l62 



GARDENING. 



Feb. 15, 



to the top. Sow your seed thinly, and 

 then sprinkle lightly with your fine soil. 

 When this is done press down the soil 

 firmly along the row. The natural moist- 

 ure in the soil at this season is sufficient 

 at this stage to start germination, but 

 should the weather turn hot and dr} T it is 

 better in a few days to sprinkle lightly 

 along the rows. 



When the plants appear, thin out, sav- 

 ing some to replenish any gaps. Tap- 

 rooted plants do not transplant readily 

 unless when quite young, but by carefully 

 using a garden trowel pushed in deeply 

 at one side and the plant pried out, using 

 the other hand against the ball of earth 

 to keep it in place, it can be done success- 

 fully. Some hardy annuals, like poppies, 

 are best planted in the fall. 



The half hardy annuals, sometimes 

 marked h. h. a. in catalogues, are best 

 started in hotbeds or greenhouses in flats 

 or pots and in light soils, but there are 

 some of these that can be sown outdoors 

 by waiting until warmer weather, say the 

 latter part of May, but their time of 

 blooming is delayed over those grown 

 under glass. 



Hardy and half hardy perennials that 

 bloom the first year from seed have to be 

 treated as tender annuals in order to get 

 them strong enough to bloom. 



Hardy perennials of the more common 

 kinds, having large seeds, can be sown in 

 the open border at any time from April to 

 June, or in the fall, but those with small 

 seed had better be sown in a hotbed or 

 cold frame, using in all cases where the 

 seed is small a fine soil. While many per- 

 ennials germinate as quickly as an an- 

 nual, some require a much longer time, 

 some even a year. 



When sown in hotbeds the plants re- 

 quire shading from the hot sun during the 

 heat of the day. Newly transplanted 

 plants also require shade. Better trans- 

 plant on cloudy days ortowardsevening. 



The surface of the soil in flats or pots 

 under glass should never be allowed to 

 become dry. Neglect of this point is 

 often fatal. Plants in these situations 

 require more watching than those in the 

 open, because in the latter position there 

 is a natural moisture in the surrounding 

 large body of soil. When watering plants 

 in flats or pots use a light fine sprinkler, 

 so that the force of the water falling at 

 the roots will not wash the light soil 

 away from them. 



flL5TROIWERIfl-flNEMONE-l RISES. 



We have bought alstromerias of vari- 

 ous sizes but never does one survive trans- 

 planting. How can we succeed with it? 



Docs anemone fulgens ever bloom in 

 this climate, and if so how is the marvel 

 brought about? 



We are not as successful with the beau- 

 tiful English and Spanish irises as could 

 be desired. If left uncovered the bulbs 

 never appear; seem to succumb to the 

 first winter's frost; if covered with a 

 frame and leaves tbey start too early and 

 are bleached and drawn; what is just the 

 right way to manage them? 



Mrs. F. N. B. 



Alstromeria, the Peruvian lily, is easily 

 grown in any well drained soil, in a sunny 

 position, but must be well protected in 

 winter. If you obtain good plants, well 

 taken up so their long tender roots are 

 pretty well saved, and all broken endscut 

 off smoothly, you should have no trouble 

 in starting them. 



Anemoue lulgens can be wintered in a 

 cold frame, same as you would pansies, 

 planting them in inverted pieces of sod, 



cut about four inches square, removing 

 sod and all to a shady border in the 

 spring. Or plant in well drained soil in a 

 cold frame and let thim bloom there, 

 shading the frames when in bloom. 



The English and Spanish irises do not 

 in ordinary winters need a cold frame. 

 Select a situation where the water will 

 not stand in winter, and in the fall cover 

 with half rotted leaves. 



Try the ranunculus, planting in light 

 soil, in February in a cold frame. In the 

 fall fill your cold frame well up to the 

 glass with leaves, put on the glass and 

 shutters, throw some straw or hay over 

 the shutters and do not open until some 

 warm day in February. The chances are 

 that the soil is not frozen. Choose a 

 bright sunny day, take away all the 

 leaves and put on the glass to warm up 

 the soil before planting. If the weather 

 is not too hot and dry at blooming time 

 you will be more than repaid for your 

 trouble. Shade the frame as the weather 

 grows warm. 



THE IRIS. 



Nothing in its season attracts more 

 attention in the garden than a variety of 

 irises in flower, and nothing is easier to 

 grow. As a rule they are not particular 

 as to soil, growing well in most any kind 

 of soil if it is well enriched with good 

 rotted manure. The iris is a plant that 

 will stand a good deal ot neglect and 

 should be left undisturbed for a number 

 of years, as large masses always flower 

 the best. When tbey do get too large 

 thev can be lifted and divided in August 

 or the early part of September and reset 

 in new soil. We grow a great many 

 irises and in great variety, and no garden 

 should be without them. Flowering as 

 they do from April till the end of July, the 

 early ones make nice companions to the 

 spring-flowering bulbs, and the late-fiow- 

 ering ones help to keep the garden gay 

 till the summer bedding plants are in 

 flower. 



