WINTER PROTECTION OF OUT-DOOR PLANTS. 



47; 



an ideal protection for plants, as it wards off 

 a great deal of moisture, and is also suffi- 

 ciently open to admit air to the plant, whilst 

 it effectually excludes the sun's rays, the 

 latter being an element of danger to plants 

 in winter, especially when it induces succes- 

 sive thawing out in the day-time, and as a 

 natural sequence successive freezing at 

 night. This latter condition of successive 

 thawing and freezing by the heat of the sun 

 in the day time and frost at night is one of 

 great danger to plant life of any kind dur- 

 ing the winter, and one that should be 

 avoided if possible with all plants and 

 shrubs of a tender nature. Protecting the 

 plants however with a covering of some 

 thick close material that effectually excludes 

 the air, and at the same time absorbs and 

 retains a large amount of moisture around 

 and about the growth of the plant is a seri- 

 ous mistake. I have known large plants of 

 the comparatively tender English Ivy kept 

 in good condition out-of-doors for several 

 successive seasons by a judicious use of long 

 straw and the grass matting before men- 

 tioned. For the tender varieties of roses, 

 clematis, small and recently planted altheas, 

 Japanese spireas, etc., the covering men- 

 tioned is of great value as a winter protec- 

 tion. But where a thick close material has 

 been used for this purpose the result as a 

 rule has been most disastrous to the plants 

 so protected. The branches of plants to be 

 protected should first of all be tied up to- 

 gether rather loosely before being cov- 

 ered up. 



In the case of low growing plants, such 

 as gaillardias, campanulas, pecenies, etc., 

 and many other similar border plants that 

 may require some protection, a much sim- 

 pler method can be adopted than for shrubs 

 and taller growing plants. In protecting 

 these lower growing plants, one cannot do 

 better than to follow as nearly as possible the 

 condition found, where plants are growing in 

 their native haunts, or in positions similar 

 to that ill which thev are found when growino^ 



naturally. How often perhaps have many 

 of our readers been surprised as I have been, 

 at finding may be only a single stray speci- 

 men of some choice tender plant looking 

 fresh and bright in the spring time, that has 

 had no covering except a few leaves or the 

 protection of a covering of foliage of some 

 other near-by plant ; whilst perhaps a whole 

 patch or row of plants of the same kind that 

 were entirely covered over and protected with 

 too great care, presented only a mass of rot- 

 ten foliage and perhaps dead crowns and 

 roots. Covering up the plants too early inthe 

 winter and smotheringthem with aclose heavy 

 covering of manure is too often the cause 

 of failure in wintering over half-hardy bor- 

 der plants'. 



Partially covering the plants with trim- 

 mings of fruit trees or of currant or rasp- 

 berry bushes first, and then shaking a light 

 covering of dry leaves in and about the 

 brush-wood, I have found to be a most sim- 

 ple and effectual covering for semi-hardy 

 border plants. The covering can be in- 

 creased by the addition of a little long 

 strawy manure placed over the brush-wood 

 so as to form a rough thatch to pitch of 

 the moisture. A wide board supported an 

 inch or two above the tops of the plants in 

 addition to the coverings mentioned, is also 

 of great value for winter protection. 



Good surface and sub-soil drainage are 

 also great factors in growing tender border 

 perennials and plants successfully. With- 

 out good drainage even the most careful 

 and skilful methods of protecting plants in 

 winter will be found to be unsuccessful and 

 at least comparatively worthless. 



In short to be successful in giving winter 

 protection to plants, simular to those men- 

 tioned, cover them as lightly as possible to 

 be effective, so that the rays of the sun, and 

 as much moisture as possible is excluded, 

 whilst sufficient air is still given the plant 

 to sustain life. 



Hamilton. W. Hunt. 



