f^ flower Garden and Lawn >g^ 



SPRING NOTES FOR FLOWER BED AND BORDER 



BY WM. HUNT, ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, GUELPH. 



PLANT life out of doors has been well 

 protected during the exceptionally se- 

 vere winter we have experienced by the 

 early and continuous falls of snow which 

 have been so general — and in many places 

 too copious — all over the province. In 

 spite of the mercury indicating zero for days 

 together, and sometimes dancing away 

 twenty or thirty degrees below that point, 

 there is very little frost in the ground at this 

 date (February 13th). In many places 

 there is only a few inches of frozen soil, 

 whilst a few specially well protected spots 

 have been found with only a slight crust of 

 frozen earth. 



The trying time for plant life this season, 

 however, has yet to come. Owing to the 

 very early snow falls very little artificial pro- 

 tection could be given to plants in early 

 winter. 



It will be well, therefore, for those who 

 have plants or bulbs of a tender nature in 

 the garden to prepare to give them some 

 protection, during the period of broken 

 weather usually experienced when spring 

 approaches. Tender roses, tender shrubs, 

 as well as plants of a tender nature in the 

 border, will be very much benefited by some 

 slight protection during periods of alternate 

 freezing and thawing, as well as sunshine, 

 the last mentioned being as hurtful to plant 

 life in many cases as severe frost at this sea- 

 son of the year. A few fine boughs or tree 

 trimmings, with a sprinkle of straw or long 

 strawy manure amongst them will make an 

 ideal spring protection for plants. Heavy, 

 close covering is not necessary. The cov- 

 ering should be placed over the plants al- 

 most before the snow has thawed away 

 from them. It can be left on day and night 



if the nights are frosty and bright sunshine 

 prevails in the day time. A few days par- 

 tial seclusion from sun and light will not 

 hurt plants at this season when severe night 

 frosts prevail. 



Pruning. — Flowering shrubs need very 

 little if any pruning at any time. Thin out 

 here and there the most prominent branches, 

 if the plant is overgrown or unshapely, but 

 do not clip or shorten back all of the young 

 growth, as this mistaken method of pruning 

 deprives the shrub of the growth necessary 

 to produce the coming season's wealth of 

 blossom. In most cases the thinning out 

 process before mentioned can be profitably 

 done later, when the shrubs are in flower, 

 as the prunings can then be used for decora- 

 tive purposes indoors. If not of too severe 

 a nature this late pruning in summer will 

 not injure the plants. 



One exception to this method of thinning 

 flowering shrubs should be mentioned, viz., 

 that of the hardy hydrangea (hydrangea 

 paniculata grandiflora). This plant should be 

 severely pruned back early in the spring be- 

 fore the buds tart, or it can be done in late 

 autumn time or early winter. If not al- 

 ready done, the young shoots of this popular 

 shrub should be cut back to within three or 

 four inches of the old growth. This method 

 of pruning produces much better and larger 

 panicles of bloom than if the plants are not 

 so severely pruned. Cedar and spruce 

 hedges may be clipped at any time during 

 April or early in May, not later. By clip- 

 ping them at this time, just before growth 

 commences, they can be clipped rather ,ie- 

 verely if necessary. Later clipping than 

 the time mentioned is not advisable, unless 

 left until autumn. Late summer clipping 



