HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
MASTER GARDENER
JEAN LAIRD

Dear Fellow Gardeners and Future Gardeners,

Gardeners are always full of questions. How can I make my garden look good through the winter? What are the best plants for a shady garden? How do I begin a garden? Fortunately, other gardeners are always ready to give advice. Advice can also come through gardening books and magazines.

I received a wonderful surprise in my mailbox this week in the form of a book about 1001 Old- Time Garden Tips. These are timeless bits of wisdom on how to grow everything organically from the good old days when everyone did. This gem of a book was graciously sent to me by Ronnie Spradlin. You will be reading snippets from this book as we learn more about gardening this year. I immediately delved into the book to see what I could share with my readers. You will appreciate the suggestions and information from past gardeners of the 18th and 19th century.

This is the time to plant fruit trees. If you don't have any, try planting 2 or 3. They flower soon and will be beautiful. Fruit will be produced during the summer, as an added bonus. Fruit trees need elbow room, a slightly rolling or sloping to the south piece of land, with loose soil, underlaid by clay soil. ( which I am sure we will be able to accommodate). Even if you can't give fruit trees the perfect site, they are worth planting for the fruit and the flowers they produce.

More than half the losses from planting fruit trees and other trees, is the fact that they are planted too deep. It is best to plant the tree so it shall, when the whole is complete, appear to be standing on a mound 2-3 inches above the ground. When it is watered and settled in, it will be almost level to the ground. Then cover with mulch of your choice.

If you do not want the fruit from the trees, plant trees that flower, but don't bear fruit; such as, flowering pear ( aristocrat pear or dogwood or try crabapple (it bears fruit, but you don't have to gather it) or flowering peach. There are many others, but you plant them all the same.

I need to share another unusual thing my son did. He thought since he had such good luck with his broccoli, he would try it with a head of lettuce. He chopped off all the lettuce, but saved the complete core and planted it. He said he has leaves coming up now after just a few days. He thought maybe the secret was to be sure to buy lettuce that has a little nodule or root at the bottom. Try it, it won't cost anything to experiment.

While we are waiting for the last frost to appear, enjoy the unfolding of Spring. I am so anxious to get out in the sunshine and plant, plant, plant.

When the snow stops, it is time to plant, make mistakes, dig in and dig up. Be sure and know that nature will show you what you are doing wrong, or some other gardener

will. Mark your calendars for: The Evergreen Garden Club's Annual Rose Show to be held at the Merritt's home on the corner of Stone Road and Hwy. 2276, April 3rd from 3 to 5 P. M. The Happy Gardener