Jewels Of Nature Come Alive In The Home Greenhouse

There are few sights so satisfying as a vine growing and flowering lushly up and around a greenhouse door, or along the ridge. And how lushly they do grow! I have seen Plumbago capensis, which seldom outgrows a six- or eight-inch pot in my house, with its roots in a greenhouse bed and its sky-blue flowers spread out over a hundred square feet of wall. Bougainvilleas are as riotous in a Northern greenhouse as in a Southern garden. Stephanotis fragrance fills the air. Hoyas grow to incredible size and luxuriance, and flower again and again.

Greenhouse vines can be planted directly in the ground and pruned when they get too rampant. Or, to control watering more accurately, plant them in large pots or tubs. Many summer-flowering varieties will earn their upkeep by providing shade from too-hot summer sun. Simply train them over the area where shade is needed, and when flowering has finished in early fall, prune them severely - for some, all the way to the ground - so they won’t shade out needed winter sunlight.

To keep leaves from freezing against greenhouse glass, support vines on a wire or frame eight inches to a foot down or out from the sash. Keep them pruned or trained away from ventilators.

If your greenhouse is large, your choice of vines - evergreen or not, with flowers of all conceivable colors, and foliage of all sizes, patterns, and textures - is exciting and unlimited. With restricted space, consider the ultimate size of the vine before you buy it - also its rate of growth and whether it is amenable to pruning like pruning ficus tree.

Almost any vine small tropical vine which needs some shade to perform well will do well indoors is, and of course is also recommended for a greenhouse of the appropriate temperature range. So are many of the plants on the tropical, colorful lists suitable for growing in a greenhouse. It takes some trial and error but jewels of nature can be discovered.

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Garden Cleanliness And Good Practices

Roses need to be “winterized” for the season. The bushes should be checked closely for dead or diseased wood which should be removed; competing branches that cross or rub need to be corrected; it is also wise to remove or shorten unusually long canes that might be injured by high winds or snow and ice.

Faded blooms and unopened buds killed by frost should be removed, and it might be well to remove the few remaining scraggly leaves in this fall clean-up. Paint any cuts with a pliable tree paint to prevent dehydration or the entrance of disease or cane borers. An application of two cups of slow-acting bone meal dug into the soil around each plant will be available when growth starts in early spring. Soil can be pulled up around the base of the canes to provide protection against severe freezing. Although planting is recommended in some areas, it is not best in the South of mid-America. February is the most desirable time for planting or replanting of roses.

Perennials

In removing the killed tops of these plants, leave about two inches of stem. These stubs will help mark the permanent plantings. Many successful gardeners remove about one inch of the top soil around perennials and replace with a top dressing of clean sand as a sanitary measure. This is good practice for garden cleanliness.

Dormant root perennials just like philodendron plants can be planted throughout this month. Many are available at the local seed stores and plant houses. Peonies are available and should be planted this month. Select the three to five eye divisions for best results. In planting, remember they are heavy feeders. Supply them with a good amount of available plant food. Keep the tubers out of direct contact with manure or commercial fertilizer as rotting can be caused by it.

Window Boxes

These can be kept bright and exciting all winter by planting with dwarf evergreens or young evergreens that can be transplanted to a permanent location in the spring. Even tips of evergreen branches can be plunged into the soil of window boxes where they will make a pleasing show for weeks at a time. Plan regular displays of permanent materials throughout the winter in an otherwise uninteresting area.

A Thanksgiving theme for November, Christmas for December, snow scenes for January, and on and on - this is another chance to interest the child or provide an interesting “window scape” for a shut-in. With a little imagination, window boxes can become a wonderful part of garden activities.

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Bulbs For Christmas - Possible In The South

November is the month in the South of mid-America when the killing frost puts a stop to all flowering activity in our gardens. By the middle of the month, practically all of the area has been subjected to a killing frost. In some isolated spots there are gardens that escape damage until December. One of the weather phenomena of this area seems to be that if a garden escapes this first surge of winter, it may remain in active growth until after the first of the year.

