Newark post., 1911-03-29
Flower Garden In April

Snowdrops, crocuses and Siberian
squills are ablow in my garden in
March. The snowdrops came first
even while WEAKNESS possessed me
in the feeling thar Winter would never
end. Patches OF snow in shady cor
ners were slowly melting the morning
| crossed the turl to be greeted by
these hanging, delicate bells of whire
as pure as the snow itself. Naturally
it was the small snowdrop. Galanthus
nlvalis, that had had the courage 10
unfold just outside the jaws OF Winter.
Its larger relative, Galanthus Elwesi.
did not open un.il fortnight later, in
anticipation, perhaps. OF holding its
bloom the longer. Yet. although it is
slower than the small snowdrop in
towering, it is assuredly hAndsomer,
and the cost of its bulbs but two dol
lars more a thousand If YOU can curb
your impatience, the larger ones AT
therefore, the better investment when
planting bulbs in the Autumn
Why does not everyone, | wondtr,
even those with but a small strip OF
ground in the city, plan to have snow
drops opening there in March !? These
brave little flowers will thrive even un-
der northern exposure and when
surrounded by shade, but the feeble
lingerings of the Wintry sun will coax
them to open earlier than otherwise
And crocuses! What would my gar
den be without them this wild wind
tossed March, Only golden yellow
ones show there now but they are a
selected lot ,or which ] paid in the Aut-
umn about sixty Gems hundred.
Even so, this seems high price for
crocuses, when the mixed varieties
can be bought for forty cents nun
dred. But sometimes these la.ter have
tailed to respond to the wooings OF
March Several times but a few out Of
goodly number have peeped out at
all, and | have no. liked the effect of
their mixed colors as well as the solid
ly yeow ones which are ike laughing
spots over the grass.
/ can never be glad that in M.
vember | planted snowdrops and GRO
cuses through the turf OF my garden,
hedged in by the borders OF box. In
treading among them now, | forget
the gusts o. March, the barrenness Of
the trees, and that frost still turks in
the ground. These early visitors are
the JOY OF my garden, through the
strength OF their own daring.
Nor are these white and yellow
flowers blooming there alone. Among
them, about them, and in masses
through the turf, are many Siberian
squllls. little flowers whose color is
that OF the sky in June, and whose
leaves have the greenness which whis-
pers OF Spring. For each of these fro
llcsome squills two cents was expend
ed. and these small sums have added
to my delight. They are less fragile.
less pure-looking flowers than the
snowdrops, less precise in outline than
the crocuses.
Snowdrops, crocuses and Siberian
squills will be the first boomers IN nv
garden, for not until later will the tu
lips, hyacinths, narcissi, daffodils and
yonquils venture to loosen their petals.
So, as before said, do not economize
on the earliest blooming bulbs These
March blooming bulbs. in fact, are
the gardens means OF showing its
slumbering, hali-awakened life. With
With the opening OF tile first snowdrop
the thought OF winter is banished. I
am reminded by them that the time is
at hand to make ready the garden for
solving and planting
The trellis for my sweet peas is
permanent structure standing a little
apart from thu garden proper. # is
made OF cedar posts, sunk below the
line of frost, and along which galvan-
lied wire has been fastened. Follow
ing either side OF this trellis, trench
is made so that two paintings of swee,
peas may be upheld
These trenches are dug out to abour
a loot and half wide. AT their bot
tom the sod is turned upside down and
then covered with six-inch lover OF
well-rotted manure. Over this the
soil is placed, being made firm and
level A furrow six inches deep is
made, in which the seeds are set at
distance OF one inch apart; in turn
they are covered with several inches
OF soil. When they have rooted, and
the young plants are showing about
two inches above the earth, the soil
should be gradually drawn in from the