108 



The Horticultural and Journal 



Flower G-arden for April. 



MAKE all possible preparation this month in 

 readiness for planting when the season is 

 advanced enough for that purpose ; see there is 

 a stock of stakes of the sizes required for 

 tying large plants which are likely to be dis- 

 turbed by the wind ; dig up flower beds and 

 borders, at the same time adding decayed ma- 

 nure or fresh soil; this is necessary in all 

 beds in which strong growing plants, such as 

 Cannas, Humea, Castor oil plantsand Cala- 

 diums are planted, and also for Verbenas, 

 Alternantheras and variegated Greraniums. It 

 is also necessary to stir the soil at least two 

 feet deep ; plants growing in soil only three 

 or four inches deep suffer as soon as the hot 

 weather commences, but those planted in deep 

 dug soil will grow away during the longest 

 drought. We have tested this here, where 

 cause and effect is much more perceptible 

 than in the damp climate of England. 



If there are any alterations to finish in 

 making or rearranging beds or borders, get 

 them completed as soon as possible ; but after 

 such a very mild winter that work will no 

 doubt be generally complete. When the frost 

 is quite out of the ground, any hardy herba- 

 ceous plants, such as Paeonies, Pentstemons, 

 Tritonaes, Hollyhocks, Pampas Grass, ever- 

 green Candytuft, and Phloxes, should be 

 planted at once. These plants are best planted 

 in groups or patches in shrub borders, not 

 under the shade of shrubs and where they 

 will be overgrown with the roots and tops of 

 large trees, or they will be exhausted and rob- 

 bed of all moisture by their stronger neigh- 

 bors. The ground should be stirred deep be- 

 fore planting ; it is no use to make a hole just 

 big enough to receive the roots and leave all 

 around as hard as a road. 



Lilies. — If bulbs of Liliums were not planted 

 in autumn, which they always should be except 

 Longiflorum, which is not quite hardy, plant 

 at once, and in this case do not expect grand 

 results ; the lilies make their largest quantity 



of roots in the winter before the tops com- 

 mence to grow, which can be seen by taking 

 up roots as soon as frost is out of the ground. 



Gladiolus — Plant some Gladiolus for early 

 flowering, it often proves the earliest planted 

 bulb, gives the finest flower spikes, and by mak- 

 ing several plantings at intervals of two or three 

 weeks, it will usually give a succession of blooms 

 until frost commences. There are now so many 

 handsome varieties of these flowers that it is 

 difficult to advise what sorts to plant, as it is 

 rather a question of money ; but I may say 

 that many of the varieties sent out in the last 

 five or six years are altogether more hand- 

 some than the older sorts ; at the same time 

 if any one requires a large mass of bright 

 color, the old Brechleyensis is unsurpassed ; 

 but if a large white, or in some instances a 

 beautiful striped and flaked flower is required, 

 grow Shakespeare, which is often as handsome 

 as the finest Orchid ; and La Candeur is as 

 near perfection in flower and spike as a pure 

 white Gladiolus can be. 



3Iignonette.—Sow a few patches of Mig- 

 nonette in various parts of the garden ; the 

 scent is very pleasant and refreshing and is 

 also useful for bees, which should be kept by 

 dwellers in the country. 



Siveet Peas and Verbenas. — Some 

 Sweet Peas should also be sown either 

 against fences or in circles, to be supported 

 by a few brushy stakes. About the third 

 week in the month is a good time to plant 

 Verbenas, or if the weather is favorable, even 

 earlier. We saw some planted very early in the 

 month last year and they did very well, al- 

 though it was very cold, quite hard frost, and 

 snow after the plants were out. The advan- 

 tage in early planting is, that the plants get 

 well established before hot weather com- 

 mences, and spread out and cover the ground 

 with a dwarf compact growth which flowers 

 much better than later planted ones. Verbe- 

 nas should be planted in a large mass, with 

 the colors nicely mixed to make the most sat- 

 isfactory show. We have seen a border only 

 wide enough to plant two rows look very well 

 indeed by dotting in the various colors with 

 judgment ; but we consider a large circular 



