357 



OCTOBER. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FLOWER 

 GARDEN, SHRUBBERY, AND GREENHOUSE. 



Alpine plants in pots sbould be 

 plunged in a bed of sand or coal 

 ashes, to protect their roots from 

 severe frosts. The situation chosen 

 for them should be moderately 

 sheltered, and where they can, 

 be covered up to protect them 

 from heavy rains ; but except 

 in very severe weather they re- 

 quire little other shelter, and 

 this is best afforded by a cover- 

 ing of some such open material 

 as dried fern, the dried haulm 

 of peas, &c. Nothing should im- 

 pede a free circulation of air 

 about them when not excessively 

 frosty. 



Alterations in contemplation 

 should now be commenced in fine 

 dry weather, and if there be rain 

 come on so as to make the ground 

 clammy, work it no longer, for 

 you will do more harm than 

 good. Form your paths, clumps, 

 or borders with a line and pegs, 

 or, if you design any particular 

 shape that is not to be marked 

 out by geometrical rules, lay a 

 line along the ground about the 

 form you «ant, and adjust it by 

 pegging it inside or outside, 

 according as you want to send it 

 one way or the otlier. Dig the 

 clumps two spits deep. If the 

 bottom is good, turn it to the top ; 

 if bad, merely loosen it and leave 



it at the bottom. If you are 

 going to lay out a garden begin by 

 digging, trenching, and levelling 

 before you mark a road or a path, 

 and then form these by laying 

 a line down on one side, and 

 adjusting it to the exact sweep 

 you require. If you design the 

 edging or verge to he turf, lay 

 down the turf carefully, with the 

 best edge to the path sid&, that 

 the line may be kept perfect ; 

 then, with the help of a rod the 

 length that is intended for the 

 width of your road or path, lay 

 the turf on the other side, so that 

 the smooth line is kept, and the 

 width preserved uniform all the 

 >^ay. Next form the shaj^e of 

 your clumps by first putting down 

 pegs nearly to your ruiud, and 

 then laying down turves with the 

 best edge inwards, so as to mark 

 the exact form you require. These 

 being marked out, all the surface 

 has to be covered close with turves, 

 or, if on too large a scale for that, 

 levelled with the verges already 

 down, and sown with grass seeds, 

 and rolled all over. The general 

 jdanting must be left till Is^ovem- 

 ber for choice, because many ever- 

 greens have not completed their 

 growth ; and in the fine weather 

 planting is good from now until 

 Februar}', or even March, though 



