^'^ 



IRISH GARDENING 



and fives, using colours to harmonise. Where 

 first-class blooms aiul long stems are re(iuired 

 for house decoration, plant singly at a foot 

 apart and keep to one stem, removini: nil 

 side shoots, hast season we grew ;>,0()() in this 

 maiuu'r. using 5-feet hauihoos for support. Each 

 seed was raised singly in 4-inch pots, and kei)t tied 

 twice a week dm-ing the growing season. Forty 

 plants of each variety were grown, and the wdiole 

 iunnl)er of plants were on one border. The result 

 was a glorious display and very long stems. 



PoLV.\NTHUS. — Seeds may now l)e sown in nur- 

 sery beds in the reserve garden. Sow broadcast, 

 and cover with fine sandy soil. These plants arc 

 l)eautiful sid)jects for naturalising by the side of 

 woodland walks, especially where one has a good 

 background of graceful silver birch trees. Plant 

 the Polyanthus in groups of several hundred of the 

 sauie colour. Tlu' Munstead strain is well ada])ted 

 for this style. In tlie garden proper they ;ire best 

 grown under a north wall, in good, rich soil. They 

 are at their best when two years old. 



Summer Bedding Plants. — Make quite sure that 

 the stock of bedding plants is a little in excess of 

 the requirements. Where there is any shortage, 

 I)ut in sufficient cuttings at once, rooting them in 

 a warm, moist house. Heliotro])es, Ageratums, 

 Salvias, and nearly all carpet bedding plants, get 

 away when ])laiited in their sunnuei- quarters uuicli 

 quicker if the roots are working well and the 

 growtli fairly soft. When they are hard and 

 stunted it takes weeks to get them to move. When 

 jiotting on Fuchsias do not use the rannuer, and 

 pot lightly. Make use of the sunheat as nuich as 

 j)0ssible, shutting up the growing-houses early and 

 spraying well with tepid water. Do not use fire- 

 heat more than can be lielped. 



Roses.— All climbing Roses should now be ex- 

 amined and gone over, carefully tieing in young, 

 well-ripened shoots to cover the availal)le space. 

 Do not attempt to tie in too thickly, always allow- 

 ing i)lenty of room for the fiowers and foliage to 

 develop. 



The Penzance Briars are most effective when 

 grown over rustic arches, screens, or fences. They 

 also form grand hedges to the formal rose garden. 

 The fiowers are very sweet and beautiful, and can 

 be had in many shades of colour. The Japanese 

 species (Rosa Rugosa) makes splendid beds, and in 

 the autunm the large seed vessels are very showy. 

 The Moss Roses require very little pruning, just 

 thinning the old wood and shortening the leading 

 growths. 



The WiCHURAHNAS — This is a magnificent section, 

 and never seems out of place, whether growing on 

 formal arches, on tree stems, covering unsightly 

 fences, or on dry, sunny l)anks. They require very 

 little pruning beyond tipping the strongest growth. 

 Wlien growing in the formal garden the whole 

 flowering shoot shoidd he removed as soon as it 

 lias finished flowering, tiaining up the yomig 

 shoots from the base. When used as standards, 

 they nnist have very strong supports and b« 

 securely tied. 



Monthly or China Rose. — These are the most 

 constant bloomers of all the types, and possess a 

 hardy constitution. Severe pruning is good for 

 them, leaving the shoots longer when very early 

 flowers are required. Hybiid Perpetuals will re- 

 (]uire severt> i)runing, cutting all weak growths 

 l)ack to two or three eyes and stronger shoots to five 

 or six. Thin the centre well out and cut away all 

 old snags. Where old standards have been allow«3d 



considerable exten.-sion each year do not hesitate 

 to cut theui well hack to dormant eyes, prune in 

 vyovy instance to an outward eye. and try to obtain 

 an cvcnly-lialanccd tree. Tin.' Tea and Noisette 

 scclidu siiould be left till last, when all danger of 

 b.ird frosts are past. Remove any protection that 

 in:iy iiave been given. Go over and take out all 

 flt>ad wood, and shorten tlie leading growths. When 

 the ])runing is finished, collect and burn all prun- 

 ings, hv. Give a good dressing of manure, care- 

 fully foiked ia. l<'ailing manure, give a dressing 

 of superphosphate of lime, and fork over the whole 

 sui'face. 



The IIei!baceous Borders. — Wbeie these were 

 trenched last month and the Soil in good condition, 

 tiiey should now l)e replanted. Great care is neces- 

 sary and a knowledge of the plants used. Aim at 

 obtnining a bright and effective dis])lay over the 

 whole season. Do not use t(J0 large groups; other- 

 wise it will cause a big gap and mar the display. 

 Three, five, or seven plants are quite sufficient. 

 There is such a wealth of beautiful plants to select 

 from, that the most exacting person can be well 

 suited. I enclose a photo, of a border planted in 

 this manner the previous season. It was 283 yards 

 long and 10 feet wide. On taking charge of this 

 garden we trenched the horder and planted in the 

 last fortnight in March. The photo, was taken ord 

 August same year. (See page 41.) 



Water Garden. — Any replanting in the water 

 and bog garden may now be undertaken and com- 

 pleted as soon as possible. There are many beauti- 

 ful plants, shrubs, and aquatics suitable for plant- 

 ing and for furnishing swamps, &c. The .lajjanese 

 Iris, I Kcempfere, require a well-worked and 

 heavily-uumured soil. Water Ijilies recpiire an 

 open piece of water in full sun. The end of the 

 present month is a good time to divide and replant. 

 The choice varieties thrive best when planted in 

 baskets filled with good loam and cow dung 

 Cover the top with a slight smearing of clay, and 

 place large stones around the crown to keep the 

 soil in position. The strongest-growing varieties 

 can be planted in 5 or 6 feet of water, and others 

 will grow and flower well at 2 feet. Do not plant 

 in swift-flowing water or where heavy floods occur. 

 Other aquatics such as Aponogeton Distachyon, a 

 very sweet-smelling plant, and Pontadeiia cordata, 

 a striking blue flower, are most useful. Scirpus 

 zebrina, Caltha i)aiilstris, Sagittaria sagittifolia, 

 Rumex hydro la]iathum, Acoris Calanuis, and 

 planted right to the water's edge the many Astilbes, 

 Gunneras, Eulalias, Saxifraga, Peltata, and 

 Lysimachia vulgaris, and Prinuila jai)onica nuiy 

 safely be vised. 



W^iLLOws, Alders, and Cornus. — These growing 

 hy the wjiter side may l)e primed hard. The bark 

 on the Willows and Cornus colours nnich hrighter 

 when primed annually, ^^'hilst the foliage of the 

 golden Alders retains its colour after ijruning. 

 Otherwise it is apt to revert back to the green. 



Lawns and Edges op Walks, &c. — The continued 

 mild w'eather is causing I'onsiderable growth of 

 grass. Roll and sweep weekly, and give the first 

 mowing. Set the knives high the first time, and 

 then lower them and go over the second time. All 

 walks with grass edgings should he given a slight 

 top-dressing of fresh gravel, and the turf edged 

 with the iron. Keep the edges straight and well-de- 

 fined. ITse a number of small pegs to kee]) the line 

 in position. If the edge is broken away, move 

 some of the good turf up to form the new edge and 

 place fresh turf in the bare places left. 



