Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-28
By ELLEN BILES JAMES.

so you q like to have a. Victory
garden" but don't have a place for
it? Well, you can have your garden
in Darrell
There are several advantages in
planting gardens in barrels. The
first advantage is. of course. that
there is no space problem. All you
need is a spot in the sun where a
barrel can be set in a corner
by the garage or the house, or in a
fowerbed. And your garden will be
very decorative, once it gets to
growing
But the principal advantage OF
such a garden is that your barrel,
at any time, can be rolled into shell
ter or covered with blankets and
thus protected from late spring
frosts or early fall freezes.
There are number of plants that
can be grown successfully in prop
erlv prepared barrel garden-beans,
cucumbers, summer squash, straw
berries, even pansies for bouquets.
Start at Bottom.
First, get a good barrel, preferably
the regular size. 1t should be
strong and we'll hoped With a
brace and 1-inch bit, start at the
bottom of the barrel, just above the
lowest hoop and bore holes in every
other stave. Circle the barrel.
Bore the next row of holes 8
inches above the first, and so on
until you have reached the top of
the barrel, but each time in alter
nate slaves.
Then insert in the middle of the
barrel a length of 3-inch galvanized
pipe. First perforate the pipe with
holes at least 3-16 of an inch in
diameter-the more. the better. To
make the perforations, slip a round
stick into the pipe-one that fits
snugly-and make two rows Of holes
all around the pipe by driving nail
through it and into the stick.
This pipe is to be the watering
system, and its length should ex-
coed the depth Of the barrel by at
least inches. The easiest way to
fasten the pipe in position is to wire
it at the top of the barrel. Later,
when the dirt has anchored the pipe
securely in the center of the barrel,
the wire can be removed.
Rules Are Simple.
OF course. you have a pile OF dirt
ready to fill the barrel. What are
you going to plant? Beans?
Well. fill the barrel with dirt and
firm it down. Choose dwarf variety
of seed beans. Insert three seeds in
each hole, pushing them an inch
and a half into the soil. Loosen the
dirt with your finger so it will settle
| around the seeds. Finish off by
planting a row of seeds around the
crown of the barrel and another row
| around the pipe.
Ten days after planting, bean
sprouts will peep from the various
holes, seeking the sunlight. From
then on. your job is to keep the dirt
moist by pouring water into the
pipe whenever necessary. and to
turn the barrel occasionally, so that
the plants on the shady side one
week will get the sun the next
The rules for all barrel gardens
are simple. In the case of anything
raised from seed. fill the barrel first
End push the seeds into the holes
Where rooted plants are used. they
must be planted-Well, like straw
berries, say.
If YOU are planting strawberries,
use only strong plants of an over
bearing variety. Count the holes in
the barrel and have plant for each
one. with an additional dozen for
the top.
Keep Soil Moist.
Pack the dirt in the bottom of the
barrel until it is even with the low
est row of holes. Taking a plant in
your left hand, pull the roots
through a hole with your right.
Spread the roots in the soil
After circling the barrel, place
more dirt over the roots and fill the
barrel to the next row of holes.
planting as you did at first. Con-
tlnue until you've planted the last
row of holes: then fill the barrel to
within a few inches of the top and
place your remaining plants in
circles, as you did with your bean
seeds.
1t is fun to watch your straw
berry patch grow until your barrel
has become mass of green, Then
the plants bloom, and the berries
follow quickly.
Pansies are grown in the same
way as Strawberries, except that the
holes should be twice as close to-
gether, using twice the number of
plants. Pansies do not spread like
Strawberries.
AS for cucumbers and squash
which are much more important |
than pansies right now-use about |
the same methods as in the case of
the beans. When the planting is
finished fill the pipe with water to
keep the soil moist. Fertilizer |
should be added occasionally |
through the pine from which it will |
seep into the soil. In case you have |
number Of barrels, keep them
about four feet apart.