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TOWN 
GARDENING 


‘THE HOME GARDEN’ BOOKS 


IN THE TOWN GARDEN. 


CORNER 


A 


TOWN GARDENING 


BY 
MARY HAMPDEN 


Author of ‘Rose Gardening,’ ‘Bulb Gardening,’ etc, 


NEW YORK 
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 


1922 


TO 
EB. MsD: 


‘Can all your tapestries, or your pictures, show 
More beauties, thanin herbs and flowers do grow ?’ 


ABRAHAM COWLEY. 


ee CONTENTS 
ei: CHAP, PAGE 
= INTRODUCTION . ‘ : . . aT 
PART I 
WORK IN MAY, JUNE, AND JULY 


I - CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS, SHRUBS, ETC. 19 
II ARTIFICIAL BEDS AND BorDERS, BOXEs, 


Lips ETC. ; ; : ; : 27 
Ill PREPARING GARDEN SoIL AND COMPOSTS. 32 
IV PLANTING AND POTTING . : s ; 38 
Ve. OPEDS, CULTINGS, ETC... 42 


VI DAILY ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE Work 49 


PART II 
WORK IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, AND OCTOBER 
VII KEEPING UP THE FLOWER DISpLay . ; 59 
VIII How to Group Pot Prants . f fe OS 
IX PREPARING FOR AUTUMN BEAUTY . <2 290 
X Winpdow GARDENS AND CONSERVATORIES. 75 
XI Lirt in Town GARDENS . a ; 83 
XII Dairy ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE Work . 87 
AG PART III 
a WORK IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY 
XIII Buts-porrtine, Etc. ; Baer 24195 
_ XIV BEDDING-oUT FOR SPRING : ’ ey kOe 
XV RoskEs, TREES, SHRUBS, ETC, . 108 
XVI THE HARDIEST PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS 113 
XVII Fine WINTER EFFECTs . 118 


_ XVIII Dairy Routine anp SRASONABLE Work 123 
RN 9 


Io 


CHAP. 


WORK IN 


XIX 
XX 
XXI 
XXIT 
XXIII 
XXIV 


CONTENTS 


PART IV 


FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND APRIL 


HOME-RAISED PLANTS 
BuyInG TREES, CLIMBERS, ETC, 


VIOLETS AND OTHER BUTTONHOLE FLOWERS 


Rock GARDENING AND ALPINE PLANTS 
A NUMBER OF NOVEL SUGGESTIONS 


DAILY 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 


PAGE 


129 
134 
139 
142 
146 
I51 


: 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


‘A CORNER IN THE TOWN GARDEN (colour) _. Frontispiece 
‘A WELL-PLANTED BANK . . . Facing page 32 
» HYDRANGEAS : : ; by 48 
“NARCISSI IN THE MWe Box ; ; « pp Od 
‘A TASTEFUL DISPLAY . ; . é yi See 
‘LILIES AND YEW TREE : ; , gs 52 ROS 
‘A BeEp oF RosEs - : ; ‘ * Nhe 1 
“CLEMATIS . ; : : a les 
‘AUBRETIAS ON THE Waist é : , 53 » 144 
DRAWINGS IN THE TEXT 

PAGE 
An Artificial Bed on Asphalt 27 
Simple Ground Preparation . : 33 
Safe Plant Watering, by Partial iatatersinat ‘ 43 
How to Plant Dahlias . 52 
Windox-Box for not Hiding a Fav View 53 
A Tile-fronted Window-Box . 63 
A Simple Ribbon Bed for Spring . gI 
A Border of Warm Colour Rea 
Bed Spaced out Permanently by Mowey aasiteaie Pa 
A Hint how to arrange Steps, Boulders and Rockery 126 
Wooden Supports for Climbers : i) 035 
A Rockeried Mound 144 
Old Rose-Tree Trained to Esualier 153 


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TOWN GARDENING 


INTRODUCTION 


The Town Dweller’s Wants. Whathasbeendone. About Sour 
Soil. Watering Pot Plants. About a Sooty Atmosphere. 
What may be done. Way to do it. 


MAN who pined to cultivate orchids in a 
town back yard would be deserving of 


scorn instead of sympathy, but the man with a 


great love for flowers, and a longing to have some 
beautiful blossom and foliage in the back yard, 
merits all possible encouragement. A woman who 
yearns to cultivate flowers for the house can do it 
surprisingly well with no better aids than a sunny 
balcony, boxes, pots and sheets of glass. And the 
dingiest town house can be transformed, in spring, 
summer, autumn, aye, and even winter, by quite a 
moderate outlay of time, money, and skill in 
gardening. 

But that is just where the difficulty comes in—as 
a rule the skill is lacking; there may be general 
knowledge, bright ideas, rudimentary understanding 
of plants, but the attempts end in failure for want 


of being guided. This book aims at giving such 
_ plain instructions and valuable hints that the 


13 


14 TOWN GARDENING 


ignoramus can start flower culture with every 
prospect of success ; while the person who knows a 
little will be shown why things have gone wrong 
béfore, and how they can be made to go right for 
the future. 

There are as many different wants, of course, as 
there are houses—and individuals. It is best to 
set personal predilections on one side at first, and 
consider which trees, shrubs, climbers and other 
plants are likely to live and flourish, leaving till 
later experiments with subjects that may exist, 
but are so unfitted to the proposed environment that 
their appearance will, perhaps, never be more than 
third rate. For myself, I would rather have a 
display of perfect ivy, and brighten it annually by 
calceolarias, chrysanthemums, daffodils and crocuses 
—all in gold—which can be absolutely relied upon, 
than I would have roses all blighted, waxen hyacinths ~ 
and begonias all soot spotted, and pansies the size 
of lawn daisies. 

Most householders are restricted, or influenced, 
by what has been done by their predecessors. This 
is usually wise. Ifthe Virginian creeper is a gorgeous 
drapery, for heaven’s sake let the tapestry hang, and 
do not plant puny wistarias and clematises instead ; 
for both ‘ ampelopsis’ (as the mere amateur loves 
to call it) and ivy (which he never thinks of mention- 
ing as ‘hedera helix’) need be but backgrounds to 
new ornaments. 

The disheartened man nearly always explains his 
gardening misfortunes by saying, ‘ It’s the atmo- 
sphere—the soots, you know.’ Ten to one sour 
soil has been the murdering enemy. People are 
only real gardeners when they have come to look 
upon the hoe—used directly plants look sickly, 


INTRODUCTION 15 


in preference to dosing with drugs or foods— 
as worth its weight in gold. Sour compost in 
receptacles in which plants grow is seldom sus- 
pected of killing them, but that, again, is mofe 
often the cause of failure than is the sooty atmos- 
phere. 

How does pot, tub or box soil become sour if it 
was sweet compost to start ? Well, water releases 
the manurial constituents, which should be assimi- 
lated by the plants or drained off through the 
holes below: if those holes or cracks in board are 
insufficient or choked up, the moisture is stag- 
nant and turns putrid, as a foul green pond. If 
the soil is always more or less wet, through 
too frequent watering, there is no evaporation, 
bad gases cannot escape, and the whole becomes 
poisoned. 

There is a.safe rule for testing if a pot plant 
needs watering. Rap the side of the pottery with 
the knuckles half-way down, and if the ball of soil 
inside is dry enough for watering to be advisable, 
there will be a sharp ringing sound, not a dull 
muffled noise. Wooden receptacles can be fairly 
well tested in the same fashion if they are painted. 
If they are of bare wood all one has to do is to use 
one’s eyes intelligently, for wood looks darker when 
it is damp than when it is dry. 

Some plants, etc., require a lot more water than 
others, but none flourish in soil that is mere mud. 
The oleander is often stood with its pot in a saucer 
containing water, but that is merely to wet the 
bottom compost and enable the roots to drink as 
they will; and gardeners always put two or three 
nuggets or larger lumps of charcoal down low, but 
not quite at the bottom, so that a filtering process 


16 TOWN GARDENING 


goes on. It is an excellent plan to add little its of : 


charcoal, bought from a florist for the purpose, to 


every pot, box, tub, basket, etc. etc. 


Draughts kill countless plants, shrubs, and even 


trees. The side alley by the house, usually the 


tradesman’s path, makes a bad wind-shaft. 

The domestic animals are terribly destructive ; 
it is no use hoping seeds will ‘come up’ if cats are 
in the habit of scratching among them, and the 
soil is soon poisoned when a dog cannot be kept off 
beds and borders. Sparrows nip off bits of flower or 
leaf occasionally—the golden crocuses and honey- 
sweet primroses, and the tips of the ‘ grass ’ of pinks, 
for example—but birds do more good than harm, 
I am convinced. A trough of water should be put 


out for them, especially in the earliest spring, when — 
easterly winds are drying, and if a few handfuls of 


grass, chickweed, lettuce or watercress are laid 
near the pinks, the foliage of the latter will probably 
escape attack. 

Soot is a great evil, undoubtedly, yet the use of 
the syringe effects wonderful cures. If we leave 
our evergreen and other shrubs, our climbers that 
should be glossy, our rose trees that ought to be 
clean, for only chance rain to wash, we shall certainly 
see them sicken. We must syringe above and below 
the leaves, dip boughs and sprays in buckets where 
we can, and water often overhead, using the fine 
rose of the pot. For that which we call ‘ soot’ is 
in reality, a compound of many chemicals. It is 
not possible to wash the petals of a begonia without 
bruising them, but we can sponge outside-growing 
foliage, as we do sponge our indoor aspidistras ; 
and pot roses, geraniums, carnations, very many 
flowers too, may be cleansed by spraying them 


INTRODUCTION 7 


tenderly with quite clear water through a scent- 
- fountain. 

The more beauty there is within daily sight of 
town dwellers, the happier must they be ; the more 
attractive the home the greater becomes its title 
to the name. For if ‘four walls do not a prison 
_ make,’ neither do they make a home. Green leaves 
and gay blooms should be reckoned as the rights of 
every dwelling, 


Part I 
WORK IN MAY, JUNE AND JULY 


CHAPTER I 


CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS, 
SHRUBS, BULBS, ETC. 


The Tree-shaded Garden. Perennials that will live. Bedding 
Plants for shady Gardens. Drip from Trees. The hot, 
enclosed Town Garden. Perennials that will live. Plants 
for Heated and Unheated Glasshouses. Old and New Floral 
Schemes. 


S seeds, roots, trees, shrubs, bulbs, etc., have 
to be bought, perhaps ordered from a distance, 
the first task in town gardening is to decide what 


to cultivate. Choosing cleverly is half the battle 


against adverse circumstances and three parts of 
the conquest of Triumph. 

_Is the back garden tree shaded, and enclosed by 
high walls ?—If so, plants that will live all the year 


round, and do well each year, include the follow- 


ing :— 
19 


20 TOWN GARDENING 


Monksuoop (Aconitum 
napellus). Blue. Tall. 
Wo tr’s Bane (Aconitum 

lycotonum). Yellow. Tall. 
BuGLE (Ajuga reptans). 
Purple-blue. Dwarf. 
JAPANESE ANEMONE 
(Anemone japonica). 
White or pink. Tall. 
Ox-EYE CHAMOMILE 
(Anthemis tinctoria) . 
Yellow. Medium. 
WooprvuFF_ (Asperula 
odorata). White. Dwarf. 
MIcHAELMAS DAISIES 
(Asters Nove-Anglia 
and Novi-Belgii). Of 
many shades of blue, violet, 
vose, lilac and white. Tall, 


Goat’s BEARD (Astilbes 
Davidii and grandis), 
Majenta - vose. White. 
Tall. 

VioLtet Betts (Campanula 
glomerata). Violet. 
Medium. 

FuMmMirrory (Corydalis 
cheilanthifolia). Yellow. 
Fern-like leaves. Dwarf. 

Lyre Frower (Dicentras 


spectabilis and eximia). 
Pink. Deep vosy red. 
Medium. Dwarf. 
FOXGLOVES (Digitalis 
purpurea, and p. alba). 


Purple. White. Tail. 
Lroparp’s Bane (Doroni- 
cum). Gold. Tall and 
medium, 
PLANTAIN Lity (Funkia 


Fortunei robusta). Silvery 
lilac. Handsome foliage. 
Medium. 


St. Joun’s Wort (Hyperi- 
cumreptans). Yellow. 
Medium, but spreading. 

RosE oF SHARON (Hyperi- 


cum calycinum). Gold, 
Medium. 

Ir1s,'oR Fiacs (Iris ger- 
manica). Violet, Blue, 
Gold, Bronze, Lilac, Crim- 
son, White, and blends. 
Medium. 


YELLOW WATER FLAG (Iris 


pseudo-acorus). Yellow. 
Tall.’ 
CREEPING JENNY 


(Lysimachia nummularia). 
Yellow. Tvailing. 

LoosrEsTRIFE (Lysimachia 
vulgaris). Gold. Tall. 

PurPLE LOOSESTRIFE 
(Lythrum salicaria rosea). 
Purplish vose. Tall, — 

Monkey FLower (Mimulus 
luteus). Yellow. Medium. 

SOLOMON’s SEAL (Polygo- 
natum multiflorum). 
Whitey green. Tall. 

PRIMROSE (Primula 
vulgaris). Primrose yellow, 
oy coloured hybrids. Dwarf. - 

LunG-wort  (Pulmonarias 
augustifolia and saccha- 
rata). Blue. Rose. 
Medium. 

Lonpon PriIpE (Saxifraga 
umbrosa). Whitey pink. 
Medium. 

GotpEN Rop_ (Solidagos 
spectabilis and  serotina 
lepida). Gold. Tall. Very 
tall, 

PERIWINKLE (Vinca major). 
Lavender blue. Tvailer. 


P 2 * 3 = 
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS 2x 


This list does not exhaust the plants that will 
thrive in shade; there are other families, such as 
the cultivated blue-flowering lettuces (latucas), the 
crowsfoots (ranunculuses), meadow-sweets (spireeas), 
ragworts (senecios), perennial phloxes (phloxes 
decussata and suffruticosa), hardy maidenhair 
(thalictrums), and spidersworts (tradescantias), for 
example, that are quite likely to do well, as will 
double pzonies and single hollyhocks, unless the 
tree shade is ubiquitous. Many plants thrive 
without more than glimpses of sunshine, but cannot 
- endure drip from overhead branches. 

If any shrubs are wanted in tree-shaded gardens, 
privets, euonymuses, berberis aquifolium, common 
elder, common laurel, are the safest to choose. In 
open spaces the following should be tried :— 


VERONICA GLAUCcoO- MockKORANGE (Philadel- 


Ca:RULEA. Blue - pur- phus coronarius). White. 
ple. SPRAY Busy (Cotoneaster 

VERONICA BUXIFOLIA. horizontalis). White; 
White. autumn tinted. 


SALIX PURPUREA NANA. BERBERIS THUNBERGII. 
The purple-stemmed dwarf Splendid autumn tints. 


willow. ATRIPLEX HALIMUS. 
AMERICAN CURRANT (Ribes Purple flowers. Bright 
sanguineum). Rosy red. green foliage. 


Bulbs to plant in shade include bluebells or 
wood-hyacinths, which are obtainable in blue, rose 
or white, daffodils and narcissi, snowflakes, lilies of 
the valley, meadow-saffrons, alliums, yellow winter 
aconite, wood anemones, fritillaries, snowdrops, 
Christmas roses, the Star of Bethlehem, Darwin 
tulips, which are perennial, not to be lifted each 
year, and crown imperials. 

