JULY. 



171 



CHAPTER XXV, 



GARDEN OPERATIONS IN JULY. 



Garden work is a rotation which scarcely ceases the 

 year round. As we begin to reckon that getting through 

 all the planting out, and full an^angement of the beds 

 and borders will give a little leisure, the growing season 

 brings on weeds apace, and rampant gi^owth in vege- 

 tation makes constant watchfulness, pegging, training, 

 chpping, staking and tying necessary. Insects, too, 

 increase apace as soon as the restraining hand of winter 

 is removed, and all these things give work in abun- 

 dance, and will do until frost shall again put vegetation, 

 and its devourers, in the dormant stage. 



Flowers in vases, and such like decorations, should 

 have the earth stirred, manured on the surface, and 

 covered with moss, to prevent evaporation, and the 

 necessity for constant watering ; vacancies in them, and 

 spare corners may yet be filled up to make the general 

 effect good, and pretty trailing plants should be led 

 over the edges, to do away with the stiff look which 

 stucco so often wears. Good foliage, and plenty of 

 flowers, are both necessary to keep up their good looks 

 throughout the summer. 



Trees cut to fantastic shapes should be cut this 

 month. The fittest for the purpose are, yews, cypresses, 

 bays, arbor vitces, box trees, and Portugal laurels. They 

 must be clipped in again from time to time. In- ^ 

 dustriously remove suckers from roses, and clear off all 

 the wild shoots from the stems of standards. Many 

 florists' flowers will require especial attention in culture 

 and propagation. 



Eoses are now showing pretty plainly whether they 

 have the soil they like. No watering will keep those 

 on light and poorish earth in fine order, whereas a 

 little sand and plenty of manure will, to a great extent, 

 overcome the difficulties on stronger land. 



If the beds are likely to suffer from drought, the 

 surface may with advantage be mulched with a mixture 



