Evening star., 1925-03-13


dens for the sake of the eX-
crcise entirely. They may en-
10y the la Dor of tying up roses
keepinE weeds out of the paths
and chasing insect pests. but their
real object is to obtain fine flowers
and vegetables and more of them
This being true, they are quick tc
adopt time and labor saving means
and methods.
Naturally, the aevrage woman finds
the tools which are used by her bus
band and brother rather too heavy
for her to use For a long time
nothing better was offered, but now
hoes. rakes and spades, designed es-
peCially for women, are being manu-
factured. One particularly satisfac-
tory set is made of aluminium. with
an adjustable handle, by means of
which any part of the garden can be
reached. and the most delicate plants
cared for without danger of uprooting
them.
Probably the most satisfactory
rakcS for lawn work are of bamboo.
made in California or Japan. They
arc very light, but can be used as
successfully as any other rake for
cleaning up lawns and walks, but not
heavy enough to use to prepare soil
for planting.
An OIullldEN NHtelDdIIOW 10 uilliCull
for woman to handle. A child's ex-
press wagon will take its place for
transporting plants, fertilizers, Sods
or tools. The woman who cares for
her own flowers will find a garden
basket very useful. These baskets are
stoutly made and yet are light to
handle. An apron made of light rub
bcr cloth or canvas or oilcloth should
he included, as well as d broad
ha SGT jnn he
sun.
Flower borders and Beds.
Just as soon as you are sure that
the frost is out of the ground. it is
time to dig your flower beds and
borders. Many people fail to get
good results because of improper
preparation of the soil or because of
choosing a poor location for the bed.
one cannot be too careful in choosing
The location for flower bed. Never
attempt to grow towering plants in
a place where they cannot have the
necessary sun. Do not plant in the
shade or near large trees, as the
plants will be sure to grow tall and
struggling and in a few weeks fall
over in search of sunlight.
1t is well always to renew a large
part of the earth in your borders
every year by taking enough of the
old soil. say to an inch below the
level of the grass, and replacing it
with good loam from the garden or
compost pile. If you have 1t at hand,
it will be beneficial to add some we'll
rotted manure to your soil,
When making either borders or
beds never mound them. Before you
plant your flowers always pulverize
the soil. If it is so poorly dug that
you find 1t necessary to use trowel,
dig it over again before planting.
Plants will never thrive in hard
ground. If your beds have been dug
for some time and have become set
tied, dig again and loosen the soil
thoroughly just before planting. You
will plant more easily and your plants
will grow better for this extra amount
of time devoted to their care.
When planting, water each plant
before setting it in the ground. This
is better method than watering the
soil after the plants are in place. Do
not be worried if your plants wilt a
little for a few days after planting.
They are apt to do this when first
taken from the house to the open air.
They will soon become aeclimated and
start to grow.
OId-Fashioned Flowers.
Petunias produce a very pretty and
restful effect, as the flowers of the
varieties of petunias are all harmoni-
GUS in coloring. Sweet alyssum
makes an excellent border for a bed
of petunias. An arrangement of the
beautiful varieties of the old
fashioned marigold would be artistic.
These velvet and gold flowers are es-
pecially desirable because of their
hardness and continuous blooming
qualities, one set of flowers succeed
ing another until November. The
center of the bed could be planted
with one of the larger varieties, fol-
lowed by a row of one or more with
compact, dwarfish habits. The outer
row or border should be of very
small, single variety. Yellow dotted
with crimson would be very effective.
Dianthus, or china pinks. are also
old-fashioned favorites, brilliant and
colorful A triangular or oblong bed
of both double and single china pinks
would be very beautiful. Because of
their great range of color, varying
from pure white to darkest crimson,
mingling in exquisite contrast, a
more harmonious effect is secured II
they are planted alone, as they are
apt to clash with other flowers and
thus spoil the entire effect.
sweet Peas and Cosmos.
OF all the flowers that brighten our
gardens during the summer months
the sweet pea IS probably first IA
vorite. For cutting purposes there is
none better because the more freely
it is cut, the longer it goes on flower
ing and the bigger are the blossoms.
while as a decorative feature in the
garden it is scarcely to be surpassed
\ hedge of sweet peas is delightful
possession both as regards fragrance
and beauty.
The secret of successful sweet pea
culture is in the choice of soil. They
must have rich soil, the richer the
better. This does not mean mere
surface richness. 1t means that the
soil must be rich to the depth OF
two feet or more. Fertilization Is
also very important.
Most growers prefer bone meal, which