1880. ] 
SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
125 
SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
UGUST.—Will the summer be wet and 
uncongenial as that of last year ? is the 
question which gardeners are found 
putting to themselves. The want of sunlight, 
the influence of the invigorating sun, is greatly 
needed to give the ripening touch of sum¬ 
mer to vegetation, and swell the grand chorus 
of earth’s joy. Let us hope it will not tarry, 
but come quickly. 
Kitchen Garden. —While what the market 
gardeners term “ dripping weather ” abounds, 
a good supply of Winter Greens should be got 
out. Every spare plot of ground should be 
planted with Dwarf Scotch and Cottager's Kales, 
Brussels Sprouts , Savoys , and Coleivorts. It is 
always an advantage to have a good supply of 
these useful vegetables. The ground that has 
been used for early Potatos and Peas should 
be cleared, and if necessary, dug, and planted 
with something else. Some Cauliflower (Early 
London or Walcheren) should be sown to 
winter in frames, and Enfield Market Cabbage 
for spring use ; also Winter Spinach , and suc- 
cessional sowings of Turnips, Lettuce , and other 
Salads. Parsley is a most useful thing in the 
garden, and if the crop is short, it is well to 
sow now, the advantage being that it will grow 
strong to stand the winter. Celery is growing 
fast, and needs earthing-up gradually, doing it 
a little at a time, as undue earthing-up checks 
its growth. If some seed of the Early Horn 
Carrot be sown early in the month, an autumn 
supply of this delicious vegetable will be ob¬ 
tained. 
Fruit Garden. —-Fruit-trees are now making 
a very rapid growth under the influence of 
warm showers of rain, and it should be the 
endeavour of the gardener to encourage in every 
possible way the ripening of the wood of the 
season. If any trees, and especially pyramids, 
have been allowed to become crowded with 
young wood, the shoots should be thinned 
out somewhat, so as to admit sunlight and air 
among those remaining. The summer pruning 
and nailing-in of Wall-trees should be con¬ 
tinued, and the young wood pinched in on 
espaliers. Strawberry-beds should be cleared 
of weeds and runners, and new plantations 
made, deeply digging and heavily-manuring 
the ground previous to planting. 
Flower Garden. —Now is the time when this 
department should be in its full beauty, 
and if there be any pretensions paid to arrange¬ 
ment of colour in the beds, now is also the time 
to note what is defective, so that newer and 
better plants may be substituted another sea¬ 
son. As far as possible, some variety should 
be introduced to the garden, and especially can 
this be done by means of herbaceous plants, 
as many good and new things are constantly 
being introduced. As the weather is showery, 
and at the same time, close and warm, bedding 
plants are growing freely and even rank. 
Petunias , Verbenas , Phlox Drummondii , and 
other plants of a trailing character need to be 
kept pegged down into position to give the 
beds and borders a neat and regular appear¬ 
ance. The smaller the garden, the more neces¬ 
sary is it to keep the beds neat and trim, and 
free of weeds and decaying flowers and leaves ; 
while everything, including creepers, plants in 
vases, &c., must be kept within proper limits. The 
lawn should be kept close, the grass verges and 
bos and other edgings neatly trimmed, and gravel 
paths be kept free from weeds, and frequently 
rolled. 
During August, any plants that are pro¬ 
pagated by cuttings must have attention given 
to them in this respect, that there be no 
lack of stock for another season. Cuttings 
can be taken of a good number of subjects, 
without destroying the appearance of the beds. 
The earlier the cuttings can be taken the bet¬ 
ter ; and the stronger will be the plants for 
wintering. 
Intermediate Stocks should now be sown, and 
some Mignonette for flowering in pots. Calceo¬ 
larias, Cinerarias, Primulas , &c., should be 
potted off, at least some of the forwardest plants, 
for early flowering. August is the month when 
the gardener has to look forward to the winter 
supply of flowers, and take the necessary pre¬ 
cautions to secure it. Chrysanthemums in pots 
need to be kept well tied out, watered, and 
syringed frequently over-head. 
Cold Frames. —Let it not be supposed that 
the Cold Frame is simply a receptacle for 
taking rubbish that may have ceased to be 
useful for decorative purposes. It is a kind of 
nursery for the Greenhouse, and gives accom¬ 
modation for many things during the inter¬ 
mediate stage between the seedling and the 
flowering state. Any bulbous plants that 
bloomed in the spring should be occasionally 
watered, else the bulbs will shrivel up. All 
plants in the frame must be kept clean and 
free from decaying leaves, and be watered as 
required. Pans and boxes of biennials in 
course of being raised from seed must be kept 
moist on the surface, or the tiny plants will 
wither as they emerge from the seed-vessels. 
Greenhouse. —It is in August that this 
house should be at its gayest. There should 
be now a great variety in bloom, viz., Liliums , 
Petunias , Balsams, Heliotropes , Pelargoniums 
of many kinds, Tropceolums , &c. The newer 
Ivy-leavedPelargoniums make pretty greenhouse 
plants trained to balloon frames, when they 
bloom on their surface. The tuberous-rooted 
Begonias are now fine ; and in an amateur’s 
greenhouse we recently saw the fine old Fuchsia 
fulgens in splendid form. Two points are 
essential in the management of greenhouse- 
