February 1, 1909 
THE AUSTRALIAN: GARDENER. 
5 
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A GROUP OF PRIZE CHRYSANTHEMUMS AT A RECENT SHOW. 
Fiower Gardens: 
—:0:——_. 
Notes for the Month. 
Although February is a very hot 
month, and flowers will suffer COTE Ie 
ably unless they obtain all the moisture 
they need, the cooler weather, known as 
the autumn, will set in sornse the end 
of March. Now, the autumn is the very 
best time of year in which a great deal of 
important gardening pot can be done 
Tt is the best time in which to plant out 
evergreens—that is, those plants which 
do. not shed their leayes during the 
winter: ‘Tp, this class of’ plants. belong 
camellias, most ‘of the azaleas, rhododen- 
most, of the pines, and 
drons, palms, i 
yarious other garden plants ; therefore i 
would be advisable ‘to got ROAR Y, any 
ground, without delay, that it is intended 
ghall be made into a garden. It would 
be as well, also, to get ready some place 
where:seeds of hardy annuals and see 
plants can be sown and protected ; for if 
the plants are raised in the autumn, and 
planted out when they are ESF SY 
they will produce flowers very eee, 
the spring. [It is much better to plan 
out everything possible in the autumn 
than. in the spring. If preferred, the 
seeds ‘of annuals ‘can be sown “in the 
garden, where the seeds are! to remain, 
put the chances are that the best results 
¢ 
will be obtained by sowing in a seed. bed? 
box, old kerosene tin, or something of 
that sort, and afterwards transplanting. 
the seedlings. ' \ 
Chrysanthemums will need looking 
after, and watering if the weather is dry, 
and grubs and caterpillars should be 
looked for every day, and removed. If 
black aphis appear on the ends of the 
tender shoots, and between and amongst 
the leaves, dust them well with tobacco 
powder, insect powder, or spray with 
resin and soda mixture, or even, where 
these things cannot easily be obtained, 
with starch and water. or with soot and 
water. Soot-water isa good manure fo ,., 
chrysanthemums, but not easy to make 
unless you: know how. Collect a: good 
lot of soot and put it in a. sugar-bag, or 
something of that kind, and then let this 
soak in a tub of water. When the water 
becomes the colour of strong tea it is 
ready for use. hoes 
Dahlias are undeniably one of the 
principal floral features of the season, 
and should be present in every garden 
where conditions permit. The. greater 
the number and. variety the better.. The 
dark .shades, the crimsons,  clarets, 
maroons and ‘purples, supply a deep » 
rich tone, and form an effective contrast 
to the bright vivid colors that predomi- 
nate in most gardens.. The light. shades 
the gleaming whites and brilliant yellows, 
the apricot and amber tints will light up 
the dullest and most sombre garden in a 
remarkable manner,, Hven where a 
‘ 
Sarden is already gay with every conceiy 
able color of Nature’s inexhaustible” 
palette, they only serve to make it more 
dazzling, more brilliant. As the Dahlia 
blooms fade, prune back to a strong wood 
bud. If the plants were stopped at a 
reasonable height the strength and 
energy will be equally distributed, they 
will ramify in all quarters and will be 
masses of gorgeous blooms and_ rich 
green foliage. 
Bulbs, such as daffodils, may be taken 
up and replanted if it is necessary to 
thin them out. This is a good time to 
plant out bulbs, especially narcissus of 
kinds, sparaxis, tritonias, ixias, babianas, 
and other Cape bulbs, Gladiolus bulbs 
also may be planted, or dug up and re- 
planted when necessary. ; 
Sow Balsam, Calceolaria, Cineraria, 
Cyclamen, ° Pansy, Phlox, 
also Mimulus and Petunias, Polyanthus, 
and Polyanthus-Primroses. + 
Now is the time to pot up a nice lot of: 
Cyclamens to brighten our verandahs’ and: 
glass houses in the winter. In the 
plentitude of sunshine and bloom of to_ 
day, we must not forget that there are 
dark uncongenial days with .which the 
whirligig of time will revenge us by-and- 
bye, Cyclamens have a peculiar grace 
and beauty of flower and foliage. Nature 
has wrought an elaborate design on each 
leaf in exquisite tones of green. They 
can be grown also in a border if it is 
warm and sunny and protected from 
frost in the winter, and cool and shady 
Primula, 