As to bedding plants, the culture of which is 
dealt with in other chapters, calceolarias, lemon, 


22 TOWN GARDENING 


gold, and terra-cotta brown, are famous for shady 
gardens, fuchsias, double and single, are almost as 
reliable, while the variegated species is so bright 
as to rival flowers for beds. Ageratums, for which 
a familiar name is badly needed, will open their 


_ fluffy grey-blue or bright china-blue blossoms, and ~ 


the single petunias, especially of the smaller sorts, 
are just as complaisant. Tobacco plants like shade, 
but dwindle beneath trees. It is not much use to 
rely on pansies, for they straggle and turn sickly 
under tall trees, and drip spoils their velvet petals ; 
but of course they can be grown well in any open 
places, as may also the brave double daisies (Cellis 
perennis), in red, pink or white, that flower con- 
tinuously from spring to winter. These must have 
dead blooms cut off regularly, and be divided when 
their tufts become too thick, an operation that can 
be undertaken at any time, for the parent portion 
and the severed ones will soon produce buds again. 
~The common or old-fashioned white garden pink 
is satisfactory in all situations ; if it scarcely blooms 
in some kinds of dense shade, it still beautifies the 
border by the cool bluish grey of its foliage. 

Trees and climbers suited to shaded and shut-in 
town gardens are considered further on. 

Of course, the plants recommended are bound to 
thrive better in partial shade and well away from 
walls; yet the owner of a deplorably formed 
‘pleasure ground’ can take heart.of grace and 
introduce them to it without much risk. 

The shaded front garden, or the slope down to 
the area, the portions of roof gardens behind 
chimney stacks and parapets, the balcony or 
verandah tubs, the window boxes, can all have 
their share of these floral and foliage subjects. 


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_ CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS 


23 


The very hot, because sunny, enclosed garden, in 
London or other towns, may be made gorgeous 


annually with double and single zonal geraniums, 


ivy-leaved and 


scented-leaved geraniums 


too, 


zinnias, African, French, Scotch and English mari- 
golds, begonias, marguerites, asters, stocks, agera- 
tums, petunias, etc. etc. 


flowers love heat and arid soil. 
perennials for this garden would include the 


following ;— 


STARWoRTS (Perennial 
Asters, of which Michael- 
mas daisies are buta few). 
Blue, violet, crimson, rose, 
white, flesh, purple, helio- 


wope, lavender. Tall and 
medium. 
YARROWS (Achilleas 


ptmarmica, mongolica 
and filipendula, Parker’s 
variety). White. The 
last a brilliant yellow. 
Tail. E 
Gotp Dust _ (Alyssum 
saxatile). Yellow. Dwarf. 
CHAMOMILE (Anthemis 


_ tinctoria Kelwayi). Yel- 
~ low. Medium. 
Rock CRreEss_ (Arabis). 


Double, single and varie- 
_ gated. White. Medium. 
THrirr (Armerias mari- 
tima and latifolia). Rose, 
white ov lilac. Dwarf. 
PurPLE Rock CRESS 
_ (Aubrietias). Crimson, 
vose, blue, purple or lilac. 


- Dwarf. 
OxEYE (Bupthalum salici- 
folium). Gold. Medium. 


Snapdragons and wall- 
The right kinds of 


Rock PURSLANE 
(Calandrinia umbellata). 
Magenta. Dwarf. 

BELL FLoweErs (Campanulas 
latifolia and persiczfolia). 
Blue, white. Tall. 

KNAPWEED (Centaurea 
montana). Purplish blue. 
The rose and white varieties 
usually succeed. Medium. 

THE Rosy KNAPWEED 
(Centaurea dealbata). 
Deep rose with beautifully 
cut-out foliage of silvery 


effect. Medium. 

VALERIAN (Centranthus 
roseus,Centranthus albus). 
Red vose, white. Fairly 
tall. 

Ox-EYE Daisy (Chrysanthe- 
mum maximum). White. 
Tall. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS (Early- 


flowering border varieties). 
All colours but blue. Tall, 
medium and dwarf. 
PERENNIALLARKSPURS 
(Delphiniums). Deep blue, 
azure, indigo, or blends 
with pink and mauve. Tall. 


24 

FLEABANE  (Erigeron 
speciosus). Lavender 
with gold centre. Tall. 

ORANGE Datsy (Erigeron 
aurantiacus). Orange. 
Medium. 

Avens (Geums). Scarlet, 
double or single. Also 
ovange oy yellow. Talland 
medium. 


HELEN FLOWER(Heleniums). 
All sorts suitable. Gold, 
orange, crimson-and-yellow. 
Tall. 

SUNFLOWERS (Helianthus 
multiflorus). Gold. Double 
or single. Tall. 

Day Livres (Hemerocallis). 
Yellow, orange, lemon. 
Tall. 

HOLLYHOCKS (Althzeas). 
Double and single. 
Biennials,- but seldom fail 
to vepeat themselves by 
seeding. Tall. 

RED-HOT PoKERS (Knip- 
hofias or  ‘Tritomas). 
Ovange-red. Often in 
bloom as late as November. 


Tall. 

ToaD FLax  (Linaria 
dalmatica). Lemon -and- 
orange. Tall. 


Cat Mint (Nepeta Mussini). 
Pale lavender. Constant 


bloomey. Medium. 


EVENING PRIMROSES-~:: 


(GEnotheras Lamarckiana 
and Youngii). Yellow. 
Tall. Biennials of this 
family sow themselves 
annually. 


TOWN GARDENING 


PONIES. All sorts are suit- 
able. 

ORIENTAL Poppy (Papaver 
orientale). Scarlet or 
crimson. A gorgeous 
flower that should be more 
often seen in towns. 
Tall, 

ICELAND Poppies (Papaver 
nudicaule). Orange, lemon, 
white. Medium. 

JERUSALEM 
(Phlomis 
Yellow. Tall. 

ALPINE PHLOXES  (Dian- 
thuses subulata and stel- 


SAGE 
fruticosa). 


laria). Rose, white, lilac. 
Dwarf. 
CINQUEFOILS (Potentillas). 


Strawberry leaved. Blends 
of ovange, lemon, scarlet, 
crimson, in double 
florists’ varieties. Medium. 

POLYANTHUSES (Primula 
elatior). All colours. Some 
spreading light annual, 
such as sweet alyssum, 
should be sown close around 
polyanthus voots in April 
to protect them from sum- 
mer heat. Dwarf. 

BUTTERCUP (Ranunculus 
acris flore pleno). Gold. 
Double. Tall. 

ConE FLowers (Rudbec- 
kias). Ovange or yellow, 
with brown. Tall. 

Mossy SAXIFRAGE (Saxi- 
fraga hypnoides). White. 
Dwarf. 

STONECROPS (Sedums). Gold, 
white or purple. Dwarf. 


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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTS /~— 25 


JAPANESE STONECROP virginica). Royal blue, 
(Sedum spectabile). Rosy violet, white. Medium. 
pink, Medium. SPEEDWELLS (Veronicas 

RAGWORT (Senecios austriaca, incana, longi- 
Clivorum and _ pulcher). folia Spicata). Blues. 
Gold. Rosy  carmine. Medium ov dwarf. 

Tall. BEDDING PaNsIzEs (Violas). 


SPIDERSWORT (Tradescantia 


Most bulbous plants will succeed if the soil is 
enriched by old manure; a special display each 
summer may be made with gladioli, Turban ranun- 
culuses, Spanish irises, and lilies. Montbretias can 
be succeeded by the blood-red Kaffir flag, Schi- 
zostylis coccinea, in October and even November, 
whose bulbs should be left in the ground, but 
covered by cinders during winter. 

Carnations and pinks of all sorts should be a 
feature of the very sunny town garden. A few Tea 
and Hybrid Tea roses should be tried. 

The choice of plants for glasshouses must depend 
upon whether there is sunshine or shade; in the 
latter case ferns and foliage plants should be the 
permanent inhabitants, with some calceolarias, 
fuchsias, tobacco plants and primulas in summer. 
A sun-scorched greenhouse will suit cacti, begonias, 
clivias, amaryllis, pelargoniums, cannas, heliotrope, 
crassulas and camellias, but only if there is some 
heating given during winter to keep out all frost. 
If a very hot house is left to become cold in winter 
it should be used for annuals only that can be 
raised in it early, or bought, and for chrysanthemums 
for early winter adornment, these being stood outside 
during summer, 

A greenhouse that is neither very hot nor very 
cold naturally, one in the open garden, for instance, 
is exceedingly interesting if used for the more 


26 TOWN GARDENING 


delicate outdoor plants, of which many are called 
alpines ; such as Salvias japonica, azurea grandi- 
flora, and Greigii, cistuses, androsaces, many 
sedums, saxifrages, and houseleeks, lithospermums, 
francoas, etc. 

The easiest greenhouse to manage is the one that 
can be kept to a heat varying between 50 and 60 
degrees, by the sunshine and summer temperature, 
and, when those fail, by a small stove. Geraniums, 
fuchsias, carnations, primulas, cinerarias, genistas, 
Spireeas, deutzias, hydrangeas, azaleas, liliums, 
plumbago, even a few roses, can then be cultivated, 
with palms, maidenhair and asparagus ferns. 

But no garden or glasshouse owner need despair, 
even in a town. The great thing is to choose 
intelligently what to grow, then learn a few plain 
rules of culture and apply them with unremitting 
care. 


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CHAPTER II 


ARTIFICIAL BEDS AND BORDERS, 
BOXES, TUBS, BARRELS, ETC. 


The Art of ‘Crocking.’ Obtaining Compost. Paint Colours. 
Rockeries, Basket Beds. Arches and Pillars. 


GREAT deal of floral display can be created 
by the use of ornamental boxes, urns, tubs or 
hanging baskets alone. Artificial beds and borders 
are of course more effective still, because they hold 


more plants. 


AN ARTIFICIAL BED ON ASPHALT. 


An artificial bed can be made anywhere, and on 


? | stone, brick, asphalt, or the leads of a roof, as 


simply as upon bad turf that is to be hidden or 


- superfluous gravel. There must be first a layer of 


large stones with corner edges touching, that rain- 
water may be able to flow away : if stones are laid 


27 


- ; \ | 
28 TOWN GARDENING 


with their sides touching they do not leave enough 
room for the water to flow through. Over these 
stones gardeners usually place torn-up old turves, — 
top downwards, for these act like the charcoal in a 
filter. Next comes coarse earth, containing smaller 
bits of old turves and some little stones, and then 
the bed is made up of fine compost, but not dust-fine. 
In order to hold the earth up, in the form of a round, 
square or oblong bed, there must be a low bank of. 
properly laid fresh turves, or a row of big slanted 
stones or strips of wood, solid or trellised ;_ or bricks 
may be employed. 

A border is made similarly, only one side will 
be against a wall, and it should slope gently down 
from the wall, that wet may not lie at the back. 

Any kind of box will make an ornamental 
receptacle for plants. Roses, tall perennials and 
shrubs need a three-foot or a two-foot depth of 
soil to growin. Ramblers and other climbing roses, 
for instance, can be kept healthy in the very deep 
box or barrel for years ; a standard, or a vigorous 
Hybrid Perpetual or Hybrid Tea bush rose could 
not do long without a two-foot depth; a small 
delicate Tea rose, or a dwarf polyantha, would be 
satisfied with a foot and a half or a foot. Roses 
often flourish in pots that have not as much depth, 
but then they can be repotted whenever the grower 
thinks best, and trees in boxes or artificial beds and 
borders are not usually disturbed. 

Grocers sell big wooden boxes. To make one of 
these ready for plants there have to be holes, the size 
of a halfpenny, burnt out of the bottom by a 
red-hot poker, at four-inch intervals. In small 
boxes the holes for drainage should be smaller. 
Sometimes the wood is slit down here and there, 


. , 2 
Mate te dB. 


ARTIFICIAL BEDS AND BORDERS — 29 


but the hole system is safer. If the hot poker is 
used to char all the wood of the bottom and the 
lower parts of the sides, it will not be so likely to 
rot. 

‘Crocking,’ as it is called, is one of the first 
tasks a young gardener has to learn, and it is quite 
an art, for if the pieces of broken potsherds are laid 
clumsily over the drainage holes the water will be 
checked, while if the holes are not partly covered 
the soil will be washed through, and that will 
choke them. A concave piece of potsherd is usually 
laid, scooped-out side downwards, over each hole 
in a box or tub, and over the one hole in a flower-pot. 
Then two or three more bits, half the size of the one, 
are slanted against it; above these the skilled 
crocker casts a quarter or half a handful of smaller 
pieces, letting them fall lightly, and then the coarse 
bits of compost go in, followed by the next-coarse 
earth or potting mould, and finally the surface 
soil. 

The mould should always be used just damp 
enough to crumble between the fingers, not stick 
to them. Florists and nurserymen sell potting soil, 
or potting loam as it is often called, for about 
half a crown a bushel for the best. The amateur 
gardener had better tell the shopman exactly what 
he wants potting soil for; then the right sort will 
be supplied. Some has manure mixed in, some can 
contain peat, when peat is desirable, and the 
quantity of other ingredients, leaf mould, fine or 
coarse silver sand, or road grit, also vary. 

When old oil barrels are used for plants they have 
to be purified. This is done by turning one upside 
down over a lighted newspaper or wisp of straw, 
the flames from which will lick up all the oiliness 


30 TOWN GARDENING 


and just char the inside wood. MHalved barrels 
make nice-looking tubs. 

It is always wise to stand receptacles on bits of 
brick or blocks of wood—three or more to each—so 
as to raise them above the ground. Pots may be 
stood on a slate each, to keep worms from getting 
in through the drainage hole; but large pots do 
better poised between two wooden laths laid on the 
ground. Window-boxes should be very slightly 
slanted by bits of wood placed underneath. 

It is seldom that one sees a really artistic green 


paint used for colouring tubs and boxes. A crude_ 


bluish-myrtle always clashes with the leaf shades ; 
it is just leaves that the artist-carpenter should 
study as a colour chart ; if he matches the greens of 
ivies, plane trees, or aspidistras, for example, he 
cannot err. Brown is a suitable colour for painting 
plant receptacles, only too many all brown alike 
give a spotty effect to a scene. Stone grey can be 
used with advantage in the vicinity of bright red 
bricks and tiles, though by a grey, dun, or cream 
town house it has a depressingly cold appearance. 
White enamelled tubs are pretty, and well suited to 
some trim modern house-fronts. 

A basket-bed, such as our ancestors frequently 
made, is merely an artificial bed, oval for preference, 
made very deep, with the sides held up by slanted 
stakes or staves, or wooden trellis, or wire netting. 
And the finishing touch is a simulated handle, 
arched from side to side, of wire or wood, or stout 
wires tightly wound round by straw. 

Real baskets, hamper shape, make charming 
plant receptacles, and are durable if coated with 
varnish-paint. They are excellent ornaments. for 
balconies, or verandahs by the steps, and small 


a SS ie . “¥. 


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ARTIFICIAL BEDS AND BORDERS § 31 


handled baskets may be slung up. Wire baskets 
are also useful. They should be lined with old 
inverted turves. 

To make a rockery mound anywhere is as easy as 
making a raised bed; the same procedure should 
be followed, but after the soil is piled high the stones 

_ —which ought to include some large craggy pieces— 
have to be arranged on it, partly embedded, so as 
to form convenient pockets and nooks, varied by 
jutting-out slabs. There is no reason why the ends 
of a balcony should not have pretty rockeries. 

The arches and pillars set up to accommodate 
climbers should correspond with the style of the 
house. A huge mansion must not be approached 
under a series of narrow, low arches. A mere slice 
of a terrace house looks overpowered if a heavy 
rustic wood arch spans the entrance way. 

Wooden arches and pillars should be painted with 
tar as far up as they are to go into the ground, as 
this will preserve them. 

Pillars in a row from gate to porch, on one side 
of the path or on both, allow many pretty climbers 
to be cultivated. 

