IRISH GARDENING. 



11 



minimise the clieck of plantinjjf into the beds. See that 

 starvation is not substituted for " hardening oft'. " Too 

 often plants in small pots are exposed to the full blaze 

 of the sun and cold, drying- winds with the view of 

 making them hardy. With such treatment they become 

 stunted and wirv ; the tissues are dried up, and when 

 ultimately planted a long time passes before they make 

 a start into healthy growth. Instead of exposing small 

 pots to the full sun or wind for weeks shade them during 

 the hottest part of the day, or else turn the plants into 

 nursery beds of light soil, which will induce plenty of 

 roots and a healthy appearance by the middle or end of 

 May. Where there is not convenience for the home 

 propagation and culture of the usual bedding-out plants, 

 such can be purchased very cheaply from the leading 

 nurserymen, and shading of the plants from bright sun 

 should be continued for ten days after being set out. 



Pla.\ting OlT. — Provided the beds and borders have 

 been previously maiuired and dug, they should now be 

 forked over and well pulverised a few days before it is 

 intended to begin planting. The levelling and raking 

 of beds should follow. To prevent confusion and delay a 

 working plan of every bed should be previously prepared. 

 In a geometrical flower garden consideration must be 

 given to the question of harmony and contrast in arrang- 

 ing the colours, for the disposition of flowering plants 

 must be looked upon as the crowning touch of dress to a 

 flower garden. Some gardens are paltry in themselves 

 and often placed in the worse possible positions for the 

 development of an artistic effect. X promiscuous 

 collection of herbaceous and other flowering plants 

 should never be planted in any number of the beds 

 which form part of a geometric group, wilh the 

 remainder of the beds planted in distinct masses of 

 colour. In planting groups of beds the mixing of 

 different colours in one bed is not to be recommended. 

 Small beds may be planted with one colour. Beds 

 exceeding twelve feet in diameter should be planted 

 with two or more in order to relieve a heavy mass of 

 colour and place the strongest colour at the margin of 

 the bed. In planting long borders avoid a common 

 practice of cutting them up into fantastic little beds. 

 Vor effect an entire surface in flowers, with relieving, 

 graceful specimen plants, is preferable, and the simpler 

 the design, if properly balanced, the better. Of course 

 a yearly change of design and arrangement is necessary 

 to sustain the interest. To those with limited experience 

 1 would caution to try only those plants that the 

 conditions of your garden or grounds will grow well. 

 .\11 others will be ve-xatious and a useless expenditure of 

 time, mone)', and strength. .An expert can assimilate 

 conditions and give suitable requirements in substitution, 

 but he knows how to use them and when not to tr\' the 

 impossible. There are plants, like some people, that 

 you cannot provide with an agreeable environment. 

 Vou have to leave them alone and agree with the poet 

 when he says : 



" Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 

 .^nd waste its sweetness on the desert air." 



Individual taste and experiments can be tried in 

 planting for effect. For instance, I saw in a lady's 

 garden last year a long border planted entirely wilh 

 the lovely blue Salvia patens, relieved with tall plants of 

 Hydrangea panicitlata^ and for an edging Matricari.a 



Golden Hall ; and a fine border it made, .and somewhat 

 uncommon. 



TirBEROus Begonia.s. — For bedding purposes be- 

 gonias look best in good groups of identical shades of 

 colour. There are nianv well-known strains that are 

 favoured for erect habit and some particular shade of 

 colour, but I have not seen much to beat the old variety 

 Worthiana for quickly covering a bed and standing 

 rain well. In the West of Ireland, where they seldom 

 suffer from drought, this variety does remarkably well, 

 and is largely planted with fine effect in a sunk geo- 

 metrical garden at Lough Cutra Castle, nearGort. The 

 colour is bright scarlet, the growth stiff, and supports 

 itself without the aid of stakes. To increase the stock 

 oi bedding begonias cut up the tubers like potatoes 

 when the j'oung growth has started, and box off and 

 keep in heat till good plants are formed. .After planting 

 out, the surface of the beds may be mulched with clean- 

 sifted leaf-mould or manure, or low-growing plants like 

 Alyssiim viaritiniuin may be used to keep the ground 

 cool and moist, as dryness is injurious. The first week 

 of June is quite early enough to risk planting out be- 

 gonias. The soil most suitable is loam, leaf mould, and 

 a good portion oi cow manur-e worked deeph" into the 

 bed. 



Pf.LARGONRMS. — Where these are planted out the 

 beds are generally far too rich. If those who are 

 situated in wet districts were to elevate their flower 

 beds well and use poor soil there would be fewer com- 

 plaints of pelargoniums being so scant of bloom. By 

 doing this and using old plants the tendency to bloom 

 would be much increased. That fine variety, Paul 

 Crampel, is onh' seen at its best after it has attained 

 its second year of growth. The tricolour and bronze- 

 leaf varieties also show their colour more intense where 

 the ground is drv and not over rich. 



Watering. — " How often should I water my plants" 

 is a question frequently addressed to a gardener by 

 visitors anxious to pick up information. The rule is, 

 water so as to reach every fibre of the plants' roots, and 

 then wait until a similar repetition is necessary. A 

 plant may want watering twice a day in summer and 

 perhaps only twice a month in dull weather in winter. 

 From the end of September to the middle of May let 

 the temperature of the water used be from 5 to 10 de- 

 grees higher than the minimum temperature of the 

 house. From the periods mentioned watering should 

 be performed in the morning. Thus the stimulus of 

 sun heat meets the plants when they have received their 

 refresher, the extra moisture is parted with before the 

 evening comes, and there is not that rapid cooling of 

 the soil by evaporation during the night. In the 

 summer we reverse the time of watering, and perform 

 the operation during the afternoon and evening. By 

 watering in a bright morning the moisture is extracted 

 rapidly from the soil, as well as through the foliage ; 

 consequently the plant does not receive the full benefit 

 of the watering, and soon requires a fresh supply. In 

 the evening evaporation is reduced to a minimum, the 

 plant has full time to absorb and refresh itself, and thus 

 is more able to stand the heat of the following day. 

 Gardeners, when watering, have a well-known habit 

 of rapping the pots with the knuckles of the hand or 



