In the Garden In gardens spring-cleaning begins in autumn. It
is a nice point to
know what to do with the fallen leaves. Many make a bonfire of them, like a spendthrift " burning " his heritage. If they are oak or beech, they are gardener's treasure. But many leaVes, poplar and chestnut, for instance, go leathery for weeks and make an impervious layer in the compost heap, like hard pan in the soil. It is best, therefore, to make a separate stack of mixed leaves and let alone till spring. But I am not at all sure it is a bad thing not to disturb leaves in herbaceous borders and the like. Soil is never exposed in nature, and leaves, like straw or sawdust, blanket the winter soil, encourage worm-action, check leach- ing and keep temperatures steady. Among the last of my flowers, still flourishing, is the brilliant yellow of the amaryllis, Stetnbergia Intea.
H. J. MASSINGHAM.
Previous page
