Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-08

Successful planting of flowers car
be done only when the soil is in q
moderately dry state, when it slips
through the tines Of the garden fork
instead Of sticking to them. This is
the condition called "frlable" Plants
which reach the garden when the
ground is wet can be placed in a
trench with soil heaped over their
roots like roses in similar CirCum-
stances, to await a favorable time. 1t
would be fatal TO many kinds Of
flowers to plant them in wet soil. An
other important point is to insure,
especially in freshly made borders,
that each plant is left firm in the soil.
The buying Of herbaceous plants
should be done with an idea to fill
certain spaces with plants whose par
ticular colors are needed to help main
tain the harmony of the border or to
give certain artistic contrasts and
effects. Hit-ormiss planting is impos-
sible If fine results are desired, so
varied are the cOlors, heights and
habits of development of hardy herba-
ceOus plants.
Do not proceed on a plan of plant
ing in which from front to back the
border rises evenly along it's whole
length. from the 6-inch-high plants in
the border to tall delphiniums, for
instance. and other plants Of fine
stature at the rear Have the taller
growing things standing toward he
front here and there and lowly ones
running deep into the border, maxi
ing for it a contour showing promon-
tories and bays of blossoms. This can
be managed without anything being
hidden and some delightful effects can
be produced.
With herbaceous flowers you can
afford to be liberal with space. They
start small, but many of them grow
large and do so quickly, at the same
time not reaching their finest effect
until they have developed into big
plants or groups of plants. Some
also do not take kindly to disturbance
when they have become well estab.
lished, which is q fact TO keep in
mind at the original planting
Have Some PerenniaIs.
Buying ANNALS for the garden year
after year, instead of getting perma-
nent results by growing perennials. is
good deal like paying rent for
house when you might own it, You
VIII find among perennials many of
the most exquisite flowers in cultiva-
ton and variety of form and color
unequaled in other plants, and il you
wives who enjoy the beauty of a gar
den, but who have little time for the
actual work Of caring for it, the
perennial Will give you a larger re-
turn for your work than anything else
that you may plant.
a satisfactory way TO get a stock
OF pecennials Is to raise the supply
from seed. To be sure, it calls for
more patience and imagination than
are needed TO grow ANIMALS. because
the hardy plant does not flower until
The second season. # you do not
care to wait so long for results
plants for immediate towering can
- bought at reasonable price by
H. dozen at any nursery, which has
lac advantage Of giving quick results
Intimate knowledge of the habits
of plants is the truest guide to their
cultivation. When the natural trend
OF plant is seen, common sense die
tates how 1t can best be helped
Probably no shrub is more neglected
than the lilac, Often it is seen dense
with suckers thrown up from the
roots, and above thick with accumu-
lated wood, doing its best under such
conditions to express itself in flowers
The right treatment for lilacs is sim
pie. NO suckers should be allowed to
Powered should be cut back to within
two or three inches of the old wood.
When shrubs are being cut just to
keep them shapely and prevent them
from croWding each other, any badly
placed branches should be removed
and a little thinning be done where
the growths are too dense. In all
pruning of shrubs. dead wood should
be the first to be cut out. Clear
away and burn the rubbish and break
open and refine the surface soil with
a hoe.
Useful Columbines.
Columbines are almost as accom-
modating as snapdragons as to soil
and conditions of growth generally,
and the beautiful long spurred va
rieties are among the chief delights
Of the garden. Beds of columbines
alone are charming, while cIumps of
them are attractive I'm mixed bor-
ders They combine elegance of form
with great deIicacy of coloring. The
soft blues, pinks and yellows and
mixtures of those colors together
and with white are attractive to the
highest degree.
Fragrance is the last lovely touch
of a garden. 1t is not the rare plants
that have the fragrance, but rather
AbG GNEAS Way GN0~AcSAilOAiEU QAlCSs
For instance, a honeysuckle hedge is
a well of perfume from May well on
into the Summer. Lilacs are delight
full in scent as the breeze losses their
purple and white plumes The house
wife who plants for fragrance can
edge the beds with lavender or
thyme. rosemary. spearmint or sweet
alyssum. Sweet fern and sweet briar
are as good as their names. Sweet
peas, mignonette, heliotrope, stocks
and wallflowers should be added.
Lemon verbena and rose geranium
should never be left out of garden
for fragrance. and both are easy to
cultivate, although not hardy. Some
roses have deeper perfume than
others, the elimination of color and
form and fragrance in one. Among
the bulbs there are the hyacinths
and jonquils in April, the lily Of the
valley and narcissus in May. certain
lilies in June, and tuberoses in
September. Some Of these flowers
ought to be in every garden. A gar