THE 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE. ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHA.N. 



Vol. XXII. 



SEPTEMBER. 1880. 



Number 261. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



In most of the countries of Europe, summer 

 gardening is the most attractive, and most that 

 is done there is with that view. With us the 

 spring and autumn are more enjoyable, and if 

 American gardening is ever to have a distinctive 

 feature of its own, it will be from efforts specially 

 directed to one or both of these. Our summers 

 are usually hot and dry, and people are either 

 " away," or very much indisposed for out-door 

 enjoyment, except such as may be found in 

 shady woods, or on some heights where the cool 

 breezes blow. At any rate we shall not go wrong 

 by doing our best for good effects with spring 

 flowers, and it is time to think about these things 

 now. There is scarcely anything more beautiful 

 in spring than a bed of Hyacinths and Tulips 

 well intermixed. The Hyacinths go out of flower 

 just as the Tulips come in. In the si)ring Gladi- 

 olus and Tuberoses can be placed between these; 

 or if desirable some flowering bedding plants, 

 and in this way tlie gaiety and interest can be 

 preserved h'om spring to fall. Crown Imperials 

 are capital things for the centre of small beds, 

 and the regular bedding plants can go around 

 them. Narcissuses keep their foliage too long 

 after flowering, as does the Snowdrop. Tliese 

 can hardly be made available nhere regular bed- 



ding is desirable for summer. They are best in 

 odd patches by themselves. Crocus does well 

 anywhere. It may even be set in the grass 

 about the lawn, as it is generally over before the 

 first mowing takes place. But it would not be 

 admitted into our best kept lawns. The vast tribe 

 of lilies come in rather late for spring gardening, 

 but few will care to lie without them. Besides 

 these there are many little items which are noted 

 in almost all bulb catalogues, from which many 

 interesting spring blooms can be had. No one 

 will go amiss in looking well to this class of 

 plants. The best time to plant is from now to 

 frost. Mice and vermin are very liable to attack 

 these roots. Poisoning is the best remedy. 



Unless very well acquainted Avith the varieties 

 of Hyacinths and other bulbs, it is best to leave 

 the selection of the kinds to the dealer. The best 

 manure for all kinds of bulbs is rotten cow ma- 

 nure. Half rotten stable manure or rank mat- 

 ter of any kind, is nut good. Very rich garden 

 soil, without manure, is better than to have this 

 matter fresh. 



Of Tulips there are many classes. The single 

 dwarf varieties are very early; the double ones 

 of the same class come next. The Parrot Tu- 

 lips, so called from the singular warty edges of 

 the petals, are the ne.xt earliest, and then the 

 Tulip, so well known for its large, full cups of all 

 colore. 



