140 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



June, 1911 



If divisions of roots of these plants can 

 be obtained they give the best and quick- 

 est results, and are true to type to the 

 parent plant, which seedlings sometimes 

 are not, but roots are more expensive 

 when purchased. Plants or divisions of 

 roots can usually be obtained from nur- 

 serymen and florists, or from some neigh- 

 bor perhaps, who already has a border 



Fsrly in May is the best time for di- 

 vidirg the roots of most of the peren- 

 nials I have named as growing easily 

 from seed. It is too late to disturb theni 

 now. One plant named requires sper!al 

 mention, viz., the Oriental Poppy. These 

 are best sown in boxes, or in the border 

 where they are tp grow permanently. 

 They require careful sowing and shading 

 from the hot sun until four or five leaves 

 have grown, when they can be hardened 



off to the sun gradually. A few minutes 

 hot sun when the plants are very small 

 will be fatal to them. When once well 

 started, they are among the hardiest and 

 showiest of border perennials, but they 

 do not transplant as well as most varie- 

 ties from the open ground. 



A perennial border is one of the most 

 satisfactory features pertaining to any 

 flower garden. A very good collection 

 of plants can be obtained from seed as 

 mentioned, at little cost and labor. With 

 the addition of a few clumps of spring 

 flowering bulbs planted here and there 

 in October, such as Tulips, Narcissus, 

 Hyacinths, Crocus, and so forth, and 

 some of the kinds before named, a display 

 of flowers can be had from the time the 

 snow melts in the spring until it comes 

 again in the fall. 



What Amateurs Can Do in June 



THE lateness of the season this year 

 has left garden crops backward. 

 Sometimes young vegetable plants 

 that have started find it difficult to break 

 their way through the soil, and are either 

 delayed in appearing, or are killed. Wat- 

 ering will soften the soil and help the 

 plant push its way through. Do not 

 allow any plants to suffer frcm dry 

 weather. 



Warm weather this month will bring 

 plants on rapidly. Watch the weeds and 

 cultivate frequently. Stirring thle sur- 

 face, even if it appears to be clean, will 

 destroy many young weeds which are 

 just starting and save much labor later 

 in the season. It will also conserve the 

 moisture by preventing evaporation. 



The garden should be cultivated and 

 hoed as soon as the young plants appear. 

 Do not wait until the weeds get a start. 



The only way to secure satisfactory 

 results in the flower garden is by giving 



the details careful study. Many pleas- 

 ing effects can be obtaintd by the exer- 

 cise of a little forethought. Even tropi- 

 cal effects can be had by the proper se- 

 lection of suitable plants. One of the 

 best of these is the castor oil plant. It 

 can be grown from seed and will grow 

 eight or ten feet high. It branches free- 

 ly. The plant makes an excellent centre 

 plant for a circular bed. 



The canna is a sub-tropical plant, 

 which may be conbined with others with 

 excellent effect. In addition to the fine 

 foliage, it bears brilliant flowers 'that 

 give color to the assortment. For beds 

 of this kind there are other plants, such 

 as palms, screw pines, ficus, caladiums 

 and aspidistras, which can be put out of 

 doors in summer with advantage. 



Plant gladiolus bulbs in full exposure 

 of the sun. Plants for bedding may be 

 placed in the open early this month. 



In color schemes, harmony should be 





the first consideration. One of the best 

 general purpose hardy border plants is 

 the perennial phlox. It gives an almost 

 solid mass of color for many weeks. 

 Give it good, rich .soil and keep the 

 grass and weeds away from it. This is 

 about all the attention it requires. 



Have plenty of hollyhocks, but do not 

 plant them singly. They are more ef- 

 fective when grouped. Dahlias planted 

 now will usually give better results than 

 if planted earlier. 



FIGHT THE INSECTS 



Keep ahead of the insects on rose 

 bushes. (;i\e the leaves a good sprink- 

 ling of hellebore now, if it has not al- 

 ready been done. Sprinkling the leaves 

 once a day with water alone will keep 

 down many pests. The size of pansy 

 blossoms can be kept up by watering 

 occasionally with weak liquid manure. 

 Get your window boxes ready and put 

 them in position as soon as danger r)f 

 frost is past. If you want the best n - 

 suits in the flower garden, do not n( 

 gleet the four chief operations, namel; 

 thinning, weeding, cultivating and wat- 

 ering. 



CARE OP THE LAWN 



In a newly-made lawn, keep a watch 

 for the weeds, and do not let them get a 

 start. Fertilize with about one pound of 

 a good potato fertilizer to every ten 

 square feet of lawn. This will keep the 

 turf thick and velvety, and the weeds 

 will be smothered out. Keep the mower 

 going. Frequent mowings increase the 

 body of the sward. Do not mow too 

 closely, but often. 



WITH THE FRUITS 



Weed the strawberry patch and keep 

 the surface soil well stirred, or else cov- 

 ered with a thick mulch of straw. If 

 you are growing strawberries on the hill 

 .system remove the runners. Larger and 

 better berries may be secured by this 

 method, but not so many of them. 



If you want to grow larger and better 

 fruit on your trees than you have done 

 in the past, thin out t+ie fruit trees this 

 month. Fruit trees and bushes should 

 be sprayed if clean fruit is the object. If 

 the home orchard is small a barrel spray- 

 er will be a profitable investment. Gum 

 or sawdust near the base of the peach or 

 plum trees indicates the presence of bor- 

 ers. Dig them out with a knife or long 

 wire, or they will weaken or kill the tree. 



A Flower Garden by the Eastern Sea 



The garden of Dr A. Bell, in Cape Breton, is here shown. Note the terraces and the en- 

 trance to the Pargola walk on the left hand side. Flowers grow in this garden in great 

 profusion. It is a source of much pleasure to Dr. Bell, inventor of the Bell Telephone, and to 

 his numerous Tisitors. 



It is best to get the hydrangea out 

 of doors as early in the spring as pos- 

 sible (about the end of April), protect- 

 ing them in a temporary way or carry- 

 ing them in the house if the weather 

 turns cold, but they should stay out 

 doors from at least the end of May un- 

 til the middle of October. — Wm. Hunt, 

 O.A.C., Guelph. 



Apples are an antidote for drink and 

 tobacco. 



