MY GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 23948, 14 October 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

MY GARDEN

—PRIZE—

It was my fifth birthday, and among the many presents which I received was a lovely new gardening set. How pretty it looked, with its scarlet handles. I was eager to commence gardening at once, but it was winter time, so I had to wait until spring arrived. It seemed a long while to me, but Susan Spring arrived at last in all her glory, so my father gave me some ground which he had dug. I raked and raked it, until it was very smooth and ready for the seeds. ■

It was going to be a mixed garden, half vegetables and half flowers. I first put in a row of carrots, lettuces, parsnips, and cauliflowers. Then in the other half I planted antirrhiniums, Candytuft, and Virginian stock. How pleased I was when all was finished, and I awaited the growth of my garden. Day after day passed, and when at last I saw the tiny shoots appear above the ground, I was delighted. How eagerly I watched the plants, and took out any weeds I saw. After a very long time, the plants were quite big, and my happiest moment was when I gathered the flowers from my own garden to decorate the table, and picked the lettuce for a salad. Some time later I dug the carrots and parsnips, and they were beautiful; the best I had ever tasted. >

—Prize of 1/- to Cousin Victor Jones, M.A.C. (9), 71 Conon street.

—PRIZE—

It was a very hot summer day, and I was sitting under our apple tree thinking about my garden and wishing it was more beautiful. I had been reading, but I had grown tired of my book, and I was now eating an apple and thinking.

Then, all at once, I was standing in front of my garden, gazing at it in amazement, for it was far more beautiful than I had ever wished it to be. The soil looked as though it had been freshly dug, there was not a weed to be seen, and the flowers were glorious, but the colours were very strange although they were beautiful. The colours of the daffodils were blue, pink and red, and the tulips were gold, bright orange and powder blue, while the grape hyacinths and hyacinths were white, yellow, pink and royal blue. I was very surprised to see such colours, but they really did look beautiful. I bent down and picked some and put them in a vase and put it on the table. Then suddenly everything became dark and I woke up. It had all been a dream.

—Prize of 1/- to Cousin Patricia Hynes (11), 13 Halton street, Gore.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— One fine spring morning I woke up early and, after having a wash and my breakfast, I filled up my watering can and went to visit my garden. As I drew nearer, a pleasant perfume floated through the T+

air. It was the sweet scent of roses mingled with the violet’s lovely smell.

I will now describe my garden to you. It is in the centre of a smooth green lawn, and around it is a pretty hedge bearing little pink and white flowers. Around the border there is a row of violets and primroses, and in another little round plot I have rows of all different kinds of pansies, with a border. of golden daffodils fluttering gently in the cool breeze. In the middle I have a lovely bed of sweetsmelling roses. I have bright red ones, pale pink, and cream ones, and yellow ones. I often pick my flowers and put them in a vase in my room. I hoe and weed my garden regularly and I hope I shall soon have a bigger and better one. —3 marks to Cousin Reta F. Findlay (12), Pukemaori-Tuatapere R.D.

—PRIZE—

t J , am sorr y 1° say that I haven’t a garden, so I will tell you what 1 would grow and how I would arrange it if I had one. , a A I would pick a well-sheltered piece of ground lying t 0 the sun. I would dig it over during the winter and let the weather and frosts sweeten and break the soil down. Now comes the planting season. I would measure the plot into three sections. Number one for potatoes, number two for cabbage, beans and peas and other quick-growing vegetables, number three would be used for carrots and parsnips and other winter vegetables. When I had all my vegetables planted I would be kept busy weeding and cultivating right through the season.

Gardening is a very healthy and pleasant pastime and how nice it js to walk around the garden and watch the plants grow. When I think of digging our new potatoes and picking the first'peas it makes my mouth water and it also makes me feel my hard work has been really worth while.

Prize of 1/- to Cousin Colin Gibson, V.A.C. (10), 60 Robertson street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— Last spring, I asked my father for a small piece of ground to make a garden. When he had granted my request and marked off the piece I was to have, I set to work and dug it deeply. As soon as I had raked and hoed until the ground was fine enough to sow seeds, I sowed a row of peas, beans and turnips, while around the sides I put radishes and lettuces.

All these seeds are up now, and I am watching carefully for each weed that starts growing. As the ground is very dry now, I am kept busy watering at night. How I am looking forward to having some of my own vegetables to eat. lam quite sure they will taste better than those out of dad’s garden.

—3 marks to Cousin Richard Goodson V.A.C., (12), 64 Robertson street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED—

When I went to water my garden the other day, I heard someone talking near it. I crept nearer, and to my surprise, I saw Clare Crocus speaking to Daphne Daffodil. “Oh how the wind does blow,” phe said, “I do wish it would stop.” “Yes,” said Daphne, “I’m sure we

will be blown to pieces before long.” At this the conversation ended and I considered it best to build a shelter round my garden to protect my flowers.

Next day as I went to water them I heard Clare Crocus saying this, “Isn’t Tommy kind to us, putting a fence around us to stop the wind!” “Yes,” answered Daphne, “he is always kind to us.” —3 marks to Cousin James Gibson V.A.C., (12), 60 Robertson street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— One morning when I arrived at school there was a man there. When we went into school he asked us if we would like to have a flpwer garden. I decided to have one. After I came home from school I rot the spade and chose a place for it. When I received the seeds I planted them. First I put two rows of clarkia down the centre, next I put a row of first phlox, next nemesia, and round the outside, blue lobelia. As I had only four plants of French marigolds, I put one in each corner. When they were all in bloom it was very gay. I am going to have another this year, which I hope will be gayer still. —3 marks to Cousin May Clark (10), “Kyledale,” Menzies Ferry.