THE 



GARDENERS' 



Monthly 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Volume XXV. 



MARCH, 1883. 



Number 291 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



In our last we gave a design for a set of flower 

 beds, with some remarks favorable to the bedding 



system of flower gardening, as forming a pleasing 

 contrast to other methods of ornamenting gardens 

 and grounds. Herewith is another. They each 



afford hints from which all may profit, even though 

 it is not possible to imitate the pattern. 



In all cases, if flowers have been growing in the 

 ground many years, new soil does wonders. Rich 

 manure makes flowers grow, but they do not 

 always flower well with vigorous growth. 

 If new soil cannot be had, a wheel- 

 barrow of manure to about every fifty 

 square feet will be enough. If the garden 

 earth looks gray or yellow, rotten leaves — 

 quite rotten leaves — will improve it. If 

 heavy, add sand. If very sandy, add salt 

 — about half a pint to fifty square feet. 

 If very black or rich from previous years' 

 manurings, use a little lime, about a pint, 

 slacked, to fifty square feet. 



With March, in the Middle States, comes 

 the annual clearing up — the final dressing 

 over the grave of buried winter, and the 

 planting of it with spring flowers and green 

 things. The lawn is always the first con- 

 sideration, for the " strip of green grass " 

 is often the vivifying germ which warms 

 the citizen's heart into active love for coun- 

 try life. Much as the lawn plays a part in 

 English gardening, it is of much more 

 account with us. Our heats render the grass 

 particularly refreshing. Our droughts are some- 

 what against our great success — but the charm 



