Evening star., 1933-06-15

this one, when Nature happily takes the
job into her own most capable hands.
| X x
Now a gardener might as well not
have hose. He does not need It, Reg
ularly once a week, or even oftener, a
fine rain has descended, benefiting
everything that grows.
Just about the time the gardener
thinks that things are beginning to look
dry, he glances at the afternoon sky,
and, sure enough, there comes a thun-
derstorm!
Several of these rains have been at
night. perhaps the best time of all, as
FAR as plants are concerned, because
then no moisture is evaporated by fol-
lowing sunshine, but is permitted to lie
still IN the soil, where it belongs, at
least for the time being.
lt is matter OF constant marveling
how much water the children of Nature
can stand.
The absorptive power of the earth
seems linitless. Few plants receive
hurt from 1t, either, so long as they
| have good drainage.
Lilies incautiously planted in a moist
porder ought to be dug up, at the
proper time. and given a good founda-
ton OF coal ashes. Many of these
bulbs come from Asian countries, where
they are said to grow in mountainous
soil composed partly of volcanic ash.
Every home gardener has had the ex-
perience Of noting the wonderfully fine
growth made by various plants and
shrubs placed along a driveway whose
bed is nothing but cinders.
TO look at such stuff, one would swear
tnat nothing would grow in it. We know
driveway, now not used for several
~ atn1y
grass. Its base Is cinders and its top
crushed stone.
This grass dies out in the Fall, and
does not come back until about this
time each year, but from now on four
iSnes nicely and is cut with the mower
the same as the remainder of the lawn.
IT'S planted along the edge grow well,
and bloom magnificently.
y y
There Is, perhaps, too much n
tendency on the part Of the average
home gardener to be heticulous about
his soil, when all the time Nature Is
willing to grow her prizes in anything
which Is handy.
She Is not as fussy as the gardener
whether the soil is finely ground, or
proper ingredients.
1t is as If she refused to worry her
massive head about soil analysis, Ieav-
ing that to man, as chemist, who insists
on delving into such matters.
Proper drainage and sufficient mois-
ture-these are Natures necessities with
regard to her growing things in the
plant world. At the same time they
constitute one of the perpetual
stumbling blocks of the average home
gardener. If his drainage is too good,
all the water flows away. If not enough,
the soil stays damp and soggy, a con-
dition in which surprisingly few plants
will do well.
He Is very happy, therefore, in most
instances, to turn the Job of watering
the lawn and plants over to natural
rainfall, in season when 1t Is plenti-
full
The garden hose now becomes, for the
time being. almost a curiosity. The
gardener wonders that he ever spent
hours dragging it around the yard. He
only did 1t because 1t was necessary.
At the beginning, Of course, there had
been some satisfaction in 1t, perhaps.
A hose was new, then, to him, at least.
There was sort Of small happiness in
dragging 1t around, attending to the
wants Of the plant world. The years
changed all that. Personal escort to a
garden hose became tiresome, to say
the least. The gardener longed for q
year when Mother Nature would chap
eron her own. Well. this seems to be It..