6 
tastic design, one of its chief uses being a 
drinking place for the native birds. Of 
these His Excellency has a rare collection. 
We are now on the other side of the lawn. 
The view from here is refreshing, the rosery 
adding beauty to the scene. 
With reluctant steps we now turn away 
from the open garden, the traversing of which 
is a pleasant and liberal education in the 
plotting out of a *gentleman’s residence 
worthy of the highest commendation. 
Our space now forbids a description of 
the greenhouse, ferns, the rockery— 
which is alittle dream of art—and the orchid- 
house, We shall reserve these for our next 
issue. Suffice it to say that the gardens of 
“Montefiore” are a standard of beauty and 
art that do infinite credit to His Excellency 
and to Mr. David Cole, the head gardener. 
Carden Operations. 
POSGSege 
Flower Garden. 
@ LOWER beds should now be ready for the 
reception of annuals. Ifthe ground waskept 
dry in the winter it should now be ina sweet, 
wholesome condition. Annuals for trans- 
planting towards the end of the month should . 
now be sown in seed pans. The hardier 
varieties may be sown in the open ground. 
When planting in the spring we should recall 
the faults of the previous year’s arrangement, 
having made a careful note of failures so as 
to be able to allot the most suitable position 
to each subject. ‘There is such a variety of 
plants, and their tastes are so diverse, that it 
is possible to find something that will adapt 
itself to the most unfavourable situation. Not 
even the hottest and most barren position in 
the garden need be given up as hopeless 
when there are Echeverias and Mesem 
bryanthemums of every description to fill 
up with -Some of these have the merit of 
looking cool on the hottest day, and are in- 
finitely more pleasing to the eye than the 
sight of parched, hungry soil. Every particle 
of ground should be covered with vegetation 
during the summer months. Each plant 
helps to screen the other. Fill up all gaps as 
they occur. The garden should be well sup- 
plied with permanent plants, judiciously 
grouped and arranged, and then it is an easy 
matter to fill in the spaces and borders with 
annuals, biennials, and perennials. Hardy 
Verbenas, Heliotropes, Hibiscus Africanus, 
and others of that character of a low 
growing habit, are very valuable as an under- 
growth. Now is the season to take cutting 
of soft-wooded plants. 
and Primrose that have ceased to flower may 
be divided. Shrubs can be pruned as they 
go out of flower, removing all weak, dead, 
and extraneous wood, and trimming them 
where they have become untidy. 
Lawns will require attention at this season. 
They should be carefully weeded and all 
holes and depressions filled up with light 
soil. Their own mowings are the best pos- 
Pansies, Polyanthus,. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER 
sible mulch, and provided the grass has not 
been allowed to grow too long, and leaves 
and all untidy matter have been previously 
swept off, these may remain without prejudice 
to the appearance. Where leaves are looking 
shabby a top dressing and manure should be 
applied. ‘The lawn,” wrote Mr. Robinson, 
“is the very heart of the garden and the 
happiest thing in it.” Garden paths usually 
suffer during the winter from the heavy rains 
and general traffic combined, so that it may 
be necessary at this season to repair any 
defects. If they are well made in the first 
instance they are little trouble to maintain 
Paths should always have a solid foundation 
of hard, rough: stuff, overlaid with gravel, 
sand, etc., of sufficient depth. The highest 
point should always be the centre. ‘This 
admits of good. surface drainage. They 
should be weeded now and got into the 
best possible condition for summer. Turf 
paths are the most desirable in this climate. 
Roses are making vigorous growth now, 
and may call for thinning and directing. 
Where quality rather than quantity is desired 
in the blooms the buds: may be thinned, 
allowing only one to remain for a cluster. 
Hybrid perpetual’ and Tea Roses will 
benefit by an application of liquid manure 
Mulching must not be postponed until the 
dry season, but should be done as soon as 
the ground has benefited to the fullest extent 
by the spring rains. Manure or litter spread 
lightly will then pele to conserve existing 
moisture. 
Dahlias may be planted this month. They 
are gross feeders, and like a moist soil. 
