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The liorticulturist and Journal 



Flower Garden for May. 



THI8 is the most important montli in the 

 year in this department, as the beauty or 

 otherwise of the arrangement for the sunmier 

 and autunui depends on the time and manner 

 of planting. 



Lawns. — It is not too late to increase the 

 vigor of the turf by giving a dressing, sowed 

 broadcast, of salt and guano, at the rate of 

 two hundred of the former to one of the latter 

 per acre ; the grass will not burn up so soon 

 after this dressing, but the best managed 

 lawn, unless it is frequently watered will not 

 continue green and fresh through our hot sum- 

 mer, but by careful management may be 

 kept fresher than is often seen. We noticed 

 some beautiful green turf in the neighborhood 

 of Boston, after a very dry summer. 



Vevhenas. — If not already planted no 

 time should be lost in doing so, also Chrysan- 

 themums and Carnations for lifting in autumn 

 for winter flowering in-doors ; there is nothing 

 gained by planting out tender plants before 

 the 20th of the month, and if it is very dry 

 with cold nights it is better postponed for a 

 few days later ; if the plants are well looked 

 after for water and not kept too warm and 

 tender, they will take to the ground better by 

 waiting a few days than if exposed to a dry 

 cutting wind when first planted. Where there 

 is but a moderate quantity to plant, it is 

 generally possible to pick a still, damp or dull 

 day when there is promise of rain. 



Transp/fuitinf/. — Rules for turning plants 

 into open groimd will be useful to some of our 

 readers. Always see the soil is thoroughly 

 moist in the pots, if not it is difficult to turn 

 the plants out without breaking the roots, and 

 the old ball of soil will remain dry after fi^e- 

 quent waterings. Make the soil thoroughly 

 firm round the roots, for them to strike at 

 once into the fresh soil ; if necessary to water 

 the plants after planting, do it with a spout 

 not wetting the soil all over the ground ; this 

 only cools the soil without giving the plants 



any benefit, and the soil is seldom dry far 

 below the surface at this season. If the beds 

 were well turned up in the fall, which should 

 always be done at the same time adding any 

 fresh soil or manure required, nothing more 

 will be required but stirring up with a fork, 

 which should be done a few days before plant- 

 ing, to allow the sun to warm the soil. We 

 shall infer that it has been previously decided 

 how the most prominent beds are to be planted, 

 and the requisite number of plants prepared 

 for each, so we have nothing to do but bring 

 the plants out and plant them at once, for the 

 less time pot plants are standing about before 

 planting the better, as in a very short time 

 they get dust dry and the roots suffer. We 

 mention this from noticing very enthusiastic 

 amateurs taking out a quantity of plants in the 

 morning and leaving a number unplanted until 

 perhaps the next day, and then planting when 

 the pots were dust dry. 



F loir (I- lleds — There are but few regular 

 designed flower gardens in this country, which is 

 generally the best style, for it gives a freer system 

 of planting. One of the prettiest we have seen 

 was at Mr. Hunnewell's at Wellesley, near 

 Boston ; in this the variegated Geraniums were 

 growing better than we had seen since leaving 

 England, and the Alternantheras of course 

 were perfect. Where, these regular designs 

 have to be planted, the carpet system of bed- 

 ding is the best, using chiefly dwarf foliage 

 plants, such as Coleus with perhaps a Musa 

 or large (Janna in the center, and edged with 

 Cinerarias, Maritima or Centaurea, other beds 

 Alternantheras, and others Echeverias, such as 

 metallica in the center, and secunda glauca, 

 or rosacea for an edging ; this last is a great 

 improvement on secunda glauca ; when the 

 new fai'inosa is plentiful enough it will also 

 be much used for this purpose. We have 

 already Cotyledon orbiculata and Pachyphy- 

 tum bracteosum, both good as frosted succu- 

 lents, taking the same place among these 

 plants as Centaurea does among the foliage 

 plants. 



Where the flower garden consists of beds 

 placed in irregular positions about the lawn, 

 it is a ;iiinp1(' matter to plant these, for usually 



