1880 . ] 
SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
77 
SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
?<sjyR\AY is the season for flowers. Poets 
JJ have sung of its wonderful fulness of 
blossom of varying tints ; when spring¬ 
time is at its full flood, these come forth in 
great abundance, gladdening the heart of man, 
and begetting within him high anticipations 
and aspirations. If there is any part of the 
year when the villa gardener truly enjoys his 
garden, it is during the merry month of May. 
Kitchen Garden. —In marked contrast with 
March and April, 1879, these months of the 
present year brought in their train excellent 
weather for getting in garden seeds. The 
weather has been drying, and generally warm 
and genial, and favourable to out-door garden 
operations. Early-planted Potatos will be 
making a fine growth, and the hoe should be 
used among them, loosening the soil between the 
plants, and drawing some up to the stems ; an 
earthing-up of soil makes a good protection 
against frost. Caxdijioivers, Cabbages, and 
Lettuces can be planted out when the weather 
is mild and showery, pressing them firmly into 
the soil. It is not too late to plant out Rhubarb, 
Seakale , Asparagus , Horseradish, and Arti¬ 
chokes, when space admits of its being done; 
these are all such useful subjects in a garden 
that in cases of small plots a portion, if possible, 
should be set apart from them. If not already 
done, some Tomato seed should be sown, to 
have a few plants to put out against a piece 
of warm wall at the end of them onth. It is 
always best to sow about the middle of April 
in heat, so as to have strong plants by the end 
of May. Trenches should be prepared for 
Celery , so that the first crop can be put out 
quickly ; a great deal of Celery is spoiled by 
planting it so late as to leave too little time for 
it to become properly matured. A few more 
Dwarf Kidney Beans should be sown for succes¬ 
sion, also Radishes, Mustard and Cress, and other 
quick-growing Salads. Spinach and Turnip 
sowings need to be repeated, and some more 
Parsley if required. The young crops need 
protection from birds and slugs, the latter 
especially, for they are very active in moist, 
warm weather. The hoe should be frequently 
used, to keep the soil open and destroy weeds. 
Fruit Garden. —There is a better fruit pro¬ 
spect than was hoped for some weeks ago. 
Some Pears and a goodly number of Apples 
are putting forth good heads of bloom, while 
Plums and Cherries are flowering well. Peaches, 
Nectarines, and Apricots on walls are flowering 
very sparingly, but so far the weather is fine 
and open, and favourable to the setting of the 
blossom. The trees should be kept free from 
insects, and everything be done to assist the 
maturation of the small crop of fruit likely to 
be borne. Last summer and autumn many 
suburban gardeners complained of the large 
amount of American blight on their apple 
trees, and we have seen cases this spring where 
it is found on the old wood. It should be 
attacked now, and one of the best remedies is 
paraffine diluted with water, and carefully ap¬ 
plied to the affected places. We have found 
this to be a decisive remedy. 
Flower Garden. —Spring flowers are now in 
all their glory, and what with Daffodils, Crown 
Imperials, Scillas, Grape Hyacinths, Forget-me- 
nots, Polyanthuses , Primroses, &c., the effect is 
most pleasing. Alpine Auriculas make very 
pretty border-flowers, and some lines of the 
new laced varieties are yielding a large number 
of flowers, many of which are delightfully 
marked. If the weather be warm, such semi¬ 
hardy things as Verbenas, Calceolarias, Gazanias, 
&c.. may be got into the flower-beds, but ten¬ 
derer things that the frost can harm had better 
be kept in the cold frames till later. Fruit 
cultivators often find, to their cost, that the 
frosts which happen during the middle of May 
do great harm to the fruit crops, and they will 
not spare bedding-plants that are not thoroughly 
hardy. Such things as Stoclcs , Asters, Phlox 
Drummondii, and Dianthuses can be prickeg 
out into good soil; not one of the foregoind 
will give satisfaction unless there is some good 
soil for the plants to grow in. Box-edging 
can be clipped, and gravel-walks well rolled, 
while the grass-plot should be kept in the best 
order. Now is a good time to divide Double 
Daisies, large clumps of Primroses and Poly¬ 
anthuses, Aubrietias, A rabis, &c., and so secure 
a good stock by the autumn. Press or tread 
the plants firmly into the ground, so that they 
do not suffer from drought. 
O 
Cold Frames. —These will now be very use¬ 
ful for hardening off bedding stuff, previous to 
planting out. Any very tender things, such as 
Alternantheras, Iresines, &c., must be kept in 
the greenhouse for a time longer ; for it is not 
safe to expose them to danger from frosts, as 
they are quickly destroyed. The bedding 
plants in frames should have plenty of air, 
and not be allowed to suffer from drought. 
A batch of seedling gold-laced and fancy 
Polyanthuses form now an attractive feature in 
our cold frame, and they are much admired 
by all who see them. These and the Prim¬ 
roses are truly amateur and villa gardeners’ 
flowers, for they can be managed with com¬ 
parative ease, and they always well repay a 
little extra trouble. But it is a mistake to 
sow the seeds of these so late in the season as 
is done by many. Vi 11a gardeners should sow 
in March at the latest, or even earlier, the 
great advantage being that the plants grow 
into good size by the autumn, and will 
generally flower the following spring. Anemone 
tu/gens and the pretty mauve-coloured A. 
