Evening star., 1935-09-10
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Keeping the garden neat as long as
possible is a necessity with some persons.
Even with Autumn definitely at hand,
they feel that the outdoor flower grow
ing season should be prolonged as much
as possible.
This means that many plants will
have to be staked in order to give the
borders the trim aspect they had all
Summer
Recent prolonged rains bent many a
stalk over to the ground, in some cases
causing plants to be uprooted.
1t is the easiest thing in the world to
right such plants as long as the earth
is moist.
Often a stake is necessary to keep
them up, after the earth has been
trampled carefully around their replaced
roots.
The proper uses Of stakes show the
gardener at home in his garden.
Garden stakes, So-called, range all the
way from slender reeds of bamboo,
through wire and iron, to stout affairs
of pine used to hold up dahlias.
II you know how to tie up peony
bush to an ordinary small stake. SO
that the latter is not visible, you have
mastered the art of the use of stakes.
Many real gardeners never do so. They
use stakes careleSsly and indifferently
as If their placement and showing had
nothing to do with the matter.
Since there is no beauty in a stake
itself 1t is easily understood that the
basic fact about its use is its inVisibility.
Poor visibility is what is wanted with
q stake.
Hence the use Of too tall and too
thick ones is bad use, even If plants
later will grow up to hide them.
\ **
Proper stakage, if it may be so called,
larger, to large, finally, If these are
needed.
If stakes Of whatever size are placed
carefully so that they are hidden by
foliage, they become inconSpicuous
enough to be all but invisible in the
average garden row.
The border thus adorned is not made
to look clumsy, as some are, but is kept
the thing of beauty 1t was designed.
Appearance, however, is not the main
point Of proper stake placement.
Good use depends upon the exact
point Of insertion in the ground in rela-
tion to the plant mass itself.
Since the object of garden stake
is to afford plants with comparatively
weak stalks sort of additional support,
amounting almost to floral crutch, 1t
is apparent that everything ought to
hinge upon the stake in relation to the
foliage masses.
Hence care must be taken to place it
SO that all stalks and branches are given
adequate support when they are tied
to 1t. This tying is an art in itself.
Some sort Of large, preferably fiat, cord,
is necessary, ordinary raffia being best
Of ALL Rafia. stained dark green, has
been offered, but usually loses its color
in rains.
The weight of the plant masses must
be considered. in so adjusting the cord
that it will give good support. at the
same time not put too much stress on
the branches
Sometimes several cords will be needed
for one plant and each cord must have
a different placement on the stake.
The result sometimes is a very COM
plicated piece Of cordage. or raffla work,
depending on the material used.
If ordinary small twine must be used
care must be taken to see that it does
not cut through tender stems.
A great help in keeping stakes Of all
kinds inconspicuous is the free use Of
dark green paint or stain.