JAN.] FLOWER GARDEN. 97 



BLOWING FLOWERS EARLY IN HOT-BEDS, ETC. 



Many sorts of bulbous, tuberous, and fibrous-rooted perennial 

 flowers, if planted in pots, and now placed in a hot-bed, hot-house, 

 or any forcing department at work, will shoot and flower early with- 

 out much trouble, only to give occasional watering. Pots of roses, 

 dwarf almonds, double-blossom cherry, peach, &c., may also be 

 placed in the forcing houses for early bloom. 



CARE OF PERENNIAL FIBROUS-ROOTED PLANTS IN POTS. 



Double wall-flowers, double stocks, double sweet-williams, and any 

 other of the choicer kinds of perennial plants in pots, should be 

 well secured from severe frosts. If these plants in pots are placed 

 in frames, let the glasses or other covering be kept over them at all 

 times when the frost is keen, or occasionally in very wet weather ; 

 but in mild dry weather the plants must not be covered in the day- 

 time. 



Take care now of all other choicer kinds of fibrous-rooted peren- 

 nial plants in general, which are in pots, to secure them from frost. 



Those plants which are in pots should, where there is not the con- 

 venience of frames, be plunged to their rims in a dry and warm 

 border, and at night and in severe weather be covered with garden- 

 mats, supported on arched hoops placed low over such bed or border. 



SEEDLING FLOWERS. 



Boxes or pots of any tender or choice kinds of seedling flowers 

 should be covered in frosty weather either with mats, long litter, 

 fern, or the like, which should be laid a good thickness over them, 

 and close round the sides, or remove them under a garden-frame and 

 glasses, &c., which will be the better way. 



Likewise beds of the more tender and curious sorts of seedling 

 flowers, in the common ground, should also be covered in hard frosts 

 with mats or long dry litter, but remove the covering when the 

 weather is mild. 



PROTECTING FLOWERING-SHRUBS. 



If you have hardy flowering-shrubs or evergreens in pots, you 

 should, to protect their roots from the frost, plunge the pots to their 

 rims in the ground (if omitted doing in November or December), 

 and cover the pots with some tan, leaves of trees or dry litter, allot- 

 ting them for this purpose a dry, warm situation, where water is not 

 apt to stand. 



But any tenderer or more curious young evergreens, &c., in pots, 

 should have the protection of frames or occasional covering of mats, 

 &c., in severe weather. ' / * 



Protect also the roots of the choicer kinds of new planted flower- 

 ing shrubs and evergreens from frost. This is done by laying dry 



