IRISH GARDENING 



45 



open are best prutectetl by tlie use of evergreen 

 boughs stuck in here and there among the 

 branches. About mid-day, when the blossoms 

 are fully exjjanded and in a thoroughly dry 

 condition, every effort should be made to 

 l)o]lijiate artilicially as many of the blooms as 

 possible. A rabbit's tail tied on to the end of a 

 bamboo cane, and sufficiently long to reach to 

 the t:)p of the trees, makes an ideal pollinator. 

 If bad weather conditions prevail at this 

 early season, there will be but few bees on the 

 wing, and it is mainly owing to their absence 

 th.at many trees remain blank during the year. 

 Climbing Eo.ses, deciduous and evergreen shrubs 

 planted against walls should be examined as to 

 their requisite treatment in x'l'^mins ^iid Inlying 

 in of the shoots and main branches. Prune the 

 Climbing type of Rose according to the amount 

 of wall space it is intended to furnish, but, in the 

 lirst ]jlace, remove entirely all dead wood and 

 Weak end sappy growths. Some of the old 

 shoots ]iiay be cut out also with the view of re- 

 furuishiiiy witli well ripened shoots of last year's 

 liroduction. The inclusion of new wood is 

 Ijarticularly advisable, as this tends to keep the 

 plant in a clean healthy condition. Dwai-f Rose 

 plants in beds and borders are best pruned about 

 the middle of the month, inovided the vveather is 

 favourable for that operation. Teas should be 

 left unpruned until the beginning of April, as they 

 are of a more delicate order than the Hybrids. 

 Before pruning each Rose, firstly consider the 

 quantity of buds it can well afford to support for 

 future develo])ment, and secondly, the nature 

 of the wood, whether it is well ripened, medium 

 or unrii)eued. Plump buds on thoroughly ripened 

 wood ])roduce the linest flowers, therefore the 

 careful selection of wood and bulbs is of the 

 iitiiKist iinpurtance. Cut clean away all dead 

 uimmI and tliick sappy growths. The remaining 

 shnots .slmuld be cut back to a plump bud, pre- 

 ferably from two to four eyes from the base. 

 ■\\1ien the work of pruning is completed, rake U]) 

 the pruiiings and have them burned without 

 delay. See that the soil around the neck of each 

 plant is made firm, and if there is a deficiency of 

 siil at that part make it well u.p to the base of' the 

 sliO(jts with good rich loam. The beds shovild 

 afterwards be lighty forked and the soil broken 

 up Jine as the work proceeds. 



M. D. 



Hints to Amateurs. 



By R. M. Pollock. 



CrRouxD for annuals must be prepared this 

 month, as withovit well and carefully prepared 

 soil the best I'esults cannot be obtained, and 

 " the best " in the case of annuals is well worth 

 aiming for. Di? the ground deeply and introduce 

 some good, well-decayed manure, leaving the 

 surface rough until the sowing is actually to be 

 made. Every year annuals are becoming more 

 and more popular, and a glance at the seedsmen's 

 lists of these seeds, and the classes at all shows 

 for annuals is a certain proof that gardeners are 

 realising that this class of plant is an advantage 

 and in many cases a necessity in all gardens. 

 Annuals are a gi-eat help in filling and brighten- 



ing up a new garden where it is too late in the 

 season to pvit in summer bedding, and where 

 there is as yet no permanent planting. They 

 also fill gaps in herbaceous borders where spring 

 bulbs have left a vacancy. There are now 

 annuals for all parts of the garden, dainty little 

 dwarf growers suitable for the rockery, t?ll 

 stately ones for the big borders, suitable free 

 growers, which can be sown broadcast in the 

 wild garden : there are climbers, and there are 

 those suitable for the bog garden and damp 

 places. The following are some which are 

 useful for cutting and indoor decoration :-^ 



Brack YCOME iberidifolia, the " Swan River 

 Daisy," a beautiful blue, of which there is also a 

 white form. The flowers are very like the stellata 

 variety of Cineraria, about 12 to 18 inches in 

 height. They may be sown in the oj)en, but 

 better results come from early spring sowing in 

 pans, pricking out and planting later in a bright 

 sunnv position. 



Cosmos bipixxatus. — This is a very late 

 annual, and ahiiost waits until autumn before 

 flowering, and presumably for this reason it is 

 seldom seen. The plants, when well grown, 

 stand 3 feet high, with attractive feathery 

 foliage, and white or red Dahlia-like flower&\ 

 Plants must be raised indoors and planted out 

 in May or June. They are excellent in every 

 way for cutting. 



Sweet Sultaxs should be more grown, and 

 the different shades of colour in the feathery 

 flowers are distinct from those in any other 

 annual. Unfortunately it is very difficult to 

 l>rotect them from slugs, as the foliage is very 

 S3ft and juicy. When diing well they attain a 

 height of 2 feet, and can be had in distinct colours, 

 lemon, yello« , bright yello^^ , white and rosy 

 ]Hnk. 



Clarkias, as annuals, caniKjt be beaten, and 

 are popular in most gardens. They are excellent 

 as cut flowers. All the varieties seem equally 

 good, singles or doubles, pinks, orange red, 

 white, sahnon, &c.. and they can be sown in the 

 ooen ground. The annual Larkspurs — Del- 

 phinium — are now quite indispensable in our 

 borders, and it is sometimes hard to realise, when 

 looking at a well-grown j)lant, that it is only an 

 annual, and that it will be taken out in the 

 autumn and burnt in the bonfire. The Stock- 

 flowered are the most effective ; but to get the 

 best results, these shotild be .sown in the autumn, 

 ])ricked out when fit to handle, and planted in 

 their permanent quarters in April or May. 



GiLiAS. — These are not as much grown as they 

 might be. G. tricolor is sometimes seen, but 

 it is not nearly as attractive as G. androsacea, 

 about 10 inches to 1 foot high, pale lilac often 

 white, flax-like flowers, which last well in water. 

 There are other varieties, and they are 

 oftsn listed in catalogues under the name 

 Leptosiphon. 



Gypsophila. — Everyone knows the perennials 

 species, so often used at shows in the staging of 

 Sweet Peas, but there is also an annual species, 

 G. elegans, white, 1 ft. to 1| ft. high, and a 

 pink form, elegans rosea, both of which much 

 resemble the perennial species, but can be sown 

 broadcast in any good soil, and are excellent for 

 cutting and indoor decoration. 



Sweet Peas. — The advantage of these in our 

 gardens need n<> comnient, and no garden is 



