a Year's Work 



IN THE GARDEN. 



MARCH. 



The Flower and Indoor Garden.— Outdoors the 



bulbs are now breaking through the soil, and scraping 

 over the surface with one or two pointed sticks helps to 

 loosen the soil and give it a neat, fresh appearance. Even 

 where beds have carpet plants over them similar treatment 

 is desirable. March is a good month to undertake the 

 transplanting of evergreen shrubs, but it should be done 

 early, so that the development of bulbs and other flowers be 

 not hindered. Where Roses have been untouched, long 

 shoots may be partially cut back prior to the final pruning 

 early in April. Still, in warm gardens or in southerly 

 districts the final hard pruning may be done at the end of 

 March. All descriptions of outdoor climbers, and especially 

 Clematises, Roses, Ivies, and Virginian Creepers, should 

 now have a hard pruning and be neatly tied or nailed ready 

 for the summer growth. Seeds of some hardy annuals, 

 and not least of Marguerite Carnations, Malope, Iceland 

 Poppies, and similar things, may be sown under glass to 

 secure plants to bloom in the summer and autumn. Plant 

 out neglected layered Carnations or Pinks ; indeed, any- 

 thing that is hardy may be got out in open weather. Put 

 Dahlia roots and Begonia tubers into boxes filled with soil 

 or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, and after damping them stand in 

 warmth to promote early growth for the purpose of making 

 cuttings or division to increase stock. Seed of both 

 Begonia and Gloxinia may be sown in warmth ; also 

 Coleus and Celosia, as these require a long season. In a 

 small heated house or bed cuttings of all descriptions of 

 bedding plants may be propagated by being set thickly into 

 pots filled with sandy soil. Plants in greenhouses now 

 beginning to push growth, under the influence of more light 

 and warmth, should have plenty of ventilation and more 

 water ; manv also should now be repotted. The same may 

 be said of plants kept in rooms, all of which will greatly 

 benefit by repotting. 



The Vegetable Garden. — March is naturally a busy 

 month in this department, especially southwards or where 

 the soil is fairly light and porous, or generally if the 

 weather be open and mild. But, all the same, much work 

 that is habitually advised to be done should be deferred for 

 a week or two if the weather be cold, wet, or frosty. A 

 further sowing of any good Long- pod or Green Windsor 

 Broad Bean may be made, selecting for this crop deep 

 retentive soil. Both early and late in the month further 

 sowings of good Marrow Peas should also be made, taking 

 special care, as these crops will have to produce their pods 

 in the summer, that the soil is deep and liberally manured. 

 Where root cuttings of Seakale have been saved for 

 planting, get these put out at once in rows 2oin. apart, and 

 each set I2in. from the other in the rows. Towards the 

 end of the month get planted out on a warm border any 

 Cos or Cabbage Lettuce plants that have been wintered in a 

 frame. Any similarly wintered Cabbage plants may be got 

 out on more open ground. Plant some medium-sized tubers 

 of Jerusalem Artichokes in any outlying ground that has 

 been deeply dug ; also some tubers of Stachys tuberifera 

 on a border in rows iSin. apart, the sets being ioin. apart 

 in the rows. Where spring Onions are needed for pulling 

 as salad, sow a few drills on a warm border ; also make in 

 the same way a sowing of Early Nantes or Model Carrot for 

 early pulling in rows I2in. apart, and, where desired, very 

 small sowings early and late in the month of Extra Early 

 Milan Turnip seed. Plant early Potatoes yet only on a 

 warm border where shelter from spring frosts can be given, 

 A free sowing in the open ground and on deep soil may 

 be made of Tender and True or Hollow Crown Parsnip 

 seed, and on a warm border a few drills may be sown of 

 Red Globe Beet seed for summer pulling. Make sowings 

 in small beds of Brussels Sprout, Autumn Giant Cauli- 

 flower, and Snow's Winter White Broccoli seed, covering 

 up from birds. A sowing of Victoria Spinach may be 

 made, as also of Parsley seed. Sow some Celery and 

 Tomato seed under glass. 



