IRISH GARDENING 



6i 



Hints to Novices. 



\iy H. M. POTXOriC. 



April is one of the biisiest months of the whole 

 yeax% there is an enormoiis amount of work which 

 sliouid be done, and if the weather is bright and 

 mild, and with the longer evenings, there is no 

 reason why everything should not be carried out. 

 Any annuals that were sown in heat or under 

 cover will be ready for pricking off. This is 

 always best done into boxes or pans, preferably 

 boxes, as they are cheaper than pans, and can be 

 niade on the premises, and if the wet winter days 

 were niade use of there sliould be no lack of these 

 now. Drainage must be provided in these boxes, 

 either in the form of holes or by leaving a 

 division along the bottom of the box. Over these 

 openings place some br'oken crocks or cinders, 

 and over these again sonie moss or fibre of any 

 sort to prevent the soil getting into the drainage 

 and clogging it. Fill the box to witliin an inch 

 of the top with good soil : old potting soil mixed 

 with leaf-mould and sand will do splendidly. 

 Level off the top, and into this prick out the 

 seedlings. In most cases they should be dibbled 

 in singly. Make the hole sufficiently deep to 

 allow the young root to go in freely, push a little 

 soil gently down into the hole to cover the root, 

 and then tighten the neck of the seedling well. 

 Firmness in pricking oft' is half the life of the 

 young seedling, and gives it a chance to make a 

 start at once and to take a firm, liold in the soil. 

 When pricked off the woi-st enemies are the 

 slugs and woodlice, but if the ground of the frame 

 1)0 lightly ,s])rinkled witli vaporite, very few 

 insects will venture round the boxes. Vaporite 

 should, however* be used with great care, as if 

 init on the young foliage it will burn it. Orange 

 peel is an excellent and sure trap for these jjests, 

 as one bit of this fruit will attract them from some 

 distance, and they can be destroyed. Orange 

 l^eel, however, is unsightly, and should be hidden 

 as far as possible from view. 



A sowing of annuals in the open may be made 

 as soon as the weatxier softens. In last month's 

 notes this was reconamended, but tin- moutli 

 turned out so hai-sh and cold that most gardeners 

 will have hesitated, from sowing any annual seed. 

 In town garder 5, or gardens attached to terrace 

 houses, cats are the trouble, and the only satis- 

 factory method for protecting tlie seeds from 

 these " pests " is wire nettin^, either bought in 

 the made up form of " jced protectors " or getting 

 it by the yard and cutting it to suit i^equirements. 

 Among tlie many good showy annuals for sowing 

 in the open the following may be mentioned :■ — 

 Eschscholtzia csespitosa, a small yellow 

 variety, quite worth growing, and not so untidy 

 as the usual form. 



(lilia liniflora, white sliaded lilac, 12 inclies 

 high. An excellent annual for picking, and lasting 

 well in water. The flowers resemble those of the 

 flax, and are sweet-scented. 



Leptosiphon liybridus. charming little annuals, 

 only a few inches high, in various shades of orange, 

 yellow, scarlet, pink and white. Excellent for 

 an empty pocket in a bright corner of tlie rock 

 work or in the front of a border, and are among 

 some of the very few annuals which will bare 

 close sowing. 



Inopsidium acaule. — Perhaps this can hardly 

 claim to be sliowy, but|it makes uj) in attraction. 

 It is barolv 2 inches high. ;ind forms little tufts 



of foliage and pale lilac flowers. Once sown it 

 continues to appear from self-sown seed. 



Eucharidium concinnum, another hardy annual 

 whicli can be sown where it is to flower, and which 

 remains in bloom the whole summer. The 

 flowers are pink, rather resembling those of a 

 single Clarkia. In this case the seedlings require 

 plenty of room to develop. 



Leptosyne Stilhnannii, a dainty annual like a 

 miniature Dahlia, introduced to cultivation from 

 California. The flowers are yellow, produced 

 singly on graceful stems about 12 inches high. 

 The slugs seem to have a particular liking for the 

 youiiK t;l()s>\ foliage. 



McwIn iiinile rustic arclies or jjergolas can be 

 covered ([uickly and temporarily by sowing the 

 Canary Creeper, large-flowered Convolvulus, or 

 Xastvirtiums. These are all quick growers, and 

 they are all attractive and bright. Tropa^olum 

 tuberosum is easily grown and easily obtained, 

 and it is a quick growing and a bright climber, 

 but, of course, it dies down in the winter, and 

 should therefore only be planted where a summer 

 covering is needed. 



Sweet Peas. — -If tliose that were sown in pots 

 are tall enough they may get their first stakes. 

 The seedlings should never be allowed to droop 

 in their pots wliile waiting for support. The 

 supports sliould be there when the first tendrils 

 are made. See that watering is carefully attended 

 to. Any check to the roots at this early stage will 

 leave its mark in the future. 



Violets that have ceased to flower may be 

 lifted, divided and replanted. In most places 

 these have been very late this vear. and it is 

 ))Ossible that thev will continue "to bloom well 

 through April an(l into May. .\o \iolel planta- 

 tions should be kept more than two seasons: after 

 that time all the flowers produced have such 

 short stalks and the foliage gets stvmted. They 

 want good, deep, rich, AveU trenched soil, and it 

 is no use trying to grow them in liglit soil oi' in 

 full sun. They like good depth for their roots 

 and semi-shade for their flowers. 



Brunfelsia calycina floribunda 



Tins desirable stove i)lant will be kiu)wn to many 

 as Franciscea, and this name, although con- 

 sidered out of date, is still retained in several 

 trade catalogues. An exam])le under my care 

 has been in bloom for several wet-ks. and judging 

 from the numerous buds it will continue to give 

 a good display for some time. It is a dwarf form 

 of B. calycina, and the fragrant fiowei's. about 

 2 inches 'across, are a beautiful nuiuvt-. The 

 \)lant referred to is in a 5 -inch pot, and near by 

 is an exami)le of B. confertiflora, whicdi is ver\- 

 effective with its soft blue flowers, that turn pale 

 with age. Both are natives of Brazil, and evergreen. 



Any repott'ng should be done soon after the 

 blooms are removed, using a mixture of light rich 

 soil, but ftn- large examiiles a more retentive 

 compost can be employed. During the growing 

 period a moist stove temi)eratiire is required, and 

 the plants may be freely spra.yed ovei'head when- 

 ever the eU'iiieuts are favourabK'. If any exami)les 

 have tilled their receptacles with roots, an 

 occasional application of weak liquid manure will 

 be beneficial. 



When the season's growth is finished the ])lants 

 can be removed to a cooler and drier stni'ture to 

 harden the wood. T. \V. B. 



