6 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



bedding is a wide one, run a path through the middle of 

 it and have summer bedding on both sides. Of course if 

 tall bushy things such as Godetias, Antirrhinums, Heli- 

 chrysums, and Calendulas are to be freely used, wider 

 borders may be made, but for dwarf subjects 4 ft. is 

 ample. 



A large border or several small ones should be devoted 

 to Hardy Annuals. In the following chapters I shall 

 explain how to grow them, and name some good sorts. 

 Borders devoted to Hardy Annuals may be of any width. 

 But for dwarf plants alone it is advisable to have fairly 

 narrow borders in order that each individual clump of 

 plants may be easily attended to. Many hardy annuals 

 are extremely interesting and remarkably beautiful plants. 

 The borders reserved for them should in all cases be sunny 

 ones. 



But there is another sort of garden to which the amateur 

 may come, an old one, shaded and overhung by trees. 

 The ground full of tree roots, and as hungry as the Sahara 

 Desert. 



Yet there is hope even here. The best advice I can 

 give is first to see the landlord, and represent to him that 

 you are keen on gardening, that you are thinking of join- 

 ing the R.H.S. ; and that you feel sure he, too, is a keen 

 horticulturalist at heart, and will be interested in your 

 work ! Then speak about the trees, ask him to permit 

 you to have some of them down, or at any rate to allow 

 you to have them cut back. It is not likely he will object 

 if you have chosen your time well, and represented the 

 facts to him in a true " horticultural " way. If in the end 

 the trees are cut down, it is important that the stumps 

 should be grubbed out, or they will rot and fungus will 

 grow. 



When the stumps are out and the litter cleared away or 

 burnt, dig the ground over as deeply as possible, cutting 

 up any tree roots with the grubbing axe, and burning these 

 also. Work in plenty of manure, preferably farmyard 

 manure, as you proceed, for such ground is always hungry. 



