1878.] 
VILLA GARDENING—MAY. 
79 
for a cold greenhouse includes all we have 
previously named. Choice hardy plants coming 
into flower, such as might have found a place 
in the cold greenhouse a month or two ago, 
will now be best in the cold frame, as they can 
be more readily shaded ; and as the season is 
rapidly coming on when some shading is re¬ 
quisite for the greenhouse, we think there is no 
better means of securing this than a roller- 
blind formed of what is known as bag-canvas 
—a material employed for making seedsmen’s 
bags. When it is inconvenient to fix a roller- 
blind, the new composition, “ Summer-cloud,” 
may be used to paint the exterior of the roof 
with; it is of a pale green colour, but rather 
expensive to use. Then a little Brunswick- 
green, mixed with a weak solution of glue or 
milk, is a cheap and serviceable composition, 
darker in hue than the “ Summer-cloud,” but 
scarcely any the worse in consequence. These 
are preferable to the coating of whitewash some¬ 
times applied. 
Flower Garden. —It has been written of 
the month of May that it is so profuse in 
exuberant growth of leaf and flower, that,— 
“ All living things on earth, in air, or stream, 
Wake to a life of beauty bright as angels’ dream.” 
The Flower Garden bursts forth into a grand 
diapason of form and hue, the unutterable 
harmony of which flashes forth a glory answer¬ 
ing to that of the skies above. Now comes the 
time of preparation for bedding-out. All bed¬ 
ding plants of a tender character should be 
hardened off as early in this month as possible. 
Such as were placed in cold frames in March 
or the beginning of April, and are now growing 
fast, need to be removed to the shelter of a 
wall or hedge, and protected at night till suffi¬ 
ciently inured to exposure. Their places in the 
cold frame should be taken by the tenderer 
stuff, which it is not safe to expose in the open 
air till all danger from frost is past. The beds 
and borders, too, should be got ready for 
planting-out, and by the middle of the month, 
Calceolarias , Pelargoniums , Petunias , Verbenas , 
Antirrhinums , and such-like may be planted 
out. If a plan for filling the beds and borders 
be drawn out, the tender subjects can be put 
in at the very last. If the beds are in a grass- 
plat, the grass should be mown before planting 
takes place, and be swept and well swept and 
rolled after this is finished. Plant out in 
showery weather, if advantage can be taken of 
its happening, and let the roots of all the 
plants be well moist when the work is done. 
Asters , Zinnias , Stocks , Phlox Drummondu , 
and Marigolds can go out in well-prepared 
ground, or should be put in some good rich 
soil at the time of planting. Hardy 
annuals should be sown without delay, and 
growing climbers kept trained. The spring¬ 
flowering Clematises are now showing their 
buds, and the growing wood should not be 
suffered to hide them. Now is the time to 
plant out beds of Neapolitan , Double Blue and 
Double White , Russian , and Queen Victoria 
Violets. Every one loves a bunch of violets in 
spring, and beds of plants put out now will 
produce an abundance of flowers at that time 
of year. 
Cold Frames. —Many early-flowering things 
that have gone out of bloom, such as Hyacinths , 
Scillas , Crocus , Triteleia , Primroses , Polyanthus , 
&c., may find temporary lodgment, at least in 
the cold frame, or failing a cold frame, they 
may be stood on a cinder-ash bottom, under 
a hedge or wall in the shade. Auricidas 
sown last autumn, also Polyanthuses and 
Primroses sown at the same time, can be 
pricked off into pots or pans, and placed in 
the frame. Delphiniums , Aquilegias , Pent- 
stemons , Salvia patens , Antirrhinums , Pyre- 
thrums , &c., raised from seeds sown this spring, 
may be similarly treated, as the cold frame is 
an excellent place in which to grow these on 
into size. All newly pricked-off things of this 
character will need to be syringed frequently 
in dry weather, to keep them growing. 
Kitchen Garden. — Cauliflowers and Lettuce 
should be planted out for succession on rich 
ground ; if done in cool weather, and when the 
soil is moist, a good start is soon effected. By 
the end of May, Vegetable Marrows and Ridge 
Cucumbers may also be planted. It is a good 
practice, where it can be done, to gather to¬ 
gether the vegetable refuse, leaves, &c., which 
are inseparable from a garden, and place them 
together in a heap, doing this in the autumn, 
and adding any refuse soil, manure, &c. This 
heap comes in very useful for planting-out 
Marrows and Cucumbers on, and by the end of 
the summer it is well rotted, and comes in very 
useful for mixing with potting-soil, top-dressing 
beds, &c. The hoe should now be brought into 
requisition, for loosening the soil between rows 
of Peas , Beans , young Cabbages , &c. Tomatos 
may be planted out against a south wall, when 
the v r eather promises to become settled, warm, 
and fine. Early in the month, Scarlet 
Runner and Dwarf French Beans should 
be sown for succession, and such late Peas 
as Veitclis Perfection and Omega. Spinach 
should be thinned-out, leaving the plants a fair 
distance apart. Sow Turnip Radishes and Snow¬ 
ball Turnips for succession. Some villa gar¬ 
deners sow the whole of their Radishes and 
Turnip Radishes at once, which results in a 
glut and wasted crops. It is better to sow 
successionally. Weed and tliin-out beds of 
Carrots , Onions , &c. Earth-up and stake Peas 
as required, and as the Early Potatos come 
through the ground, hoe carefully about them, 
and draw some soil up to them, as a protection 
against danger from frost. This 4s a most 
