204 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



quarters, whilst the others, such as Pelargoniums, from which an 

 ample stock of cuttings have been procured, are thrown away. 

 It is then usual to dig over the beds, and plant immediately 

 with the spring-flowering subjects ; this is generally done in 

 September and October — the sooner the better — so that the 

 plants may be well established before winter sets in. 



Bulbs play a very important part in the decoration of the 

 beds in spring. For this purpose they should be procured as soon 

 as convenient in the autumn, those known as " Dutch bulbs " 

 being inserted as soon as they arrive from the Continent, 

 if the best results are to be obtained. They answer splendidly 

 either grown in beds by themselves or mixed with other spring- 

 flowering subjects, such as Polyanthuses, &c. After flowering 

 they must be removed, so as to make room for the summer 

 bedders, and this very often, if not always, has to be done 

 before the foliage has died down, in which case they must be 

 laid close together in beds in the reserve garden or in damp 

 ashes, &c., to thoroughly ripen off. For a list of bulbs and 

 tubers the reader is referred to the chapter upon the subject. 



The varieties of these subjects are very numerous, and it 

 will not be necessary to mention them here, as large quantities 

 may be procured from our various seedsmen, either in named 

 varieties or in mixed sorts. The catalogues generally give the 

 colour of each kind. 



Hardy annuals are also used for spring bedding : these are 

 obtained from seed sown in July or August in the reserve 

 garden, transplanting the seedlings when large enough, so as to 

 make fine strong plants for transferring to their permanent 

 positions in September and October. 



The hardy perennials, when removed from the beds in 

 spring, are planted in the reserve garden, there to have every 

 attention as regards watering, weeding, Szc, until required for 

 transferring to their flowering quarters again in the autumn. 

 Propagation is generally effected by division of the old plants 

 when transplanting, in either the spring or autumn. Large 

 numbers may also be raised from cuttings or from seeds. 



The arrangement of the plants in the beds is an item which 

 ■demands attention, if good results are to be obtained • but in 

 this matter each admirer . has his own particular fancy, and 

 excellent effects are produced by blending and contrasting 

 ■colours in a variety of ways. It is a mistake to aim at too 

 much in a single bed, two or three colours being quite sufficient 



