CHILDREN'S GARDENS 
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by any of them, such as the evergreen 
Euonymous (thrift), Arabis (or thyme), in the 
same way they will require a little tidying up 
in the early spring. 
February and March are also the best months 
for cutting back evergreen shrubs. If any 
have encroached on your beds or plants, a little 
careful trimming should be done now. Roses 
too will require to be pruned. I advise you to 
leave it rather late. March would probably be 
better than February, as after they have been 
cut back they will make youngshoots and begin to 
prepare for summer, and if this happens too soon, 
a sharp frost comes and cuts all the nice fresh 
growth. The art of pruning is very difficult, and 
by far the best way to learn is to watch a gardener 
doing it, or to get him to show you how. Some 
roses flower on the long trailing branches, such 
as the Banksian roses, and if you cut them off, 
you would destroy all the buds. In such cases 
only old and dead wood should be taken away. 
Dwarf and standard roses generally require 
cutting back till only two or three buds are left 
on each branch. But nothing except practice 
and experience will teach you exactly what to 
do. Climbers will in early spring want looking 
at, to see that the winter storms have not 
pulled them away from their supports, and may 
require to be nailed or tied up. Some may 