An important enough square-topped arch makes 
the foundation for a ‘living porch.’ A low trellis 
fencing is often put up to keep dogs from trespassing : 
it will be much more effectual if a few upright sticks 
are nailed to it here and there, and a strip of rot- 
proof netting stretched above it, not too taut. 
Old fish netting, put up at the top of wall or fence, 
is one of the best expedients for keeping away cats. 


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GHAPTER Ii 


PREPARING GARDEN SOIL AND 
COMPOSTS 


About Lime, Sand, Soot, Leaf-mould, Cocoa-nut Fibre Refuse, etc. 
How to detect Poverty of Soil. The necessary Tools. About 
patent Fumigants, Insecticides, Fertilizers, etc. 


T is futile to plant in undug garden ground. No 
matter what the soil is supposed to be like, it 
must be forked over at least. The depth to which this 
has to be done depends partly on what is to be grown, 
yet a two-foot depth may be regarded as necessary 
for all but quite dwarf subjects, or the more usual 
bedding-out ‘ stuff,’ geraniums, asters, calceolarias, 
lobelia, etc., which will put up with only nine or 
ten inches of ‘ worked’ soil beneath them. Trees 
and larger kinds of evergreen or flowering shrubs 
want a three-foot depth of cultivated soil for their 
roots to penetrate. If these roots, after living in 
prepared soil for a time, strike down upon ground 
that is rock-hard or full of clinkers, bricks, etc., 
they are either turned aside in search of better luck, 
in which case the trees do no good for a year or two, 
or they dry up themselves, and the trees ‘un- 
expectedly ’ die. 
The amateur had better use a strong five-pronged 
32 


NVd GYLNVId"TTHM V 
AQwyy pede C4 


PREPARING GARDEN SOIL 33 


fork to dig with, employing a spade to shovel out 


soil when that is necessary. A four-inch-deep layer 


of old manure put in two feet below the ground 


‘surface, and another layer put in one foot below the 


ground surface, prepare flower-garden soil satis- 
factorily 


'_ SURFACE OF BORDER OR BED 
AUG SOU IER TEL Cie re OL oe eee ee ee 
41N MANure LAyeR 
SECOND ift OF SoiL 
SECONDMANureE Layeq 
LOWER SOIL To ForK WetL 
AND PULVERISE ool essence 


SIMPLE GROUND PREPARATION. 


When only bedding plants and ordinary medium 
tall perennials are to be cultivated, it is often 
sufficient to put one layer of manure at the depth of 
a foot, forking for a few inches below where this is 
to lie, then incorporating a little of the old manure, 
broken small, with a few handfuls of builder’s lime 
(not unslaked lime), with all the rest of the ground 
above. 

Lime can be bought from florists, nurserymen 
and builders. Unslaked lime is used to lay over 


' insect-infested soil for a few weeks before forking it 


in, but the sites so treated should not be planted 
for several months. 

Slaked, or builder’s lime—lime, that is to say, 
that has lost its chief burning effect through being 
stored—can be forked in, about a pint to a three-foot 
by three-foot space, at any time, and planting may 


- follow in a few days. 


Lime of all kinds will damage leaves and stems 
if carelessly cast upon them. 
Lime is precious, to the town gardener especially, 


Cc 


34 TOWN GARDENING 


because itis‘a soil purifier, as well as a deterrent to, 
and, if often used, a destroyer of snails, slugs, 
wireworm, etc. Its other use is to release the 
chemical properties of manures, so rendering them 
fit for plants to feed upon. 

Fresh manure, from stables, cowsheds, or roads, 
is only fit for nourishing ground that will not be 
planted for three months or so; it is too crude to 
dig in just before planting. Of course, one can 
put it in a foot deep, and sow seeds on the surface 
soil, because then it will be partly decayed before 
the roots reach down. 

Old manure, obtainable from nurseries, is dark, 
more or less fibrous and light, or capable of 
becoming light when dry. The disintegration of its 
constituents has brought it to a merely warming, 
instead of a heating, state. Extremely sandy, 
chalky, gravelly gardens are improved by old 
cow manure or mixed farmyard manure; but old 
stable manure, from which all the long straw has 
been removed, is best for gardens of heavy or damp 
soil, and, indeed, for the great majority of town 
gardens. 

If the ground cakes hard very soon after rains 
it needs some sharp sand or grit to render it more 
porous. Crushed brick-rubble, with an equal part of 
coarse sand, either silver sand or roadside sand, 
is often used to make up soil for the top portions 
of beds and borders. 

When the gardener wishes to mix composts for 
himself for pot and box filling, he should obtain 
for his potting attic or shed, good loam, leaf-mould, 
very old fairly dry manure, coarse silver sand, 
fine silver sand, crushed brick-rubble or mortar, 
and roadside or river-bed sand; also some florist’s 


PREPARING GARDEN SOIL 35 


charcoal, some old turves and old cocoa-nut fibre 
refuse. Old soot is a more useful ingredient for 
soils in the country than in towns, where lime 
should generally take its place, also for laying round 
plants to keep slugs away. The natural earth will, 
of course, have been sooted for years by countless 
chimneys, and even town-bought potting composts, 
or plain loam or leaf-mould, are usually very sooty. 
Peat is only necessary for a few subjects. 

The “ordinary compost,’’ as it is called, for 
growing pot plants in, consists of two parts of loam, 
one part of leaf-mould, and half a part of sand. 
Another admirable compost is made of one part 
loam, half parts each of old chopped manure, and 
leaf-mould and sand. To the first of these an eighth 
part of crushed brick-rubble can be added, on 
occasion, or slaked lime be added instead, in the 
proportion of a tablespoonful to a quart. 

Fine silver sand is needed in the sifted compost 
when seed boxes are filled and seedlings potted. 
Gardeners can collect their own leaf-mould, but 
it must rot for about a year, or longer, in a place 
where the weather can act upon it but insects 
cannot make the stack their home. Oak and 

- beech leaves are best; most leaves can be used, 
except those of evergreens. 

Old cocoa-nut fibre refuse is very useful for 
mixing with the pieces of old turves that go in first 
over crocks, or can be used with an equal quantity 
of coarse loam, instead of those pieces of turf. 
Fresh cocoa-nut fibre refuse makes a nice mulch 
over beds, borders and the tops of boxes, urns, etc., 

_ greatly improving their appearance, and helping 
to conserve moisture in the soil, and to protect 
roots from sun-heat or drying winds. 


36 ~ TOWN GARDENING 


There are various kinds of chemically-treated hop 
manures that are excellent for using when natural 
manures are not obtainable, or when the hop’s 
non-odorous cleanliness is preferred, 


Alas, there are town gardens so terribly poor as © 


to surface soil—say for the first foot of surface— 
that this ought to be all taken away and a fresh 
layer of loam put on! Or this poor upper soil can 
be buried two or more feet deep, and the soil that 
has lain below be brought up to form the new 
surface. If the manure layers are added, as already 
advised, this treatment will be very efficacious. 
When all the things that are alive in the garden 


are of a sickly colour as to foliage, and throw puny | 
blossoms, or none at all, it is certain that they are | 


dying very slowly of starvation in exhausted 
eround. 

Famous results can be achieved with but a few 
tools. The fork and spade should be kept company 
by a fine rake, not too heavy or long in the rake 
itself, a Dutch hoe with a five- or six-inch blade, a 
sharp steel trowel, a small handfork, a pair of 
sécateurs for pruning, a sharp budding or pruning 
knife, and a two-inch blade steel spud. This last 
tool does a hundred small jobs, while the Dutch 
hoe could do but ten! It will enable the gardener 
to prick over beds and borders often, thus keeping 
weeds down, soil pulverized, and insects very much 
disheartened. It will cut the daisies, dandelions, ete., 
out of the turf, or trim grass edges at a pinch. It 
is serviceable for chopping lifted perennial roots 
into pieces for replanting, for giving slugs a quick 


and merciful death, for drawing little drills for — 
seeds, even for drawing the soil back when seeds are 


sown. 


4 


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~ soil Vemiguats, and are sold with instructions for 


their use. There are dozens of useful liquid insecti- 


cides: for washes, syringings, etc.; also weedicides 
— and weed-killers, mildew-washes, insect-powders, 


3 
@ 


ei fe 


- fertilizers, etc. etc., to which the zealous gardener 


oS 


an turn for aid. The chapters given in this book _ 
about Daily Routine work contain hints for fighting — 
most foes; alsosuggest how chemical manures may 
be applied. 


ie PSs ; 


CHAPTER IV 


PLANTING AND POTTING 


Plants by Rail or Post. About Cheap Plants and Seeds. To 
keep Potted Plants from Flagging. Shading and Shielding 
Plants. Sticking and Tying Plants. A Beautiful Geranium 
Display. Another Attractive Filling for an Urn. 


HE month of May is usually the time when 

the town dweller most wants to garden. He 

is right, if he must buy plants, but March is the 

month for starting seed sowings if plants are not to 

be bought, and it should never be forgotten that the 

planting season for roses, and most trees and shrubs, 
is from October to April. 

May having arrived, an order is probably sent by 
post to some advertising florist, with the result 
that it has to ‘get into the queue’ with orders 
that have been arriving for months past. So the 
goods are not delivered till the weather is too hot 
for planting to be safe. The garden-owner who has 
been delayed had far better go to a florist’s shop 
or a nurseryman’s grounds and select what he 
requires. Delightful day or half-day trips can be 
made to famous nurseries within twenty miles of 
London ; and most big provincial towns have noted 
growers in their neighbourhood. 

When trees, roses or shrubs are received by rail 


38 


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fe La be Ae 


PLANTING AND POTTING 39 


or post, their roots should be examined, for if these 
are dry they should be ‘puddled’ (or dipped in 
manured mud) before being planted. Or, if plant- 
ing has to be delayed a few weeks, let a trough 
about a foot deep be dug in the garden, water 
poured in, the trees laid in slanted, the soil raked 
over and made only slightly firm. The green por- 
tions of the travellers should be frequently syringed, 
and a semi-shady position is best for the trench. 
If there is no garden, some soil in boxes can take 
the placeofatrench. The true gardener is nothing 
if not ingenious. 

To order the cheapest goods is to court failure. 
If one selects poor plants one does at least sin with 
one’s eyes open, but cheap plants or trees sent for 
are sure to look astoundingly cheap when they 
arrive. As for cheap seeds, there is just this to 
be said—there may be a few good ones among 
the rubbish. Cheap bulbs are bound to be either 
aged bulbs, bulbs dried up through keeping, or 
bulbs too juvenile to bloom. A few fine specimens 
in an otherwise rather bare garden are more satis- 
factory than a garden crammed with miserable 
plants. Needless to say, the very best quality in 
plants, etc., should be used for boxes, pots, urns and 
wherever the space is extremely precious. 

We have already noted how pots, etc., are crocked 
and filled with compost for the reception of plants. 
Now a word about actual planting. It should be 
the worker’s aim to make things so firm that they 
will remain upright when buffeted by wind and 
rain, yet not so squeezed into the soil that the roots 
are stifled and cannot penetrate further. A geranium 
will bear ramming in firmly; a carnation never 
thrives so treated. The surface half-inch should 


~~ 


40 TOWN GARDENING 


generally be quite loose, above the firmer soil. Be 4 


There is an art in giving the pot a rap or two on the 
potting bench, bottom downwards, to settle the 
soil and make the surface lie evenly. To leave a 
saucer-like hollow round the stem is wrong, except 
for a few plants that must never dry up, such as 
oleanders. To pile a hillock against the stem is 
wrong, for that means that water will always run 
off and descend only by the rim of the pot or box. 
Roots should be very tenderly tucked round by 
fine sandy soil, after they have been spread out as 
evenly as possible. Ifa rose-tree or plant has its 
roots all on one side, however, they must not be 
spread in all directions, but a stick will have to be 
placed to support the stem opposite to the roots, 
behind the stem. Stakes and sticks, with ties, 
should be given while potting is done to. all plants 
that are to have them and are large enough. 

Plants frequently flag, may even lose most of 
their leaves, after being potted ; the ideal treatment 
of newly-potted or repotted plants is placing them 
in air-tight frames for twenty-four hours. Deep 
boxes, glass covered, will serve for frames, or oiled 
linen will serve for glass. Sprinkle the foliage well, 
water the soil through the fine rose of a can, then 
leave them alone for a day and a night, after which 
give a little air, more by degrees. 

In hot May, June, or July, weather plants require 
shading from sun-heat for twenty-four to thirty-six 
hours after potting. If they are near a window, or 
the conservatory glass, a piece of thick muslin 
should be tacked up between, or else laid right over 
them. Sheets of newspaper, or the cheap crinkled 


paper in cream or pale green, are useful to slip in 
for screens behind plants in a greenhouse. During — 


eit) he titers) Ci Bp eueey 2 Tee 
atiss % - 9s) 7h a iuas oh) ee Ver aT wee le! ie pak 
pe ee ek ee A. ok te ts oe Agee 2 


PLANTING AND POTTING 41 


spells of cold winds a little screening should shelter 
repotted plants. 

Tender handling is always essential: a geranium 
even, or ordinary hardy fuchsia, will shed leaves 
that are bruised, cracked or muddied. 

Sticks ought not to be too prominent nor too 
thick, and painting them the same green that is 
shown by the leaves of the plant is a most artistic 
device. Green wool is a fine material for tying, as it 
does not cut stems; green ‘raffia’ is stronger for 
large plants. 

One quick way to adorn a house front is to prepare 
window boxes, and two large boxes, tubs, split 
barrels (or ornamental stone or rustic vases) to 
stand by the door steps, then order mixed dark red, 
scarlet, salmon and white geraniums to fill them. 
The plants may be rather crowded in, as this induces 
them to bloom instead of making lavish foliage. 
small plants of only about half a dozen leaves can 
stand six inches apart, bigger ones at nine-inch 
distances. The show of the mixed varieties will be 
more interesting than one of all red. Another idea 
would be to order carmine, deep rose, pale pink, 
blush and white flowering geraniums. 

A charming scheme for an urn or tub is to plant 
all the soil with tufts of blue lobelia, three inches 
apart, and sink a pot rose in the middle. A dwarf 
polyantha rose will be best, either pink or white. 
Mrs, Cutbush and Ma Paquerette, Mignonette and 
Anne Marie de Montravel are capital varieties. 


CHAPTER V 
SEEDS, CUTTINGS, ETC. 


How to Sow and Cover. Outdoor Seed Beds. Sweet Peas. 
Hardy Annuals. Dahlias and Chrysanthemums. Tuberous 


Begonias. Small Greenhouse Plants from Seed. Clematis — 


Jackmanii. Other Climbers to Plant. 


EEDS are sown in boxes, pans or pots. There 
are reasons for choosing one sort of receptacle 

for some kinds of flower seeds, another kind for 
others. It is a question of good judgment. Begonia 
seed, which is very fine, will illustrate this: if sown 
over the surface soil (it is not covered in, or, if at 
all, only by a little fine silver sand) there is a great 
depth of soil below, whereas in a seed-pan or shallow 
box there is only a two, or three,inch depth. The 
greater the quantity of compost the more difficult 
it is to keep it just moist enough and never too 
moist. If the compost in the pot became water- 
logged it would turn sour, or else mildewy, and the 
begonia seedlings, either the sprouts just starting 
or the visible green seedlings, would rot off. Yet 
no seed will germinate without sufficient moisture, 
so it is prudent to cover all pans, boxes, or pots of 
sown seed with a sheet, or many little overlapping 
pieces, of glass. These should be turned daily and 


wiped, and no water should be administered until 


the surface soil looks really dry. 
42 


ZS i a atl 


SEEDS, CUTTINGS, ETC. 43 


Then strong sunshine on the glass would probably 
scorch up the seedlings, so gardeners lay some white 
paper or a little dry moss upon the glass. The danger 
with moss is that it may not be absolutely insect- 
free. However, baking it in a hot oven for a few 
minutes will make it harmless. 

