The Flower Garden. 



By J. H. CiMMiNC;, Overseer, Royal Dublin Society, 

 Ball's Bridg-e. 



SPRING BEDDING.— Where summer flowerintf 

 subjects can be cleared, it is well to do so at once, 

 and when the beds are dug the refilling- of them 

 should be pushed forward. Pansies are best when 

 planted in the autumn. Beds of mixed colours look 

 nice. Polyanthuses should also be planted now, the 

 crimson shades in beds by themselves and the yellow 

 shades also in other beds. They look more effective 

 planted thus than where all colours are mixed in the 

 same border. Wallflower plants should be put in now 

 and not left till too late in the season, otherwise many 

 lower leaves will be lost. The soil should be just 

 moderately rich, and made firm around the roots. See 

 also that they are planted sufficiently close to fill the 

 beds. I noted some poor beds in various gardens last 

 spring through the beds not being filled properly at 

 planting time. Silenos, myosotis, aubretias, and similar 

 plants should also be got in without delay. Bulbs should 

 also be all in the beds during October. Daffodils in beds 

 of one variety arc always welcome in spring, and all tulip 

 lovers who have hitherto only grown the ordinary bed. 

 ding kinds should make an effort to plant some of the 

 glorious Cottage Darwin antl other Ma\' flowering 

 species. When once planted, these late tulips can be 

 safely left in tlie ground each winter, which adds very 

 much to their value, and any ordinary soil will suit them, 

 though what they like best is a deep sandy loam. 



C.\RN.\TiONS. — .\s stated in a previous issue, where 

 the soil is dry and light in gardens, carnation layers 

 are best planted in October. It is important to change 

 the position yearly where the carnations are grown. 

 Turfy loam, road scrapings, and old cow manure mixed 

 and worked into the borders or beds will grow carna- 

 tions to perfection. Place the plants a foot apart each 

 way and sufficiently deep, so that the wind will not twist 

 them at the collar. The common white pinks may now 

 be pulled to pieces and replanted in fresh positions. 



Edgings for Walks. — These give a considerable 

 amount of work and anxiety. Patchy and broken 

 edgings give an unsightly appearance to borders no 

 matter how nicely they may be filled. Boxwood, of 

 course, is the favourite material used, but refuses to 

 grow in many places. I like edgings of stones formed 

 in rockery fashion and planted with alpines. Lately I 

 saw in a garden the walks edged with Dactylls 

 glomerata variegnlii, the white and green cock's-foot 

 grass, and very beautiful it looked, especially when the 



svui sliono upon it. This edging could be planted any 

 lime during the winter, and as every little bit grows it 

 may be laid in quite thinly, and lasting good for three 

 years it will not require renewing till that time is past. 

 PvRETHRUMS.— These are ideal plants for an amateur 

 to grow, they are perfectly hardy, and withstand a lot 

 of rough treatment. Large roots should now be lifted, 

 divided and planted in new positions. When allowed 

 to remain in the same place for years they diminish in 

 strength. Pyrethrums possess great masses of fibrous 

 roots, and therefore the beds should be well manured 

 and deeply trenched. Broken up thus and transplanted 

 into good ground, the plants will give a fine di--play of 

 large blooms next year. 



Chrysanthemums.— Where these have been grown 

 in the open borders all summer with a view to flowering 

 late, now is a good time to lift and place them on 

 borders in vineries and peach-houses that have been 

 cleared, to finish their flowering there. It is only 

 necessary to spread a little soil over the roots, and then 

 water them. Plants in full flower in the open must be 

 protected from frosts at night. 



GENtiRAL Remarks. —As one interested in gardening 

 a holiday's opportunity is generally taken in visiting 

 gardens of note and gleaning any wrinkles that may be 

 useful in future. Lately I have returned from spending 

 a three weeks' holiday across the channel, and may here 

 give a few items that came under my observation. 

 Drummond Castle, in Perthshire, has the finest flower 

 garden in all Scotland, and I found Calceolaria aiiiplvxi- 

 caulis particularly dwarf ;ind fmti. I there learnt that 

 their system of propagation was to put in a few bcxfulls 

 of cuttings now, and from these strike the tops in a hot 

 frame in spring. These plants made belter and dwarfer 

 flowering stuff than relying on autumn struck plants. 

 In these same gardens and in several others I found 

 Dorothy Perkins rose used as a four feet standard with 

 charming effect. Lines of these twenty feet apart in a 

 flower border are really handsome and striking, and 

 should be more often seen. Beds of dwarf and inter- 

 mediate antirrhinums in distinct colours are grand 

 lasting subjects for the flower garden. The seed may 

 be thinly sown now in rather poor soil, and transplanted 

 in spring for early flowering. To give an autumn dis- 

 play they should be sown in gentle heat in February, and 

 grown on to plant out in May. In another garden I 

 found a capital arrangement where large square beds 

 were filled with a pink pentstemon and " dot " plants of 

 white phlo.K standing above the pink. 

 Several places adopted the striking combination of 