Dig large holes for them, and fill with de- 
cayed vegetable mould, and allow them plenty 
of water during thesummer. Place a central 
stake, and as they grow nip back and direct 
the growth so that the stems may be strong 
enough to support the luxuriant growth of 
the late summer with moderate staking. 
They are among the handsomest. and 
showiest plants in bed or border, and repay 
a little extra attention at the outset. 
Snails and slugs are now very active. They 
have a preference for our choicest blooms. 
Their haunts: and hiding places should be 
discovered and lime frequently dusted over 
the foliage. ‘rapping and catching them by 
means of bran and lettuce leaves will do a 
little towards reducing their numbers. 
wesese 
Flowers in Germany. 
(Translated from Die Gar tenwelt). 
NEWER AND VALUABLE FLOWERS 
FOR DECORATIONS. 
(By TEuTON.) 
ASTERS. 
EFORE to-day have I drawn attention 
to the “Aster peregrinus,” which be- 
longs to our best cut flowers, and which is 
doubly valuable by its early flowering. 
Early in spring the faintly lilac tinted flowers 
commence to develop, and very shortly 
afterwards the flowers appear, Where 
NOVEMBER I, 1902 
long-stemmed flowers are wanted «ster 
peregrinus ought not to be omitted, though 
the first cost might be comparatively heavy. 
Trollius Asiaticus, or Goldball, has been 
known for several years, but does not ap- 
pear to be favoured by. our gardeners to the 
extent its beauty deserves The reason 
why this flower has. not been more culti- 
vated may be in.the high price, but even 
this reason has been done away with of late. 
OF the different kinds that are known none 
is more beautiful than. Trollius Goldball.- 
A bouquet of these incadescent, golden 
orange-coloured balls must satisfy even the 
most spoiled taste. The strongest frosts, 
which do such a great deal of ‘damage in 
early spring, never harm our friend. ~ 
FEATHER PINKS. 
Among the feather. Pinks we possess now 
an important new culture, which is con- 
sidered by exp-rts as the best amongst 
white flowering Pinks. Each flower, which 
grows to the size of a snowball, possesses 
a circumference of 15 to.17 cm. With 
perfect right has this new variety been 
called “Snowball, » - A bouquet of cut 
flowers is a picture that brings before the 
eyes the extraordinary richness of its blos- 
soms. Everyone will be surprised at the 
powerful growth of Dianthus plumarius 
“Snowball,” at the strong stems by which 
these mighty flowers are carried. The cir- 
cumstance that every stem carries only one 
blossom is probably the reason that the 
flowers grow to the greatest perfection, and 
these merits ought to agen enLd them 
strongly to us. 
RRERTTCntCe 
Amongst the lasting Delphiniums we pos- 
sess many a pretty variety. For bouquets 
I,.think Delphinium Belladonna: holds the 
place of pride. The beauty by which. this 
variety excels lies in the transparent 
heavenly blue, and in its great productive- 
ness,. which supplies us with flowers’ fer 
nearly four to five months in-the year. 
CAMPANULA. 
Of the beautiful Campanula persiartolie 
“ Moerheimi” we do-not hear or see much, 
notwithstanding. that this plant belongs to 
the best novelties of late years... The plant 
is not exacting in its culture and pays well 
for any trouble expended on it. .The 
closely filled, pure.white flowers appear. at 
a time when the. Pinks are over and when 
good white flowers are scarce. The flower 
is of good use in the “bindery,” and these 
good qualities ought to TRITON for it the” 
Breatest popularity. 
PyRETHRUM. 
White Pyrethrum sinensis forms in the 
spring months a considerable part of our 
bouquet flowers. The “Montblanc” is the 
best known and most popular kind. “ Non 
plus ultra” has the habit of getting the 
flower stems entwined, which is not the case 
with the “Montblanc.” In newer times the 
simple coloured varieties aré preferred cut 
long stemmed. 
MoNTBRETIA. 
I would like to draw attention to a bulb 
growth between ‘“ Montbretia” and “Gladio- 
lus,” which will have a good future as a 