There is no hard and fast rule as to the depth to 
which seeds are to be covered in with sifted compost, 
but the general idea is that it may be to the same 
depth as their own greatest size. Take a little 
wallflower seed in the fingers, note that it is longer 
than it is broad; sow it, and then lightly scatter 
as much fine compost as would be necessary to 
quite cover it stood on end. 

Time that is spent in sowing, one by one, seeds 
that are not too minute to be picked up, is never 
time wasted. Overcrowded seed means not only 
that much seed is wasted, because the seedlings are 
crushed to death, but, even after a lot of thinning 
out has been done, the remaining seedlings will be 
much weaker than if they had grown in sufficient 
space from the first. 

The soil seeds are sown in should be perfectly 


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SAFE PLANT WATERING, BY PARTIAL IMMERSION, 


44 TOWN GARDENING 


level, so that water will not lie in tiny pools, firm 
- without being hard, and sufficiently moist for the 
seeds to adhere but not float. 

It is always best to water seed receptacles from 
the bottom, not the top. This is done by 
the pot, box or pan up to the very rim in tepi 
water for a minute or two. When the moisture is 
seen to be appearing at the surface, making the 
compost dark, the watering has been successfully 
performed. Needless to say, seed receptacles must 
all be properly drained, but it is enough to use 
inverted crocks over holes or cracks, then fill up 
with ordinary compost, giving a surface half-inch, 
or inch, of very fine sifted compost. In the case of 


using pots, however, for any delicate subjects, there — 


ought to be small stones or broken-up crocks for 
an inch above the inverted crocks, or else some 
coarse lumpy compost. 

The more delicate the nature of the plant that is 
to be raised, the more desirable is silver sand in the 
compost. Equal portions of loam, leaf-mould and 
silver sand is a good seed compost. Manure is not 
needed, and would be harmful in some instances. 

The compost for striking cuttings in may be the 
same. Before inserting a cutting, however, scatter 
enough silver sand on to hide the soil, then make 


the hole with a pencil, penholder, or round stick of | 


suitable size; this will thrust sand down with it. 
Insert the cutting, press the soil tightly round it 
with the finger-tips, add more compost so that the 
levelis maintained ; sprinkle the foliage, then enclose 
the pot, pan, or box ina frame, or glass-covered box 
or cover it by a bell-glass. Cuttings should have 
their lowest leaves cleanly removed. 

Cuttings of fuchsias and geraniums will root quite 


SEEDS, CUTTINGS, ETC. 45 


easily in May, June and July under glass, shaded 
from sun-heat. 

Seeds of begonia semperflorens varieties, primula 
obconica, primula malacoides, the Fairy primrose, or 
the little trailing fuchsia procumbens, sown in glass- 
covered pans inside a sunny window-will produce 
plants for early winter bloom in a warmed green- 
house. 

Seed sowing in town gardens is usually work 
thrown away, so if there is no greenhouse a small 
frame is almost a necessity. The next best plan is 
to choose the best possible site, quite in the open 
(or in front of a south, south-west or south-east 
facing wall, fence or hedge, some two or three feet 
from it), and make a raised bed to sow seeds in. 
It should- be treated with a soil fumigant, or else 
deluged several times with a weak solution of 
carbolic liquid, be many times forked over during 
the following week, and will then be ready for use. 
A seed-bed must be quite surrounded by strip 
paths of sharp cinders, not soft ashes, as then slugs 
and snails will not cross to it. 

A seed-bed may be made in a deep box if there is 
no garden. 

Sometimes a town garden is fairly healthy and 
not infested by insects. If runner-beans are known 
to flourish in it there is no reason why sweet-peas 
should not, if safeguarded from birds by having 
several lines of black cotton stretched to little 
upright sticks about four inches above where the 
seedlings will appear. Sow at three or four-inch 
distances, after soaking the seed for at least twelve 
hours. Carbolic powder, sparingly cast along the 
rows, will be a sensible precaution. 

In this fairly good garden seeds of many hardy 


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46 TOWN GARDENING 


annuals, not the largest-growing, may be sown, 
although May and June are very late months. 
Candytufts, Virginian stock, gilia tricolor, scarlet 
flax, small varieties of mignonette, sweet alyssum, 
night-scented stock, the rose of heaven (Agrostemma 
ceeli-rosea), orange erysimum Peroffskianum and 
Viscaria cardinalis are suitable. 

Double and single tuberous begonias are easy to 
cultivate if bought as bulbs of flowering size. They 
have to be laid on damp sand, inside a warm 
window, or in a frame or greenhouse, until they 
sprout. Actual sun-heat should be kept off them. 
As soon as the sprouts are a quarter of an inch long 
the tubers can be put one into each three-inch wide 
pot of sandy compost. When the pots are root- 
filled and the weather genial the begonias can be 
planted in beds, window-boxes, etc., or be given 
pots of five-inch diameter. 

Musk may be sown in pots now, stood inside 
windows; the seedlings must be thinned out to one 
inch apart. 

The town gardener can hope to succeed also with 
oxalis rosea, one of our prettiest pot plants, having 
shamrock-like leaves and gay rose blossom. It is 
similar to musk in its requirements, for it may be 
cut down, when it has flowered itself out, and if 
given a top-dressing of manure-and-loam compost 
and kept watered, will soon bloom again. Also it 
may, like musk, be occasionally divided, and portions 
of its clump put an inch or two apart into other 
pots, window-boxes, tubs, etc. Both plants, and 
dwarf lobelias, are pretty in hanging baskets. 

During May ciematises from pots may be planted. 
It is necessary to dig a deep wide place, fork the 
bottom, lay in old manure, and partly fill in with 


-. 'yvinet = 


SEEDS, CUTTINGS, ETC. 47 


good soil first. A clematis put in above that will 
be almost sure to thrive. A little old chopped 
manure may be mixed with all the upper soil. 

Clematis Jackmanii will clothe a town house front 
gloriously, perhaps help to form a porch, or run up 
to be trained horizontally along a balcony’s railing. 
There is a deep purple variety, in addition to the 
familiar violet-purple, also a white (alba) and a 
crimson (rubra). They are best suited by a west 
aspect, in my experience, but south-west is excellent, 
and north-west often succeeds. Full exposure on a 
south wall is generally too scorching. 

In late May and June young plants of dahlias, 
and early-flowering chrysanthemums, should be 
bought and added to the garden borders, in sunshine’ 
or else potted up, or potted-on rather, as they are 
sure to be in pots already. They can be stood out. 
Carbolic powder should be scattered all round them. 

A beautiful climber to obtain, in a pot, ready for 
turning out against wall, fence or trellis, is the 
Climbing Knotweed (Polygonum Baldschuanicum), a 
perennial that dies down each winter and puts forth 
vigorous growth of reddish stems and red-shaded 
leaves each spring. The florescence is whitish, in 
panicles, having a mist-like effect in June and July, 
but the next stage is one of myriads of creamy 
seed-vessels that are as decorative as flowers. A 
south or south-west aspect is desirable. 

Then by buying three or four plants of the 
purple bellflower (Cobea scandens) and putting 
them in rich soil in front of Virginian creepers, the 
town dweller can gain an uncommon and lovely 
flower show all summer and autumn, provided there 
is no stint with water. Cobeas will climb in a 
greenhouse even faster than out of doors, and may be 


iF 
“ 


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cultivated on sunny balconies or in glass por 


_ Three plants are enough for a tub or ten-in 


— 


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They can endure a sooty atmosphere if syr 


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twice or three times a week, 2 


ay 


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CHAPIER VI 


DAILY ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE 
WORK 


GENERAL TASKS FOR MAY, JUNE AND 
ULY 


ATHS and lawns require rolling after rainy 

weather, and should be frequently swept with 

a birch broom, as this removes ant-hills and worm- 
casts. 

Lawn sand can be applied to portions of lawns to 
destroy weeds, as it works most efficaciously in hot 
weather. Still a great deal may be done by up- 
rooting dandelions, etc., and transplanting grass ~ 
“weeds ’ from borders or paths into the holes, after 
clipping the blades short. 

A slight sprinkling of any good fertilizer will do 
old lawns good, after rain has washed it in. Lawns 
that are used for games, or much trodden, need 
watering in seasons of drought if in the open. 
Tree-shdaded lawns are usually damp enough in 
summer and too damp at other times. 

Lawns should be cut twice a week, if possible, 
but it is usually sufficient to clip the edges once a 
week, and use the sharp crescent-bladed turf- 
edge-cutter once a month. 


49 D 


OEE = 
OP a ae ee a 


50 TOWN GARDENING 


If a lawn is badly worm-infested a solution should 
be made of one pound of slaked lime in four 
gallons of water, and left to stand three days. Then 
the clear liquid must be poured off, free from the 
sediment, and applied to the turf through a fine-rosed 


watering-can. If this is done some damp early — 


morning, after a thorough rolling the previous 
evening, the worms will come up to the surface and 
may be swept off in quantity. 

Rose-trees becoming infested with  green-fly 
should be syringed after sundown with a solution 
of four ounces of soft-soap and one dessertspoonful 
of paraffin in two gallons of water. Next morning, 
early, they should be syringed with plain water. 
These operations, repeated three times, with a day’s 
interval between, will cure the pest in almost all 
eases. 

Box edgings can be clipped into shape; also all 
clipped evergreens. 

The greenhouse plants should be watered with 
discrimination every evening, and syringed two or 
three times a week at least. 

Plants must be shaded from fierce sunshine 
through glass roofs, either by whitening the latter, 
or nailing muslin or tiffany across it,if there is no 
natural canopy of climbers. Leaves of all pot 
plants under cover, except ‘ woolly’ leaves, such 
as those of begonias, geraniums and _ primulas, 
should be sponged once a week if large enough. 
Spraying is always safe. 


Any of the fairly robust pot plants, such as 


geraniums, pelargoniums, heliotrope and hydrangeas, 
that are infested by insects can be dipped quickly 
in a solution of four ounces of soft-soap in six gallons 
of water. This must be done in the evening, as 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 51 


sunshine must not fall on them till they are dry. 
They must be dipped in plain water the following 
evening. 

A glasshouse that is badly infested can best be 
made clean and healthy by fumigating it every 
other evening for six days. There are little vapour 
cones sold by florists, that only need to be set 
alight and left to smoulder out, after all doors and 
windows have been closed. They should be stood 
on the stone or brick flooring and used scrupulously 
according to the special instructions supplied. 

Keep dead flowers picked off sweet-peas before 
seeds can form. 

If carnations in the border die off mysteriously 
sink some partly hollowed-out halves of potatoes, 
smeared with fat, just below the soil, after sticking 
a small stick through each to show its whereabouts 
and enable the trap to be quickly lifted for examina- 
tion and reburied. 

Lay lettuce and cabbage leaves, fat-smeared, 
downwards on borders to trap slugs. 

Place damp hay in’ some small pots that have 
been smeared with grease, and invert them on 
stakes among the dahlias, hollyhocks, roses, etc. 

Water indoor ferns, aspidistras, aralias, etc., 
more as the weather becomes warmer. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR MAY 


Plant out young dahlias, or divided sprouting old 
tubers, late in the month, in very well manured 
soul, in sunshine, or in rich compost, three plants to 
a split barrel, or one plant to a ten-inch pot. Examine 
the tubers carefully before dividing them, to be 
sure that each piece severed has an ‘ eye.’ However 


sg TOWN GARDENING 


great. the pains taken, no divided portion not. Be: 
possessed of an ‘eye’ can sprout, and the ‘eyes’ 
are situated round the collar of the tubers. Se 

Propagate pinks, of the garden hardy sort, b 
pulling off little shoots with rootlets already forming ‘ 
from the base and old stems, and plant them in> 


oe 


DANA OA 
Y 

HOLE Up 
READY STAKED %, y 
ue Z 
YY iG 


cae 
PREP ATS: 


“How tro PLant DARLIAS. 


Ades i 
, rehsy et 


lines in semi-shade or at intervals of an inch round 
the edges of pans or large pots, in cold greenhouses, — 
frames, or stood out of doors. Use sandy compara 
and keep their foliage sprinkled. 

Fill window-boxes, urns, tubs, baskets, etc., te 


tata ro ; Quy -' cobs. Met t Bt heater wee herd taal Aint 
eS S gh Ae LE ek = WP, » wt AON SUSE lap Clem Eee . 
eS Pa Fb oe RT Rn ae We Piro REY oe a AP he 


f mae, e. ‘ 
porn? 
“Oe aly : fe 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 53 


adorning real city houses and gardens, with dwarf 
miniature-leaved varieties of ivies, Creeping Jenny, 
London pride, Rose of Sharon, scented-leaved 
geraniums (which can be often dipped in water), 
hartstongue ferns, lobelia erinus, musk, and small 
specimens of berberises, cotoneasters, euonymuses, 
boxes, Japanese honeysuckle, arbor vite, veronica 
glauca-ceerulea, hypericum patulum, symphoricarpus 
radicans (the snowberry tree). 

Add to actual or artificial borders or beds, at the 
end of May, calceolarias, geraniums, carnations 
(from pots), dwarf French marigolds, lobelia erinus, 


Winpow-Box ror not HIDING A FAIR ViEw. 


A Pink ivy-leaved geranium, C Carmine ivy-leaved geranium. 
B Fuchsia procumbens, D Pink begonia semperflorens, 


snapdragons, sweet-williams, willow-leaved beet 
and ordinary crimson . beet, early-flowering chry- 
santhemums, kochia tricophylla (the summer 
cypress that takes on autumn tints), the common 
house leek (Sempervivum tectorum), yellow stone- 
crop (Sedum acre), orange stonecrop (Sedum 
kamschaticum variegatum), Japanese stonecrop 
(Sedum spectabile), often two feet tall with heads 
of. rosy flower in late autumn, miniature sweet 
alyssums, Pigmy dwarf nasturtiums, and variegated 
arabis and periwinkle for the sake of their leaves. 
Charming combinations of the above can be 


54 TOWN GARDENING 


made, and the subjects advised for window-boxes, 
etc., can be used in beds, and those recommended for 
beds may be tried in boxes, urns, barrels, etc. 
Many, too, will be useful for pot culture. 

Musk, dwarf lobelias and miniature’ sweet 
alyssum will spring up from seed in pots in hot 
windows even of the Strand, and Cupid sweet-peas 
have been known to grow from seed (three seeds ina 
seven-inch pot—seven-inch diameter, of course) in 
Bethnal Green ! 

In suburban places there is no danger in using 
all the usual bedding plants. A consideration of 
what grows in town parks will teach town dwellers 
that smuts are not to be too much dreaded. Roof- 
top gardens are the best for plants in crowded 
districts, owing to there being no walls to draw them 
up into a thin, lanky condition and to exclude air 
and sun from them. But in the suburbs, verbenas, 
stocks, asters, marguerites, petunias, begonias, 
geraniums, Swan river daisies and dwarf snapdragons 
are but a few of the favourites that will flourish. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR JUNE 


Watch for grubs in the rose buds, and young 
leaf shoots, and pinch them out, cutting back 
damaged portions of the branches. 

Stand most of the room plants out, in semi-shade, 
when gentle rain is falling. 

Fill the worst-situated receptacles or garden 
ground now, as no frosts need be feared. 

Remember that a fine show of Tom Thumb 
dahlias, from plants bought now, can be had among 
the stones of a sunny rockery, even if it be but an 


>. Bak 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 55 


area slope. These ten-to-twelve-inch dahlias are 
very bright in effect. 

