1094 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Round the Year in the Garden; What to do 

 late in February 



AMONG THE FLOWERS 



NEW Lawns. Where a new lawn 

 is to be sown in spring the site 

 should be prepared without delay. 

 Drainage must be properly carried out, 

 unless the soil happens to be drained 

 naturally. Some old manure may with 

 advantage be dug into the soil. When 

 the soil has to be moved to a consider- 

 able depth to obtain a level surface the 

 sooner the work is completed the better. 

 If a fine, clean sward is desired grass seed 

 should always be sown in preference to 

 laying turves. The only advantage of the 

 latter method is the immediate effect, but 

 it is difficult to obtain turf free from weeds. 



Climbing Plants. The climbers cover- 

 ing the house or walls about the garden 

 need attention at least once a year to keep 

 them within bounds, and very rapid growers 

 will probably require cutting several times 

 during the summer season. A good many 

 may be dealt with now, but it is necessary 

 to understand the different kinds, or growth 

 may be removed that would have produced 

 flowers if left. Ivy is usually trimmed hard 

 back every year, and if this is done now 

 the resulting bare appearance will be of 

 very short duration, as young growth will 

 shortly appear. 



Rockeries. In the early months of the 

 year a rockery is especially attractive, owing 

 to the large number of plants that are then 

 in bloom ; and it is essential that everything 

 be kept tidy at this period. Slugs must be 

 looked for early in the year following a mild 

 winter, and if not trapped they will soon do 

 considerable damage to choice plants. Newly 

 planted alpines need a good deal of look- 

 ing after for quite a year after planting, 

 especially in the matter of watering during 

 prolonged spells of dry weather. 



Propagating Blue Alkanet. The lovely 

 Anchusa unfortunately often dies during the 

 winter, especially in wet, heavy soils ; but 

 as their propagation is an extremely simple 

 matter, this should deter no one from grow- 



ing them. Root -cuttings form the method 

 adopted to obtain large numbers of voung 

 plants in a short time. Merely cut the fleshy 

 roots into pieces a couple of inches or so in 

 length, and place them in pots of sandy soil 

 in a frame. It is necessary to keep the ends 

 nearest the crown upwards, and they should 

 be just covered with soil. Do not overwater 

 them, very little being needed for some time. 

 Plant out in the borders at the end of April 

 or early in May. The Dropmore and Opal 

 are the two favourite varieties of Anchusa 

 italica. 



IN THE GREENHOUSE 



Potting Ferns. Ferns in warmth start 

 growth fairly early, so that early potting also 

 is necessary to prevent damage to the young 

 fronds. Prepare a compost of 3 parts loam, 

 1 part peat or good leaf -soil, and plenty of 

 sand or grit. Place this under glass to warm 

 several days before it is used. This soil is 

 suitable for the various ferns usually grown 

 in a greenhouse. See that all pots are quite 

 clean, and provide proper drainage, or there 

 will be trouble later. In repotting plants 

 do not use pots more than two sizes larger, 

 while when dividing old ferns always pot the 

 outside pieces in preference to the centres. 



Care of Seedlings. Naturally the time 

 immediately following germination is a very 

 critical one for plants, and therefore extra 

 care should be given seedlings. Avoid over- 

 watering, as from this cause, combined 

 with very thick sowing, the trouble of 

 " damping-off " arises, and this results in 

 the loss of large numbers of plants in a short 

 time. Keep all seedlings fully exposed to 

 the light, as this ensures short, sturdy growth 

 from the commencement. Prick out the 

 plants at the earliest possible moment where 

 they are overcrowded in seed-pans. 



Propagating Bedding Plants. There 

 is usually a certain amount of propagation 

 to be done in the spring to make good the loss 

 of cuttings inserted in the autumn, and such 

 work should be pushed on until sufficient 

 numbers of the various bedding plants have 



