Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-22
PROTECT GARDEN
AGAINST WINTER
Uncle Sam Tells How TO Care
For Flowers, Plants
and Shrubs

OnlIeu DUTIES department VI ABIlSui-
ture regarding the protection OF gar
den plants and shrubs during the win
ter. Such flowers as peonies and
hollyhocks will come up again the fol-
lowing year If they are properly pro-
tected during the winter. while others
like cannas and dahlias, which are
more accustomed to warm climes,
must have their roots or bulbs dug up
and stored in a cellar. The depart
ment's specialists give the following
suggestions for putting the garden
to bed:
Hardy Perennials
Cover hardy perennials, such as
peonies, larkspur, hollyhocks, colum-
bines, iris, platycodons, and perennial
peoples, with a good coating of ma
nure or other litter to a depth Of )
or inches. In more southern locali-
ties this will hold the frost in the
ground and keep the plant from al
ternately freezing and thawing; in
more northern regions the manure
will protect the plant from freezing
to a depth that will cut off its water
supply,
Cannas and Dahlias
AS soon as the tops of cannas,
dahlias, gladiolus, caladiums and SIM
liar plants are killed by frost, dig up
the toots or bulbs and store them in a
cellat where the temperature will re-
main at 90 degrees, and should never
go below so or above so degrees. Do
not shake any more earth from the
clumps of cannas and dahlias than is
necessary in removing them from the
ground. Place the plants on racks
or in slat boxes so the air may circu-
late freely through them. No frost
must reach the roots nor must they
become too warm or dry.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas (semi- In
the South will last through the winter
out of doors, If properly cared for.
The tops should be protected with
straw or brush. This may be held In
place about the bushes with a little
manure or stones. The flower buds
of the hydrangea form in the Fall,
and this cover will keep them from
winter killing while shielding the bush
from winds and sun. In the North,
hydrangeas must be taken up, planted
in tubs and placed in the cellar. This
is generally true of latitudes north OF
Philadelphia.
The shrub known as brugmansIa
blSO Cdllcu dpples bS
treated as is the hydrangea, but they
are not hardy nearly so far North.
AS q rule shrubs should not be
trimmed in the Fall. This process is
timely Immediately after the blooming
period, If this is in the Spring, as in
the case of the SNOWFALL. If the
shrubs bloom in the Fall, as do some
hydrangeas. the rose of Sharon, and
some lilacs, they should not be cut
directly after blooming, but in the
Spring of the following year. Lilacs,
snowballs and mock orange should
be let alone during the winter, being
neither trimmed nor covered with
straw and manure.
Roses
Almost all kinds of roses are hardy
in the Vicinities of Washington. d. c.,
and st. Louis and to the south of a
line drawn between these points. From
Washington northward local condi-
lions influence the successful cultiva-
tion of certain varieties. Some roses,
as the briar and rugosa, need no pro-
lection but other varieties, such as
the hybrid perpetuals, teas and hy-
brid teas need special care, partic. l.
larly north of the fortieth parallel.
Teas and hybrid teas hardly succeed
in Chicago, although the hybrid per-
petuals grow as far North as Canada.
All these classes do we'll on Long
Island and in Boston near the sea
when proper care is given them. These
varieties in the vicinity of Washing
ton need merely a little manure on
the ground to prevent alternate free1-
ing and thawing. Farther North,
however, they should be treated as
follows:
Cut the tops to within 80 inches of
the ground. Cover the roots with
coarse manure or leaves or similar
litter. Hold this in place by ever
green boughs which also acts as a
protection. Brush from deciduous
trees or shrubs may be substituted for
the evergreen boughs except in the
most northern regions.
Mounds of earth about six or eight
inches in height should be drawn
about the base of the rose bushes to
keep them from mice. As an added
protection against mice, permit the
ground to freeze slightly before win
ter protection is supplied. In fact
roses should not be protected until
after the first light freeze, which NAV
be expected in Washington, d. c.,
about the first of December, but ear
lier farther North.
Climbing Roses
In the latitude of Philadelphia and
| farther South climbing roses usually
need no protection during the winter
unless they are particularly tender
variety. Farther north, these rose.
need protection similar to that giver
to the tea and hybrid tea roses.
Where it is possible to do So re.
move climbing roses from their sup.
| ports, and cover the barnches with 2
little dirt. A little Fall TRIMMING
might be desirable to lessen the space
occupied by the branches on the
ground. Such side branches as are
not to be needed for next seasons
blooming may be cut off. Such cut.
ting off and shortening of the ends
as would otherwise be done in the
| Spring, may be done in the Fall he.
fore covering, merely for convenience
PATTON HUNTING HOME
Secretary of Agriculture Charles f.
Patton is hunting apartments in the
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