A shady area slope will look cheerful if planted 
all over with variegated periwinkle, with sunk pot 
shrubs at intervals, suitable sorts being golden 
privet and euonymus, and berberis aquifolium. 
These shrubs should be removed in November and 
kept growing in cold greenhouses, frames, or rooms, 

Shady areas in the suburbs, where houses are 
not very high and have air-spaces between them, 
are fit for most of the bedding plants and perennials 
advised for shady gardens. 

Sow some pots of mignonette, thin out to five 
seedlings in each six-inch pot, keep them outside 
until September’s end, then enjoy the flowers 
indoors. The seedlings should have their tips 
pinched off when they are six inches high to 
encourage bushy growth. 

Sow three seeds of the trailing fuchsia (Fuchsia 
procumbens) in a four-inch pot, under or behind 
glass. Pot on when roots show at the base. Sink 
the pot in moss in a hanging wire basket in a sunny 
window. Beautiful trails of leaf and blossom will 
result. 

Keep dead roses cut off trees, 

Continue to bed out, or plant dahlias or chry- 
santhemums. 

Cut down spring-bloomed perennials. 

Sow dwarf sweet alyssum over bare spaces on 
sunny rockeries, or to carpet among tall plants in 
ornamental garden vases, window-boxes, beds, etc, 

Sow wallflowers for next year in a very shallow 
drill across open ground. Lay down some sweet-pea 
faggots over the filled-in drill to keep birds off. 

Water the garden if there is a spell of drought. 


es Sit os : 
ya! a> 2B eengee . 
Ie eee, el eee i “4 1 


56 TOWN GARDENING 


One thorough soaking is right in a week, two are 


better, but ‘a little watering’ done wholesale 
every evening is disastrous. A portion of a garden 
can be deluged at a time, another portion the next 
evening or early morning. : 


SPECIAL WORK FOR JULY 


Tie green-grey wool round the sheaths of opening 
carnations that might otherwise burst. 

Gather rose petals for potpourri. 

Syringe rose-trees that have done their first 
flowering ; cut their branches back that have borne 
blooms. 

Give some old decayed manure as a mulch to the 
roses, all but those that have not been planted a 
year. 

Give weak liquid manure to dahlias that are grow- 
ing well; also to roses, hollyhocks, delphiniums, 
pansies, verbenas, stocks, asters, heliotrope, fuchsias 
and sweet-peas. Geraniums do not flower well if 
overfed, but most other bedding plants do better 
for extra nourishment. 

Peg down verbenas and ivy-leaved geraniums. 

Lift bulbs of ranunculuses, anemones, tulips, 
hyacinths, etc., lay them on newspaper in dry 
sunny sheds or rooms to dry for a week or so, then 
wipe each and store in perfectly dry sawdust or 
chaff, or chopped-up baked heather or moss, or old 
dry broken-up cocoa-nut fibre refuse. 

Give sticks and ties to all plants that need them. 

Nail loose trails of climbers to the walls. 

Pot some bulbs of freesias in ordinary potting 
compost, putting them one inch deep and two 
inches apart, in any sized pots, those of four and a 


, oO So Gre 
tas in’, ‘ 
/ TT. rs 


Px a ror : 


ROUTINE AND “SBASC NABLE WORK § 
half or five h eteter see: best. Stand the 
ye one airy rooms, greenhouse or frames, 
d avoid giving much water: the soil must not 
get quite dry, but too much moisture will mean 
fe . More will be required as the plants grow. 
st sring them into sunshine when growth is a few 
inches high, 


Fe ae 2s 
ae ¥ 


Pe bs 
Rae 


Part II 


WORK IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, 
AND OCTOBER 


CHAPTER VII 
KEEPING UP THE FLOWER DISPLAY 


Reserve Plants. Frames in Yards and on Porch-tops. How to 
add to Beds and Boxes. The Art of removing Plants. Early- 
flowering Chrysanthemums, Kochias, Beets, etc. Refilling 
Window-boxes. Meadow-saffrons, etc. 


O matter what plants the town-house occupier 
specializes in for the summer show, he 
should have a few too many, and keep those growing 
on, somehow and somewhere, so as to replace any 
of the flowering or foliage specimens that fail. 
There are bound to be misfortunes and accidents. 
It is easy to imagine the doleful appearance of a 
bed of dwarf blue asters in which two plants turned 
out to be violet, or of a stone vase by the hall 
door in which three of the ring of red _ begonias, 
surrounding a white marguerite, had perished. In 
window-boxes any awkward gap will spoil the whole 
display. 
59 


60 TOWN GARDENING 


If there is only a backyard, supposing it receives 
some sunshine, a fair-sized garden-frame will prove 
of immense value. A flat roof-top will be an even 
better site for one; the sun-heat will not be too 
fierce if some old Japanese reed mats are kept to 
lay over the glass or over the open frame, or to 
fasten to thin erect bamboo canes as a screen. 
The bamboo canes answer delightfully if their 
lower lengths can slip into sockets of iron affixed 
to the wood of the frame, and the screens serve, 
in chilly times, as shelter from winds. 

There is often a large roof above the porch, in 
a town house, either entered upon through a stair- 
case window or by a balcony. This should be 
made the foundation of a really fine plant-show, 
of course, but it can be turned into real use as 
well, if a long narrow frame for growing things 
in is placed at the edge nearest the road. It will 
be hidden by the parapet, and the plant display 
may rise just behind it, leaving the gardener space 
at the two sides to visit it in comfort. Many 
ironmongers and florists stock small deep frames 
that could be used end to end. 

In these frames, shaded and sheltered by the 
parapet, the surplus begonias, stocks, asters, ver- 
benas, geraniums, etc. etc., can be grown on in 


readiness to fill gaps. They may also be used © 


for taking cuttings in, say of calceolarias, gera- 
niums, fuchsias, pansies, violas and carnations; for 
receiving seed-pans and boxes of pricked-out 
seedlings. 

When making any addition to beds, tubs or 


boxes, it is necessary to get the soil into fit con-. 


dition, neither too dry nor too wet, which a watering 
overnight usually secures, and also to prepare 


KEEPING UP THE FLOWER DISPLAY 61 


similarly the soil round the plants that are to be 
lifted or turned out of pots. Then they will 
‘come away, dug out by the trowel or released 
from pots, with what is known as ‘ball of soil 
intact,’ and the roots will not only have no rough 
usage, but need not know they are moved from 
one place to another. This being so, neither 
foliage nor blooms will flag. 

I have moved a dwarf hybrid perpetual rose- 
bush in July, when it was in full flower, and re- 
planted it in another part of a garden, by this 
method; without there being the slightest check | 
to its growth or injury to its health; but this 
necessitates the utmost care, of course, and deep 
and wide digging by a spade. I do not recom- 
mend the attempt to be made by any amateur, 
but merely describe it here as an illustration of how 
simply any small plants can be removed safely. 

Even when no plants have failed in beds or 
receptacles, some may have proved stunted, or have 
yellowed foliage, or have insisted on growing too 
lanky, instead of bushy, so make a bad effect. 

Even when none of these troubles have occurred 
the beds or receptacles may look rather bare, and 
then a store of blue or white lobelia, of dwarf 
chrysanthemum-flowered asters, dwarf French mari- 
golds, the iceplant (Mesembryanthemum crystalli- 
num), pigmy godetias, stocks, violas, etc., will 
justify its existence. | 

Crimson beet is a serviceable tall plant to keep 
in reserve, and summer cypresses (Kochi _trico- 
phylla), each in a small pot, may be either used 
to add to insufficient plant displays or be potted 
on once or twice to make pretty plants to use 
on the dining-table or in the drawing-room, 


Spat TOWN GARDENING 


A favourite expedient of my own is to dig up 
a portion of a front-garden edging of mossy saxi- 
frage (Saxifraga hypnoides) in the middle of summer, 
and set its dainty green tufts as a close carpet to 


beds, or tubs, where the flowering plants stand | 


rather too widely apart. By October’s end the 
saxifrage tufts will be happy little plants to use 
for winter bedding, or for making edgings and 
additions to rock-gardens ; variegated arabis, purple 
rock cress (Aubrietia) may be similarly treated. 
Annual plants, such as larkspurs, stocks, asters, 
clarkias, that bloom early in the summer, frequently 
go yellow now and begin to die. Well, the town- 
dweller need only repair to the nearest florist, 
purchase some early-flowering chrysanthemums, 
just budding in pots, and turn these out, balls 
of soil intact, as described. They will give him 
ample reward a little later. Or, as the year begins 
to think of waning, it will be better to sink the 
pot chrysanthemums, with a view to housing any 


that have not done flowering when frost threatens. - 


Naturally, geraniums in pots, and countless other 
of the plants florists offer, can be used in these 
ways, only the town-gardener seldom knows where 
to keep large quantities of delicate plants during 
winter. The chrysanthemums can be cut down in 


November, and packed closely in a box of a little - 


soil, have some more soil thrown over them, then 
be stored in an attic by a window that is often 
open. With a minimum of watering they will 
survive till spring, then can be divided and re- 
planted or repotted, or, if placed in warmth, will 
send forth shoots that can be detached as already 
rooted ‘cuttings.’ Old newspapers will suffice to 
keep frost from them in the attic, whereas succulent- 


KEEPING UP THE FLOWER DISPLAY 63 


stemmed geraniums might generate moisture, turn 
mildewy, or succumb through the cold. Fuchsias 
are easier to keep than are geraniums or marguerites. 

If the window-boxes have to be wholly refilled 
now, early chrysanthemums are quite the best 
plants, and the grey-leaved, yellow-and-scarlet 
blossomed, succulent Echeveria secunda glauca, sold 


ARASaaN| 


VARIN 


A TILE-FRONTED WINDOW-Box. 


A Green euonymus. D Pale blue tiles. 
B Gold chrysanthemums. E Deep blue tiles. 
C Echeveria secunda glauca, F Cream tiles, 


by all florists, will be a pretty, inexpensive edging, 
that wili be neat and effective as soon as installed. 
Echeverias may be placed closely together in large 
pots, or singly in small ones, to be housed during 
winter. 

There is a charming method for refurnishing 
semi-shady window-boxes, urns, etc. Buy some 
miniature variegated euonymuses that can do duty 
until next June, then plant among them bulbs of 
meadow-saffrons (Colchicums), three inches apart, 
two inches deep. These are flowers shaped like 
giant crocuses ; the common kind is a lovely peach- 
mauve, and there are crimson, purple and white 
varieties that cost much more. Their marvellous 
merit is that they will bloom about six to nine 
weeks after the bulbs are planted, and then the 
foliage will appear and make a nice carpet. 


64 TOWN GARDENING 


A few ordinary crocuses and snowdrops put in 
among this carpet in November will make a 
pleasing note later in front of the variegated shrubs. 
But let the purchaser of all the bulbs make sure 
that he obtains those of flowering size. It is often 
worth while to fill a garden border with thousands 
of young bulbs, to grow on for the future, but the 
town-house front demands the mature and very 
best. 


Photo Vasey 
NARCISSI IN THE WINDOW BOX 


. 
a 
hae 
 e 


aM 
Bau, ¢ 


CHAPTER VIII 


HOW TO GROUP POT PLANTS 


_ Hardy Plants for Groups. Foliage Subjects. How to Grow Them. 


res 


How to make Groups—and Where. 


HERE are probably a hundred amateur 
gardeners able to grow pot plants to two 

or three individuals able to group them satisfac- 
torily. Sometimes failure is bound to be, because 
of an insufficiency of mosses, ferns, foliage and 
cluster plants with which to hide the pots of their 


_taller comrades. 


Now a winter-heated greenhouse seldom forms 
part of the town establishment, so hosts of suit- 
able dainty plants must be avoided and hardy 
ones cultivated. It is a refreshing fact that these 
will be inexpensive. Some of them may be ob- 
tained by lifting and potting portions of plants 
that happen to be in the borders; if this is done 
in the hot months of the year they must be kept 
cool and shaded for several days afterwards ; others 
can be bought, in small pots, ready for use ; others 
may only be obtainable in masses, in boxes, then 
should be potted. 

The following are reliable, dwarf, calculated to 
show off the colours of the flowers beneath which 


65 E 


_ 


“ee : ‘ 
EE eee oa be aT ap 


66 


TOWN GARDENING 


they are to make a foliage-and-floral carpet without 
so much as an inch of pottery remaining visible. 


ARABIS. Plain and 
variegated. 

Gotp Dust (Alyssum saxa- 
tile). 

STONECROPS. Gold,* white, 


orange, purple and red. 

Mossy SAXIFRAGES. White 
and rosy flowering. 

SAXIFRAGA FORTUNEI. 
White. 

LonDdON PRIDE (Saxifraga 
umbrosa). 

SAXIFRAGA CRUSTRATA. 
Silvered rosette foliage. 

OxaLis RosEa. Pink. 

OXALIS VALVIDIANA. 
Yellow. 

CREEPING JENNY (Lysi- 
machia nummularia), 
Green or gold leaved with 
yellow flowers. 

LoBELIA Erinus. IJ” ail 
colours. 

LITHOSPERMUM ~ PROSTRA- 
TUM. A dwarf evergreen 
of spreading habit that has 
blue blossom. 


KENILWORTH Ivy 
(Linaria cymbalaria). 
Pale lilac. 

PERENNIAL CANDYTUFT 


(1 be ris sempervirens). 
White. 

HYPERICUM EMPETRIFOLIUM, 
Yellow. 

HYPERICUM POLYPHYLLUM. 
Yellow. 

Atum Roots (Heucheras). 
All have clusters of atirac- 
tive leaves, from which rise 


tall light stems of ved, rose 
or white blossom. 

HAWKWEED (Hieracium 
aurantiacum). Ovange. 

GERANIUM CINEREUM. One 
of the true geraniums, or 
cranes’ bills, whereas the 
greenhouse ‘ gerantums’ are 
veally pelargoniums. Pale 
pink. 

GERANIUM ENpREssu. Deep 
vose. 


GERANIUM PROSTRATUM. 
Magenta. 

SPLEENWORT ~~ (Asplenium 
trichomanes). Fern. 

Hotty FErn (Aspidium lon- 
chitis). 

PARSLEY FERN (Allosorus 
crispus). 

PoLYPODIUM VULGARE 
CAMBRICUM. fern. 

Tue BriITTLE BLADDER 
FERN. (Cystopteris 
fragilis). Wal succeed, if 


given a compost of peat, 
silvery sand, loam, and 
coco-nut fibre refuse rubbed 
into powder. 

PLANTAIN Litres (Funkias 
lancifolia and lancifolia 
albamarginata). Lilac. A 


foot tall, with spreading 


leaves. 
SNOW-IN-SUMMER 
(Cerastium). Silver 
foliage. 
BELLFLOWERS (Campanulas 
portenschlagiana, iso- 


phylla alba, garganica, 


HOW TO GROUP POT PLANTS 


fragilis, carpatica), Vio- 
let, white, blue. 

SANDWORT  (Arenaria 
olearica). White. 

GOLDEN SANDWORT 
(Arenaria verna cspi- 
tosa aurea). Gold foli- 
age. 

Wooprurr (Asperula odo- 
rata). White. 

Turirts (Armerias cepha- 
lotes, laucheana and plan- 
taginea. Rose, crimson 

or white. 

TRAILING SNAPDRAGON 
(Antirrhinum glutonisum). 
Cream. 

Kipnéy Vetcu (Anthyllis 
montana). Jose. 

Cat’s Ear (Antennaria can- 
dida). Silver leaves. Pink 
bloom. 

Buc_e (Ajuga reptans atro- 
purpurea). Purple-bronze 
leaves. 


HEN-AND-CHICKEN HousE 


67 


Leek (Sempervivum globi- 
ferum). Yellow. 

Common Houszr LEEK 
(Sempervivum tectorum), 
Pale ved. 

Lames’ Woo. 
lanata). Silver 
leaves. 

