IRISH GARDENING 



29 



In April the plants ought to be fine and sturdy, 

 quite fit for their permanent quarters, once there 

 they will grow very rapidly, and when in bloom 

 will quite repav the little extra trouble. Grown 

 this way they will be found most useful for 

 putting into ground that has been occupied by 

 spring bulbs. If one waits to sow until the 

 ground has been 

 cleared of the 

 spring stuff, the 

 annuals will not 

 flower until late. 

 and there will be 

 gaps for a long 

 time, whereas if 

 they go in as 

 plants a few in- 

 ches high, they 

 will bloom in a 

 very short time. 



A few names of 

 some of the best 

 hardy annuals 

 may be of use : — 

 Lupins in vari- 

 ous colours : La- 

 vatera trimestris, 

 the pink and 

 white Mallows 

 (Malope) . Lark- 

 spurs, both stock 

 flowered and 

 dwarf, in various 

 shades, rosy scar- 

 let and dark blue 

 being particularly 

 tine ; C 1 a r ki a 

 elegans, Salmon 

 Queen, Scarlet 

 Queen and Firefly 

 all being good : 

 Candytuft, White 

 Spiral and Car- 

 mine, the leaves 

 and stems of the 

 latter turn bright 

 red in the autumn 

 and m a k e it 

 showy even when 

 out of 1)1 o o m : 

 Eschs cho 1 1 '/. i as, 

 Carmine and 

 Ruby King : Go- 

 detias in variety. 

 Schamini being 

 the best ; Chry- 

 sanfhe m u m . 

 Morning and 

 B'vening Star. Ni- 

 gella Miss Jekyll, 

 Sweet Sultan, The 



Salvia splendens 



I'hoto hv] 



Bride 

 double dwarf scabious. 



and 



NlGEIXA M I 

 Chameleon and 



J- -J* £> 



GORSE. 



Mountain blossoms, shining blossom''. 

 Do ye teach us to be glad 

 When no summer can be had. 

 Blooming in our inward bosoms ? 

 Ye. whom Cod preserved still. 

 Set as lights upon a bill, 



Tokens to the wintry earth that Beauty 

 Jiveth still ! 



— Elizabeth B. Browning. 



" Less ns from the Corse." 



To obtain good specimens of this brilliant scarlet 

 winter flowering greenhouse plant preparations 

 should be made without delay. Select a few 

 plants that have finished blooming, remove all 

 the old flowering spikes, and place the plants in a 



growing tempera- 

 ture to produce 

 cuttings. When 

 these are a few 

 inches long they 

 should be taken 

 off and cut at a 

 leaf joint. Three 

 or four may be 

 inserted in each 

 small pot in a 

 light sandy com- 

 post and placed 

 in the propagat- 

 ing frame. As 

 soon as they are 

 well rooted re- 

 move them to a 

 shelf in a warm 

 house for a few 

 days, then pot 

 singly into 3-inch 

 pots, give a good 

 watering and 

 place the plants 

 on the shelf 

 again. Daily 

 syringings will en- 

 courage growth, 

 also help to keep 

 down insect pests. 

 As growth ad- 

 vances a cooler 

 temperature with 

 more air admitted 

 will be beneficial. 

 For the final pot- 

 ting, pots 8 or 9 

 inches in dia- 

 meter are large 

 enough. The soil 

 should consist of 

 good rough 

 fibrous loam and 

 leaf-mould, with 

 sufficient s a 11 d 

 added to keep it 

 open, also a 

 6-inch pot full of 

 bone meal to the 

 barrow of soil. 

 Pot moderately 

 firm, then place 

 the Plants in a cold frame in a partly shaded 

 position. When well established in the new soil 

 the lights of frame may be removed on warm 

 days From the commencement of potting they 

 should receive attention with regard to pinching 

 to make the plants bushy, but care must be 

 taken not to pinch too late before the period the 

 plants are required to bloom. We never stop 

 later than August to have good spikes in Novem- 

 ber, at which time they are seen to advantage 

 mixed with yellow and white Chrysanthemums. 

 Being eross feeders a plentiful supply of liquid 

 manure should be given when the pots are filled 

 with roots. H _ Greex . 



Jekyi.t. 



[Webb <£ Sons 



