84 



IRISH GARDENING. 



The Herbaceous Border. 



PLANT out as soon as possible this month half- 

 hardy annuals, raised under glass, such as 

 stocks, asters, French and African mari- 

 golds. After summer bedding- is completed there 



will be a variety of odd 

 plants left over, such 

 as g-eraniums, lobe- 

 lias, violas, ag-eratums, 

 petunias, beg^onias, 

 calceolarias, heleo- 

 tropes, &c., which will 

 be found very useful 

 for filling- up spaces 

 where the foliage of 

 narcissus and other 

 spring bulbs is turning 

 yellow. Mark clumps 

 of bulbs before the 

 foliage has dried up if 

 the intention is to lift 

 and store the bulbs. 

 This work can be com- 

 pleted as soon as the 

 foliage has dried. 

 When the bulbs are 

 lifted place them on a 

 hard, dry surface for 

 some days until they 

 are thoroughly dried, 

 and then store them in 

 a dry, airy loft or room 

 until the planting 

 season comes round again. 



Early June is a first rate month to sow seeds 

 of biennials, such as wall-flowers, pansies, 

 sweetvvilliams, canterbury-bells, honesty, antirr- 

 hiniums, forget-me-nots, intermediate and Brom- 

 pton stocks, polanythus and hybrid primroses, 

 hollyhocks and silene. Prepare a fine seed bed 

 and sow in lines. Sonie growers prefer to sow 

 stocks, hollyhocks, polyanthus and hybrid prim- 

 roses in pans or boxes, in a cool frame, and to 

 transplant the seedlings when fit into nursery 

 beds. As soon as the flowering season of the 

 double daisies and polyanthus is over, lift and 

 divide the plants. Plant again in the border or 

 into nursery beds. By dividing, the size of the 

 flowers is increased. From this month up to 

 late autumn the herbaceous border should look 

 very eff'ective, providing a good selection of 

 plants for summer and autumn have been planted 

 by the owner. Frank Hudson. 



The Cactus Dahlia. 



The Cactus dahlia for home decoration is a charming- 

 flower, well adopted for decorative purposes. One 

 strong reason why it should he freely grown is the cheap 

 rate at which a plant may be bought ; furthermore, the 



The Oriental Poppy. 



tuber is practically everlasting, and with anything like 

 ordinary care will return abundance of bloom. 



Amongst its many charms are the marvellous variety 

 and exquisite beauty of form of the flowers, the florets 

 in some cases being straight and in others twisted 

 and incurved. 



Where dahlias are grown for cut flowers only a piece 

 of ground in the open or in the kitchen garden is the 

 best place. For decorative effect in the garden a border 

 or beds may be chosen. After marking out the positions 

 of the plants, dig holes about a foot or more square and 

 deep, then place in the bottom a good spit of old rotten 

 manure, filling in with soil. 



About the end of May or the first week in June will 

 be the time to plant out. After planting see that a 

 saucer-like depression is left around each plant to pre- 

 vent waste in watering. As the growth of the plants pro- 

 ceeds the shoots must be secured by fastening them to 

 centre and side stakes. This is most important, as 

 the dahlia suff"ers more than any other plant from rough 

 winds. 



Border Pinks are great favourites ; they require 

 little attention, they are dwarf in habit, hardy of consti- 

 tution, and produce abundance of deliciously-scented 

 flowers. All growers of these beautiful plants should 

 obtain if possible the Mrs. Sinkins variety, a robust 

 plant with a pure white, large flower, and excellent for 

 Ijouquets. The best time for propagating pinks is when 

 the plants are in full bloom, which occurs in June. If 

 delayed much longer the shoots get hard, and do not 

 root quickly. They should be taken off" when about two 

 inches long, and have the leaves from the two lowermost 

 joints rubbed off. Then, in a shady part of the garden, 

 prepare some light soil by digging it fine and level, and 

 watering it until it becomes a puddle. Whilst in this 

 state plant the cuttings, but do not water them after they 

 are planted. To ensure success a hand-glass should be 

 placed over them, or they may be planted in wide- 

 mouthed pots, and a piece of glass placed over them. 

 These early cuttings make handsomer and stronger 

 plants than later ones, and are therefore to be pre- 

 ferred. F. J. Earls. 



Sliigs and Snails. — These are very troublesome in 

 many gardens, certain plants in the herbaceous border 

 being particularly subject to their attacks. Soot or 

 lime, or both together, are often recommended, but to 

 be in any way effectual several applications are neces- 

 sar3'. The time-honoured plan of taking a lantern at 

 night and searching for them when they are actually 

 engaged in feeding is one of the best methods of 

 capturing the enem}', but then it is not everyone who 

 has the necessary enthusiasm to do this. The less 

 energetic might try trapping them with bran, moistened 

 with a little vinegar, placed in a heap on an old slate, or 

 else decoy them with lettuce leaves smeared with lard. 

 A dry, powdery surface to crawl over gives these 

 creatures much discomfort ; hence by keeping the 

 border well and continuously hoed slugs and snails are 

 less likely to frequent it. 



Biennials for the Border. —Biennials are, of 

 course, plants that take two years to complete their 

 life-cycle. They are raised from seed this year, but 

 they do not normally flower and seed until the year 

 following. Then they die. There are not many 

 garden biennials. Some of the best are — the Canter- 

 bury Bell, Brompton Stocks, Foxglove, Iceland Poppy, 

 V^erbascum ( V. olympicum and V. phlomoides), and 

 Oiiopordoii acaule (a tall, handsome thistle). Some 

 botanically biennial plants are often treated as annuals, 

 as by raising them from seed early in the year in a 

 greenhouse they may be induced to flower in the same 

 year. The seeds of biennials may now be sown. They 

 may be planted out in September next, or, if more con- 

 venient, may be kept in the seed-bed until Febi-uar}-. 



