210 

 THE LADIES' GARDEN.— No. VII. 



BY J. C. CLAEKE, 

 Head Gardener at Cothelston House, Taunton. 



|F the white and blue Eorget-me-Nots, which I recom- 

 mended to be sown last month, are up and doing well, 

 they should receive regular attention in watering in dry 

 weather, and if brilliant sunshine should set in this 

 month, they will be benefited by the shade of a few 

 lanrel or spruce branches laid lightly over them. The main point in 

 their cultivation is to keep them constantly growing at this season, 

 or mildew is liable to attack them, and kill the whole lot. Raising 

 them from seed is undoubtedly the easiest method for all our readers. 

 But as I use many hundreds of them for spring gardening, I find I get 

 an earlier display of flowers from old plants that have been divided. I 

 take up and divide those which have flowered, and plant them in a 

 shady spot. Early in August is the best time to do this. They are 

 finally transferred to the flower-garden early in November. Even 

 seedlings are best when transplanted in August, for the plants grow 

 stronger, and, consequently, flower earlier and better. In arranging 

 them for flowering, 1 may remark that the blue is so soft and delicate 

 in its colouring, that the white, when used in equal numbers with it, 

 is too strong in tone to be used in equal quantity. Eor that reason 

 quite double the quantity of blue should be used where they are 

 planted in the same bed for a contrast. 



The next easiest subjects for our readers to manage, and withal 

 most desirable, are the Double Daisies. These, whether used in 

 mixture or in separate colours, are the most pleasing things ima- 

 ginable, for they flower so early and so long, and, above all, are so 

 certain and easy to cultivate, that no spring garden can be said to 

 be complete without them. A lot secured now, and divided and 

 planted out in a shady border, will come in capitally next November 

 for filling the beds which the bedding plants have occupied. In the 

 month of May following they can be removed again back to the 

 shady border, and in like mauner the changes may go on from year 

 to year, the tufts being divided when needful. 



There are several varieties of the double daisies. The most 

 telling are the white and dark crimson, but all the intermediate shades 

 are good. 



Our friends who love spring flowers must not forget the common 

 ■tohite and variegated-leaved Arabis : the first a glorious early spring 

 flower, very easy to cultivate and increase by division ; the varie- 

 o-ated-leaved arabis is equally desirable, only it is later in flowering. 

 Its well-defined, variegated foliage makes it a superb plant, whether 

 in flower or out. 



The pretty and lasting Aubrietias are all glorious subjects, but 

 they are not quite so easy to manage, as they do not divide and 

 increase readily when treated as hardy plants. However, the stock 

 once secured, there is no difficulty in keeping it up. Aubrietia 



