98 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



April. 191.^ 



Climbers : Dorothy Perkins, pink ; 

 Crimson Rambler, crimson ; Baltimore 

 Bell, pale pink; Perfection, pale pink; 

 Prairie Queen, rose; and many other 

 beautiful new varieties which prolong the 

 season. 



The climbing roses are used for cov- 

 ering the fences. They are a splendid 

 background for perennials, which I use 

 in between the rose plants, as they come 

 in bloom after the June roses are through 

 blooming. When garden space is limit- 

 ed, as mine is, bloom may be continued 

 all season with the help of perennials. 



The Modern Peony* 



J. H. Bennett, Barrie, Ont. 



When spring arrives remove the coarse 

 mulch and stir the finer parts well into 

 the soil, taking care not to disturb tlie 

 pinkish white buds then just beginning 

 to show. Peonies, as stated before, are 

 quite hardy without mulch, and while 

 this attention is not essential, it will be 

 more than repaid. 



The best time for planting is in the fall 

 when the roots have well ripened, usu- 

 ally early in September, though they 

 may be planted as late as the ground 

 may be cultivated. They may also be 

 planted in the spring, but this practice 

 is not recommended, as the growth the 

 first season is not so vigorous and they 

 seldom bloom as strong. This is also 

 partially true of very late fall planting. 

 All peonies give better blooms after be- 

 coming established, and should not be 

 finally judged the first season. 



The peony is propagated — at least for 

 the purposes of the average gardener — 

 from the root. To get at the roots do not 

 spade. The better plan is to dig down 

 beside the plant until the root is exposed, 



•Extract from a paper read at the last anmual 

 convention in Toronto of the Ontario Horticul- 

 tural Association. 



altack the plant from above with a 

 and then cut off with a sharp knife the 

 desired buds attached to part of the root. 

 If you wish to take out the whole plant 

 or root the best plan is to dig all around 

 it, and when loosened up so as to be 

 easily removed whole, do so; when it 

 can then be divided into sections with 

 one or more buds desired. From three 

 to five buds make good plants But once 

 more the warning must be given to take 

 care that the buds are not injured in 

 dividing. 



Propagation from seed is a slow mat- 

 ter, for it takes four or five years for a 

 peony to grow from the seed to the 

 blooming period, and even then it will 

 hardly repay the trouble, for the chances 

 are all against producing anything worth 

 while. 



If, however, one deems the delight of 

 giving to the world a really desirable 

 new variety is worth the risk, then ga- 

 ther the seeds as soon as they" are ripe, 

 and store them in sand over winter. 

 Plant early in the spring in well pre- 

 pared soil, and exercise patience. 



Planning the Garden 



At this season of the year many ama- 

 teur flower growers are at a loss to know 

 how to lay out their gardens to the best 

 advantage. On this page appears a 

 diagram of the garden of Mr. K. W. 

 McKay, of St. Thomas, a description of 

 which was published in The Canadian 

 Horticulturist last fall. 



The outside measurement of the gar- 

 den is one hundred by sixty-six feet. The 

 paths are two feet six inches wide, with 

 a curb of two by four inches cypress 

 stained green. The long beds on either 

 side are ten feet wide and may be culti- 

 vated by rake or Dutch hoe from the 

 paths. 



The general arrangement of the paths 

 and beds has given Mr. McKay good 

 satisfaction. With the exception of a 

 few perennials, the space devoted to 

 flowers and vegetables will go on an 

 adjoining lot to make room for roses and 



additional flowers. The compost box, 

 twelve feet by four feet by four f e< i 

 lakes care of house garbage, weed-, 

 grass clippings, and leaves. These de- 

 compose quickly, and form a mulch most 

 suitable for flowers. 



Making the Compost Pit 



J. MacPherion Rou, Torogto, OaL 



The compost pit may be of any di- 

 mensions that will answer to hold such 

 refuse as would accumulate about any 

 ordinary household. It is not necessary 

 to have it boarded, although it would 

 be better in order to hold the earth sides 

 more securely. 



A space eight feet long by six Icet 

 wide and four feet deep would be a con- 

 venient size. A pit as shallow as two 

 ieet would answer if placed in a corner 

 of the garden not very much exposed to 

 view so long as it would be convenient 

 to throw kitchen slops or soapsuds into. 

 Nothing could be more fertilizing than 

 dishwater or soapsuds, as they contain 

 potash and all other fertilizing ingredi- 

 ends. You can readily see how con- 

 venient it would be to throw weeds into 

 such a pit through the summer when 

 cultivating your garden, grass clippings 

 from the lawn, leaves, litter, and even 

 cornstalks, decayed fruit, straw, and in 

 fact, anything except wood. Wood 

 readily ferments and decays. Sifted coal 

 ashes would be all right, as they would 

 absorb liquids of any kind rich in ni- 

 trates and other fertilizing chemicals. 

 Coal ashes, though not in themselves of 

 particular value, yet serve as a medium 

 to lighten stiff soil and are a good rfr- 

 tainer for fugitive fertilizers. The 

 leaves of the lawn make desirable and 

 valuable leaf mould. 



The longer you can leave such refuse 

 to decay the better. If it should be- 

 come in any way offensive, a covering 

 of earth spread over it would prevent 

 any nuisance. Such a pit would serve 

 also as a place, when emptied of its con- 

 tents in the spring, to place manure in 

 to make a hotbed. 



Rhubarb 



Hot Bed. 



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Asparagus. 



Horse Raaish. 0. Poppies- 



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Perennials 



Asters 



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rS^ n dial. 



ui 



O j! 

 O O 



PercTinials 



W.tiil 

 Phlox. 



►J 

 ies 





Hedg^ composed principally of flowering shrubs- . 



A Plan of the Garden of Mr. K. W. McKay, St. Thoma*. Ont. 



