05 

 GARDEN GUIDE FOR MARCH. 



Kitchen Garden. — There ie a great scarcity now of green-stuff for the kitchen. 

 Our lo^ses of -winter greens were imnoense, but for six weeks past we have had 

 aband>ince of delicate sprouts from old stumps. Whenever sprouts are to be 

 obfaimd in each warm weather as we have had lately, tliry should be cut as soon 

 as large enougli to take hold of them — say wiien as large as walnuts ; for if left 

 under the impression that tliey will grow larger, they will simply rush into flower, 

 and be useless. Vast quantities of sprouts that would be delicious, if caught at the 

 right moment, are lost through the haste with wliich they become hard and 

 stringy when pushing their flower-buds, for every shoot of a brassica has flower- 

 buds in it at this time of year. The operations of this month are in a great measure 

 dependent on the weather. The best general advice we can give is to sow and 

 plant everything as soon as possible. The most important subjects are peas, beans 

 potatoes, lettuces, and saladings generally, and spinach. 



Flower Garden. — A good list of annuals, with remarks upon their uses, will he 

 found in the number for February, 1866. All kinds of liardy annuals may be sown 

 now. Roses may still be planted, also gladioli for autumn flowering. It is a o-ood 

 time to purchase and plant hardy herbaceous plants. 



Fruit Garden.T-Pnt a good mulch on the ground amongst raspberry canes and 

 strawberry plants. On hot, dry soils, a mulch of half-rotten dung will be good to 

 nourish the roots of bush-apple, pear, and plum-trees. If any pruning not yet 

 done, finish quickly. 



G-reenhowie — This house should be gay now with many kinds of spring flowers. 

 Give plenty of air in mild weather ; hut while east winds are blowing do not open 

 a single ventil.tor ; thei-e will be quite enough air get in between the laps, etc., etc. 

 Look over the stock, and repot all plants that need it. A good time to prune in 

 and repot all the geraniums that are for summer and autumnal flowering. 



* ^* Past issues of the Flokal World contain copious calendars of operations ; 

 and the Garden Oracle has a complete and concise calendar, adapted for reference, 

 for these reasons the " Garden Guide" will be on a contracted scale this year. 



TO COERESPOjS^DENTS. 



Moss ON Gravel Walks, Hardy Evergreens. — M. C. — One grand preventive 

 of the growth of moss on gravel walks is perfect drainage. A dry walk is rarely 

 grown with moss. Occasional sprinklings of quicklime or salt will destroy moss, 

 and to make the best of these dressings, they should be put on in dry weather. 

 M . C. says, "I live in Herts, in a low situation, on a gravelly soil. My Lauristi- 

 nuses, common Laurels, Cedru- Deodara, Roses, etc., etc., are cut off entirely. The 

 Portugal laurels have stood the frost well, but I have plenty of them, and want 

 some more ornamental evergreens for the lawn and borders." It is a strange thing 

 that the Berberis is so mucii neglected in the planting of hardy shrubs. Many of 

 them will bear any amount of frost, and they like damp situations, where usually 

 in hard weather the greatest havoc occurs. B. Dancinii is most graceful in habit, 

 with neat glossy leaves, and abundance of orange yellow flowers in spring. H. 

 Japonica has huge angular leaves, and presents at all seasons a bold and very 

 distinct aspect. The follov^nng are fine subjects : — Berberis fascicidaris hyhrida, 

 B. aquifolium, B. diilcis, Bzixus Balearica (sometimes suffers), B. sempervirens 

 and its varieties, which are matiy, and all good ; B. rotund/folia, Ilex aqui/olium 

 Shepherdi, I. a. laurifolium, and the variegated-leaved liollies, of which there are 

 enough distinct and beautiful to furnish the Lirgest public promenade in Englandwitli- 

 out creating monotony, and no frost will hurt them. The two varieties of J. aquifolium 

 just named are essential because of their bold characters. Hi/perictcm calycinum 

 makes pretty clumps under trees, flowering abundantly in July ; Phillyrea ilicifolia, 

 Quercu.<i ilex, Skimmia Japonica, a neat dwarf shrub, producing abundance of 

 scarlet berries : it is one of the hardiest shrubs known. We omit the Ivies and 

 Rhododendrons, but they may be used to great effect in the embellishment of 

 gardens. The last-named require the soil to be prepared for them, and therefore 

 are always regarded as distinct in purpose and character from other evergreens. 

 Lastly, there are no finer ornaments to a lawn than the Yuccas, and those commonly 

 used in gardens are rarely hurt by frost. 



