Gardening for Amateurs 



Round the Year in the Garden; What to do 

 early in March 



AMONG THE FLOWERS 



MOWING the Lawn. This work 

 needs attention now ; it is far 

 preferable to cut the grass early 

 than to let it grow so long that mowing 

 is only accomplished with considerable 

 difficulty. If possible let the lawn be 

 well swept and rolled the day previous 

 to mowing, and do not cut the grass very 

 short this month. All edges and verges 

 should be trimmed at the same time to give 

 a neat appearance. 



Planting Gladioli. These popular bulb- 

 ous plants should be got into the ground 

 now. If they are to be used chiefly for 

 supplying cut blooms for house decoration 

 it is a good plan to plant them in rows in 

 the kitchen garden. In the flower garden 

 they may be planted in groups in the borders. 

 Plant each corm or root about 4 inches deep, 

 and not less than 6 inches apart, on a base 

 of sand. Support will be necessary later, 

 and may be provided by neat sticks, or, in 

 the case of rows, by wires stretched from 

 end to end and attached to small posts. 



Sowing Sweet Peas. Those who do not 

 possess a garden frame may sow Sweet Peas 

 in the open garden now if the soil is fairly 

 dry and workable. Sow the seeds about 

 2 inches deep, and 6 inches apart, and if 

 rows are to be grown, place the seeds 

 alternately in each drill to form a double 

 row. In clumps five seeds should be sown 

 on the edge of a circle having a diameter of 

 15 inches. 



Hardy Annuals. Outdoor sowings of 

 these plants for a summer display may 

 commence now. The best method is to 

 sow the seeds thinly in seed beds, and trans- 

 plant the seedlings, when large enough, but, 

 provided thinning of the seedlings is properly 

 carried out, excellent results can be obtained 

 by sowing where the plants are to flower. 

 Indeed, such kinds as Mignonette, Larkspur, 

 Gypsophila, Poppies, and some others do 

 better under the latter treatment, as they 

 do not bear transplanting well. 



Violas. Young plants raised from cuttings 

 last autumn may now be planted out. They 

 should be previously well hardened, and 

 for a week or ten days before planting place 

 the boxes containing the plants in the open. 

 These plants are very valuable on account 

 of their long season of blooming if seed pods 

 are removed regularly, and they make ex- 

 cellent " carpets " for Rose beds or borders. 



Planting Border Carnations. Plants 

 that were potted in the autumn, and 

 wintered in cold frames, should be planted 

 out towards the middle of the month. 

 Harden them thoroughly and choose a day 

 for planting when the soil does not " clog." 

 A dusting of old soot should be applied 

 round the plants when the work is com- 

 pleted. 



IN THE GREENHOUSE 

 Sowing Half -hardy Annuals. This is 

 a suitable time for sowing plants of this 

 class. Prepare, according to requirements, 

 soil consisting of 2 parts turfy soil, 1 part 

 leaf soil, and plenty of sand. Mix thoroughly 

 and pass the whole through a fine mesh 

 sieve, retaining the rougher portion for 

 placing over the crocks in pots or pans, or 

 for providing the drainage of boxes. Sow 

 the seeds thinly, and cover lightly ; sheets 

 of glass placed over the pans or boxes will 

 check excessive evaporation. A temperature 

 of 50 to 55 is sufficient to ensure germina- 

 tion, and immediately the seedlings appear 

 place them in full light, and later give air 

 whenever possible. 



Potting off Young Plants. Fuchsias, 

 Geraniums, Show Pelargoniums, and similar 

 plants which have been rooted several in 

 a pot should be potted now, each in a small 

 pot ; grow them in a temperature of about 

 50 for the present. 



Cuttings of Fuchsias. Old plants cut 

 back last month have produced plenty of 

 young growths by now, and when these are 

 about 3 inches long they may be taken off, 

 cut across beneath a joint, and inserted in 



