IRISH GARDENING 



II 



Hints to Novices. 



By R. M. Poi.T-OCK. 

 War or no war, work nxust be gone on with in the 

 garden ; many things have to be done now, and 

 the coming seasons nxust be i)rei)ared for. It 

 would be a sad state of affairs were ovir gardens 

 not looking their best to welcome the heroes on 

 their return, and there are many who have left 

 their honies whose gardens occujned much of their 

 time, who would be sadly disappointed if tliose 

 left behind had not done their best. 



If the fruit trees have not already been pruned, 

 the sooner this is put in hands the better, as when 

 ])runing is completed spraying may be started. 

 The first of these is the Bluestone spray 

 (Sulphate of 

 Coi)i)er) for 

 apple and 

 pear trees, 

 where scab 

 and s|)ot may 

 b e — lib. of 

 Bluestone to 

 2 gallons 

 water. The 

 Sulphate of 

 Co])]}er takes 

 a long time 

 to dissolve, 

 so that i)re- 

 ]) a r a t i o n s 

 should b e 

 made a day 

 before the 

 si)raying is 

 to commence. 

 This ingre- 

 dient is not 

 e X p e n s ive, 

 and can be 

 had from 

 any druggist. 

 A fine sprayer 

 sliould b e 

 used , and 

 variovisforms 

 of these are 

 now on the 

 market, and 

 ])rice. 



EIdgings. — These can be made during the 

 ])resent month, and care should be taken to iirm 

 the ground well before planting, so that when 

 everything is complete the plants will all remain 

 at the same level. There are many low and close 

 growing ])lants most suitable for such work, 

 among wliich of course box is the most common : 

 but tins has its drawbacks, and that most often 

 stated is that it harbours garden ])ests, such as 

 slugs, woodlice, snails, &c. That it does tliis 

 no one will deny, but that it does it to any 

 greater extent than any other form of edging is 

 doubtful. Another reason against box is tlie 

 time it takes to trim and keej) ti(l_\'. As regards 

 the latter, there is very little done anywhere that 

 does not take some little time and trouble. In 

 many places box is the only suitable edging. 



Tlirift, Armeria maritima, is a compact growing 

 plant, a good deep green, and a ])lant which will 

 stand any amount of hard usage, such as many 

 edging ]>lants have to undergo. 



can be had at 



Mossy Saxifrages are another suitable class 

 of plant. Varieties of Saxifraga decipiens, white, 

 ])ink and red, or varieties of S. muscoides. These 

 have the advantage of bearing flowers which can 

 be gathered, but both have the disadvantage of 

 being very attractive to birds, as they can pull 

 theni apart to search for food lying underneath. 

 The ordinary London Pride, Saxi''raga umbrosa, 

 makes a charming edging, in sun or shade, but 

 it is a rapid grower, and would have to be re-made 

 every couple of years. The most popular edging 

 at present is a stone edging, over and between 

 which alpine and rock plants can be planted, and 

 so combine a varied effect with vitility. 



Roses on walls should have their shoots 

 shortened back, so that when growth commences 

 the shoots will be low down and the flowers within 



reach. This 

 a p j) 1 i e s to 

 Reve d'Or, 

 Mrs. W. J. 

 Grant, S a- 

 frano, Gloire 

 de Dijon, 

 Reine Marie 

 Henriett e 

 and many 

 others, but 

 the Rambler 

 Roses, such 

 as Dorothy 

 Perkins, 

 I) o r o t h y 

 I) e nni so n, 

 f * r i m s o n 

 R a n\ b 1 e r , 

 E X c e 1 s a , 

 Blush Ram- 

 b 1 e r. Tea 

 R ambler, &c., 

 should only 

 have the 

 old wood re- 

 moved, and 

 no pruning 

 of any sort 

 done to the 

 new shoots. 



A m o n g 

 climbers suit- 

 able for light ])illars and trellis work, in a bright 

 warm ]^osition, the following may be mentioned : — 

 Vitis flexuosa major, one of the brightest of all 

 the vines, and very free growing. 



Vitis Henryana, with small very much divided 

 leaves and marked veins. A good colour the 

 wliole season. 



Forsythia suspensa, this well-known shrub 

 needs little recommendation, its yellow flowers 

 and free habit being very popular. 



Polygonum Baldschuanicum, a ra])id grower, 

 with i)a.nicles of pale pink flowers in .luly. 



Rubus flagelliflorus, a very attractive Chinese 

 climber of recent introduction, with beautiful 

 velvety marbled leaves, which seems tt) thrive 

 best in semi-shade. The flowers are incons])icuous, 

 bub is worth growing for its foliage alone. 



Clematis aromatica (also known as C. coerulea 

 odorata) with small flowers, but very sweetly 

 scented. 



C. flammula, with large trusses of small white 

 flowers ])roduced late in the season, and, like tl e 

 previous si)ecies, sweetly scented. 



Fhe Cabob Tree (see page 13) 



reasonable 