Then there is the occasional plant that, because of its location in a tiny “climate” that favors it, or because of its physiological condition, will withstand frost and keep growing and blooming during most of the winter. November is a rather busy garden month. Fall weather here is always wonderful, and it is a genuine pleasure to be outside.

Bulbs - Planting of spring flowering bulbs may be continued this month even though the largest planting was probably made last month. These bulbs can be planted as late as the last of December, therefore it is possible to give bulbs for Christmas. Some of the best tulips I ever had were planted on Thanksgiving Day!

In planting, a cushion of sand under the bulbs will insure good drainage and prevent rotting. In many city gardens in new areas of development, field mice will come in and may destroy many bulbs in their search for food. Mice often use the runs made by moles in their search for the bulbs. So be on guard against moles for this reason.

In planting bulbs, remember the rule on depth of planting like what i did with my philodendron xanadu plant: cover the growing points of each bulb to a depth twice the greatest dimension of the bulb. For example, a daffodil bulb two inches long by one and one-half inches wide would be covered to a depth of four inches. If you are forcing bulbs in pots for indoor bloom, perhaps you will want to pot some more to continue the succession of bloom. Many were probably potted last month, and these should be checked for moisture and possible damage by mice. Bulbs for forcing should always be thoroughly soaked before storing for good root development.

To stimulate the children’s interest, try growing a few paper white narcissus in bowls of water and clean gravel or rocks. Another fascinating project is growing hyacinths in hyacinth glasses. These special glasses will hold one large bulb and the roots develop into the lower part where they are easily seen through the clear glass. A small piece of charcoal will sweeten the water and prevent contamination.

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Remedial Pruning And Controlling Growth

September is that glorious month in the South that heralds the approach of cooler weather. The days grow shorter and the nights grow cooler and both garden and gardener take a new lease on life. September might be dubbed appreciation month - a chance to observe and get full satisfaction from the efforts of all the garden projects. By watching the growth of certain plants and the lack of it in others, the wise gardener can easily plan for corrections next season.

Garden Sanitation - This all-important job should precede all other fall garden activities. Following the vacation period, many garden plants need to be groomed. Remove all dead foliage and old blooms from the plants or from the bed areas. This clean-up is necessary to eliminate diseases and remove hiding places that might harbor harmful insects.

With the approach of fall, insects will be searching for winter homes and places to lay their eggs. A wise gardener gets rid of such places of refuge for these pesky critters! Following the clean-up, dust the base of the plants with sulfur or a fungicide to insure the garden being “tucked in” for winter in a clean and healthful condition.

Compost Piles - Much of the garden litter removed in the fall makes good raw material for the compost pile. The leaves will soon begin to fall, and certainly these should be incorporated into compost as they will raise the acidity of the product for use on the garden.

Fall is the time when decomposition begins in the composting operation. By adding occasional layers of a balanced fertilizer into the composting material, one may improve the chemical content of this valuable humus material.

Remedial Pruning - This little task is always with us. As blooms are removed through the season, the direction of growth of plants like the lantana plant can easily be controlled. For instance, in cutting a rose and lantana plant the gardener has the choice of cutting the stem to an outside or inside bud. If the plant is open and the desired shape is to a closed center, then cut to an inside bud. The bud will be forced into growth, and the new growth will be toward the center of the plant.

To open up a plant cut above an outside bud. It is always wise to remove any damaged or diseased part of a plant during the growing season. Many plants grow so fast that they need a carefully followed pruning program to keep them in bounds. Regardless of the reason for pruning (there must be a reason), be conservative about removal of limbs from flowering plants and fruit trees from September on into the winter. As the rate of growth begins to slow down, the plants begin to store carbohydrates and this results in formation of the flower buds. Unless pruning is done very carefully, many flower buds can be easily destroyed. A good rule to remember is that most of the flower buds are formed on current season wood, and this wood should be saved to insure a heavy crop of bloom next spring.

