.^^ 



^^^ The Month' 



JUNE 



Elower Garden and Pleasure (Grounds. 



Hy !•:. Knowi.din, K. R. U.S. 



HIC'.ll I'KAlSIi:. —.Apropos of Kiiii^ Edward's iH.ste 

 lor yfardeiiing-, and it was evinced in various 

 trirc-ctions, the Journal of Horticulture recently 

 told lis "his influence was directly exerted in the 

 beddinif arouiul Bucking-ham Palace, where a g-lorious 

 blaze of the scarlet Paul Crampel g-eranium was what he 

 liked." It is hig-h meed of praise for Paul Crampel, hut 

 no more than Paul deserves, and althoug-h we have no 

 wish to see the flower garden overflowingf into the plea- 

 sure grounds there is more than one well kept place, with 

 its closely shorn greensward and undulating background 

 of shrubs, where we should like to pop down a patch of 

 Paul Crampel to brighten things up a bit, and this is 

 pretty well all we have to say about bedding pure and 

 simple, for no one in the throes of it wants to be 

 bothered with suggestions as far as the plans for the 

 formal garden are concerned, which, in most places, is 

 now in a state of eruption. We have before pleaded 

 for an informal group of the brilliantly-flowered and 

 beautiful-foliaged cannas in a similar position — viz., 

 some sheltered nook in the pleasure grounds, and 

 merely mention it as a reminder. 



Garden Accessories.—*' Oh ! for a seat in some 

 poetic nook," sang Leigh Hunt. Perhaps, poor man, 

 less thought was given to the matter in his day, nooks 

 and poets being plentiful, whilst seats were scarce. 

 Anyway, garden furniture now plays a prominent part 

 in gardening ; and as far as the flower garden is con- 

 cerned, at the completion of the bedding we like to have 

 all the garden seats in their places with a fresh coat of 

 paint or varnish, as the case may be, to make them 

 clean and bright for the season. We have, in fact, 

 always regarded this detail as part of the work, and the 

 annual refresher as merely the work of a handyman. 

 In a good example of the Italian garden, where cut 

 stone is a prominent feature, we question any colour but 

 white for the garden furniture. The stone work is 

 another item not to be disregarded, and at the finish of 

 planting operations need not be grudged a wash 

 down. In cases where the stone, however employed, 

 as steps, or otherwise, has the tendency to become 



giicn, we lia\i' fiiuiul 

 the simplest and best 

 thing for removing 

 ;my green growlii en- 

 gendered by our moist 

 climate to be one of the 

 weed killers, a rather 

 strong solution being 

 used in a scrui) down, 

 care being taken to 

 avoid wetting such 

 gr.'iss or other vegetation as is in contiguity. 



Cle.\.n .\ni:) Comi-drtabij:. — With the completion of 

 the bedding the advantages of a mulching of bog- 

 mould on all beds, where this is easy to obtain, is 

 obvious. As a non-conductor it is especially commend- 

 able for such cool rooting subjects as the viola, 

 calceolaria, and tuberous begonia, and gives a neatness 

 and finish to the whole of the bedding. We have 

 generally been able to obtain bog-mould, as the small 

 residue of the peat-moss is termed, at practically the 

 cost of carriage. Amongst the gayest of dwarf things 

 for edging or groundwork are violas, but unfortunately 

 it is not easy to keep them from misbehaving by dying 

 away in patches just at the height oi the season when 

 most wanted. A good deal of this, however, is contin- 

 gent on the method of propagation, and plants raised 

 from cuttings inserted not earlier than the middle oi 

 October can generally be coaxed by a little manipula- 

 tion to do their duty the season through. Such we 

 have found the case where a moist, rich roothold of 

 manure and leaf-mould has been provided, and an 

 occasional soaking during dry spells is not overlooked ; 

 removal of the fading flowers to prevent seed pods 

 forming being also insisted on. Dwarf nasturtiums in 

 distinct colours are helpful to the man with many beds 

 if poor, firm soil has been given. In such cases they will 

 form a floriferous mass, requiring but little attention be- 

 yond the insertion of a few short twigs about the plants, 

 as supports in their wrestling with wind, without which 

 they are apt to be toppled over, and possibly bowled 

 across the garden. Where dwarf nasturtiums are 

 inclined to leafage in the first flush of their youthful 

 vigour, it is of advantage to pinch out half the foliage 

 as a reminder of what they are there for. 



In Times of Trouble. — That men generally, and 

 gardeners in particular, are born to trouble is generally 

 endorsed before the "blessed" bedding is over. It 

 maybe that the beds are of that size and situation, that 

 the blanks made by the failure of even one plant 

 become an eyesore. It has been our practice to 

 endeavour to meet this by potting up a few of the 

 weaker surplus and keeping them in a sheltered corner 

 for the emergency. Even scraps of violas, calceolarias, 

 and similar things, if potted in compost of half-decayed 

 manure, soon make themselves in this position, and can 

 be transferred at any time. Above and beyond this we 

 have always been addicted to the shameful practice of 

 relegating an}- spare bedders to the hardy flower border, 

 where, especially towards autumn, one enjoys a sniff" of 

 heliotrope, or a bit of brightness in scarlet or yellow. 

 And how often, too, have we found before our orthodox 

 bedding has been completed a shortage whereby some 

 of the smaller beds of less consequence, perhaps, have 



