THE 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE. ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Vol. XX. 



OCTOBER, 1878. 



Nninher 238. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



It is a matter of surprise that the Lily is not 

 more appreciated by our flower gardeners. By 

 a judlcioas selection they may be had in bloom 

 all the summer season. Last year we saw a se- 

 lection of this sort. The first to flower was Lil- 

 ium Canadense, one of our native kinds. This 

 vTas open and made a grand display by the end 

 of June. After a couple of weeks they were on 

 the decline, and the white L. candidum follow- 

 ed, then followed L. bulbiferum, next L. super- 

 bum, next L. auratum, bringing up with L. 

 laucifolium about the middle of August. By 

 this simple list the beautiful Lily was continu- 

 ously in bloom for three months. It is proper 

 to note tliis now, because the fall is the proper 

 time to plant Lily bulbs. 



Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, and hardy Dutch 

 Bulbs generally, must have immediate attention. 

 Crocuses and Snowdrops are often planted out 

 in the grass on the lawn ; the former is not very 

 objectionable as the leaves have so close a grass- 

 like appearance ; but the last should never be so 

 employed, the foliage giving, the whole summer 

 iifterwards, a very coarse and weedy appearance 

 to the lawn. j 



Hyacinths and Tulips may be set out in the 

 beds devoted to summer-flowering bedding- ' 

 ]»lants, as they will, in a great measure, be out 



I of flower before the bedding-time comes around, 

 when they can be either taken up and tran.s- 

 j planted to an out-of-the-way-place to ripen, or 

 the bedding-plants can be set in between where 

 ! the bulbs grow, without either much interfering 

 ' with the success of the other. 

 j As a manure for these bulbs, nothing has yet 

 j been found superior to well-decayed, sandy cow- 

 j manure ; but where this is not conveniently at 

 'hand, well decomposed surface-soil from a wood 

 ! will do as well. 



! Herbaceous hardy border flowers are often 

 propagated in the Fall by dividing the roots : 

 but, unless it is convenient to protect the newly- 

 made plants through the winter, it is better to 

 defer this till Spring, as the frost draws out of 

 the ground and destroys many. "Where it i.^ 

 now resorted to, a tliiek mulching of leaves or 

 litter should be placed over the young stock 

 when transplanted. 



Few things are more valued in winter than a 

 bunch of Sweet Violets. A few may now bt; 

 potted, and they Avill flower in the window to- 

 wards Spring ; or.a .small bed of them ma}' be iu 

 a frame, wliicb should be jH-otectcd by a mat from 

 severe frost. To have Pansics flower early and 

 profusely in Spring, they may l)e planti'd out iu 

 a frame, as recommended for the Violet. 



Many kinds of hardy annuals, flower much 

 bettor next Spring, when sown at this season of 



