IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XII 



No. 1:54 



Editor-J. W. Besant. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 

 ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



APRIL 

 1917 



Front Gardens^ 



How they iiiay Look Well and add to the Food Supply, 





JlDINAPvILY at least some 

 attempt is ina:le to beautiiy 

 the front plot which is pait 

 of the amenities of most su- 

 burban houses. Some aspire to 

 nothlug metre than a grass plot, 

 but many more ambitious and often highly 

 succeiisful efforts are to be seen as one journeys 

 through the suburbs of our large cities. It 

 occurs ij the Avriter that with an allotment 

 situated probabty at some considerable dis- 

 tance from his house, and more than likely 

 largely devoted to potatoes, the tenant may 

 add variety to his vegetable supply by using 

 the front garden for other kinds requiring 

 closer supervision. 



There will be this advantage, that the ground 

 has already been tilled, jjarticularl}' if in the 

 past it has been used for grt)wing tloAVers. As a 

 rule there is a border 2 or 8 feet wide under the 

 Avindows. and probably a bed in the grass or 

 borders flanking it. Quite a number ot veget- 

 ables can be grown in such beds and borders 

 Avith no othe^ ])reparati()n than dee]) digging 

 and levelling. It is a mistake to think that all 

 vegetables require rich manure ; to some it is 

 positively detrimental. It is equally erroneous 

 to think that crops of vegetables in healthy 

 growth are necessarily prosaic-looking or ugly. 

 vVell grown, man}'' of them are quite ornamental, 

 and by choosing such kinds as have ornamental 

 leaves, and which re([uire to be left in the 

 ground all suuimer, it should be quite possible 

 to have the front garden comparatively gay, 

 while also adding its quota to the food supply. 

 8up])osing we beghi Avith the border under the 

 Avindows. No better place could be found for 

 groAA'ing Runner Beans, Avhich will yield quite a 

 large supply of succulent pods for use during 

 late summer and autumn. If the soil be deeply 

 dug noAV and left till the end of the month it 



Avill be in good condition for seed sOAA'ing. Firm 

 the soil bj' lightl}' treading it, and sow the seeds 

 J) inches apart and about 3 inches deep. As the 

 seedlings groAV they may be trained up strings 

 attached by nails to the Avall, alloA\dng a length 

 of <) or 8 feet for each plant. All summer plenty 

 of hoAvers Avill be ])rocluced, and theie are many 

 far less beautiful HoAver.s highlj' ])raised. The 

 pods may be used for cooking as soon as they 

 are 6 inches or so long, and should be kept 

 picked so that none is alloAved to become old 

 and develop seeds Avithin. Thus the plants AviU 

 go on producing tloAvei's and pods till frost 

 comes. In dry Aveather Avater copiously. 



The next vegetable Avhich occurs to us as 

 suital)le for the front garden is Beet. Freshly 

 manured soil is not Avanted, in fact it is highly 

 detrimental to the long-root€xl A'^arieties. Most 

 of the A'ariet'cs have deep bronzy-red leaA'es, 

 so beautiful that certam A'^ar'eties are often used 

 in floAver gardening. There are also green- 

 leaved varieties, and if no\'el effect is desired it 

 might be an adAantage to mix them. The seeds 

 should not be S(>Avn before May. Meantime, dig 

 the bed or border the full depth of the spade and 

 haA'e it read}' for soAving next month. If the 

 soil is rather shalloAv soav vhe Globe or Turnip- 

 rooted variet}^ as it groAVS more on the surface. 

 The seeds may be sown in lines or broadcast, 

 and should be covered about an inch dee]). 

 When the seedlings are large enough to handle 

 easily, thin out to a foot betAveen each ])lant. 

 To add to the effect an outer edging of parsley 

 may be soAvn uoav, then by the time the beet has 

 made some g^-OAvth the ])arsley shoukl be 

 groAving nicely. Beet has many uses in the 

 house, being used in salads or dressed Avith 

 vinegar, and eaten a\ ith cold meat. It may also 

 be cooked Avhole and used as a vegetable Avithout 

 the addition of vinegar. It is highly nutritious, 

 being rich in sugar. Parsley is not only useful 



