A YEAR'S GARDENING 



sway and revel in its natural beauty, unmolested by the thought of 

 the coming glory of summer. 



If we are to make the best use of our " Spring Garden " we must 



avoid any sort of " bedding-out " system and must 

 wh^tt** u'°'^ not be over-anxious about annual culture. We have 



now many Spring flowers which are not dependent on 

 rich soil and careful cultivation, and to these we may confidently 

 look to ensure a good display. 



The Yellow Alyssum, for instance, is as easy to grow as it is 



effective, and the White Arabis, the many varieties 

 Herbaceous qJ Rock Cresses, the evergreen Candytufts and the 

 *" ^ numerous kinds of Anemone, are aU most valuable; 



while where the soil is moist or marshy the Ranunculus (Buttercup) 

 family — Bachelor's Buttons, Columbines in their great variety. 

 Kingcups, and Winter Aconite (one of the earliest harbingers of 

 Spring) — will all thrive weU. And the common Primrose, the 

 COwdip, the Oxlip, the Polyanthus and the Auricula must not be 

 forgotten, nor the sweet Violet, the many kinds of Violas and Pansies, 

 and those time-honoured favourites — Forget-me-nots and Wall- 

 flowers. 



Then for bulbs there are the Crocuses, the Snowdrops, the Scillas, 



the Daffodils, the Narcissi, the Hyacinths and the 

 Bulbs Tulips; while the many beautiful Irises — English, 



Spanish and German — are a host in themselves. 



To this list — ^which, of course, is only meant to be suggestive — 



there must be added the many flowering shrubs which 

 ' bloom in Spring, and from which we may gain some 



fine effects by judicious grouping. Especially is this the case with 

 Azaleas, of which there are several hardy kinds that will thrive well 

 in the open garden in sheltered spots, and their flowering is not de- 

 terred by partial shade. Rhododendrons, too, are most effective 

 when properly grouped, and they will flourish in nearly any soil where 

 lime is absent, though sandy peat is what is best for them. As they 

 are free growers they should not be planted too closely nor in one 

 huge mass, as we sometimes see them, but broken up into groups 

 of harmonious colour. The Magnolia is another beautiful flowering 

 shrub which will be found valuable in our southern counties, though 

 it is somewhat susceptible to frost and its flowers get nipped 

 occasionally. Then there are the more hardy kinds of flowering 

 shrubs, such as the Hawthorns — red, pink, double and weeping; 

 the many sorts of Flowering Currants, the Lilac, the Laburnum, the 

 Broom and the Furze bush; while the Deutzia, the Syringa, the 



114 