Mock MAIDENHAIR 
(Thalictrum minus 
adiantifolium),. 

Foam Ftrower  (Tiarella 
cordifolia). Fern-like 
leaves, flowers like a minia- 
tuve creamy meadow-sweet. 

BRONZE-LEAVED FOAM 
Frower (Tiarella pur- 
purea). lowers rose. 

TriroLtium REepeNs PENTA- 


(Stachys 
woolly 


PHYLLUM. Bronze and 
green leaves. lowers 
white. 


SPEEDWELL (Veronica gen- 
tianoides variegata). 
Creamy - marked foliage. 
Blue flowers. 


There are countless other hardy plants and ferns 
that can be well grown in cold greenhouses, frames, 
or room windows where air is freely admitted ; 
the gardener who learns to delight in the variegated 
tufts of the Speedwell named, for example, should 
inquire after other dwarf members of the family ; 
the lover of one stonecrop, house leek, or saxifrage, 
will find dozens more waiting for his patronage. 

Among larger foliage subjects of extreme value 
in making groups of fairly hardy pot plants are 
taller plantain lilies, hardy geraniums, saxifrages 
and outdoor maidenhairs (Thalictrums) ; and their 
blossoms add, of course, to their value. Aralias, 


68 TOWN GARDENING 


eucalyptus citriodora, lemon verbena, French laven- 
der, like palms and aspidistras, only require.to be 
kept safe from all frost. 

Then there are annuals. of great foliage value 
that should have been sown or purchased earlier, 
of which the Golden Feather (Pyrethrum aureum) ~ 
is a popular example. 

A group of plants against a wall, or other back- 
ground, should have the greatest height behind, 
either as a clump in the middle back row, or to 
form the whole back row except for the edge, which 
may be a single, double, or triple edging of dwarf 
and semi-dwarf growers. 

A group in an open space may have the highest 
plants in the middle, or in clusters all over the space, 
or as single specimen plants rising at even distances, 

A pyramid can be built up easily, so that all 
the foliage represents a sloped mass, of sugar-loaf 
shape, and the blossoms either repeat this shape 
themselves, or rise gracefully out of it according 
to their different natures. 

One fine pyramid group on a balcony or porch- 
top, for summer, would consist of chimney bell- 
flowers (Campanula pyramidalis), blue aralias, and 
summer cypresses in front of the aralias, white 
tobacco plants (Nicotiana affinis), crimson beet and 
mock maidenhair (Thalictrum minus adiantifolium), 
deep blue ostrich feather asters or blue larkspurs, 
and white carnations, golden feather, purple-leaved 
bugle, variegated arabis, and, lastly, an edging of 
indigo blue lobelia. 


A simpler group can be built up with single ~ 


dahlias, Pompon dahlias, Tom Thumb cactus dahlias, 
then ferns with zinnias here and there, then a belt . 


of the bronze-leaved foam flower, then one of oxalis SS 


HOW TO GROUP POT PLANTS 69 


rosea, and a final edge of closely-set pans of gold, 
white, orange, red and purple stonecrops. 

Let the town-gardener note that many of the tiny 

plants can be cultivated in the pans sold for sowing 
seed in, and this is a help in carpeting among 
other plants. 
_ Groups of chrysanthemums, in scarlet-crimson, 
yellow and cream, with pots of scarlet-and-orange 
montbretias, among beets, ferns, etc., edged by 
mossy saxifrages and echeveria secunda glauca, 
will be charming, 

Pot Michaelmas daisies and other perennial asters 
are of great value on account of their late blooming. 
It will, perhaps, be a revelation to the town-dweller 
that so many exquisite floral displays can be suc- 
ceeded with, even within a city area; but, in 
truth, by growing hardy plants chiefly, just pre- 
served from frost, by washing foliage and frequent 
use of the syringe, by occasional waterings with 
a weak solution of fertilizer in rain-water or the 
weakest of liquid manure, by removing all spent 
blooms at once and never allowing dead leaves to - 
rot on the plants, above all by giving enough water 
regularly but never too much, great triumphs may 
be recorded. 

And plant groups look beautiful in so many spots 
—on balconies, between verandah pillars, against 
arch sides or pergola poles, in wall recesses of bay 
windows, at the sides of the porch or steps, on the 
summits of mounds or rockeries, against fences or 
trellises, by chimneys, on the leads over built-out 
kitchens, in conservatories, before summer-houses, 
etc. etc. | 


CHAPTER IX 


PREPARING FOR AUTUMN BEAUTY 


Succession of Effects. Pot PlantsonSteps. Retarded Geraniums, 
Cork-covered Parapet Boxes. Choice of Chrysanthemums, 
Hardy Plants in Pots for late Blooming. Meadow-saffrons. 
Pot Dahlias. 


HE clever town gardener does not expose all 

his floral effects to the public gaze at the 

beginning of summer ; he reserves certain additions, 

so that when heat, dust and smoke has tired out 

some of the flowers, taken the beauty off the house 

front or the back garden, he can make up for that 
by introducing beauties in other forms. 

Let us suppose a house up half a dozen steps. 
Pots, all of one size, scrupulously clean and with 
saucers to fit, may stand on the sides of the steps, 
a dozen in all, and the plants in all can be similar, 
or match in twos. Thus the top ones could be 
of glossy aralias, three feet high—so usually called 
castor-oil plants, which is quite wrong—the next 
pair could be golden chrysanthemums, the lowest 
pair the summer cypress (Kochia tricophylla), 
which will have begun to flush red and orange. 
Or quite ordinary lavender Michaelmas daisies, 
crimson beets, or fine-grown ‘ Love-lies-bleeding,’ 
and miniature annual dwarf sunflowers, would look 


70 


SSP ages’ " o A / 
’ P 
thee 


ep, 
IS oe 


4 if 
no 


PREPARING FOR AUTUMN BEAUTY 71 


novel, Ofcourse, if ivy-leaved and other geraniums 
have been grown on in private with a view to this 
late début, have had embryo buds picked off until 
lately, they will now make a brilliant display. 
Then, at the top of the steps, there might be 
groups of more plants, or long-shaped boxes to lie 


on the stone ledges of the parapet walls. These 


boxes always look best when covered with virgin 
cork, which is so easy to nail on wood. Some 
persons like to paint virgin cork with silvery metallic 
paints ; liquid aluminium paint is the newest thing. 
Another idea is to have white-enamelled long boxes, 
like window-boxes, to stand against the side walls 
or railings at the top of steps, and these are, of 
course, easily seen and avoided on dark nights, 

Then there may be huge tubs, split barrel-shape, 
or taller, filled with chrysanthemums, in pinks, 
peach-mauve and gold, and edged by cat’s ear 
(Stachys lanata), with a few plants of Kenilworth 
ivy or trailing fuchsia (Fuchsia procumbens) to 
overhang, They are sure to attract admiration. 

The town-house owner who wishes to astonish his 
neighbours by a late show of flowers, should order 
chrysanthemums for blooming in October and No- 
vember, then surround these by a row of a very 
dwarf kind of chrysanthemum to flower earlier. 
The florist or nurseryman will be able to provide ; 
to recommend varieties here would merely confuse, 
since there are hundreds suitable, and tradesmen 
in different localities cultivate different favourites 
for sale. 

A further plan for making autumn floral is to 
cultivate pot and tub Helen-flowers (Heleniums), 
cone-flowers (Rudbeckias), and even red-hot pokers, 
The last, known scientifically as tritomas, or 


92 TOWN GARDENING 


kniphofias, have to be potted singly in November or | 
April, however, and should be given liquid manure 
once a week all summer. 

The Caffre flag (Schizostylis coccinea) is another 
bulb for potting in November or March. It is a 
glorious plant, with long, narrow leaves and spikes 
of blood-crimson blossoms that appear in October 
and November, As it is a hardy perennial the 
pots should be put into cold frames during winter 
and be stood out during summer. 

The best way to keep pot plants out of doors is 
to sink them up to the rims in a deep bed all of 
cinders. This bed can be made up anywhere, on 
gravel, cement, tiles, etc., against a wall. The roots 
in the pots are thus kept cool, moist, yet not too 
wet, for rains drain through the cinders, and slugs 
and snails are kept away. It is quite a good idea 
to add schizostylis bulbs to the window-boxes in 
April, if care is taken not to injure the sprouting 
rootlets when other plants are put among them. 
A couple of dozen pots of Caffre flags ranged 
along a balcony or verandah, making a line of 
crimson-scarlet so late in the year, will win a town 
gardener great praise. 

Plants of the Japanese stonecrop (Sedum specta- 
bile) are beautiful pot ornaments for the glass porch 
or back steps of the house. 

There is a great deal to be urged in favour of 
always sinking pot plants in the window-boxes, 
because a succession of effects can be so easily 
arranged, and when this is carried out this tall 
handsome sedum, so unlike the humbler stonecrops, 
with its rose-flushed, blue-grey glaucous leaves, is 
a very fine autumn filling. I have seen ornamental | 
crimson flower-pot covers used, instead of window- 


+ Be 
% 


PREPARING FOR AUTUMN BEAUTY 73 


boxes, each holding an eight-inch pot containing 
what may be called a clump of Japanese stone- 
crop, from which rose many of the marvellous 
cluster-heads of rosy bloom. 

Among the seeds that are capital to sow in 
March in a warm greenhouse, to produce pot 
plants that will be handsome even when frosts 
are due, are those of the varieties of Japanese 
maize (Zea Japonicas variegata, and quadricolour). 
However the seeds may be sown, the seedlings 
are transferred singly to two-inch pots, then 
simply given a shift into slightly bigger pots every 
time those they inhabit are overfilled by roots. 
The young plants are stood out during summer, 
after being hardened off in frames. The leaves are 
magnificently streaked and coloured. Another 
name is Indian corn. 

A raised bed, on a little lawn, looks well indeed 
in autumn when the gardener can sink pots of Zea 
among red chrysanthemums, or dwarf dahlias, 
behind a thick belt of Japanese stonecrop. 

If the advice in a previous chapter has been carried 
out, all the rockeries, semi-shady borders and beds, 
even under trees, may be alight—there is no more 
suitable word—with the bright presence of meadow- 
saffrons, those big crocus-shaped blossoms whose 
peach, rose or white petals glisten in sunshine or 
moonlight. The ordinary peach-mauve is very 
cheap, so bulbs should have been generously planted. 
The slopes of grass banks by the lawn should have 
been dotted over with them too. 

Now is the time to keep every inch of the beds 
and borders especially tidy by use of the spud, 
which will chop weeds up, destroying many insect 
foes meanwhile, and let air into the soil. Pot 


= Fen: Pe, A o 
fi SY cok rg oat of , ee Doe 


74 TOWN GARDENING 


dahlias are suitable for growing in porches or on 
porch steps, may even be kept in halls and rooms 
for weeks while they bloom. Those that stand 
outside to adorn the sides .of walks, seats, 
summer-house thresholds, roof gardens, etc., may 
very likely be able to continue their flowering long 
after the planted-out dahlias are blackened, for they 
will, of course, be given shelter, in the house if 
there is no SOHSELYaLOTY. at Winter's first hint of 
danger. 

Happily for town dwellers, autumn has a splen- 
dour all its own, when virginia creepers clothe our 
walls in living ruby and the hues of many flames. 


CHAPTER X 


WINDOW GARDENS AND CONSER- 
VATORIES 


How to Ventilate. About Gas and Temperature. Balcony 
Glasshouses for Alpines. Bulb Potting. Plants for Rooms. 
Flower-tables in Sun and Shade. 


WINDOW garden may be in a miniature 

glasshouse, a sort of Wardian case, or merely 
a collection of plants on a table, or on wire stands, 
or in jardiniéres, inside the room. But it means, 
to the scientific gardener, in any case, a collection 
of plants grown without artificial heat. 

Now a room that is constantly well ventilated 
makes quite a healthy plant-house, near its glass, 
but a room in which only chinks of ventilation 
are allowed, and the windows are fastened tight 
up every night, is not a happy home for vegetation 
of any sort. 

Draughts doa lot of mischief when on a level with 
the plants, whereas draughts above them act but 
as valuable ventilation. 

Gas is, of course, very harmful to plants, yet 
constant sponging and spraying will mitigate its 
evil, provided the air is purified by sufficient 
through ventilation, which means letting enough 


75 


ett es 
’ 


76 TOWN GARDENING 


wind blow through the room to entirely change 


the air; during which process plants should be — 


placed elsewhere or have light muslin thrown over 
them. 

The temperature of rooms will be found exceed- 
ingly different, apart from the changes of temperature 
wrought by our English climate, and the differences 
are also great according to the districts and environ- 
ments. A south-facing window on a Hampstead 
hill is baking hot at times; one in a city square 
would be little more than basking hot, the sun 
flerceness reaching it tempered by haze; yet the 
Hampstead room will contrive to be terribly cold, 
south though it is, on a bitter night or day of winter, 
whereas the room in the city square will have many 
more degrees of temperature to its credit. Exposed 
windows are good, ina way; and bad, in a way. 

The house gardener had better buy a self-recording 
thermometer. All the ordinary greenhouse plants 
—geraniums, primulas, cinerarias, fuchsias, helio- 
trope—need a winter temperature of 50° to 
keep them going, though they will not die if 
there is a drop to 45 or 40° at night occasionally. 
Also, plants can be safeguarded, when there is 
danger of frost, by covering them with muslin, 
wrapping newspaper round the pots to stand high 
around them, inverting glass shades over them, 
keeping a small oil lamp burning between them 
and the window, or having a small oil stove lit 
on the hearth. Of course outside window-conserva- 
tories, or fixed plant-cases on balconies or porch- 
tops, cannot be used for delicate plants unless slightly 
heated at night, and occasionally by day, from 
November to April or even May. [If the owner 


wishes to manage these economically and without 


aw nye, 


WINDOW GARDENS 9 


much trouble, he should cultivate only perennials, 
especially ‘ alpines.’ There are thousands of familar 
favourites, from primroses to roses and chrysan- 
themums, that will do well if given open-air treat- 
ment when summer heat would weaken them under 
glass ; there are thousands of exquisite, uncommon 
alpines that would revel in the shelter, blossom 
as freely in the heart of towns as in the country, 
and keep up a succession of gay bloom. 

The following have been grown in a little ‘ alpine ’ 


house in the west centre of London :— 


SAXIFRAGA WALLACEIL. 
White, blooming from April 
to July. 6 %n. high. 

SAXIFRAGA HYBRIDA 
SPLENDENS. Tall vose 
spikes among fine leaves. 
February to June. 

SAXIFRAGA STRACHEYI 
Apa. White. Apriland 
May. z ft. 

SAXIFRAGA DECIPIENS 
RUBRA GRANDIFLORA. 
Bright crimson. May to 
July. - 7m. 

SAXIFRAGA TRIFURCATA. 
White. May to July. 1 ft. 

SAXIFRAGA BURSERIANA. 
Silver cushions of foliage, 
white flowers. February to 
April. 3 mM. 

SEMPERVIVUM 
NOIDEUM, The 
Cobweb house-leek. 

Sepum Ewersil. Grey, 
shining trailer, with rose 
flowers all summer. 4 7n. 


ARACH- 
CUVIOUS 


PRIMULA MALACOIDES. 
Lilac. All 


summer, on 


into winter. 1 ft. Must 
not be scorched by sun. 

CALVARY CLOVER (Paro- 
chetus communis.) Blue. 
July to September. 61m. 

BARBARY RAGWORT 
(Othonnopsis cheirifolia). 
February to July. Yellow, 
silvery foliage. 18 in. 

RED-CENTRED St. JOHN’S 
WorRtT, OR ROSE OF 
SHARON (Hypericum 
Moserianum). Gold-and- 
scavlet. Trailer. All 
summer. 

