70 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Rock gardens are becominsr very popular and there are 

 generally many ]K)sitions where they fit in well. They, 

 however, never should be attenijrted unless one has plenty 

 of help at his command, as they have to be weeded by 

 hand and those that do the work must be well posted on 

 and plants used. 



Roses may be pruned early in April. Hybrid perpetuals 

 we prune back to two eyes. Where garden effects are 

 desired they may be left much longer. With Tea.s and 

 hybrid teas we only thin out the week wood. Ramblers 

 or hardy climbers need to be cut back to keep them 

 within their allotted space, and all weak and useless wood 

 removed ; over crowding must be avoided. 



Canterbury bells (Campanula medium) can now be 

 planted where they are wanted in the border or in other 

 places where they will be effective or useful for cut 

 flowers. 



Forget-me-nots (Mysotis), pansies. and English daisies 

 (Bellis) that were Fall sown can now the placed in their 

 flowering positions when weather permits. For Summer 

 flowering pansies, sow the seed outdoors about the end 

 of April and transplant to the flowering quarters when 

 large enough to handle. Spring sown pansies last well 

 through the Summer if well watered. 



Any planting of shrubs can be done now ; personally 

 I have always had better success planting trees and shrubs 

 in the Spring than in the Fall. They, however, need care- 

 ful attention as regards watering throughout the Summer. 

 As regards roses, unless they have been pot-grown, we 

 always believe that on receiving them from the nursery, 

 the best thing to do with them is to bury them in a trench, 

 covering them with good damp soil for a week or ten 

 days. Quite often they have been out of the soil for a 

 long time and are somewhat .shriveled. The burying 

 process will plump up the wood. There is too much of 

 the slap-dash method with many nurserymen. Sales seem 

 to be what many of them are after so that not enough 

 attention is paid' to the goods delivered. 



IX THE GREENHOUSE 



In the greenhouse everything is now in more or less 

 active growth. There will be many Spring plants in 

 flower and the difficulty will be in retarding the flowering 

 period of many things for later use. .\ light cool pit or a 

 greenhouse facing north is almost indispensable at this 

 season of the year. Acacias or other hard-wood plants 

 that have finished flowering need looking over. If they 

 are root-bound they require jxitting. I never like to trim 

 them into sliape until they show signs of starting into 

 new growth and have grip]>ed the new soil. Use a mix- 

 ture of peat and good loam, if a good fibery peat is ob- 

 tainable. If not. use plenty of half-decayed hard wood 

 leaves, along with the loam. Avoid all use of lime in the 

 soil, as hard-wood plants do not object to an acid soil, in 

 fact, they do better in it. Any hard-wood plant that is 

 not over well rooted is better if allowed to go a second 

 year in the same pot. giving waterings with soot water 

 alternately with Clay's fertilizer. Re careful never to 

 overdo feeding hard-wood jjlants. Rain water is best for 

 all plants and especially for the hard-wood shrub section. 

 It is a pity that one does not see more often provision 

 made for catching the rain water from the roofs of green- 

 houses and other buildings. .\ good waterproof tank 

 should be made handy to the greenhouses, sui)i>lied with 

 a motor, or gasoline-driven engine pump with pii)es lead- 

 ing all tthough the greenhouses. .\n experienced eye 

 can soon detect it in the general appearance and healthy 

 look of the plants, especially the foliage. Many of the 

 difficulties that one has with certain plants of the heath 

 family and orchids might be overcome by the use of ram 

 water. 



Kee]> the young begonias of the Lorraine ty{>e, and the 

 Socotrana tuberous rooted hybrids potted as long as they 

 require it. Never allow them to get jxjt lx)und. Keep 

 them growing in a temperature close to 65 degrees. 



All bedding plants for outdoor work may be potted into 

 3i/j-inch pots the last of March. That size of [XDt will 

 generally carry them over until such time as they are 

 planted outdoors. 



.A batch of cuttings of Fuphorbia jaccjuiniseflora mav 'be 

 secured and rooted at this time. Do not over-water these 

 cuttings. Give them a good watering when they are put 

 in and allow them to get fairly dry before another is given. 



The primings of the smaller wood of Dipladenias may 

 be cut under two leaves about an inch long. These make 

 excellent cuttings and treated the same as Euphorbia, root 

 readily in a temperature close to 65 deg. Old plants of 

 Dipladenia should now be starting into growth and may 

 be potted if they require it. We run them two years in 

 the same pot, after they are well rooted in size 7 in. Lack of 

 success with Dipladenia is, as a rule, due to overpotting, and 

 growing them under too heavy a shade in a hot lumiid 

 atmosphere. We grow them in an old greenhouse that is 

 never shaded and all Winter the temperature is never 

 over 50 deg. Veiy little water is given during the Winter 

 months, just enough to keep the wood from shriveling, 

 which is generally about once a week when we syringe 

 them, as thev are subject to red spider. They flower with 

 us from June until the middle of January. Cuttings 

 rooted as advised above will flower beautifully in 3l-2 -inch 

 pots the first .season. They delight in a good open com- 

 post of fibre, loam and chopped up roots of Osmunda fern, 

 otherwise called orchid ])eat. Add some coarse bone 

 and charcoal to the compost. We have a large plant in an 

 18-in tub which has not had a shift for three years. 

 It is now starting well into growth, and after it is in full 

 growth, we shall feed it twice a week, once with Clay's 

 fertilizer and the second time with cow manure water, a 

 good handful to an ordinary three-gallon watering pot. 



Gloriosa Rothschildiana superba is another good Sum- 

 mer-flowering plant. Start singly in small pots, and when 

 they have made a fair quantity of roots, five or six may l>e 

 ])laced in a 12-inch jxit. Use a compost of good rich 

 iumi>v loam with enough sand to keep it porous. When 

 starting them in small jiots. water very little until growth 

 has conmienced. .^ trellis has to be used to train them on, 

 in any shape desired. Gloriosas require a night tempera- 

 ture around 60 deg., and should never have more than a 

 very light shade over them. 



Foliage plants in the tropical house will now be grow- 

 ing nicely, and careful shading is ret|uired on all bright, 

 sunsliiny days. Crotons require only a very lighi shade, 

 just enough to keep the leaves from burning, otherwise 

 one will get very poor colors on them. Airing in the 

 tropical house has yet to be carefully done to avoid 

 draughts. Damp the benches and floors well several times 

 a day, and syringe the foliage well in the forenoon. Vigi- 

 lance against insect pests must be exercised at all times, 

 as nothing injures the beauty of the leaves more quickly. 

 Palms may be fed liberally, if they have not been rejxitted 

 tins Spring. A night temperature around 55 deg. is best 

 for them, as they make a much firmer and hardier growth, 

 and can stand being moved around better when they are 

 re(|uired for decorative worlc. 



r.y .April first many of the h.irdier annuals and i)lants 

 that are to be used for planting out. may be transferred 

 to cold frames. They can be aired nuire freely on all good 

 days, pre|)armg them better to stand up under outdoor 

 culture, when the time arrives for planting them out. The 

 Darwin Tulips can now Iw enjoyed. They do not like to 

 be forced iti a hi^h temperature; 50-55 deg. is warm 



