78 



IRISH GARDENING 



encouraged. There is also rouui lor more 

 originality, which, if the tables decorated for 

 conqjetition at the various flower shows are to be 

 taken as examples, is still lacking, and there are 

 still people who consider a tall centre piece, 

 hiding those at the o]>posite side of the table 

 completely from view, more effective than a light 

 dainty arrangement of flowers which in itself 

 alone would encourage one to sit at table. 

 Visitors to the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 Spring Flower Show, held at Ballsbridge on the 

 15th and Kith of April, had the opportunity of 

 seeing six tables, decorated for competition, ni a 

 variety of styles. The first and second prize 

 tables the flowers had been well selected, the 

 arrangement was good, the ribbons used were 

 exactly the shade of the flowers, and both tables 

 were light, the diners would have had no difficulty 

 in seeing and speaking to each other. The ])lates 

 and glass used were also in accordance with the 

 rules laid down in the schedule and suitable to the 

 decoration, there was also room on the tables for 

 the necessary dessert dishes, &c. (as these tables 

 were all laid for dessert). 



The colour of the flowers is the chief thing to be 

 considered. Many very nice light and easily 

 arranged flowers will be useless at night owing to 

 the fact that they change colour in artificial light. 

 This applies to a great many Lilac flowers, purple 

 and magenta, and the two latter colours should 

 not be used, as they are bad night colours. On the 

 other hand, very pale colours are apt at night 

 time to look insignificant. If clear glasses are 

 used they should be perfectly clean and the 

 water absolutely fresh. The first prize table at 

 the Horticultural Show was very well carried out 

 in every detail, and perhaps the only detail about 

 which there could have been a question was 

 whether the colour of the pale blue Anemones 

 would have been too faint at night. The small 

 low glasses arranged in a circle, with ribbons 

 which matched them exactly, was a very charming 

 idea, well carried out, and the dainty circle of 

 small leaved Ivy surrounding the glasses gave the 

 finishing touch- 

 Contrasts should be avoided as much as pos- 

 sible, they are not as a rule pleasing or restful, 

 bat, of course, the necessity for a contrast juay 

 arise, in which case great care should b,j exercised 

 that the weaker colour predominates. This 

 remark also applies to all et ceteras used in table 

 decoration, such as ribbons, chiffon or other 

 material, unless the exact shade can be used, any 

 other should be paler than the flowers. Strongly 

 scented flowers, such as many of the Lilies, 

 Polyanthus Narcissus, &c., are not good subjects, 

 as people often object to the heavy smell, which 

 naturally becomes still more oppressive as the 

 temperature of the room rises. There is an idea 

 still in existence that because the subjects used 

 have bloomed under glass, and demand expensive 

 conditions, that they take precedence of many of 

 our beautiful hardy garden flowers, which any 

 gardener, however small his plot may be, can 

 produce. Surely a table decorated with Sweet 

 Peas, Columbines, Iceland or Shirley Poppies, or 

 scarlet Poe Anemones, can be made to look every 

 bit as charming, if not more charming, than one 

 carried out in Orchids (Cattleyas, Calanthes, &c.), 

 Malmaison Carnations, or even Mimosa (Acacia), 

 which. can only be had either for the buying or 

 bv those who have glasshouses. 

 ^ R. M. P. 



The Month^s Work. 



The Flower Garden. 



Hy \\\m. (■•. W'ADOE, Cardener to Lady O'Neill, 

 Shane's Castle, Antrim. 



The work that will occupy nujst of our time this 

 month is the lilling of the flower beds for a sum- 

 mer display, and the preparation of the beds for 

 the plants and the plants for the beds. The last 

 ten days of May and the first ten days of .Tune are 

 the days during which most bedding out is 

 usually done ; a little earlier or later according 

 to the season and the locality. Get everything 

 in readiness — beds dug, manured, trodden firm, 

 and raked level ; watering may also b^ necessary, 

 es))ecially where the Wallflowers have been 

 blooming. Do not use rank manure, especially 

 for beds to be filled with Geraniums. Spent hot 

 bed material — which is usually half leaves — 

 when decayed, is very suitable. Bulbs and 

 Polyanthus that are lifted as the work ])roceeds 

 should be i>lanted on a reserve border ; for the 

 Polyanthus it is better if partially shaded. As 

 regards the plants to use, much depends on in- 

 di\ idvial taste. A greater vaiiety is used now than 

 formerly, but for furnishing beds of a geometrical 

 design, the old Geraniums, Calceolarias. Begonias, 

 and Violas are hard to beat. In large beds 

 standing by themselves, dot plants, when well 

 grown, are very handsome, and relieve what 

 might be monotonous. The locality must be 

 taken into consideration — whether warm or cold, 

 sheltered or exposed. Better a bed of Geraniums 

 growing and flowering well than tender green- 

 house ])lants refusing to grow, and pi'esenting a 

 miserable, uncomfortable appearance. A writer, 

 recently describing a certain estate, wrote of the 

 flower garden that there was neither a bed of Ger- 

 aniums nor a single Geranium plant used through- 

 out. The time when that will ap})ly to many 

 places is not yet. 



Continue the process of hardening the ])lants. 

 To do this caretuUy entails considerable labour 

 in mo\ing plants from one ]>osition to another 

 when they have to be grown in fruit houses, and 

 the plants are of secondary importance. Place 

 the more tender subjects, .such as lle]iotroi)e, 

 Alternanthera, Iresine, Coleus, and Salvia to- 

 gether ; by so doing the.se could readilj' be pro- 

 tected at nignt on occasions when it would be 

 unnecessary to cover others that are more hardy. 

 Guard against starving the plants. Weak manure 

 water may be given with advantage it the ])ots 

 are filled with roots. Large trained plants must 

 be plunged to the pot rims in asfies in a sheltered 

 corner, and made secure against wind. 



Pi^ANTS IX Vasks and Tubs. — Vases add much 

 to the embellishment of the flower garden when 

 well furnished with suitable plants. The .soil for 

 these should be rich : the roots being conlined, 

 the ])lants will not grow unduly strong. Vases 

 being usually ])laced in l)rominent jiositions, it is 

 essential that good jilants be selected, and every 

 encouragement given them to start into active 

 growth. Damp over the foliage occasionally in 

 warm weather ; and when the roots are wt)rking 

 freely, a little feeding should be given Fuchsias 

 are svitable for vases, the raised position showing 