Sun Roses (Helianthemum - 
vulgare). Varieties, yellow, 
ved, white, pink, etc. All 
summer. & in. 

DAcTYLIs GLOMERATA ELE- 
GANTISSIMA (Variegated 
grass). 2 ft. 

PLUMBAGO LARPENT2. 
Cobalt blue. Autumn and 
winter. 8 in. 

JETHIONEMA GRANDIFLORA. 
Rosy longheads of blossom. 
May to September. 2 ft. 


78 TOWN GARDENING 
Pot shrubs to grow, if there is space, are— 


ANDREW’S Broom (Cytisus JAPANESE QUINCE (Pyrus 


Andreanus). Gold-and-red. japonica). ted, vose or 
WHITE Broom  (Cytisus whitey-blush. 
albus). Rock Roses (Cistuses can- 
CrEAM Broom (Cytisus didissimus,  florentinus, 
precox). Cream. formosus, purpurens, etc.). 
SWEET DAPHNE (Daphne Rose, white, yellow, vred- 
mezereon). Rosy ved or purple. Summer. 
white. February and GHENT AZALEAs. Yellow, 
March. apricot, copper, etc. Quite 
TRAILING DAPHNE (Daphne hardy, but do not bloom 
cneorum). ose. unless the dead flowers of 
MyrtTLe (Myrtus communis), previous year have been re- 
Ivory white. moved to prevent seed-pods. 


Bulbs to pot for the miniature greenhouse on a 
verandah or outside a window, include freesias, 
Spanish irises, Roman and other hyacinths, ixias, 
sparaxis, tulips, narcissi, tigridias, tritonias, oxalises 
floribunda and _ brasiliensis, scilla sibirica, early- 
flowering gladioli, chionodoxas, anemone fulgens, 
and tuberous begonias. Bulbs should mostly be 
potted about their own depth deep, but the soil 
above their tips must not be pressed as hard as 
the soil against their sides, but’ left loose, or as 
it is called, friable, that they may be able to pierce 
easily through it. (See chapters on Daily Routine, 
and Seasonable Work.) 

As a rule, pot plants for inside rooms are bought 
regardless of their suitability. A double petunia 
may look charming in a shop, but gassy air will 
turn it black ; a cactus is quaint, but dies unless 
there is plenty of sunshine ; primulas usually rot 
off at the collar if there is not sun enough, and 
are burnt to death if there istoo much. Primula 


WINDOW GARDENS 79 


obconicas are a fairly safe choice, and a capital 
investment, because they can be divided as they 
overcrowd one another, several pot specimens being 
made out of the first; but handling the roots, 
probably also the stems, without gloves on, will 
undoubtedly give a skin rash to many persons, 
I can vouch from experience that one can become 
so accustomed to the influence as to suffer no 
results, as it is possible to become used to mosquito 
and even bee stings, yet I think it best to give the 
warning. In one case known to me a lady wore 
gloves when dividing her primula obconicas, but 
happened to rub her eyelids with her fingers, and 
had a bad rash, or sort of eczema, upon the former 
in consequence. 

The Fairy Primrose (Primula malacoides) is very 
dainty, and, I believe, innocuous. Single fuchsias are 
so graceful that it is surprising how seldom they 
are chosen instead of the doubles. Show pelar- 
goniums are as easy to manage as the zonal pelar- 
goniums we call geraniums, if they are often washed 
to keep away green-fly. Clivias and amaryllis are 
suitable if there are facilities for keeping them during 
winter. Yellow genistas, deutzias and spirgas can 
be planted out in the garden, if,there is one, For sunk 
in their pots, in cinders, mulched by cinders and 
some cocoa-nut fibre in October’s end, and lifted 
and repotted in March. Of course it is a con- 
venient plan to hand such plants as these to a 
florist to be repotted. — 

Chrysanthemums in pots must be in the air until 
they are fully set with buds, preferably till the buds 
show colour: all but the latest kinds, which should 
be brought in, in any state, at the end of October. 
- Roses will bloom in town windows if they can be 


80 TOWN GARDENING | 


kept out of doors from May to blooming time, stood 
out after their first blooming until the autumnal 
crop of buds is well forward, then kept in cold frames 
during winter. They really need frequent syringing, 
which is a difficult matter indoors, though dipping 
the branches and sponging bigger leaves and the 
stems will suffice. Marguerites only last for a time ; 
cinerarias, especially of the Star type (Cineraria 
stellata) will thrive in city air, indeed sootiness 
seems to keep off the ‘fly’ that is so ruinous to 
greenhouse specimens ; they must have warm sites, 
of course. 

Border carnations, perpetual carnations, and 
annual marguerite carnations, can all be recom- 
mended. Malmaison, and other winter and earliest 
spring blooming kinds, often succeed enough in 
rooms to delight the possessors, and can be perfectly 


grown in little balcony greenhouses if given plenty 


of top air. 

The flower-table in the sunny window may be a 
real joy ; the best kind has a three- or four-inch-deep 
zinc or tin tray on the top, but a few bits of wood 
nailed round an ordinary kitchen table, to make 
the top like a tray, with sides four or more inches 
high, and a sheet of white mottled or green Ameri- 
can cloth or linoleum put into the tray so as to 
come partly up those sides, will prove quite con- 
venient. | 

The following are a few plants to grow in pots; 
suggestions for others must be gleaned from other 
pages of this book :— 


ae 


Photo Vasey 
A TASTEFUL, DISPLAY 
Bed along Front: Geranriums, Dwarr Roses and Litiums in pots 
At left: Evonrums in box, Ivy GERANIUMS behind 
Window Boxes: Ivy GerRANIUMS, DouBLE Nasturtiums and LOBELIA 
Overhanging Windows: PURPLE CLEMATIS 
3etween Windows: Lititum Henryl in pots 


WINDOW GARDENS 81 


VERBENAS. 

Statices BONDUELLI. 
Yellow, sinuata, lavender. 

SCHIZANTHUSES. Annual 
Butterfly flowers. 


PRIMULA STELLATA. Tall. 
PHACELIA CAMPANULARIA. 
Gentian blueannual. 9 1n. 
TOBACCO PLANTS. White 
and coloured hybrids. 
MIGNONETTE. 


HumMEA ELEGANS. Brownish 
ved. Very graceful. 
Tue BLvue Guo (Eucalyptus 


BripaL WreAtH (Francoa 
ramosa). White. Flower 
spikes. 3 ft. 

SOLOMON’S SEAL (Poly- 
gonatum  multiflorum). 
White. 3 ft. 

QUEEN OF SAXIFRAGES 
(Saxifraga longifolia). 
White. 2 ft. 

MoTHER OF ‘THOUSANDS 
(Saxifraga sarmentosa). 
Coloured leaves and whitish 
flowers, spotted with gold 
and scarlet. Tvailing. 


globulus). SPIR4A PALMATA ELEGANS. 
TEATHERED COCKSCOMBS Pale rose. 2% ft. 
(Celosias). Gold, scarlet, BuGie Litres (Watsonias). 
etc... 2 ft. Tall spikes of white, ver- 
Tass—EL FLower (Cacalia milion or tevva-cotla salmon. 
coccinea). Hardy annual. Pot bulbs (called corms) in 
Vermilion. 15 in. October ov November, about 
SPIRHZA JAPONICA. White. one inch and a half apart, 
aft. . and one inch deep. Keep 
BLEEDING-HEART FLOWER in cool voom till about to 
(Dicentra spectabilis). flower, when place in sunny 
Pink,” 2 ft. window. 


Plants on the flower-table should be arranged 
so that the foliage and lesser subjects hide the pots 
of the larger, asin making plant groups for balconies, 
porches, etc. The zealous gardener will never tire 
of experimenting to discover beautiful flowers that 
he may cultivate with only a window for glasshouse. 
What can a few failures matter, when the triumphs 
will create such delight ? 

Shady windows can have plant-tables devoted 
to ferns, Solomon’s seal, the native primrose, dainty 
variegated ivies, spireas, London pride, meadow- 
saffrons, calceolarias, periwinkles, and many small 
evergreen shrubs, with German irises, in all their 

F 


82 TOWN GARDENING 


pale or richly-hued varieties, in eight- and ten-inch 
tubs. All the plants should be stood out in sunshine 
occasionally, when it is not too strong; if this 
is done—say once a fortnight for three days at a 
time, or once a week if the plants have to be housed © 
each night—fuchsias, calceolarias, and many more 
favourites can be added. The colours of the window- 
table flowers must be carefully chosen to harmonize, 
or contrast well, with the window-box plants. 


CHAPTER . XI 


LIFE IN TOWN GARDENS 


Seats, Summer-Houses, Shelters, Rain-water Butt, Screens, Tents, 
Furniture, Lawns, Birds, Tortoises. Keeping out Cats. 


O matter how small the town garden may be, 
there should be aseat init. The owner must 
decide where the best shade is, if he wishes to sit 
out in the dog-days, or where the most genial 
position is if he wishes to bask at other times. 
Personally, I advocate placing the seat in sunshine, 
and as sheltered a nook as is consistent with gaining 
such breezes as are likely to be pleasant. For the 
seat that is too hot can be enjoyed to the full after 
sundown, whereas the seat that is always in shade 
is not much use during nine months of the year, 
and the ground beneath it will be generally damp. 
It may be a simple bench, or an elaborate affair 
of iron, or rustic woodwork, an art-manufacture 
of Jacobean design, a classic-shaped long, broad stool 
such as we see in wedgwood carvings, or a railed 
bench of wet-resisting teak, but should be accom- 
panied by a foot-rest to correspond in style. 
There should be seats on balconies, to save the 
trouble of lifting chairs out from the rooms. There 
should be fixed benches along verandahs for the 


83 


84 TOWN GARDENING 


same reason, and side benches in porches are always 
advisable. 

It is amazing how much use can be made of 
a fair-sized garden shelter, against the sunniest wall 
of a town ‘pleasure ground.’ Of course, all the 
householder has to do is to visit the ironmonger 
or horticultural builder, choose his summer-house 
or summer shelter (which will be shed-shape), and 
have it sent home and fixed up. But he will do 
well to have it set on a foundation of some sort, 
such as cemented sunk bricks, asphalt, concrete, 
pavement, inlaid tiles, embedded small stones, or 
mounted on a wooden platform beneath which air 
passes, as many bungalows are built. 

A thatched roof is not in keeping with a town 
mansion, yet who can be blamed for choosing this 
countrified feature ? Heather, gorse and bracken- 
fern are often used instead of straw for thatching. 
Summer-houses had better be painted than stained 
and varnished, and creosoted wood is detested by 
climbers. 

Span-roofed buildings are best set in the open, 
but of course it is sometimes almost necessary to 
place them beneath trees. Roofs should be either 
well domed or much slanted, and the floors should 
slope sharply from back to front, or moderately 
from middle to sides. . 

Rain-water is so precious that a butt should 
adjoin one wall of a summer-house, be fed by the 
guttering, and have an overflow pipe in connexion 
with the water-pipe from house to drains. 

If nothing will grow where the seats or summer- 
houses stand, except ivies and virginia creeper, let 
those be perfectly cultivated and well trimmed. 
But hypericiums, the Hard Fern, the Broad Buckler 


LIFE IN TOWN GARDENS 85 


Vern, the big periwinkle, vinca major, the purple 
German iris, foxgloves and Solomon’s seal will live 
under exceedingly adverse circumstances, provided 
the ground is prepared for them, and kept hoed over - 
at all seasons of the year. It is difficult to grow 
violets and lilies-of-the-valley in real town 
gardens ; however, the attempt should be made. 
The free use of very old horse-manure does 
wonders. 

A tent is not a bad ornament in a walled-round, 
arid bit of garden, but one of green canvas is in- 
finitely preferable to a white one that will not stay 
white. Of course, a tent can be fixed up ina sunny 
paved yard. The ‘lawn’ is the worst possible 
spot, because the grass will suffer and the ground 
be mostly damp 

Tables and chairs, in tents or shelters, will 
encourage people to lead an open-air life. Facilities 
for resting, working, or even sleeping should be 
provided wherever the entourage is suitable, on 
roof-tops, balconies, or ‘leads’ above built-out 
kitchens, garages or billiard-rooms. 

Screens of trellis woodwork may be set up to 
render seat sites private, or non-draughty, the lower 
halves should have boards or rot-proof felt nailed 
against them. 

It is folly to try to make a lawn in a tree-shaded 
garden, or where walls or buildings shut out most 
of the air, for turf will not thrive without light and 
some sunshine, and slimy damp grass is abominable 
to walk over. 

Some years ago there was quite a craze for keeping 
tortoises in back gardens. They are not intelligent 
pets, and though they eat noxious creatures that 
feed on vegetation, they themselves feed upon tender 


TTF ial 
S) ee a iN f 
TF) Eat ee Pin ey oe Th Le i a: +e a 


86 TOWN GARDEN ING 


~ Jittle seedlings and crush down tufts of delicate. ze 
plants. 
Feeding the sparrows is a hobby that can be 
: recommended, and water should be provided as — 
well as food. In suburbs there will be blackbirds, — 
thrushes, starlings, and even tits. 

To deter all the cats of the vicinity from enjoying — 
the garden, either large-meshed wire-netting or old 
fish-netting should be ‘put up loosely three-quarters aS) 
of a yard or more high round all the walls. The 
poles to which the netting is fixed ought to haves 

~ sharpened tops. So long as the netting is not taut, a 
but shakes at the least touch, few, if any ee 
will climb over it. 


3 
~~ 
es 


" 


CHAPTER XII 


DAILY ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE 
WORK 


GENERAL WORK FOR AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 
AND OCTOBER 


ISBUD dahlias slightly to secure fine blooms. 
See to the ties of dahlias, or heavy storm 
rains may bend them double. 

Go over rose-trees to cut away all the shoots 
that:have flowered, to within a quarter-inch of 
the branches from which they start. Fresh shoots 
will soon appear, and when these are a few inches 
long the quarter-inch bit of old stem should be pared 
off by a very sharp knife. | 

Remove altogether all overcrowding weakly 
branches of roses, right up to the end of October ; 
the trees will be much stronger to face the winter. 

Cut down flower spikes of hollyhocks, delphiniums 
and snapdragons directly they fade. 

Mulch the beds of pinks, violets and lilies-of-the- 
valley with old stable manure chopped short. Scatter 
some slaked lime (builders’ lime) on the surface 
soil first, and prick over, between the plants, with 
a hand-fork. 


87 


88 TOWN GARDENING 


Mow grass twice a week, roll when lawns have 
partly dried after heavy storms. 

Harvest seeds. Gather them on dry days, place 
in saucers in a warm window, not actually in sun- 
shine, for two days, then put into envelopes and 
keep in dry drawers. 

Apply weed-killer to paths and crevices of bricked 
or paved yards. 

Make up borders that are to have trees, shrubs, 
roses or perennials planted in them in November. 
Fork them over first, add manure if necessary, 
dress with fumigants if desired (see Chapter III). 
Weed garden ground, and soil in boxes, urns, 
rockeries, tubs, pots, etc., before the weeds can seed. 

When green moss has grown on surface soil in 
pots, etc., scrape it off, and add some fresh compost, 
then water with a solution of one teaspoonful of 
builders’ lime to the pint. 

If the presence of worms in pots, etc., is suggested, 
water the plants once with a solution of half a tea- 
spoonful of mustard in a pint of water. When 
possible lay the pots on their sides, then the worms 
will struggle out, some at the base, some at the top. 

Remove all the long weakly growths on Rambler 
roses, leaving the strong new shoots from the base - 
room in which to develop. 

As pot lilies go out of bloom stand them out 
of doors in semi-shade and gradually withhold 
water. The same treatment, except that some 
water is needed, is correct for azaleas, heaths, 
brooms, deutzias, spireeas, genistas and pot roses. 

