360 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Round the Year in the Garden; What to do 

 late in June 



AMONG THE FLOWERS 



TYING Carnations. The operation 

 of tying up Border Carnations needs 

 to be neatly done, or the whole effect 

 is spoilt. Thin but strong canes should 

 be used, and care should be taken that 

 they are of sufficient length, for although 

 when first put to the plants they may 

 appear far too long, this will seldom prove 

 to be the case. Wire supports are also 

 satisfactory, but whichever is used, see 

 that the requisite number is supplied, in- 

 stead of bunching the flower stems together, 

 as is often done. If size of blooms is studied, 

 disbudding will be necessary, and this should 

 be commenced early. 



Staking and Tying Gladioli. Where 

 Gladioli are grown in groups in the flower 

 borders, support them by means of neat 

 sticks, and tie them as necessary, but avoid 

 making the ligatures very tight. If grown 

 in rows for cutting, place wires attached to 

 posts along the rows and tie them to these. 

 Pruning Rhododendrons. These hand- 

 some shrubs seldom require much pruning, 

 doing far better without it, but any cutting 

 out of shoots that appears necessary should 

 be undertaken immediately the bushes have 

 finished blossoming. The old flower-heads 

 should also be removed at the same time. 



Violas. Violas will produce their blossoms 

 from early spring till the succeeding winter 

 if not absolutely neglected. They par- 

 ticularly resent drought, so that watering 

 should be attended to often. It is equally 

 important to remove all faded flowers once 

 or twice each week, for seed-pods are 

 developed always at the expense of the 

 blossoms. 



Lifting and Dividing Bulbs. Although 

 the majority of bulbs give a better effect in 

 a mass, yet they must not be allowed to 

 become too thick, or deterioration will 

 eventually result. Any which are in this 

 condition may be lifted, divided, and re- 

 planted at the present time, while the bulbs 

 are at rest. 



Box Edgings. These need clipping annu- 

 ally if a neat appearance is to be retained 

 and if the work has not previously been done 

 carry it out now. If the edgings are neglected 

 for a few years the Box develops into small 

 " hedges," which not only look bad, but 

 make an excellent harbour for snails and 

 similar pests. 



Mowing in Hot Weather. During con- 

 tinued drought lawns deteriorate rapidly 

 under the usual treatment, but with a little 

 extra attention they may be kept presentable. 

 When mowing raise the cutters a little above 

 the usual level and dispense with the box, 

 allowing the grass to lie as cut. The hose 

 may with advantage be turned on small 

 lawns for an hour or so during the evening. 



IN THE GREENHOUSE 



Sowing Herbaceous Calceolarias. 



These handsome plants can be cultivated 

 in a cool greenhouse, although they need a 

 little more attention than the usual green- 

 house subject ; still, the results fully warrant 

 this. Now is an excellent time for sowing 

 the seeds, and remember that plants from 

 a poor strain need the same trouble to grow 

 as those from a reliable source. Fill the 

 requisite number of pots or pans with rich 

 but sandy soil, made firm, and with a level 

 surface for sowing. Water a couple of hours 

 previous to sowing by immersing the pans 

 in water and standing aside to drain. The 

 seed is extremely fine, so that, after sowing 

 thinly, a very slight covering is all that is 

 necessary. Each pan must be covered with 

 a sheet of glass, and this needs turning daily. 

 Shade must also be supplied. 



Pricking out Primulas. Primulas are 

 rather slow in growth, so that they should 

 be pricked out as they become large enough 

 from the seed pans into other pans filled with 

 light soil. Disturb the seedlings left as 

 little as possible, and prick these out in turn 

 as they progress. Keep the plants in the 

 greenhouse in a light position, but shade 

 from direct sunshine. 



