168 THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Planting. — The time for planting out depends on the general 

 climate of the district, the position of the garden as to shelter, 

 and the condition of the plants, together with the character of 

 the individual season. It is certainly much better to wait a 

 week or two than to remove plants out of sheltered situations 

 into the open beds, if there is any fear of cold winds or a 

 night's frost, in which case they would no doubt receive a check 

 sufficient to affect their well-being for the whole season. The 

 usual time for planting out is the end of May or during the 

 month of June. Showery weather is generally chosen for the 

 operation, but should dry weather prevail, planting may commence 

 in June, providing the beds receive a good watering immediately 

 after. This is preferable to planting when the soil is very wet 

 and sticky, as then it is apt to be pressed into hard lumps. 

 When the plants are in pots, it is best to water them thoroughly 

 overnight, so as to have the balls in a perfectly moist condition 

 by the morning, as when turned out of a pot and when rather 

 dry, it is almost impossible to get water to enter the ball after 

 the plant has been put in the ground, and it naturally suffers 

 in consequence. If the weather continues dry after planting, 

 liberal waterings should be given at intervals, never allowing the 

 plants to suffer for want of water. The removal of decayed 

 leaves and flowers should be regularly seen to throughout the 

 summer, so that the beds . may at all times present a neat and 

 tidy appearance. 



The blending and contrasting of colours is a subject that 

 requires great attention in bedding arrangements. The harmonising 

 of one colour with another generally produces the most pleasing 

 effect. Thus, by arranging the colours purple, red, pink, salmon, 

 yellow, and white, in the order named, the eye is led gradually 

 from one colour to the other, and perfect harmony prevails. In 

 planting small beds, however, it is not advisable to introduce 

 too many shades of colour — two, or, at the most, three, will 

 suffice. The most accommodating colour for contrasting with , 

 others is white or very light grey, such as is supplied by 

 Cineraria maritima or Cerastium tomeniosum ; these plants 

 ' associate well with all strong colours, and produce striking 

 contrasts. The shrewd gardener is always on the alert for suit- 

 able combinations, and when he sees any that take his fancy, 

 he jots them down in his note-book for use in future seasons. 



The gardener of the present day has considerable advantage 

 over his predecessors in the matter of bedding, as the number 



