Evening star., 1953-01-11

or tell ABOUT Cnelrs mistakes, DuC
if it will help others to avoid
troubles, they should be told.
Here are a few common mistakes
that many gardeners have made.
The mint is a popular flavor
ing herb that grows rankly in
a moist situation. A few SprigS
planted by the hydrant in the
garden were happy and pro-
duced a bountiful crop. However,
mint spreads by vigoIcus-grow-
ing underground shoots and
soon will be over half Of the
garden. 1t is then looked upon as
a difficult weed. If you would
grow mint in your garden be
sure to inclose it with wall
that extends 6 inches or more
into the soil and about 4 inches
above. A square foot or two
of mint will supply the average
family. It is of little use except
while young and tender, but new
growth quickly follows a clip
ping.
The bitterSweet vine produces
berried twigs that are popular
for winter decorations. The vine,
however, is a strong grower and
will quickly cover a tree unless
kept under control. And, it takes
both male and a female (two
vineS) to produce crop of ber-
ries. The plants spread by
underground roots and by seeds.
It is hardly feasible to build a
wall around them, so the gar
dener must be on the alert to
chop off each unwanted shoot as
it appears. Some, no doubt, will
say it is so much easier to buy
q bunch of berried twigs each
fall.
Another Rank Grower.
The snowy "hardy ageratum"
(Eupatorium). or frost flower as
1t is also called, is a desirable
plant in the fall, when the
perennial border is nearing the
end of the season. But the frost
flower is another rank grower
that needs to be curbed
constantly because it spreads
both by underground fhizomes
and by seed. The roots may be
dug from the flower border but
they cannot be easily removed
from a rock garden. Many will
prefer to let others grow this
flowers even thuogh it does
make a show.
The removal of the seed heads
helps to keep the frost flower
from jumping to other sections
of the garden. the rhizomes may
be controlled by frequent deep
cultivation around the plants.
but, Of course, this is not pos
sible in a rock garden.
Manure has for long been held
In high acclaim as the best
method of improving the soil
and making plants thrive. But
the current high price OF
manure, considering the small
amount of plant food contained
and the chance of introducing
weeds into the garden, makes 1t
O doubtful buy.
A generous supply Of home
made compost will insure the
gardener just as good a soil con-
dition and at the same time
avoid introducing difficult"
weeds into the garden. 1t is so
easy to bring in Bermuda and
wire grass and they are next to
impossible to eradicate.
My own garden now has
patch Of bindweed where one
load of manure was dumped,
and there are two patches Of
wire grass. Perhaps the nut
grass came in with the manure
but that cannot be said with
CC4 td01Iy NCSdO6C VA4O NA4NAo ANU
the seed and can spread it.
Compost and commercial ferti-
lizer costs less and are not likely
to bring new problems to the
garden.
Sumac Is q Spreader.
The sumac is often mentioned
as a colorful shrub in the fall, it's
interesting seed heads may be
used in flower arrangements.
But the sumac is a spreader and
difficult to keep within bounds
to eradicate. Better let it grow
in the fields and use shrubs that
stay put" in the border.
Ground ivy appeared in the
garden and it's control was put
of for the time being. That was
. serious mistake because ground
ivy has no inhibitionS and will