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Show THE GARDEN SPOT J Don't Get Along Without Bulbs By Eldred E. Green "THE WORLD is so full of a number num-ber of things ..." said Robert Louis Stevenson. That is so true in the garden. There are so many kinds of plants that it is hard to know where to stop to keep the garden from going out of bounds. Unless we are specializing in one kind of garden there should be some of each group of plants, as each has its own merits. Summer bulbs are one of these groups. The commonest common-est ones are the Gladiolas and Can-nas. Can-nas. Gladiolas are superb for the garden, gar-den, and for cuttine there is nothins cession of flowers. Some kinds bloom earlier than others, so many varieties can be planted at the same time and will give a long flowering period. Cannas are exceedingly showy. The large broad light green or bronzy leaves look tropical in the garden. The big colorful flowers can be seen for a long way. They are not good for cutting but give a wonderful display in the garden. For best results plant in a sunny spot and give lots of water and mnnure. The roots are planted when the weather is warm, or may be started inside or in a coldframe. They are harvested like gladiolas and stored the same way. Dahlias are conspicuous in the summer bulb line. The roots are like sweet potatoes in shape and need a good potato soil for best results. re-sults. There are many kinds of dahlias from low dwarf ones to tall ones with huge Oowers. Dahlias are useful for cut flowers, especially especial-ly in the smaller varieties, although the large are too big for good indoor in-door effect. Dahlia tubers are harvested like gladiolas but the storage of them is J8 finer. The long spikes of flowers with a few buds opening op-ening every day will give a fine display dis-play for weeks either ei-ther in the garden or In a vase. New varieties are constantly con-stantly appearing and the list for the home garden changes from year to year as the price different. They should be kept in sawdust, peatmoss or dry soil so that the roots do not shrivel. In some soils the roots are soft and do not keep well. A good root cellar would be suitable for dahlias, since they need dampness and coolness for good keeping. comes down. For starting, there is nothing better bet-ter than a good mixture. Many firms guarantee a certain number of kinds in their mixtures without naming the exact varieties. This will give you an introduction to the many colors and the types so that you can select from the named kinds in the future. Glads need little caie. A good garden soil with plenty of sun or a well fertilized sand are fine. The bulbs are planted about three times the diameter of the bulb in depth. Keep out weeds and water in long dry spells. In fall the bulbs are dug after the first light frost has killed the foliage. Dry for several days and then store in a dark cool place until spring. Planting starts in spring when the soil is warm and continues for several weeks to provide for a suc- Summer bulbs are useful for bold effects and for cut flowers to supplement the perennials per-ennials and annuals in the garden. They provide a lot of satisfaction for a little work. |