IRISH GARDENING 



v 



The Month's Work. 



The Flower Garden. 



By John H. Cumming, E.D.S.. Ballsbridge 



Lawns. — Xo better time than the present 

 could be selected for renovating and levelling 

 lawns. Except during frosty weather the sod 

 is in a workable condition, and goes together 

 again easily after lifting. Declevities in a lawn look 

 unsightly and hinder the mower from making 

 an even surface after cutting. Bare patches 

 under trees can also be returfed now. When 

 at this work have a good supply of fine soil 

 ready for use to bring up to the level all holes 

 that have to be made good. Replace the turf 

 and use the hand-roller to bring the surface into 

 a smooth condition. 



Wintering BeddingPlants. — Efforts are often 

 made by amateurs who have no glass to keep Pelar- 

 goniums over the winter. This can be successfully 

 done if a window can be spared. Pots are better 

 than boxes for the plants. A bow-window having a 

 south aspect will do splendidly. After housing 

 the plants they should have no more water than 

 is sufficient to keep them from drooping, and 

 that will not be much, unless where strong fires 

 are kept. Over-watering is a great cause of 

 trouble to amateurs, especially during the dull 

 days. Do not be afraid of letting the soil get dry 

 round Pelargoniums. When it is quite dry give 

 a good watering some fine bright morning, and 

 then withhold water un il the soil becomes dry 

 again. On fine days if the trouble is taken to 

 place them out of doors for a few hours, so much 

 the better for the plants. 



Chrysanthemums. — These are plentiful now, 

 and where late varieties have been grown great 

 care will be necessary to keep them clean and to 

 prevent damping. Never water plants or damp 

 the floors and staging in the evening, and ven- 

 tilate as freely as weather permits. Cuttings for 

 big blooms next year require to be put in towards 

 the end of this month. For the usual bush or 

 decorative class February is quite time enough. 

 When the old plants are cut down place them in 

 as light and cool a place as possible, the object 

 being to ensure good sturdy cuttings later on. 

 I should like to impress on those whose space is 

 limited that lovely little plants in 5-inch pots 

 can be got to flower at this season by striking 

 the cuttings the previous May. doing through 

 Messrs. Ramsay's Nurseries, Ballsbridge, lately 

 I noted hundreds of Chrysanthemums in 5-inch 

 pots with several buds on each just opening into 

 flower. By this method of striking tops late, and 

 confining the roots to small pots, dwarf heads of 

 flower can be obtained, and are also most service- 

 able as house plants. 



Villa Gardens. — The bulk of these do not 

 admit of much variety of treatment. Their 

 average size is small at the best. The front 

 portion is usually a small plot of grass with a 

 circular bed cut in the middle. The front railing 

 is usually backed with a privet hedge, and the 

 border round the enclosure is filled with Wall- 

 flowers for spring, replaced in summer with 

 scarlet Geranium and yellow Calceolaria. Year 

 by year the same programme follows, and the 

 neighbours copy the example. Might I suggest 

 as a variation that the privet hedge gives place 

 to Fuchsia Riccartonii. It grows quickly and is 

 beautiful all the summer and autumn. In the 

 borders, why not plant some Roses, and to keep 



up a succession of bloom, plant an October 

 flowering Chrysanthemum between each Rose. 

 Then for variety of colour during a good part of 

 the year what flower yields a better return than 

 the Viola, which can be planted as a ground- 

 work to the Rose and Chrysanthemum. Setting 

 aside the Rose as the leading feature, what could 

 be more charming than the stately fragrant 

 Carnation or the lovely Gladioli or Irises, that 

 afford such a variety of colour ! Then we have the 

 Petunia and Begonia. Anything almost would 

 be a relief from the hide-bound system under 

 which villa front plots are treated at present. 

 The straight edge of the path could be nicely 

 broken up by inserting some stones and planting 

 the lovely purple Aubrietia and the double white 

 Arabis. If front walls require covering, then 

 plant Ampelopsis Veitchii, charming in summer 

 and gorgeous in autumn, and giving no trouble 

 when once established, while if there is room a 

 purple Clematis and a rambler Rose would 

 complete the picture. 



Soil. — Where borders are not planted for a 

 spring effect a good opportunity is now offered to 

 improve their condition. When a poor shallow 

 soil has to be dealt with trenching or deep digging 

 is of first importance. Some heavy soil should 

 be added to mix with it, and more manure 

 should be applied than is necessary for better 

 soils. A cold heavy soil should have the contrary 

 treatment : old lime rubbish, road grit, or any 

 light sharp soil added and mixed with it, instead 

 of much manure, will help to improve it. The 

 border should be turned up with a rough surface 

 to the winter's frost, and in early spring hot lime 

 sprinkled over the surface and pointed in will 

 prepare a finer and more healthy staple for small 

 seeds such as Annuals. 



General Remarks. — Persistent November 

 rains, rendering the ground unworkable, have re- 

 tarded the duties that one would like to see done 

 during that month. Fortunately December may 

 be considered the quietest month of the year, 

 and therefore available for bringing up any 

 arrears of work. During open weather t he 

 moving of trees and shrubs should be proceeded 

 with. When replanting make the holes wide 

 enough to accommodate the roots when fully 

 spread ovit, and where the plants are tall be sure 

 and tie leaders loosely to a stout stake or with a 

 light rope to a peg hammered into the ground. 

 Winds are prevalent during winter, and do much 

 damage to newly planted things not securely tied. 

 Shrubbery planting may be considered more or 

 less permanent, and in work of this kind one 

 should be imaginative. We should aim to cut 

 off the view of such things as are unpleasant and 

 to bring in vistas containing such things as go 

 to improve life, and around which cluster 

 pleasant associations. It is easy to plant to 

 secure special effects for a particular season, but 

 in shrubbery borders it is well to try and obtain 

 something that will interest the whole year round. 

 Plants will naturally suggest themselves to one 

 who is familiar with lawn shrubs, and it is one 

 of the pleasant things about such borders that the 

 owner can impart much of his own originality to 

 the methods of arrangement. Life at present 

 in the flower garden is quiet, and one can take 

 stock of past failures and successes. Experience 

 is a dear teacher, but this and careful study is 

 the means of pointing out the defects in any 

 undertaking. To those who have kindly followed 

 my notes during the past months I trust they 

 have been helpful, and now offer them my best 

 wishes for a Happy Christmas. 



