FORTH 



AY — the cheerful " merrie " month of May — once 

 again unfolds her flowery mantle. Our beds and 

 borders are now bespangled o'er with the varied and 

 beautiful tints of opening flowers. The 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 

 may come, 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. If not already decided upon, determine at once all your 

 plans ; pay particular attention to the arrangement of colours. A 

 flower-garden may be richly furnished with plants, but be very in- 

 effective 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 white, 

 deep purple, bright yellow, &c. ; those which are in close affinity kill 

 each other. Take care not to mix plants which are of doubtful dura- 

 tion when in bloom with those of a more permanent character, remem- 

 bering 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 advise thick planting for speedy 

 effect. 



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

 sown ; and hardy annuals that 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, should 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' Flowers. — 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. 

 Auriculas. — The blooming season of these favourites is now nearly 

 over, and their growth commencing; they should therefore be imme- 

 diately repotted, so that they may receive the benefit of additional 



