Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-09
THE WEEK IN THE GARDEN.

| Planting operations of all kinds are
later. Indeed, except for the few cold,
| rainy days of the past two weeks.
there has been little time when the
! gardener has not. or might not nave
been busy The sun has warmed the
earth. that has been mostened by the
long delayed rains, and every growing
thing has been fairly bursting into lear
and bloom. Nature may have joker
up her sleeve" but the chance for
! serious misunderstanding frost or the
| like-daily grows more remote.
| Now is the time for setting out or
for transpla nting OF resettins roses
| and all kinds of outdoor shrubs Many
| gardeners make the mistake of wait
| ing until fall to set out the roses.
| thereby running the serious risk or
having them killed during the winter
border or rose bed. or to set out sin
gle roses. climbers and the like. at
this time, and by giving them careful
attention. watering when they need II,
established and growing thrifty be-
fore fall. Then there is little danger,
! if they are properly wrapped and
firmly tied up to stout stakes, that they
will wtnterkill
| Roses planted now will. if they are
good. healthy. thrifty two-or-three-
| year-old plants. bloom during the sum-
mer, though they should not be per
! mitted to exhaust themselves with
blooms as they have tendency to do
when highly fortified and cultivated.
| 1t is good idea, with newly planted
roses. to pinch off more than half the
buds that form: if only one or two
blooms are permitted to remain on the
| plants so much the better. The blooms
that come will be much finer, and the
| plants themselves will not be worn
out with the effort of producing
flowers.
| There is just one best fertilizer for
roses. and it is also the one best fer
tilizer for almost every other flower
and vegeta BILE that grows. That is old,
quantity of this fertilizer can be OBJ
tanned and stacked UP under shed
i shelter for two years. it will be worth
almost its weight in gold for the good
| it will do anywhere and everywhere
in the garden-on the flowers, the veg
eta bles and everything else that grows
in the garden. If it is stacked up with
alternate layers of sods. or layers of
dead leaves, lawn clippings or other
vegetable matter, the resulting compost
will have more actual available fertil-
| izing value than all the commercial
| fertilizer that could be piled on the
place. Commercial fertilizers. after all.
are more in the nature of stimulants
lLdI real pldnI IOOu. lueN give lii
mediate results at the expense of the
future fertility of the soil. Any nat
| ural fertilizer. such as manures of any
| kind, when mixed with vegetable mat
Z, ter-to supply humus-give better and
| more lasting results; though to give
the best results such matter must be
thoroughly rotted before it is used. For
| that fertilizer from the COW stables
| should be stacked under shelter for
two years before it is used. as it is
| lot al i oh nj n
| In making a rose bed or bor-
der, or in setting out single rose
bushes. endeavor if possible to Sc.
lect varieties known to do well
in your locality. For instance. rose
growers say that the Richmond.
one of the finest dark crimsons which
grows out of doors to perfection in
| many places will not do well in the vi
entity of Washington. Another thing
| Is to choose those roses that bloom
| each month during the summer, rather
| than those that have a single period
of blooming and then stand fowerless
| the rest of the summer. The monthly
roses are to be had in such wide
variety of shape, size, color and odor
| that there is really no reason for hav-
ing any others in the rose garden.
| The location of the bed, border or
whatever form the rosary is to take
should be one with good drainage and
In the full sun; nearly all roses will
develop mildew and other fungous dis
| eases if shaded. The soil should be
a medium rich loan with a moderate
mixture of sand. In making the bed,
border. etc, remove the soil to the
depth of at least a foot. carefully TAX
ing out the top soil first and placing
lit to one side. In the bottom of the
Excavation place layer of cinders. bits
of stone, broken brick. thing or other
material of the kind a couple of inches
,deep, for bottom drainage. Over this
place the soil that has been taken from
the bottom of the excavation. filling up
to within six inches of the top. Then
mix old. we'll rotted COW manure with
a portion of the top soil: half and half
manure and soil will not be too much
| Fill the excavation to within two
Inches of the top with this mixture.
Towering 1t over with the top soil I'M
linked with fertilizer.
| Set your roses in holes. made with
dibble or garden trowel, deep enough
that when the soil is packed in around
them the roots are wholly covered.
Pour a quart of water. at least, into