THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 135 



THE PEEPARATIOX OF BEDDINQ PLAINTS. 



BY JOHN "WALSH. 



fN our uncertain climate there is much risk in filling the 

 flower beds with their summer occupants until quite 

 the end of May, for until after the third week of the 

 month, we are not sure whether they will be exposed 

 to a frost of sufficient severity to blacken them terribly 

 or not. We can hardly feel safe even after the last week in the 

 month, for it is only a year or two ago that we had a frost in the 

 early part of June, which did much mischief to tender things ; and 

 twelve years since, the country was visited by a sharp frost in July, 

 w-hich, in some parts, did considerable damage to coleus, dahlias, late 

 planted potatoes, and other tender things. There is hardly a day in the 

 whole year in which we may not have a frost, but, practically, there 

 is not much danger after the 20fch inst. ; and as it is important to 

 plant the beds as early as it can be done with safety, the work should 

 be commenced by the foregoing date, and pressed on as briskly a=i 

 possible afterwards. 



During the three weeks we have before us, there is much to be 

 done ; the beds have to be cleared of the spriug-flowering plants, 

 "which, by the way, should not be done until the last moment, for it 

 is better to delay the planting for a week or ten days than to break 

 up the bed whilst it is at its best ; and the plants have to be har- 

 dened and prepared for the beds — a task by no means light. The 

 spring bedders are later than usual this year, and as the beds 

 should not be disturbed until the plants are past their best, but 

 few beds will be available for planting before quite the end of the 

 month. In preparing the beds intended for plants which succeed 

 best in rich soils, apply, if available, a dressing of thoroughly 

 decayed manure, vegetable refuse, or leaf-mould. The soil should, 

 in all cases, be stirred to a depth of twelve inches or so, but in 

 no case must uncongenial soil be brought up from below. The 

 autumn is the time for stirring the subsoil, if it is desired to 

 increase the depth, as, during the winter, it will be pulverized 

 thoroughly and be in capital condition for planting ; but now it will 

 become dry and hard, and the plants will not, in consequence, take 

 kindly to it. 



The preparation of the bedders is by far the most importa,nt 

 matter now, and I will at once proceed to deal with it. The hardier 

 kinds of bedders, such as the zonal geraniums, verbenas, lobelias, 

 Calceolarias, and the various succulents should have been placed in 

 the frames quite a month ago, and be now sufficiently hardened to 

 be placed out of doors to make way for the more tender bedders, 

 comprising the coleus and alternantheras. If, in any case, those 

 belonging to the first-mentioned section are still in a rather warm 

 house, let them be removed at once to a pit, keep rather close for a 

 fortnight, and then expose freely during the day by drawing the 

 May. 