Ground Covers For Your Garden

Ground Covers - Many gardens have areas where grass cannot be grown and in these areas some type of ground cover should be used. What is ground cover? Any evergreen plant that tends to creep or grow prostrate on the ground and as such provides a protective covering can be properly called a ground cover. There are many plants of this nature.

Some of the better kinds are English ivy, trailing periwinkle, and the various euonymus. These three are old standbys and are transitional enough in habit of growth not to compete for prominence with other plants in the garden. October is a good time to plant these so they become established and ready to make new growth in early spring. The native honeysuckle will also make a very good ground cover, but may actually become a pest. This one is excellent for steep slopes for erosion control.

Roses - The last beautiful display of roses comes this month and many clubs have their fall rose shows. The blooms, while fewer in number, are usually much higher in quality, because of the cool night temperatures. Do not relax your program of spraying or dusting because the threat of blackspot is always present as long as foliage is on the plant like eugenia plant care. There will also be an occasional crop of insects showing, up to keep the alert gardener on the spraying schedule. Prune as you cut the blooms and there will not be as much pruning necessary later for eugenia plant. Keep old blooms removed as they draw on much needed food that can be stored.

Bulb Storage - All summer flowering bulbs should be dug and stored as soon as practicable. The first killing frost will destroy the top growth. Even though it may not be possible to dig bulbs right after the frost, the top growth should be removed. Frost develops a toxic fluid in the plant which, when it moves into the roots, will cause them to rot. Dig caladium bulbs and gladiolus corms; dry, and then store in trays of dry sand or moss in a cool, dry place. Avoid storage where the temperatures get above 65.

Dig canna tubers with as much soil as possible adhering to the roots and store in this manner. The tubers (rhizomes) will cure out properly and the clumps can be divided in March for replanting. In digging dahlias, take care to avoid breaking any of the tubers loose. All of the tubers must have a section of the old stem attached, or there will be no plant produced. Growth of dahlias comes from buds on this old stem; therefore every tuber must have a part of this parent stem even though it may be very small.

Trees Influence In Landscape Design

In Eastern Canada, the trees that have been used most successfully as street trees are the hard, or sugar, maple, the Norway maple, the European linden and the red and white oaks - though the oaks are rather slow growing. In the north and west, where the climate is more severe, the best street trees are the American elm, hackberry and green ash.

Because trees need to be in scale with the houses, modern homes call for much smaller street trees than the large ones named above. Shingle oak, hornbeam and smaller forms of European linden are excellent. There are also selected forms of Norway and red maple that do not grow as large as the natural species. These are more suitable for modern subdivisions.

Windbreaks and Screens

Exposed home sites, such as farmsteads or suburban properties, often need rows of trees to protect them against wind. Here the need is for rapid, dense growth. The exposed position naturally demands the utmost hardiness and, because the planting is close, the shape of the individual tree does not matter as long as the mass is effective.

The requirements are the same for trees used to shut off the view of unsightly objects, or to form a background for the more colorful displays of the garden. In the country or on suburban properties, poplar, willow, ash, pine and spruce trees make the best windbreaks and screens. In the city, there is not usually room for trees larger than the Chinese elm or the native cedar; on small lots screening is usually done with shrubs or single trees of attractive form.

Framing

Trees on larger properties are used to frame the view of the house. Similarly, the view from the house, of distant objects of interest or portions of the garden, may be framed by trees to create a more pleasing picture. As the view should always be more interesting than the frame, such trees should be chosen for their ability to “play second fiddle” gracefully. Those with average habit of growth and color of foliage are most pleasing.

