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4 



MAY — the cheerful " merrie " month of May — once 5^ 

 again unfolds her flowery mantle. Our beds and M- 

 borders are now bespangled o'er with the varied and 

 beautiful tints of opening flowers. Tiie pits and greenhouses offer the 

 garden their winter-stored subjects, already bursting into active growth, 

 and eager to breathe the free and open air. Some caution and care 

 must, however, still be exercised ; the return of occasional sharp frost 

 during the past fortnight reminds us that all danger is not quite passed, 

 and that it will be advisable to be prepared with some protecting 

 material to shelter, in case of need, such plants as are most susceptible 

 of injury. Amongst the usual bedding plants, do not forget Cnphea 

 platycentra, Heliotropium Vollariantnu, Plumbago Larpentae, &c. If 

 not already decided upon, determine at once all your plans ; pay par- 

 ticular attention to tlie arrangement of colours. A flower-garden may 

 be richly furnished witii plants, but be very ineffective if the colours 

 are badly arranged. For producing brilliant effect in masses, reject 

 parti-coloured flowers ; such are never effective. Use pure and decided 

 colours, such as brilliant scarlet, pure wiiite, deep purple, bright 

 yellow, &c. ; those wliich are in close affinity kill each other. 'Jake 

 care not to mix plants which are of doubtful duration when in bloom 

 with those of a more permanent character ; remembering always that 

 the beauty of a formal flower-garden depends upon its being in all its 

 details a perfect work of art, in which no blemish should occur. There 

 must be high keeping, symmetry, judicious arrangement of colours 

 (traceable to fixed principles), or it will not form a satisfactory whole. 

 Young gardeners should attend to this. Many persons plant their 

 stock so thinly, that their beds are not covered till late in the season ; 

 we ad\ise thick planting for speedy efflsct. 



"Where annuals are required for late flowering, they may yet be 

 sown ; and hardy annuals tliat have come up too numerously should 

 be thinned out, so as to retain but enough to be vigorous. Tender 

 annuals, raised in pots or frames, sliould be taken, with as much soil 

 to the roots as possible, and after the middle of the month be carefully 

 planted out. After all planting is done, the next operations will be 

 training and pegging down the plants ; this is a tedious but most 

 important process towards having well-furnished beds. Climbing 

 plants will now require training from time to time, according to their 

 growth. 



Florists' Floweks. — Amongst these we may class the Antirrhi- 

 num ; many of the kinds now in cultivation are exceedingly pretty, and 

 deserve to be grown. Now is the best period to plant them out in 



