172 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



their successors may have the benefit of the sap. It will 

 improve the summer roses, if, when they have quite done 

 blooming, all the flower-shoots are cut back to the branch 

 from which they started, unless it be desired to ripen 

 hips, for seed. Train and tie in your vigorous creepers, 

 weekly if possible. Mow grass-plots continually. Sup- 

 port your hollyhocks, and see that the stakes are firmly 

 fixed in the ground ; otherwise they will be as likely to 

 pull down the flower-stems in a high gust of wind, as 

 to keep them up. Pipe and layer carnations, pinks, and 

 picotees. Take up tulips and ranunculuses. Help your 

 autumnal roses by frequent doses of not too strong liquid 

 manure. The garden is now in great beauty ; let it not 

 be disfigured by slovenliness. Remove faded flowers, 

 withered stems, and over-luxuriant weedy growths : their 

 absence will make way for the many lovely blossoms that 

 are yet to come. Attend to your pinks and carnations 

 from which you intend saving seed. Pot off your struck 

 chrysanthemums. Take care that bedding-plants of trailing 

 habit do not encroach too far, overlapping and smothering 

 box edgings, and inflicting on your parterre a wound 

 which is not easy to heal. Tou will now begin to appre- 

 ciate the value of Bourbon, Noisette, and Perpetual 

 [Roses : treat them according to their deserts. Do not 

 let a weed show a leaf, much less let it ripen seed. 



AUGUST. 



Hyacinths and other Dutch bulbs will be beginning to 

 arrive at the nurserymen's. Eemember, first come, first 

 served. Try for the chance of selecting the finest roots. 

 See that your dahlias and hollyhocks are not snapped by 

 the wind for want of tying up as they advance. Shift 

 chrysanthemums in pots to one size larger ; keep them 

 frequently and freely watered. Tie those in the open 

 ground to stakes. Save seeds, plant cuttings, and con- 

 tinue to bud roses on favourable occasions. Now is the 

 time to take up and divide the clusters of bulbs and off- 

 sets of Spanish Irises, Crowns Imperial, Fritillaries, and 