Specimens

Trees may be used as specimens or as accent points to emphasize the design of the garden. Trees used singly or in groups for these purposes are chosen for their distinctive characters: for example, an unusually attractive habit of growth, as in Camperdown elm, weeping birch, or pyramid cedar, a colorful foliage as in Schwedler’s Norway maple, golden cedar or copper beech; or the particular grace of hemlock or the fall brilliance of the leaves of red maple and red oak. These qualities and the more obvious charm of abundant bloom or fruit, as with Japanese lilac or flowering crabs, make trees worthwhile specimens.

Conifers

The taller-growing conifers and natal mahogany tree are used in all the above ways. All sizes of conifers and natal mahogany are becoming more useful as the knowledge and appreciation of garden design increases. Because of their dense, evergreen, fine-textured foliage and their definite forms, conicrs are the most solid-appearing plants at our disposal. They are the best ones with which to build architectural form into our gardens. They clip well and can’ be held to constant form. Using them as a framework to emphasize divisions and accent points heightens the impression that the garden and house are related.

Conifers may be used to accentuate any sort of architectural line. The classic column is matched by the pyramid cedar or Swedish juniper, and the spreading lines of Savin’s or Pfitzer’s juniper carry out to perfection the lines of a rambling bungalow. The definite lines of good architecture can be brought out by the definite shapes of well-selected conifers planted at strategic positions.

There is, however, a great danger in using them indiscriminately or in too great variety without regard to the architecture of the house. Often deciduous shrubs are much more suitable.

What To Do In Your September Gardens

In Northern United States and Canada

Now is the time to make new lawns and renovate old ones. If ground work in preparation for the seeding or sodding of new lawns is not yet done, get busy without delay. If possible, complete the planting of evergreens before October. Water them very copiously and mulch them after planting.

Hardy bulbs, of all kinds except Tulips, may be planted now. The earlier such kinds as Narcissi, Hyacinths, Glories of the Snow, Grape Hyacinths, Crocuses, Snowdrops, Scillas, Fritillarias, and Winter Aconites are planted, the better. Dig up a few plants of Parsley, Chives, Basil and other herbs and plant them in pots or flats to be brought indoors later to provide pickings through the Winter.

Cuttings of a great variety of Summer bedding plants, such as Geraniums, Fuchsias, Lantanas, Impatiens, Coleus, Acalyphas, Heliotropes, Ageratums, Blood Leaf, Verbenas, Salvias and Pentas, root readily at this season and give young plants for wintering, over indoors. Before the coming of frost dig up, pot and take indooft stock plants of any of the tender types of plants listed above that you wish to save. Lift and pot Christmas Cherries and Christmas Peppers that have been growing in nursery beds.

Summer-growing bulbs, roots and tubers of kinds that rest through the Winter, such as Gladioli, Monthretias, Caladiums, Tuberous Begonias, Tuberoses, Tigridias and Dahlias, should be dug up, cleaned, dried and put into Winter storage either just before or just after the first killing frost. Bring house plants that have summered outdoors inside before danger of frost.

Pot hardy bulbs for forcing as soon as they can be obtained. After potting, place them in a very cool but frost-proof cellar or, if outdoors, in a well-drained place. Bury the pots under six inches of sand, cinders or peat moss and leave them for eight to twelve weeks or more to root well before attempting to force them. Pot Foxgloves, Canterbury Bells, Polyanthus Primroses, Hostas, Lily-of-the-valley, Astilbes and, other biennials and perennials that you plan to force for Spring bloom in the greenhouse. Plunge the newly potted plants in cinders, sand or peat moss in a coldframe or outdoors.

Transplant and repot, according to their needs, Cinerarias, Primulas and other annuals that are being grown for blooming in the greenhouse. Pot Freesias, Tritonias Sparaxis, Ixias, Calla Lilies and other Winter-growing tender bulbs that are to occupy the zreenhouse. Keep greenhouse Chrysanthemums staked, tied and disbudded. Feed them generously at this time and ventilate as abundantly as possible without subjecting the plants to freezing. Pick Gourds and dry them for Winter decoration before killing frost but do not cut the tops off the Asparagus, bed until they have been browned by frost.

