LADY BUG SAYS: CALENDARS: PLENTY SHOW UP AT END OF EVERY YEAR

As 1990 was drawing to an end, there was great concern at our house that there were no new calendars to replace the old ones. Then, upon our return from the Christmas holidays in Georgia, the mail was filled with calendars.

Calendars have come a long way from the time of my childhood when the only calendar hanging in our kitchen was one from Bruchhauser's Mill. Each year the picture of the old mill was the same in red print on a neutral background, and it always hung in the same place on the kitchen wall.

Today's calendars are beautiful with appropriate pictures taken by renoun artists, depicting each month. They are so well done and colorful that some people frame the pictures after the year is completed.

The history of calendars is most interesting. All calendars recognize two great natural divisions of time the day and the year. Both are based on the earth's relationship to the sun.

Ancient calendars were of many different kinds. The Egyptians divided their year into twelve months of thirty days each and added five days at the end of every year. The Greek year included 12 months of alternate 29 and 30 days. The earliest known Roman calendar had a year of 10 months and included 304 days. Julius Caesar ordered a calendar in 46 B.C. with the year divided into 12 months of 31 and 30 days alternately. The Gregorian calendar was set up to reform the errors of the Julian calendar. It gained a single day every 128 years. There were many, many more calendars and calendar reforms.

One of our favorite calendars is the Men's Garden Clubs of America, which has outstanding photographs and the first day of each month has a practical garden hint. For example, this is the first thought for February: "Test germination of left-over seeds by placing several seeds on a wet paper towel in a covered container. If only half germinate, buy fresh seeds."

The 1991 Gardener's Guide for the Northeast and Midwest, Zones 5 and 6, tells month by month, when to plant and transplant trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables, lawns, when to prune summer and winter flowering palnts, when to fertilize trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, and gardens, and what to watch for in insects and diseases. Each month tells what to do inside and outside. There is so much information in this one calendar that it could almost take the place of a garden book. Each page has a "Think color" item that tells how to bring the most color into your garden spots.

One of the most beautiful and largest calendars received (12 x 15 inches) was that of White Flower Farm of Litchfield, Conn. Its cover is a picture of the Moon Garden at White Flower Farm, depicting a pair of white wisteria trees growing beside a lake with white tulips, white Japanese iris and other white low growing flowers.

Along with this outstanding calendar, was the White Flower Farm Garden Book, which previously has been offered only by subscription, but for Spring 1991, they are offering this catalog absolutely free. To obtain a copy, write White Flower Farm, Plantsmen, Litchfield, Conn., 06759-0050, or call 1-800-888-7756, and the catalog will be mailed within a day or so. They have 100 new listings this year.

An interesting calendar has come from Earl May, of Shenandoah, Iowa, home planting headquarters for the nation since 1919. The top of each page, has gardening tips for the month, rather than a picture. For instance, in January it suggests:

IP2,1When designing a perennial garden, make the width of the bed twice the height of the tallest plant that you plan to put there.

Start seeds for ageratum, begonia, and petunias this month. They need a long lead time indoors to provide flowers early in the season.

Draw up a garden plan this year try a few raised beds for root crops.

Plant more fruit trees prune existing fruit trees and vines while plants are dormant.

Make sure you use a specially designed sterile soil mixture when starting seeds indoors.

Now is the best time to place seed orders. Stick with some of the old favorites, but also be adventuresome and try out a few new varieties each year.

Build a coldframe to extend your growing season in spring and fall to "harden off" tender plants started indoors.

Sprout seeds of alfalfa, chick peas, sunflower seeds, and mung beans to beef up winter salads and give your family a taste of spring.

IP1,0Goldsmith Seeds of Gilroy, Calif. submits a colorful calendar each year, with each month featuring one of their own flowers, such as Aurora Fire, French marigolds, Accent impatiens, Ultra petunias, Primetime petunias, Inca African marigolds, Strawberry Parfait dianthus, and Universal pansies. Their pictures are 9x12 inches, making them ideal for framing when the year is over.

A large lavender iris decorates the front of the Southeast Missouri Hospital calendar this year. Its impressive pictures (also suitable for framing) were taken by employees, volunteers and physicians of the hospital.

Another calendar, a small stand-up desk one from Tokyo, Japan, has a large flower on the page of each month. These include narcissus, plum blossoms, violets, tulips, Japanese iris, morning glories, rhododendrons and cyclamen.

Still another is a fabric one with all twelve months on a single sheet, completely surrounded by various house plants.

Indeed, this has been the year of the calendar.