can be
made with a dibble or sharp-pOinted
stick; or for beds the top layer of
soil can be lifted to the depth of
seven inches. AN inch of sand spread
over it and the bulbs set the proper
distance apart, then covered with soil
to the surface of the bed.
Much easier than formal bedding is
it to set bulbs in clumps or lines in
the hardy border, especially if flowers
are desired for cutting. Many Of the
smaller dubious flowers, like snow
planning are triteias, chionodoxas,
or glory Of the snow" make charm
ing edgings for hardy borders either
aIone or combined in clumps.
A favOrite method of bulb planting
is to scatter through the lawn or to
naturaliZe in Out-of-the-way corners
of the garden along the borders of
streams and at the base of rocks.
Scillas, crocus and snowdrops are esN
pecially adapted to lawn planting
There should be no stiffness in their
setting. A good plan is to throw a
handful of the bulbs and where they
fall remove the SOD, set the bulbs at
proper distance and replace sod.
Another method OF lawn planting is