Irises like plenty of water in their grow- 

 ing season, more especially the Kampferi 

 and Siberian varieties. They do not as a 

 rule like to grow in the shade, always 

 doing better when planted in the open. 

 Some of the varieties do well planted on 

 the margin of a lake or stream or natur- 

 alized in bogs and wet places. The iris 

 as a rule is at home in just such places 

 and is seen at its best planted in this nat- 

 ural way. 



The bulbous species like a dry, well- 

 drained soil and should be planted in an 

 open, well-exposed part of the garden. 

 These bulbous irises should be left undis- 

 turbed for a number of years. Thev will 

 grow and flower better in this way and 

 are perfectly hardy with us with no pro- 

 tection. We grow them in the bulb beds, 

 which are raised about six inches above 

 the level of the garden. 



Amongst the irises we grow I. reticulata 

 is the first to flower. It is a lovely spe- 

 cies and comes in flowerabout the middle 

 of April. It sends up its flower spike 

 before the leaves are an inch high and 

 grows to a height of about a foot. The 

 flowers are violet, blotched yellow and 

 are highly scented. It may not prove 

 hardy in some localities but with us it 

 does with light protection. It takes it a 

 few years to get well established and it 

 may not flower the first or second year; 

 such was the case with ours. 



7ris Germanica (German iris) is a com- 

 mon garden plant, but one of the showi- 

 est of the whole iris family. There are a 

 great many varieties of this iris but a 

 selection has to be made as there are so 



many dirty colors amongst them. These 

 irises grow very fast and are very free 

 flowering, the prevailing color being pur- 

 ple and yellow. When planting them the 

 rhizomes should be left just level with the 

 ground for if planted be'ow the surface 

 they are liable to rot. They do not form 

 much roots and should be planted in 

 August; as if done later they are sure to 

 get heaved by the frost. 



I. pumila is a dwarf growing flag, grow- 

 ing four to six inches high and is very 

 free flowering. It makes a fine edging 

 plant for borders if grown in a broad line. 

 It also looks well in masses. It flowers 

 in spring and has deep violet flowers. 



/. chama?iris is a fine dwarf iris and 

 with lis the earliest of the dwarf forms. 

 The flowers are deep blue. 



/. cristata is one of the very best dwarf 

 irises we have. It blooms in May and 

 the flowers are light blue striped yellow, 

 the petals nicely fringed. 



All these dwarf irises have small rhi- 

 zomes and should be planted in a well 

 drained place, and quite close together if 

 a good show of flowers is wanted. 



I. K&mpferi is a stately growing plant 

 that should find a place in every garden. 

 This iris needs a good soil which before 

 planting should be trenched at least two 

 feet deep and plenty of rotted manure 

 worked in. It forms very large roots which 

 soon exhaust the ground. When the plants 

 become well established a good coating 

 of manure should be put around them in 

 spring; this will help to retain the moist- 

 ure and at the same time feed them. They 

 like plenty of water, and this should be 

 seen to in dry seasons; if neglected the 

 leaves soon begin to turn yellow, detract- 

 ing from the beauty of the plants. The 

 flowers of this iris are very large, six to 

 ten inches in diameter, but like the Ger- 

 man iris there are a great many dirty 

 colors amongst them. 



I. sibirica is a slender growing species, 

 and well adapted to grow in connection 

 with the A'a'mpferiiris. They grow about 

 the same height and flower the same 

 time, sometimes coming a little earlier 

 and lasting till after the Japanese irises 

 are past. The flowers are not very large 

 and in color they range from blue and 

 white to pure white. 



I Monnieri is the last of the irises to 

 flower with us. It is a large growing 

 species, the flower stalk attaining a 

 height of four feet. It is quite distinct 

 from the other species, the leaves being 

 dark green and not unlike thoscof a glad- 

 iolus. The flowers are very sweet- 

 scented, golden yellow margined with 

 white. 



I. pseiido-acorus, the common water 

 flag, is a stately growing plant and is 

 best naturalized in some bog or grown 

 on the margins of a brook or water lily 

 pond. It is a tall growing plant and has 

 clusters of yellow flowers followed bv 

 bunches of showy scarlet berries. 



I. xiphioides( English iris) is a beautiful 

 bulbous species of which there are a great 

 many varieties. They are quite hardy if 

 planted in a well-drained soil. They 

 bloom in early summer, but like some of 

 the other bulbous species, they take a 

 year or two to get established and may 

 not flower the first year after planting. 



/. xiphium (Spanish iris) is another fine 

 bulbous species of easy culture. This iris 

 begins to grow early, and after it gets a 

 few inches high it remains stationary dur- 

 ing the winter. Its tall narrow leaves do 

 not mind the frost, remaining green all 

 winter. It begins to grow again in spring 

 and flowers in June. There are many 

 varieties of this iris, but a selection may 

 be made and only the distinct varieties, 