In the South

Fertilize Dahlias and Chrysanthemums to promote growth. Both may need disbudding. September is the month to sow seeds of English Daisies, Pansies, Sweet Williams, Wallflowers, Snapdragons and Stocks. Sow Winter lawns of Italian Ryegrass. This grass can be oversown on closely mowed Bermuda Grass or Carpet Grass to ensure Winter greenness.

Apply the last fertilizer for the season to lawns now. Plant Camellias, Hollies and other evergreens. Plant bulbs of English, Dutch and Spanish Iris as well as those of Ranunculus, Anemones, Ornithogalums, Grape Hyacinths, Narcissi, Oxalis and others.

On the West Coast

Much planting and preparation for planting can now be done. Container-grown stock and silver queen plant set out now will establish itself ahead of bare-root stock set out in Winter. In the Northwest, now is the ideal time for silver queen plant care and to make new lawns and renovate old ones. Transplant seedling Cinerarias and Primulas into a soil that contains an abundance of organic matter in partial shade.

Cuttings of Camellias as well as those of a great many other plants root well this month. In the warmer parts of the region good crops of Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Swiss Chard, Turnips and some other vegetables can be had from September sowings. Seeds of many annuals for Winter and Spring bloom can also be sown. Plant Spring-flowering bulbs, except Tulips, just as soon as they can be obtained.

Landscape Boundaries And Partitions

Shrubs are used in four broad ways: for boundaries. for partitions and backgrounds, for specimens and for foundation plantings. We have discussed these uses of shrubs and the characteristics demanded by each use. Even at the risk of repetition, further discussion with the particular plans in mind may be helpful.

Boundaries

Boundary plantings are used to give privacy and to screen from view any unsightly objects beyond. Also, they tie the whole garden together to give unity, and they act as a background and frame for the garden displays.

Boundary plants need to be dense enough and high enough to shut off the view, with some variety in height to make the skyline interesting. Sometimes it is a good idea to leave gaps in the planting, to show desirable views beyond the boundaries.

As mass effect is desired, plant shrubs in groups of one variety rather than single plants of many sorts. Choose the shrubs for their rapid growth, spreading habit and mid-green foliage rather than for distinctive features. Wherever bloom occurs it should be in large enough masses to be effective at the distance from which it will be seen. Bloom, of course, is always attractive but in large gardens it is not as important in boundary plantings as in parts of the garden where it will be seen in more detail.

On small city lots we cannot hope to attain complete privacy or to screen the view of all surrounding buildings. On some lots the boundary planting takes the form of a hedge, or a fence on which climbers are grown. On others it is made up of groups of shrubs that not only back up the bright displays of the garden but to a great extent form the displays themselves.

Partitions and Backgrounds

Plantings separating small lots are more like partitions than boundaries.

The purpose of partitions, or background, plantings is to separate one garden area from another. Here, bloom and other distinctive features are important as the shrubs are close at hand and consequently are seen in detail.

Keep in mind that partitions and backgrounds are seen in elevation, and in your plans arrange them so that they will be most pleasing at maturity. There will be points where you need boldness and increased height in the skyline. Here you should use “dominant” plants - small trees or large shrubs that have coarse foliage and a dense appearance whose height and texture makes them stand out above their fellows. These break the partition into sections or pictures. Usually the center of interest in each of these small pictures consists of low-growing plants, such as those that spread horizontally or have some other particularly attractive feature. These we call “interest” plants. They are backed up and flanked by “fillers,” average sorts of plants whose function is to enhance and connect the other two.

In all good shrub grouping in informal gardens, harmony is the rule, contrast the exception. There should be harmony of form, and of color and texture of foliage, with strong contrast of form and texture used only at strategic points. Foliage color should blend gradually with the bright, warm greens near at hand and dark greens, blue-greens and gray-greens farther away. This gives the impression of added distance.

