Evening star., 1940-09-07
Leaves From
Notebook
PersimmOn Trees
Are Ornamental
In Small Yard

ornamental persimmons are max
ing colorful showing In some wards
and are worthy of wider planting
than they are given. This small free
Is adapted to the small yard and its
snowy fruit is edible. Some of the
newer varieties Of the Oriental forms
are said to be free from the astrin-
gent taste that our native and most
OF the cultivated varieties have
However, there is drawback
tree of the variety Galley" shouId
be planted to fertilize the blossoms
OF other Oriental varieties if fruit
is desired.
we should give the lawns a ton
dressing and reseeding before mid
september If we would have them
In good shape for fall growth. Re-
seed the bare spots and top dress
the whole lawn with a mixture of
Wel-rotted compost, top soil and fer
tllzer The mixture depends some
What upon the condition of the
lawn and the availability of the
materials. A quarter-inch dressing
on some lawns Is sufficient, while
others may need a half-inch laver
Inc top soil and the compost should
have sufficient fertilizer added to
make an application of 2 to 8 pounds
OF the plant food per 100 square feet.
Ihls mixture may be scattered
with shovel and then smoothed bv
dragging over it the rake with the
teeth pointing up. 1t does not need
rolling.
Cut "Glads" for Use as cut flowers
when the lowest florets are showing
color. If they are cut early in the
morning they will keep fresh, other.
wise they should be placed in a con-
talner of cold water for few hours
before being arranged in a vase or
basket.
The time for transplanting peren-
mails and biennials will soon be here.
In doing this job it is well to reworlx
the soil, Incorporating as much
humus as possible as we'll as a bit
OF complete fertilizer so as to keep
the plants growing vigorously. AS
far as practical transplant on a
cloudy day, disturb the roots as
little as possible and water the
plants into place Immediately the
moving Is completed. If the soil is
oI 81,
move should not retard growth.
**x
Many gardeners advocate a spring
pruning of evergreens, while others
leave this work for fall, and some do
1t both in the fall and in the spring.
Regardless of the advantages of one
or the other, it Is job that should
be done if we are to keep our trees
within bounds, compact in growth
and in good foliage. Avoid pruning
that destroys their natural appear
ance unless they are in a formal
garden.
The first of the bulbs for fall
planting will soon be here. Make
every effort to get them into the
ground as early as possible. Delay
in planting allows the bulbs to dry
out and thereby lose part of their
vitality. BY preparing the bulb beds
now we can get them into the ground
as soon as received.
If the compost pile has not been
turned since it was started last
spring it will pay to fork it over. 1t
should be turned two or three times
year so that all parts of the ma
terial are well rotted.
X X X
Continue disbudding of dahlias
and chrysanthemums Keep them
moist and growing vigorously that
they may make the best showing
For household use three or four buds
may be left on each chrysanthemum
stalk.
1t is not too late to give the
peonies light feeding. A table
spoonful of fertilizer dow in nitro
gem to each plant will help the
formation of flower buds for next
springs flowers.
X X X
For a shady, moist situation you
might try some of the Lungworts-
Pulmonaria. They are hardy peren-
mails Towering in the early spring
p. saccharata is blue-purple grow
ing to 18 inches. The variety Mrs
Moon is pleasing shade of bright
pink and soft blue. The leaves are
mottled, gray, silver, or white on
green. P. augustifolia azurea has
unspotted leaves, is lower growing
and has dark blue flowers. P. rubra
is red and has unspotted leaves
1t Is lower growing than the fore
going.
They will tolerate full sun if given
q soil well supplied with humus and
moisture, however, and they are less
exacting in light shade.
n X X
Cut phlox which have finished
Towering back to the ground. II
the clumps are large and too thick
they may be divided and reset this
fall in well-enriched soil. Plant
them 18 to "a inches apart.