44 Dreer's Garden Calendar. 



Flov^er Garden. 



d LTHOUGH to the mere economist 'flowers are not indispensable oi 

 J directly remunerative, yet they have become so to the civilized, 

 C^jV intelligent and intellectual community in which we live. The 

 most humble cottager, unless deiicient in the most simple concep- 

 tions of beauty, must have his flower-pot and one or more varieties of 

 flowers. The enthusiastic amateur is no longer content to receive his 

 floricultural novelties at second-hand, but must have them direct from 

 the great European centres of Horticulture. 'We have latterly endeav 

 ored to render this necessity of the amateur importing a few seeds or 

 plants unnecessary, by constant attention to obtain every highly recom- 

 mended novelty. We shall continue to do this, and shall endeavor to 

 have, at the earliest day, every valuable acquisition in seeds, bulbs or 

 plants. 



Little pains is taken to have the soil of the flower-beds and borders 

 in a friable and active state, not subject to bake. This is what renders 

 it so difiicult for small flower-seeds to survive germination, and for the 

 delicate transplanted annuals to make a start. All that the flower- 

 border or beds require is a dry bottom, with an annual supply of pre- 

 pared compost, made up of barn-yard manure, leaf-mottld, or decayed 

 leaves from the woods, and such other refuse as may appear suitable to 

 enrich the heap. With difierent soils, special applications will be neces- 

 sary, as stated under the head of Vegetable Garden, see page 4. The 

 hot-bed frame as there described will serve for the purpose of the 

 Flower Garden. — The only additional requisites are flower-pruning scis- 

 sors, stakes and trellises for tying up plants, labels and flower-pots. 



The Lawx, which adds so much to the neatness of the Garden, .may 

 be extensive or limited in size, but should always be well prepared and 

 neatly kept, whicli can so readily be done with the Philadelphia Zaicn 

 Jlowers; for sizes and prices, see page 111. Much of the beauty of the 

 lawn is also due to the variety of grass seed sown. The usttal practice 

 has been to employ a mixture of several species, which is prepared for 

 sale. Our Lawn Grass mixtiu-e consists of six varieties, viz.: Sweet 

 Vernal, Green Grass, Blue Grass, Herd Grass, Perennial Eye Grass, and 

 White Clover. From two to three bushels is the quantity generally 

 sown to the acre, but the latter quantity is preferred. Persons who pre- 

 fer a difierent mixture can have it made up to order. 



The Flower-beds may be cut out in the lawn, and in these bedding 

 plants from the green-house planted, as soon as the weather becomes 

 suitable and no further danger of frost; also, choice annuals sown. 

 The following brief directions will be found reliable. 



For fall directions how to prepare and seed a lawn, see page 85. 



