GARDENS GALORE
(Page 2 of 3)
—Thelma A. Graham
Decatur, Michigan
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Get Ready, Get Net, Go
As a children's dance teacher, I've spent many an hour
constructing costumes of nylon net. But even if I didn't
have all those scraps to use up, I find the material so
handy I'd buy it anyway. Here are four ways nylon net helps
me garden.
1. A handful of net makes a sturdy scrubber to clean
flowerpots and gardening tools.
2. To start seeds I use plastic foam cups with drainage
holes punched in the bottom. Before filling the cups with
potting soil, I line each one with a 10-inch square of net.
When transplanting, the whole bundle is easily lifted out
of the cup and into the ground, with no shock to the roots.
They also have no difficulty growing through the holes in
the net, and the screen seems to protect the plants from
cutworms.
3. I tuck a small piece of net into the opening at the top
of each hot cap. It keeps insects out while allowing the
air to circulate.
4. My husband built a series of cubes ranging in size from
12 inches square to 40 inches. The cubes are actually
box-shaped frames made of one-inch lumber strips. To each
of these I stapled netting to cover five sides; white net
for sun-loving plants and green to provide shade. Placed
over cole crops, the cubes let in air and water but really
frustrate cabbage moths.
-Ronna M. Kelly
Palo Alto, California
Pass the Seeds, Please
I use an old saltshaker to spread tiny seeds that are
difficult to distribute by hand.
—Dennis R. Willie
Folsom, Louisiana
Succulence From the Swamp
If you have access to wetlands or a swampy area, go there
in the early spring to look for cattails. Cut off some of
the new shoots that are only one to three inches long.
Clean them till nothing but the solid ivory part remains.
Then cut them into small pieces and add a bit of salt and
your favorite salad dressing. My father told me about this
unusual salad, and I'll bet once you've savored its fine,
clean taste, you'll want to go back to gather more
cattails.
—Fred A. Race
Euclid, Ohio