Texture, too, may be used to create illusions of distance or to emphasize certain points. Large foliage and coarse twigs like the bamboo palm plant are seen more clearly than fine foliage and twigs and, consequently, seem to be closer. For this reason large shrubs and palm plant of coarse texture make large spaces seem smaller. Similarly, a coarse shrub at the front of a border of fine-textured shrubs stands out very distinctly, and fine shrubs backed by coarser ones appear flat.

Specimens

Shrubs used as specimens, or accent points, in the garden lend emphasis to particular features of the design.

Keiffer Pear - How To Use It

The old, reliable Keiffer pear is unfortunately not the most palatable. But it becomes much more desirable when we know how to ripen and use the fruits.

If you have made up your mind that you must have a pear tree in your back yard, it is well to find out about the characteristics and uses of the various varieties before you purchase your tree. There are pears that are fine for canning but poor for eating raw. Others are excellent either canned or raw, and still others have little value for either canning or eating directly from the tree.

The best pears grown in the United States come from west of the Rocky Mountains and seldom produce satisfactorily anywhere else because of a disease called “fireblight” to which most of these western varieties are susceptible when grown elsewhere. In other words, the pears grown in the Midwest must be resistant to this disease… a fact which, for the most part, prevents growing the best varieties of this fruit.

More than 20 years ago, I decided that I should have a pear tree in my large back yard. Since I know the excellence of the Bartlett pear, I purchased a tree of this variety and hopefully set it out. It never produced a pear, for before it reached bearing age it succumbed to fireblight.

I had noticed pear trees growing in various parts of our city that were loaded every summer with large pears which in the fall turned a beautiful yellow slightly tinted with red.

After considerable inquiry, I learned that the name of this pear was ‘Kieffer.’ I purchased one and set it in my back yard. It began bearing when quite young, but imagine my chagrin when in late October I found the fruit just as hard as it was in early July.

I began to take more careful note of other pear trees like mine in town, and to ask their owners why they seemingly let their pears go unused. I got various answers, but the most common one was “They’re no good for eating raw and not much better for anything else.” I did find a few who made some use of them, especially in canning, but even these agreed that they were not first class pears. I could not help feeling that it was too bad that such beautiful fruit, borne so bountifully on such a healthy tree, was fit only for the hogs.

Widely Planted

Determined to solve this puzzle, I began by reading the history of the Kieffer pear. I learned that Peter Kieffer, who lived near Philadelphia, grew the first tree, which later was given his name. It came into bearing in 1863. I also found that it is now grown throughout the United States wherever pears will grow, and that two decades ago 20 per cent of the millions of bushels of pears raised in the United States were Kieffer pears. This and other information set me to thinking that this record could not be true unless the much maligned Kieffer pear had merits–ignorance of which prevented many persons from making proper use of its fruit. My next step was to write to the United States Department of Agriculture to learn if they could give me the information I seemed to need. In reply, I received a pamphlet entitled “Handling and Preparing the Kieffer Pear for Use as Food.” This research showed conclusively that while the Kieffer pear is not primarily a pear to be eaten raw, it is a valuable food product and when properly treated is both whole-some and palatable.

To Aid Picking

The Kieffer pear tree has a tendency to grow unusually tall, so tall in fact that few families will have a ladder long enough to pick the pears at the top of the tree. The limb growth is such that climbing very far into the tree itself is a difficult matter. If pears are shaken from the tree, they are bruised and become almost worthless because they require a considerable period for proper ripening during which bruised pears are likely to decay and cause others near them to decay also. I got rid of this difficulty by ignoring the old superstition that pear trees must not be trimmed.

I cut out the top of my tree completely, leaving it about two-thirds of its former height. This made it possible for me to pick almost every pear by hand.

