Evening star., 1936-04-08
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Sudden cold spells which snap the
garden back into Winter must be ac-
cepted as part of the picture.
Violets planted in porch boxes too
early may be cooked by the cold. espe-
ctaly after the sun shines on them,
but new ones may be put in their places.
Devastation In the garden is not com.
pletely SO, in most cases, because there
is always material available to take the
place of things killed.
A yard, therefore, shows in little, the
indestructibility of Nature, that come
back" which makes the world what it is,
which tends to buoy up the mind and
heart of the home gardener.
Whatever rlay be ruined, there is room
for just that many more plants.
Some protection for plants which are
not so hardy is good practice, in the
event of early Spring cold snaps.
Yet few gardeners go to this trouble.
believing in the general toughness Of
plants and shrubs of all kinds and their
ability to Withstand sudden cold unless
Of the most extreme and prolonged
quality.
That often enough they are right Is
proved by the fact that gardens every
where flower plentifully.
The individual gardener, however, will
take no chances, if his disposition runs
against taking chances. For he can
cover up plants in cold spells as they
are forecast and be ahead Of the in
jury he tries to avert.
This will be particularly good prac-
tice in the suburbs, where the tempera-
ture usually goes down lower by to 6
degrees than the minimum forecast.
~ **
Bushel baskets make the best readily
available covers for many perennialS
against sudden cold spells.
They are easily and cheaply secured,
they are light, and therefore offer a
minimum possibilities Of injury to plants
II they should be blown over. This
possibility, however, may be guarded
against by the simple expedient of plac-
ing brick or fair size stones on the
upturned bottom.
At this time such baskets may cover
the stalks of peonies easily. A few
weeks later larger containers only can
be used. Cardboard boxes then are
good. A household should keep a COL
lection Of these, secured from purchased
articles over the years. Often today
pieces of furniture, such as tables, and
the like. come packed in cartons.
The wary gardener will not throw these
away, but keep some of them for possible
use in the garden. They are excellent
for covering the peony stalks few
weeks later, when they are too tall to
60 easily under buShel basket.
More than usual care must be taken,
however, in the use of such boxes, to
make sure that they will not be blown
over in the stiff winds which often
accompany early and late Spring fare
backs.
1t is often waste of time, as well
as impossible, to think of covering such
things as buds of lilac blossoms, and the
hundred and one small perennials. These
are truly children of Nature, and may
be trusted to take care of themselves,
to a great extent. At any rate, they
usually will have to be permitted to do
so, because their proper covering, espe-
cially in winds, offers a problem to the
amateur gardener seldom solved by him.
Any one who has attempted to cover
large plants with wrappings Of netting,
or with newspapers, probably has uttered
a heartfelt never again" as he sees
the wind whipping his coverings, drag
ging against the very buds he is trying
to protect.
Weather protection. then, at this sea-