JANUARY I, 1903. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
WS 
Prominent corners and centres of beds, 
where large plants are marked on the plan, 
are for strong-growing standard roses 
trained to strong rustic posts 6 or 7 ft. high 
and dwarf roses planted in between. 
January is one of the best months for 
preparing the ground for a rosary. To 
make it permanent and a thing of beauty 
for many years it must be trenched 2 or 3 
ft. deep. The bottom of the trench must 
be picked up and manure in plenty thrown 
in with bonedust well worked and mixed 
with the’ soil as the operation proceeds. 
Care must be taken to keep the manure 
below the first foot of surface soil, otherwise 
it will be in the way of levelling. Manure 
can always be worked in the surface soil 
afterwards. Different soils require some 
judgment in the matter of trenching. 
If the subsoil is of a rubble limestone 
T would decide to have gravel walks. Rob 
the walks of the good soil on the top, and 
run it with a barrow on to the beds. Then 
put the limestone rubble out of the tren- 
ches on to the walks. The gravel walks 
‘should be so arranged that you can stand 
' the sprinkler on them, throwing the water 
‘clear, and enabling you to walk about them 
immediately afterwards without being wet 
under foot. To make‘the gravel walks set 
properly, the large stones should be raked 
in to the bottom as the work proceeds, 
leaving about a foot of gravel on top, and 
the water will drain away as fast as it 
‘comes, Level the surface to its proper 
height with boneing rods and line, and 
then mark out the plots. If the ground 
‘ig not properly prepared and drenched the 
” roses will last only a few years. 
’ Tf the soil is all deep I would adviso 
planting buffalo grass for the walks. The 
grass can’ be alwalys kept neat, and tho 
bright green makes a nice contrast to the 
beds of roses. 
Jonquils and other bulbs go well with 
roses, as they can remain in the ground. 
‘Carnations and Pansies also do well with 
‘the roses, and make a good variety of 
coloring, both in foliage and flowers. 
If rustic posts are used for the pillars 
and pergola uprights, I must let you into a 
little secret of which few gardeners know 
the value. When putting the posts into the 
ground always place them in the reverse 
way to which they grew; that is, upside 
down. If possible, cut them to have a 
fork in the ground. This will strengthen 
them to a good firmness, and they will not 
rot. The theory regarding this little secret 
is that during the growth of the timber the 
sap rises in a particular way through the 
structure of the wood, and water will rise 
in the same way to the surface of the 
ground when the wood is put in the ground 
and cause rotting. But if the wood is re- 
versed when putting the posts in the 
ground the water will not rise, and this 
prevents the rotting. 
If rustic uprights are not used, then take 
4x 4 in. jarrah timber. Put the posts 
up in pairs 2 ft. apart, leaving a space of 
10 ft. between each pair of posts. Make it 
9 or 10 ft. high above the ground. Cross- 
beams 3 x 2 and 10 ft. long will give a 
spacious footpath. Pig netting of 4 in. 
mesh should be stapled up the pairs of 
posts and over the top. The wall plate 
should be 4 x3 timber, and the pig netting 
2 ft. deep hanging along the front. As 
before mentioned, lattice work of 4 in. 
“mesh should be nailed on to the windward ~ 
side, and no more effective breakwind is 
possible. This is far better than a solid 
wall of wood or iron, for if the structure 
be made golid a strong wind will curl over 
the top, and is capable of a good deal of 
damage. But if the wind is allowed to fil- 
ter through lattice work as described it will 
do no damage. On the contrary, no matter 
how strong the wind may be, the lattice 
has the effect of breaking it into a gentle 
breeze. ’ 
After many years of experience in Eng- 
lend, and having introduced pergclas com-’ 
bined with rosaries into Australian gar- 
dens, I can confidently recommend these 
suggestions as peculiarly suitable to this 
climate, and am quite satisfied that no 
‘ginning of the present month. 
other part of a garden can be made more 
beautiful: and attractive especially in the 
heat of summer. 
SSSes 6S" 
TROPHOLUM SPECIOSUM. 
Who that has observed this beautiful, 
hardy, flame-flowered Nasturtium’ in 
flcwer in Scotland and the North, ‘has 
not envied their northern gardener, the 
almost exclusive possession of his floral 
treasure? It is remarkable that this 
pretty and erratic plant, although a native 
of sunny Chili, should flower and grow 
but poorly as a general rule in the sunnier 
parts of Britain, and succeed so well in 
the misty North. Here and there one 
hears of success attending its cultivation 
in the South, but those cases are very ex- 
ceptional. One such I came across a few 
weeks ago; the plants were growing in 
comparative luxuriance. This was at 
East Burnham Park (near Burnham 
Beeches), as warm and sunny a district as 
anywhere within the same distance of 
; Pergiir showing bstrtuad siepeoe ~ a fos on 
Plan of Rosery and Pergola. Pergola showing Overhead Section 
at Bottom of Plan. 
London. The plants were not in their 
full beauty when I saw them, but, judg- 
ing by the number of open blooms and 
those which were in bud, they would make 
a brilliant and beautiful show till the’ be 
‘The 
tubers were planted some seven or eight 
years ago in a border facing north, among 
some Rhododendrons and other shrubs. 
The growth they made during the ‘first 
few years was feeble and disappointing, 
ard many persons would have despaired 
of ‘success; but Mr: Vitch had set his 
‘heart on establishing this plant in the 
garden of his then new country house, and 
tha* he has succeeded so well is due; per- 
haps, more to the fact that he chose a 
* suitable position ‘for it, and, having done 
that, he let it alone ; and the growths now 
cover most of the shrubs, and promise to 
take. possession of the lower part of the 
root of the house.’ [This plant grows 
‘freely in Australia.—Ep.] 
“The Gardener’s Chronicle,” 
<i 
Ps 
