— — 
May 1, 1909 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
NARCISSUS GLORIA MUNDI (INCOMPARABILIS). 
The Plower Garden. 
Notes for the Month. 
The work of digging, trenching, 
Temodelling flower-beds, and all necessary 
alterations should be persevered in when- 
®ver the weather is favorable, The 
Planting of deciduous trees and shrubs 
Should not bé postponed later than this 
Mouth, The hints given elsewhere in 
“onnection with planting orchard trees 
*pplies equally well to the planting of 
Subjects in this department, whilst use- 
UWinformation may be gained from the 
fakes by an American expert on the 
Teatment of shrubs. 
Neatness and cleanliness is the princi- 
Pal consideration all the year round, but 
at this season it is more difficult to 
maintain a trim appearance. Exhausted 
summer flowering annuals and biennials, 
fallen leaves, and every scrap of litter and 
untidy matter should be promptly carted 
away to the rubbish pits or heaps, where, 
together with the accumulating waste of 
the house and garden, it will be gradu- 
ally converted into valuable manure. 
The winter garden can never attempt 
to rival the summer garden in wealth of 
bloom and color, but it need not be 
wholly destitute of color. During the 
bulb season, which may be said to begin 
with the autumn Crocus, and to continue 
with short intervals 
Poeticus Narcissus in the spring, no 
garden need look dull. ; 
until the last: 
5 
Dahlias and Cannas can now be cut 
down and lifted to facilitate digging, and 
to allow of tke soil being renewed from 
which they have been taken. The former 
should be allowed to dry a little before 
being placed on the floor of the shed or 
cellar, where they are to remain for. the 
winter. They should be carefully 
labelled with their respective colors as a. 
guide in planting when the season 
Cannas should {be divided if 
necessary. Michaelmas Daisies, Rud- 
beckia, Perennial Phlox, Helianthus, 
and Heliniums can also be lifted and 
divided annually. Lift everything that: 
it is convenient to do, so as to enable the 
digging to be done more thoroughly, and 
the soil to be more easily renewed. 
Anemones supply bright patches of 
arrives. 
color in the winter and early spring. 
Plant them out about three inches deep, 
covered by a light soil, in lines or groups 
as_ preferred, 
A yood sowing of sweet peas should be 
made now. ‘These popular plants well 
repay a little extra attention given them 
in the way of preparing the soil. If a 
long row has to be sown, the ground 
should be trenched right through, and — 
some well rotted stable manure placed at. 
the bottom, or if the manure be incor- 
porated with the whole of the soil, so 
much the better. Strong plants, large 
flowers, and a continuance of bloom 
should be the result of good cultivation. 
Seeds of pansy, columbine, hollyhock, 
herbaceous phlox, carnation, delphinium, 
and numerous other perennial and 
biennal plants may still be sown. The 
seeds may be sown in the open, but it is 
better to use small, shallow boxes for 
them. These must be well-drained and 
filled with light, rich soil. : 
Camellia plants often produce an_ 
immense number of flower-buds, and 
these, if left on, tend greatly to weaken 
their constitution. Besides, if permitted 
to develop, the blooms must necessarily 
be small, Except on strong, robust 
plants, only two or three buds should be 
allowed on a shoot. Small, stunted 
plants frequently show blooming buds, 
and these should always be removed if the 
life of the plant was worth saving. The 
superfluous buds should be removed at an 