The Fruit Garden. — In warm houses Vines will now 

 be breaking growth. Special care should be taken to keep 

 up fire heat, especially at night, as frost would do the 

 young shoots great harm. The very weakest shoots may 



be thinned out when but a few inches long. Peaches or 

 other stone fruits in houses will be getting into bloom. To 

 help set the flowers, tie two or three rabbits' tails to a stick 

 or fine bamboo rod and touch the anthers of the flowers 

 lightly once a day. Also tap the branches occasionally to 

 help disperse the pollen. Give plenty of air on dry days, 

 but do not expose to cold draughts. Get into warmth 

 gradually other instalments of pot Strawberries for forcing. 

 It is best to get these into a frame on leaves first for a 

 couple of weeks, then to take them into heated houses, 

 standing them on shelves near the glass. In all cases look 

 keenly for aphis or red spider, and, if found, fumigate at 

 once with XL All Vaporiser, the best of all fumigators. 

 In a pit or low hot-house both Melons and Cucumbers may 

 be planted out on raised mounds of soil, consisting chiefly 

 of strong turfy loam. These must have a temperature 

 ranging from 7odeg. to 8odeg. of heat, the house or pit 

 being frequently damped or syringed to check the develop- 

 ment of red spider or thrips. Outdoors great attention 

 should be given to Gooseberry and Currant bushes and to 

 Plum trees to keep birds from injuring the fruit buds. 

 Either net them over or dust freely occasionally with lime or 

 soot. Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots on south walls 

 will be opening bloom. Some form of shelter, by the aid 

 of canvas coverings that do not touch the trees, should be 

 furnished them at night and on till the bloom is set. Any 

 belated planting should now be completed, the trees 

 neatly staked, and a mulch of long manure placed about the 

 roots to keep them moist. Raspberry canes should be 

 pruned to the desired length according to their strength, 

 and be loosely tied to stakes or wire trellises. Look 

 carefully over Black Currants for any burst and non-growing 

 buds, and gather them to destroy because infested with the 

 white mite. 



APRIL. 



The Flower and Indoor Garden.— in all directions 



work will now need to be done. Where there is a small hot- 

 bed or means to furnish bottom heat in a greenhouse, espe- 

 cially in a close-shutting frame, cuttings of all descriptions of 

 bedding plants can now be inserted into pots filled with sandy 

 soil, and thus quickly induced to root. Also in pots and pans 

 seed may be sown of many tender flowers — Gloxinia, Celosia, 

 Cockscomb, Lobelia, Petunia, Verbena, Balsam, Zinnia, 

 Asters, Stocks, Portulaccas, and so many other beautiful 

 flowers that it is needful should be thus raised for later 

 planting out. All hard-wooded plants as a rule now need 

 shifting into larger pots, and such things as Azaleas, 

 Camellias, Heaths, etc., need the compost to be one-half of 

 peat, whilst Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, Fuchsias, Abuti- 

 lons, and all similar soft-wooded plants, do best with little 

 peat, but more of turfy loam, leaf soil, and white sand. 

 Give greenhouses and frames containing plants, plenty of air 

 now, and more water generally will be required than has 

 been the case through the winter. Outdoors make quite 

 early sowings of Sweet Peas in clumps and rows, but thinly. 

 Sowings also may be made where they are to flower of all sorts 

 of hardy annuals — Mignonette, Clarkias, Godetias, Annual 

 Chrysanthemums, ^thionema, and of all similar things. 

 Some may be sown thinly in small pots, and raised in a 

 frame for transplanting. Outdoors give Roses a final 

 hard pruning early in the month, and as growth ensues 

 watch for maggot in the leaves, and destroy them. Clear 

 away any old foliage from about hardy Ferns, and give a 

 top dressing of leaf soil. All spring bulbs will bloom this 

 month, and some — especially Hyacinths — may need small 

 stakes to support them. Lawns will now need frequent 

 mowing, and gravel paths sweeping and rolling, for every 

 part of the flower garden will be looking neat and gay. 



The Vegetable Garden. — There is probably no busier 

 month in the kitchen garden than April, for then much 

 cropping has to be completed. All Potatoes should then 

 be planted, and it is an excellent rule, where practicable, 

 to put in the late main crop varieties early in the month, 

 and the earlies, that so soon come up, about the third week. 

 Other sowings may be made of good wrinkled Marrow 

 Peas, varieties that reach to a height of from 3ft. to 4ft. 

 being best. Specially good for sowing this month are 

 Sharpe's Queen, Gladstone, and Autocrat. Quite at the 



