18 OCTOBER 1946, Page 13

In My Garden The gourds, especially the marrows, are just

beginning to wake up, to run and flower and set fruit in abundance. Since we have already had ground frosts, this belated activity is likely to be useless ; but something may be done with the protection of cloches ; and tomato plants, laid flat on straw and covered with cloches (with blocked ends) will ripen their more forward fruits. A friend's garden contains an odd freak. It resembles a huge, coarse montbretia, but was last year, he is convinced, a perfectly good gladiolus! What is the explanation?

W. BEACH THOMAS.