JHontPs Calentrar 



WORK TO BE D0:NE IN THE FLOWER- GARDE jST. 



JANUARY. 



The gravel walks should be occasionally rolled, particularly after slight 

 rain ; and after a thaw, heavy rain, or melting snow, care should be 

 taken to open the drains, and keep them clear of rubbish and withered 

 leaves, which are very apt to choke them up. Snow should never be 

 suffered to lie on the walks of small gardens, as it is apt to render them 

 soft ; and gutters or drains should be provided on each side, particularly 

 on sloping ground, to prevent the heavy rains from ploughing up the 

 walks, and washing away the gravel. If the season should be wet and 

 rather mild, weeds will begin to appear on the gravel walks, when they 

 should be instantly destroyed either by hand-picking, or watering with a 

 strong solution of salt and water. If the weather should be mild and 

 dry, air may be given to the greenhouse ; and to half-bardy plants kept 

 in pits, or planted in the open ground and covered during winter. The 

 latter kind of plants are very apt to damp off, if kept too close in mild 

 weather. Honeysuckles, Clematises, and other deciduous climbing plants, 

 may be pruned if the weather be open ; and the dead wood should be cut 

 out of flowering trees and shrubs. Snails and slugs may be destroyed in 

 this month, as they will begin to move if the weather be mild ; and the 

 easiest way of killing them is to throw them into a cistern or other very 

 large vessel of water, where they will be soon drowned ; but if the vessel 

 is small, they will creep out. 



FEBRUARY. 



In this month the borders are dug over and manured ; the best general 

 manure being the remains of an old hotbed, or of celery trenches from 

 the kitchen garden. Beds are prepared for Anemones and Kanunculuses, 

 and the tubers planted. Hotbeds are prepared for the tender annuals, 

 and the climbing kinds should be sown : of these the most beautiful are 

 Ipomce*a rubro-cjerulea, the beautiful blue Ipomce^a ; Tropfe^olum pex'e- 



