IRISH GARDENING 



47 



The Month's Work. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. 



liy A. (.'AMlMiKl.I., t'mrdencr to I.orJ Arililimn, 

 St. Anne's. 



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I 1 II lonjjtlu'iiinif days and hrijjlit 

 siinsliiiio tlio ground will be in 

 jfood workintr order by now. 

 Any work which had to be abandoned 

 .f >■"' ""l '■"'' month on account of frost or heavy 

 Ig.kt^l^'-V rain should now be completed as early 

 f* ^tTiMl as possible. 



.Should any plantin,^ or removing: of 

 roses, trees, or shrubs, still remain lo 

 be done, such work should be attended 

 to at once. Each plant should be 

 securely slaked, and a mulching^ of light 

 material given lo the surface of ground 

 to protect roots from dr)ing winds and 

 prevent evaporation. Herbaceous bor- 

 ders should now be gone over, and if 

 any alterations or planting is required 

 it should be done as early as possible. 

 The surface of all beds and borders 

 occupied by spring bedding plants 

 should be stirred and made neat, firming 

 in all plants disturbed by frost, and 

 makiTig good any failures that may h.ive 

 occurred during the winter. 



All grass should be swept and rolled 

 preparatory for mowing. 



All wall climbers, rampant roses and 

 shrubs should now be thinned or pruned, and carefully 

 laid into their allotted spaces, if not already done. 



Many seeds should now be sown as soon as the 

 ground is in good working order. Choose a south 

 border on which the following can be sown for summer 

 display, they transplant well : — Alonsoa, Anagallis, 

 Calendula, Cornflower, Cacalia, Godetia, Larkspur, 

 Lav.itera, Lupines, Niyella, and many others. 



Bv the end of the month annuals can be sown where 

 they are to flower. Many of them will require thinning 

 later on, as they do not transplant successfully. Asters, 

 Stocks, Salpiglossis, Scabious, Ricinus, Maize and 

 Zinnias will require to be started in a little heat. 



Perennials and other seeds sown in boxes last 

 autumn will require to be pricked out into cold frames 

 and encouraged to make sturdy growth. Many of 

 them will make a fine display during summer ;nul 

 autumn. Prepare ground for Sweet Peas by thoroughly 

 pulverising to a good depth, and working-in a liber.U 

 supply of decayed cow manure. Plant out those 

 which were raised in pots last month, and protect with 

 small twigs or stakes. A sowing can now be made 

 where they are to flower ; these will form a succession 

 to above. 



There will be many bright patches in the flower 

 garden during this month. .Already Scillas, Chiono- 

 doxas. Crocus, Leucojum vernum, and many other 

 bulbs are very gay. The bright Erica carnea and its 



while v.uiely, also Erica hybrida, ;ire most conspicuous 

 just now. These will be followed by many other bulbs 

 and plants, so that we are now assured that the glories 

 of spring are again with us. 



The I'ruit Garden. 



By L. ClliLDS, Gardener to the Earl of Meath, 

 Killruddery, Bray. 



PKACHES UNDER GLASS. -Commence disbud- 

 ding after your trees have finished flowering. 

 Pay .attention to disbudding, as this w'ork must 

 be done by degrees, the foreright buds in the first place 

 and the others should be gradually thinned away. 

 Remember no more shoots and foliage are required 

 than you have space for ; each shoot should have sxifTx- 

 cient room for full development. Light and space are 

 both most essential, and all leading shoots ought to be 

 trained at their full length. Do some disbudding every 

 second day, and complete the work in about a week, 

 then the s<ip circulation undergoes comparatively little 

 derangement. Each grower must use his own discre- 

 tion about what quantity of fruit to leave on the trees, 

 for if they are healthy and vigorous they can easily 

 carry a good crop, but on weak trees or branches 

 fewer fruit should be left, or the consequence will result 

 in quantity instead of quality, and to my mind inferior 

 peaches and nectarines are almost useless. Syringe 

 the trees twice daily and keep them well watered, also 

 ventilate with due caution. 



Protecting Blossom. — Amateur and professional 

 gardeners must be prepared for trying weather during 

 the next few weeks, when the trees are flowering. We 

 all know how disappointing it is when you see a 

 splendid promise of fruit on fine, healthy cherries, 

 peaches and pear trees, and then wake up some 

 morning and find that all your hopes have vanished, 

 and there will be little or no fruit after all your labour 

 and trouble. The following method I can recommend 

 for protecting trees, and always practise myself. Gel 

 strong slakes or thin poles, and set these twelve feet 

 apart and five feet six inches out from the wall, and 

 then lean them up under the coping. Get some tiftany 

 or ordinarv fishing nets, double for preference, and tie 

 vour covering along the top wire, then let it down the 

 desired length; next get thin wire or strong cord and 

 nm it through the bottom of the net, and tie lo the 

 poles, and your covering can be drawn up during 

 the davlime, when the weather is favourable. Small 

 bush ti'ees might also be treated in a similar manner. 

 Never spare trouble in trying lo procure a good set of 

 fruit, and think of the pleasure a successful crop will 

 give vou. When procurable dry bracken forms an 

 excellent material for the same purpose. 



BlACK AND RkD ClKKANTS, ALSO GOOSEBERRY 

 CiTTlNGS. — Those who failed lo propagate these in the 

 autumn should at once insert a few cuttings in a pro- 

 perh-prepared border, in rows about fifteen inches 

 apart. They will soon form roots, and can then be 

 planted out the following winter. It is always best to 

 keep some young bushes in reserve. 



STKAWr.ERRiES.— Fruit will now be formed on early 

 plants. Keep them on a shelf near the glass, syringe 

 well, and be sure that Ihev are kept free from greenfly. 

 Feed occasionallv with liquid or artificial manure. 

 Only allow six or eight fruit on each pot, and never let 



