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Gardening for Amateurs 



Round the Year in the Garden; What to do 

 late in March 



AMONG THE FLOWERS 



PLANTING Hardy Perennials. 

 No time should be lost in com- 

 pleting this work. When dividing 

 old clumps always retain the outside por- 

 tions for replanting, as these are younger 

 and consequently more vigorous than those 

 in the centre. Consider the ultimate 

 size of each plant when full grown, and so 

 avoid planting too thickly. It is by no 

 means a bad plan to leave spaces to be 

 filled later with summer bedding plants or 

 annuals from seed. 



Weedy Walks. The weeds on paths and 

 walks should be hoed up on a bright day 

 where advertised weed killers are not used 

 for the purpose. But the latter are preferable 

 in every way, being easily applied, sure in 

 results, and just as economical, if not more 

 so, in the long run than more laborious 

 methods. 



Sowing Grass Seed. This is a good time 

 to make new lawns by sowing grass seed. 

 The soil should have been prepared some 

 time previously, so that it only needs raking 

 down now to form a fine and level surface. 

 Sow thickly, first one way and then across 

 at right angles, and cover the seed with soil 

 by raking. If the surface is dry enough, 

 as it should be if a suitable day is chosen, 

 complete the work by rolling the ground 

 well. Birds must be kept off, either by 

 nets, or scares of some description. Young 

 grass is best cut with a sharp scythe the first 

 few times, though a sharp mowing machine 

 having the blades set high will do. 



Pentstemons. Plants propagated from 

 cuttings last autumn may be transferred to 

 the flower borders at the end of this month. 

 Well dug soil is necessary, and the plants 

 will require plenty of room, as they develop 

 quickly. 



Slugs Injuring Polyanthus. The flowers 

 of the Polyanthus are often practically 

 ruined by slugs. If the beds contain tree 

 leaves blown down during the autumn they 

 should be removed, as they serve as hiding- 



places for the pests, large numbers of which 

 may also be found close to the plants just 

 below the soil level. 



Pruning Roses. This work may be com- 

 menced now, starting with the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals, and plants trained to walls or 

 other shelters. In dealing with bush roses 

 cut back always to dormant buds pointing 

 outward, and remember that the strongest 

 shoots need least cutting. Where very 

 strong growths are present, these may be 

 arched over and the ends secured to pegs 

 driven into the beds. Treated thus they 

 flower throughout the whole length of the 

 shoots, giving a very charming effect. 

 Very weak growths may be removed entirely. 

 On climbing roses a few of the oldest growths 

 should be cut out, where these can be re- 

 placed by vigorous young shoots. 



IN THE GREENHOUSE 



Tying Down Vine Growths. This work 

 needs great care, or many of the growths 

 will be broken. Where disbudding was 

 duly attended to there will be one shoot only 

 remaining on each spur, and this is known 

 as a " lateral." If laterals are left alone 

 they naturally grow upwards and quickly 

 reach the glass ; to avoid this wires are fixed, 

 and to these Mires the laterals are tied. The 

 work of tying should be commenced early, 

 as it has to be done by degrees ; the laterals 

 snap off if tied in the least too tightly. At 

 the first attempt they should be merely 

 secured by the tying material, and every 

 few days this is tightened a little, until 

 ultimately the shoots are brought to the 

 wires. Maintain a moist, warm atmosphere 

 by damping stages and floors frequently. 



Potting Herbaceous Calceolarias. 

 These handsome greenhouse plants should 

 now be potted in their flowering pots ; 

 those 7 or 8 inches wide may be used, 

 according to the condition of the plants. 

 Use a compost made up of 2 parts 

 fibrous loam, 1 part leaf soil, \ part old 

 hotbed manure, a little soot, and a fair 



