The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-06-10
PLANS FOR A FLOWER
GARDEN AT Low COST

Someone asked me, What con !
plant so that within a few days | can
gather a few blossoms Nothing.
suppose. l have sown seed, but !
guess it is a case of watchful wait
ing"
l smiled and answered, let me tell
you how. Then l started to INQUIRE
what seeds she had sown. AS | sup
posed, they were the usual cosmas
sweet peas, phlox and other equally
attractive varieties, all of which bloom
later. Well, of course, there was only
one thing to suggest. Purchase start
ed plants. She did as | suggested and
is so well pleased with the results
that | thought my suggestion might
prove helpful to other readers of this
column.
OF course, her garden cost a little
more than n grown from seed, be-
cause you know the florist from whom
she purchased her plants had devoted
his hours of labor on their develop
ment and burned much coal to produce
the necessary heat which young seed
lings must have.
The following is an itemized account
of the amount expended. You will
note that the number of plants are
quite sufficient for a border two feet
wide, 2 feet long, and another border
three feet wide and 10 feet long:
Twenty sweet alsyssum plants, 10
cents each, 50.
Twenty lobelia plants, same price.
| advised selecting these because even
as small plants as those in three-inch
rows, which cost 10 cents each, make
quite a showing, and like the white
sweet alyssum plants they are the
better for being cut like grass, the
more you cut their tops te thicker
their growth develops.
Then l suggested a dozen aster
plants for SO cents and an ounce of
nastrutiums for SOC. The asters are
out and the nasturtiums will grow
quickly.
She wanted some daisies, so she
purchased five small plants, 10 cents
each, only three inches tall, but each
one in blossom. These lent quite a
note of color. Then she purchased
five old-fashioned scarlet sage (salvia)
plants. These cost eight cents.
Then she purchased five flue paint
brushes (argeratum), eight cents each.
And last, but not least, six geran-
iums, 20 cents. These were all in full
blossom, small of course, but shapely
and radiant.
Before consulting me she had six
pansies planted.
The garden had cost her $3.50, but
it was all radiant and sweet, and each
morning the owner could gather a few
blossoms which would increase as the
season rolled along. In the fall she
will be so glad to have the saliva to
unfurl it's gorgeous blossoms to add
to the Scotch plaid tones of autumn.
By the time her sweet peas and cos
mos are in blossom her garden will be
indeed ~carpeted with a rather heavy
growth of lovely blue and white lobelia
and sweet alyssum.
All the plants mentioned should be
planted a least 10 inches apart each
way, and in order to keep them flower
ing and prevent them from going to
seed it will be necessary to go over
them carefully each day and remove
all dead blossoms. The phlox about
the end of July will be benefited by
having their tops cut back five inches.
You will also increase the Towering
growth of the daisies if you pinch out
the terminal end of each branch. Do
this before the buds are noticeable.
The saliva will require no care
whatever, except, of course, watering
occasionally. Such a garden will re-
ouire at first a little care to keep
down weeds and to have the soil about
the roots of the plants loosened reg
ularly. Also pinch the ends of shoots
occasionally to increase the bushy
form of the growth. Also be on the
constant lookout for insect enemies.
These are sure to appear and must
be combated at once. Frequent sprink-
ling owe the tops will help in keeping
plants free from insects.
Several queries have reached our
concerning larkspur. Some
readers are under the impression that