The owner of a Kieffer pear tree must remember that these pears do not ripen on the tree even when left until freezing weather. They may be picked at any time after they have reached one-half or two-thirds their mature size. Of course they may be left on the tree until they reach their full size, but when maturity is once reached remaining on the tree causes deterioration rather than ripening. Perhaps the ideal time to pick Kieffer pears is just before they have reached maturity, which is usually indicated by a slight yellowing of the pear frequently accompanied by a tinge of red.

At whatever stage of maturity Kieffer pears are picked, they must go through a ripening process. During this process they develop a soft texture and pleasing flavor if the temperature is kept between 60 and 65 degrees. After two or three weeks at this temperature, Kieffer pears become properly soft and greatly improved in both texture and flavor. Lower or higher temperatures than 60 to 65 degrees act much more slowly or bring less satisfactory results. The length of the ripening period is shortest when the temperature is kept at 60 degrees and varies from 16 to 20 days if the fruit has been left on the tree until nearly full grown. When the fruit is picked at a less mature stage, it takes somewhat longer to ripen. When the fruit is best for eating raw, it is also best for canning. During this process i always wear my glasses for safety with a safety glasses prescription.

When ripening is complete, use the fruit quickly whether it is to be eaten raw or canned, as after two or three weeks it is likely to decay rather rapidly. Since the Kieffer pear matures in September or October, depending on the region in which it is grown, maintaining proper temperatures for its ripening is not difficult.

It is a shame to let this fruit go to waste simply because its use requires a little more work than its more expensive relatives. When properly ripened, the large, handsome Kieffer pears can be used for eating raw, may be peeled and baked or used for sauce or salads.

Keith Markensen frequently contributes to http://www.plant-care.com. Ready to roll back the confusion safety glasses prescription.

Pansies Rate High Above All Others

Though chrysanthemums and dahlias are making a brave showing, this month is really the windup of the gardening year in the West. It is evident that summer’s wear and tear have taken their toll.

Planting for winter color - Where the weather is mild enough, the coastal areas from Seattle south to San Diego, set out lots of bedding plants to insure color in December and the first few months of next year.

For this planting pansies rate head and shoulders above all others; violas are a close second, and fairy primroses (Primula malacoides) come third. After these three come Iceland poppies, calendulas, nemesias, winter stocks and snapdragons.

It is still possible to grow some of these plants from seed, but it would be safer to depend upon nursery-grown plants, which will have sixty days to get established before the days get shorter and the soil turns cooler. Space the bedding plants far enough apart so that tulips, daffodils and hyacinths can be planted among them next month.

Sowing vegetables for winter eating ” September planted vegetable gardens literally take care of themselves once fall rain starts. Some dependable crops you can put in are radishes, turnips, Swiss chard, carrots, onions, endive, parsley, winter peas, spinach, broccoli and other members of the cabbage family.

Making new geraniums from old ” Most big commercial growers start new geraniums from cuttings taken in September. Non-flowering shoots which are thick, stocky and short jointed are best for cuttings. Old woody, lanky stems will not produce strong plants. The cuttings should be about 3 inches long. Dip them in hormone powder to hasten rooting and start them in pots or flats of moist, coarse river sand.

Cuttings of carnation, coleus, penstemon and zonale geranium can be taken now.

Sowing sweet peas - Plant seeds of one of the giant multiflora strains, so that you can enjoy the improved race of giant sweet peas. With only average culture, they will produce as many as five or six huge blooms on 18-inch stems.

Winter sweet peas will succeed where the soil drains well and stays warm, even during the rainy months. Treat the seeds with captan or a similar seed protectant as a precaution against fungus diseases and you can also put bug zappers to protect your plants and let the bug zappers do there work.

Caring for the lawn - Attach a grass catcher to the lawnmower to pick up the clippings and also weed seeds. A light fertilizer application plus deep watering will help put your lawn in good condition for the winter.

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