IRISH GARDENING 



in 



Garden. 



Dublin Society, 





The Flower 



By J- H. Cujimino, Royal 

 Ballsbridge. 



General Remarks. — The latter half 

 of June being dry and hot has told 

 somewhat adversely on bedding. 

 Where flowers appear prematurely 

 to the sacrifice of the plants' growth, 

 remove a portion and they will repay 

 the assistance later on. Rhodo- 

 dendrons and Azaleas will be getting 

 past their flowering season, and where 

 choice varieties exist, it is most help- 

 ful to cut off all seed pods that re- 

 main. New growths immediately 

 thereafter starts away. Where time 

 will allow a good soaking of water 

 will help all plants that have been 

 shifted recently. Let it be thorough, 

 a mere dribbling on the surface is 

 worse than none. Water in the 

 evening and loosen the surface of the 

 | soil in the morning. Keep the rake 

 in the toolhouse these times. Dahlias 

 will require good stakes now. Place 

 three round each plant and draw the 

 growth gently to form a shapely 

 plant. Where dwarf Dahlias are 

 Ul .mown, secure them to the ground 

 with forked pegs, otherwise the wind 

 will work havoc. Where hedges are 

 irregular in their growth, do not clip 

 at this season, but trim with the 

 knife any gross growth that is 

 spoiling the neatness of the rest. 

 This applies to Cupressus, Privet or 

 Yew. The usual formal clipping should be 

 delayed till September or early in spring. Sow 

 Eumea elegans without further delay for next 

 year's plants. It takes a fair share of cultural 

 skill to grow this subject, but it is well worth the 

 trouble. Sow in pots and cover with a piece of 

 glass. Place the pots in a cold frame, shade, and 

 when the seedlings are up prick off into pans or 

 boxes, and pot singly when large enough. Care- 

 ful watering and a cool place, free from frost, all 

 winter are important elements in their culture. 

 Violas. — To prolong the vigour and floii 

 ferousness of the plants, constant picking off 

 old blooms and seed pods should be attended 

 to. Seed may also be sown in a cold frame this 

 month and the seedlings left in frame until the 

 following spring, when, if planted out in April, 

 will flower in June and July. When choosing a 

 position for them, select one with some shade 

 part of the day. and the soil should be rich and 

 not given to dry too quickly. A handful of line 

 soil placed in the heart of each clump will soon 

 induce plenty of cuttings if it is desired to per- 

 petuate some particular variety. 



Sweet Peas. — Where grown in special trenches 

 no doubt the matter of supplying a stimulant 

 will also receive attention. To those who sow 

 Sweet Peas in the ordinary way and expect a 

 prolonged period of flowering, I should like to 

 impress on them the necessity of picking off all 

 seed pods as they appear. Also, if the weather is 

 dry, give two thorough soakings per week of 

 liquid manure, alternating this with soot water. 

 Never have the manure water strong. The 

 colour of light ale is a good guide. A liberal coat 

 of old manure on either side of the rows will also 

 be of much value. 



Spring Bedding. — Now that the summer 

 " stuff " is well on its way in fulfilling its mission, 

 the gardener will be thinking of his stock to take 

 the place in late autumn of the all too brief 

 summer display. Whenever the seedling Wall- 

 flower is large enough to handle have it lined out 

 S inches between the plants and a foot between 

 the lines. This will enable the plants to grow 

 dwarf and sturdy and make excellent material 

 for filling beds in October. A few cold frames 

 in a shady situation and filled with old potting 

 soil, sand and leaf-mould will be invaluable now 

 to insert cuttings of Arabis, Alyssum saxatile, 

 Aubrietia, Cheiranthus, Violas and such things 

 that prove useful for spring flowering. At 

 Pennick's Nurseries, Delgany, thousands of 

 cuttings are struck under cloches, as used in 

 French gardening. These are shaded by being 

 washed over with whitening or lime. Keep these 

 and the frames close till growth commences. The 

 stock of old Primroses or Aubrietia that it is 

 desirable to increase may be divided up and 

 replanted in a shady corner. Use plenty of leaf- 

 soil and give copious waterings till the plants are 

 well established. 



Mulching. — We can scarcely yet determine the 

 character of the summer, but, independent of its 

 being a wet or dry one, all bedding plants and 

 flower borders are greatly benefited by a mulching 

 of some light material. Sifted leaf soil is excellent 

 if free of the seed of Aveeds. Spent mushroom 

 bed manure and fine peat moss litter answer the 

 purpose very well. This not only helps to 

 improve the appearance of the beds, but keeps 

 the surface cool, and so prevents too quick 

 evaporation when the sun is likely to be trying 

 on young plants. 



The Fruit Garden. 



By D. aIcTntosh, Gardener to Alderman Bewley, 

 Danum, Rathgar. 



Strawberries. — If it is the intention of the 

 cultivator to lay out a new bed of young straw- 

 berry plants, now is the time to select good runners 

 for that purpose. One year old plants will supply 

 the best and strongest runners. Three-inch pots 

 should be got ready, thoroughly washed, per- 

 fectly dried and set in position, one pot at each 

 selected runner. Soil that has done justice to 

 Chrysanthemums, or that of an old melon bed, 

 will make an ideal compost, provided the whole 

 be passed through a half -inch sieve and used in 

 a moderately dry condition. Next, take a 

 bucketful of the prepared soil and start away by 

 taking the runner in the one hand, bend it to the 

 bottom of the pot, and fill in and firm the soil 

 with the other hand, so that when the work is 

 completed each crown will be situated in the 

 centre of the pot. This is the best and most 

 expeditious system of layering these runners 

 successfully. The old style of plunging the pots 

 is not necessary, if due attention be given the 

 watering for three or four weeks, when they should 

 be sufficiently rooted for removal. Stand the 

 pots in a somewhat shady position for a few days 

 and plant out in rows 2| feet apart and 2 feet 

 from plant to plant, in ground that has been 

 well worked and heavily manured. Should the 

 weather be hot and dry after planting give the 

 necessary supply of water until they become 

 thoroughly established. The plants will make 

 rapid progress, and a good crop should be secured 

 the following season. 