Keep pansies, violas, and other bedding plants 
from seeding. If rose leaves are mildewed cut 
off the most disfigured ones, dust flowers of sulphur 
on all the others, also the stems, when they are 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 89 


moist ; in three days’ time wash and syringe off 
the sulphur with a solution of one teaspoonful of 
Sanitas fluid in a gallon of water. 

An old recipe for preventing mildew from spread- 
ing is to syringe the trees every evening with water 
in which elder leaves, young shoots especially, have 
been well bruised by a stick and left to soak twelve 
hours. It is well to water mildewed rose-trees 
thoroughly with plain rain- or river-water, giving 
a couple of bucketfuls to each large bush, standard 
or climber, and one bucketful to each small bush; 
but this should not be done after the beginning of 
October unless the season is hot exceptionally late. 

Instead of standing out show pelargoniums, lay 
them on their sides along a gravel or tiled walk in 
sunshine. Lift and give a little water in a week. 
Kepot them into similar-sized, or even into smaller 
pots of ordinary compost, after cutting them back. 
If they can be kept in a frame, so much the 
better ; if not, they can remain out until the end of 
October. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR AUGUST 


Layer carnations. This is done by bending down 
well-developed side shoots and pegging them into 
equal parts of compost and silver sand, after first 
cutting a little slit in the stem just where it is pegged 
down. ‘The portion of shoot above ground may be 
from four to seven inches. This portion should be 
sprinkled with water once or twice daily. Shoots 
can be layered into pans or pots, if more convenient 
than the garden ground ; it is sometimes necessary 
to fasten a small pot to sticks, some distance up 
the plant, to secure a layer from ashoot that cannot 


90 _ TOWN GARDENING 


be bent down sufficiently. In three weeks’ time 
the layers should show signs of growing. 

Divide garden tufts, or pot clumps, of primroses, 
polyanthuses, arabises, etc.: all small hardy plants 
that are too thick, in fact. 


Give weak manure-water, and weak soot-water, 


to geraniums, marguerites, fuchsias, hydrangeas, 
petunias, etc, etc., that are flowering lavishly. 

Give very weak soot-water once to ferns. Scatter 
some fertilizer on the soil of aspidistras, palms, 
aralias, and other foliage plants in pots, when that 
soil is not perfectly dry, and water in lightly at 
once, after which leave them till quite dry before 
watering again. 

Water palms and ferns freely, also aspidistras. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR SEPTEMBER 


Wash the wood and shoots of azaleas, oleanders, 
hydrangeas, deutzias, and other plants of fairly 
woody stems, with a very weak solution of Gishurst 
Compound, according to instructions supplied with 
it. Syringe several times during the following week. 

Sponge the leaves (grass) and stems of carnations 
with a solution of one saltspoonful of paraffin in 
a quart of tepid water. This will prove a remedy 
for insect pests. | 


Trim box edgings and all evergreen shrubs except | 


hollies and privets, which are best done in April. 
Shorten wild shoots of the white spring flowering 
clematises. 7 
Remove seed-pods, if any have been allowed to 
form, from azaleas and rhododendrons. Clematises 
can be layered like carnations, so may Rambler roses. 
This is a good month for planting or potting 


paitecs sen ti 2s) 2 


Se 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 91 


the Madonna lily. One bulb may be put in each 
six-inch pot, or three in a ten-inch. The bulbs, 
in pots, should be covered by only half an inch of 
soil, though those planted in beds, borders, or deep 
boxes and ornamental stone vases, should be four 
inches below the soil. The right compost for lilies, 
and suggestions what lilies to grow, will be found 
dealt with in Chapter XIII. 

_ This is the best month for cleaning conservatories, 


FoRGET-ME-NoT 
DWARF LEMON WALLFLOWER 
DWARF RED WALLFLOWER 


DE EPCOLDWALLFLOWER 
PURPLE COLUMBINE 


MIXED 
GERMAN 
[RISES 


A SIMPLE RIBBON BED FOR SPRING. 


greenhouses, and frames, because in the first weeks 
the temperature is usually safe for standing all 
their occupants outside for a few days. 
Repainting woodwork annually is a great pre- 
ventive of disease and insect pests, All woodwork 
not to be painted should be scrubbed with soft- 
soap and water, all pots that are left in should be 
scraped clean. Indeed, every pot had better be 
quickly dipped in a bucket of soft-soap solution, 
then washed and rubbed dry just before the plants 


are put back in their homes, and all dying or in- 


Q2 TOWN GARDENING 


jured leaves should be picked off. August is the 
gardener’s favourite month for greenhouse cleaning, 
but unless the plants can be stood in semi-shade 
the heat sometimes proves devastating, so September 
is safer. 

Give chemical foods, soot-water, and weak liquid 
manure, alternately, twice or thrice a week to pot 
chrysanthemums for late blooming. Palms must be 
watered liberally this month. Plant out seedling 
wallflowers, sweet rocket, honesty, and Brompton 
stocks where they are to bloom ; or the wallflowers 
can be put in rows anywhere and used to fill emptied 
beds in late October or November. A very slight 
dusting over with guano will greatly assist a poor 
grass plot. 

Remove the shading or curtains from glass- 
houses, and thin out any climbers that make the 
places dark. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR OCTOBER 


Make up all dells and holes in the lawn with good 
compost, wet it, scatter lawn grass seed, press it 
in by a wooden box-lid or back of a trowel, strew 
some roadside or path grit on, and a sprinkling of 
carbolic powder. Holes made by grubbing out 
weeds may be similarly treated. 

Keep pot fuchsias and geraniums nearly dry at 
the roots for a few weeks, standing them in full 
air, but sprinkle them daily. Then fill up the pots 
with compost, after pricking over the soil, cut the 
shoots back well, thin out overcrowded growth, and 
return to windows or glasshouses any that are 
expected to give winter or spring blossom. The 
others can be kept nearly dry out of doors until 


55 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 93 


November begins, then be taken from their pots 
and squeezed together by their roots in boxes of 
not much dry soil, to be merely just kept alive, 
in airy attics or sheds or cold frames, or on green- 
house floors, until spring. 

If ants have come into any buildings, strew 
powdered alum on all the floorings, which will drive 
them away. 

If field mice—or garden mice—are troublesome, 
bait traps with sunflower seeds: cheese is no use. 

Clip spent edgings of arabises quite short, keep 
them watered, if the weather does not, and they 
will become thick and neat again. 

Divide and replant overcrowded London pride. 
Plant roses, shrubs, etc. (See Chapter XV.) 

Clear out any window-boxes that are no longer 
attractive, and sink pot plants in them, of such 
things as chrysanthemums, dwarf late Michaelmas 
daisies, Japanese and other stonecrops, dwarf minia- 
ture ivies, variegated shrubs and young aralias. 

Watch the weather. Early November is the right 
time usually, in towns, for putting bedding plants, 
etc., away, but a cold October may oblige the 
gardener to antedate the safeguarding work. 


= Date | 
cs ay ‘y e Ws ary J 
chp TEP wo ays oe ow tn de? Fe mY ws 


Part III 


WORK IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, 
AND JANUARY 


CHAPTER XIII 
BULB POTTING, ETC. 


List of Bulbs to Plant or Pot, with Instructions for Culture. 
Hyacinths in Glasses. Bulbs to Cultivate in Peat Fibre 
Mixture. 


REESIA potting is described in a previous 
chapter. It can be continued after July and 
August ; indeed, if done at fortnightly intervals 
until December a succession of blossoming ornaments 
will be gained. 

There are so many excellent ways of using bulbs 
that all cannot be mentioned, but the town gardener 
may choose among the following suggestions. 

Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum). Little 
white flowers, green-tipped. Plant three inches 
apart and two inches deep in rockery nooks, in 
August, September or October. 

Summer Snowflake (Leucojum estivum). A fine 
plant, with white bell-shaped flowers in May. 


95 


96 TOWN GARDENING 


Eighteen inches. Plant four inches deep and four 
inches apart in good borders in August, September, 
October or November. 

Roman Hyacinths. Whité. . Pot bulbs, three in 
a five-inch pot of ordinary compost, one inch deep. 
Place pots in a cold frame, or on a-cold greenhouse 
floor, or in boxes in a room. Cover them in with 
ashes until growth can just be seen breaking through. 
Then remove to window or greenhouse. No water 
is required till growth appears. Plant from August 
to December. 

Italian Hyacinths. Blue and pink. Similar to 
Roman hyacinths, but coloured. Treat identically. 
The bulbs of these two classes of hyacinth should be 
thrown away after the flowers are over. 

Hyacinths. Double and single hyacinths of all 
colours. Plant out of doors in November, three 
inches deep, eight inches apart. Lift bulbs and 
dry them off to store in June. Pot in November 
and December one bulb, with its tip just under the 
compost, in a six-inch pot, or three in a nine-inch., 
Cover as with Roman Hyacinths. 

Tulip. Ordinary early, mid-early and late kinds, 
double or single, all colours. Plant out of doors in 
November, three or four inches deep, six or eight 
inches apart. Bulbs may be lifted when they have 
flowered and planted immediately in waste ground 
to complete their growth, or else must be left where 
they are till the foliage has all died down; then 
they should be lifted, dried off and stored. Pot — 
these tulips, the earliest first, from September to 
December, four bulbs in a six-inch pot, tips just 
covered. Cover with cinders, as with Roman 
Hyacinths. 

Hardy Tulips. The Darwin, Parrot, Cottage and 


SHYUL MAA AGUNV SULIFI 


BULB-POTTING, ETC. 97 


other perennial tulips are all to be left in the ground, 
and make handsome colour groups in_ borders. 
Sharp cinders should be thrown over the soil above 
them each November in the worst town gardens, 

Spanish Irises. Plant bulbs three inches deep, 
six inches apart, in sunny borders, from September 
to December. Cover the soil with ashes and old 
coco-nut fibre refuse. Leave in the ground; they 
may thrive, and if they should fail bulbs are very 
cheap to replace them. Pot Spanish irises in October 
or November, five bulbs in a six-inch pot, or seven 
in an eight-inch, two inches deep. Treat like 
Freesias, that is to say, place the pots in frames or 
on cold greenhouse floor or attic shelf, scarcely 
ever giving water until growth appears. Then move 
into light, but do not attempt to force them in 
warm greenhouse until flower spikes are just 
beginning to be discernible as thickened shoots 
between the sword leaves. 

Crown Imperials (Fritillaria imperialis). Plant, 
from September to December, one bulb in a six- or 
eight-inch pot of a compost of equal parts of loam, 
peat, leaf-mould,* old manure chopped fine, and 
coarse sand, covering with about two inches of 
soil and laying the bulb slightly on its side to 
prevent water from lodging in its heart. The pots 
should be kept uncovered, in a cool place, until the 
growth is quite vigorous, and scarcely any water 
should be given in the early stages. Plant six inches 
apart in tubs, eight inches out of doors, and four 
inches deep. 

Gladiolus colvillei, the Bride. Plant, from 
October to December, in warm border, box-bed,,. 
window-boxes, rockeries or tubs, four inches deep, 
six inches apart. Mulch ground with very old 


Ge 


98 TOWN GARDENING 


manure and coarse sand mixed. Pot, October to 
March, one inch deep, five corms in a six-inch pot.. 
Keep uncovered in cold frame or plunged to the 
rim in a cinder bed against a south wall, covering 
with dry litter during frosts. Remove to window or 
greenhouse when growth is several inches high. 

Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum). Place, in 
September or October, one bulb rather deep in a 
six- or eight-inch pot, barely covering it, leaving a 
couple of inches of space for adding more soil later, 
when the roots show on the surface. Use a compost 
of equal parts of peat, loam and sand. Place pots 
in a bed of cinders, under cover if possible ; make a 
mulch of six inches of coco-nut fibre refuse over 
all. Remove to frames, window or greenhouse, 
directly growth can be discovered. 

Golden Lily of Japan (Lilium auratum). Pot, 
September to March, placing one bulb in a six-inch 
pot, or three in a ten- or twelve-inch tub. Use a 
compost of equal parts of peat, loam, leaf-mould, 
old manure and sand. Cover with one inch of 
compost, placing the bulb low down in pot. Keep 
pots under cover. Mulch over with two inches of 
coco-nut fibre refuse until growth begins, when 
remove them to cool greenhouse or room window. 
Water lightly when growth starts, vigorously when 
plants are fully grown. Fill up pots gradually with 
compost. Give weak liquid manure occasionally to 
full-grown plants. Stand out in sunshine after 
flowering is done. Dry off, from October to March, 
after gradually ceasing to water. 

Japanese Spotted Lily (Lilium speciosum). White, 
crimson or rose. Treat as Lilium auratum. 

Lilium Harrisi. White. Treat as Lilium auratum, 
but do not absolutely dry off after flowering. 


BULB-POTTING, ETC. 99 


Florists and seedsmen will supply all these lily 
bulbs ready for planting, if requested, but kept 
bulbs, or any not prepared specially, should have 
any spoilt scales rubbed off, and be half sunk in 
moistened coco-nut fibre refuse for a week before 
they are potted. This will cause them to swell. 

Lebanon Squill (Puschkina libanotica compacta). 
Charming little uncommon flower, white, striped 
with blue. Pot, October to March, half an inch 
deep, an inch apart. Keep uncovered in cool place 
until leaves have grown. 

Daffodils. The beautiful large or small Trumpet 
Daffodils can be safely planted, from September to 
January, out of doors in London or other towns, in 
ordinarily well-drained borders, with old manure 
added nine inches below the surface, and a very 
little more manure, broken fine, can be mixed with 
the soil above. Plant six to ten inches apart, and 
two to three inches deep, according to the size of the 
bulbs. 

Polyanthus Narcissi. Treat as Daffodils. 

Stella Narcissi. Treat as Daffodils. 

Single Poet’s Narcissus (or Pheasant’s Eye). 
Treat as Daffodils. 

All the above may be potted, three bulbs in a 
six-inch pot, from September to January, in a 
compost of equal parts of loam, leaf-mould, sand, 
and a half part of thoroughly old manure, leaving 
points of bulbs just uncovered. Sink in cinder bed 
until growth begins. Do not water till then. Weak 
liquid manure is of great value when buds are 
forming. 

Gold and White Jonquils can be similarly grown, 
rather closer together. 

The double daffodils and double white narcissi 


aH8 TOWN GARDENING 


should be added to borders or outdoor beds, tubs, 
urns, etc., but not potted for any indoor purposes. ~ 

Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum). Pot roots in 
ordinary soil, in November, in six-inch pots, or 
larger clumps of roots in tubs. Keep out of doors, 
or in cool places, covered by coco-nut fibre refuse 
until growth begins. 

Turban Ranunculuses. Beautiful, brilliant, many- 
hued flowers for rich beds, with sand added, or for 
window-boxes, urns, tubs, etc. Plant the tubers 
firmly, claw side downwards, two inches deep and 
three inches apart, in October or November. Mulch 
over with leaf-mould. Mulch with old manure in 
March. Can be planted in February in cold gardens. 
Lift the tubers in July or August, dry them in 
sunshine, and store. 

Caffre Flag (Schizostylis coccinea). Plant from 
September to March in sunny borders or window- 
boxes, two or three inches deep ; or pot three bulbs 
in a six-inch pot, two inches deep, in March. Keep 
in frames till June; stand pots out till October, 
then take into greenhouse or window. 

Siberian Squill (Scilla sibirica), Blue or white. 
Plant bulbs two inches deep, two inches apart, in 
October, November and December. Pot bulbs one 
inch apart. Keep under cinder covering, in cool 
place, till growth begins, then move to greenhouse 
or sunny window. 

Bluebells (Scilla nutans). Blue or white. Plant 
bulbs, in sun or shade, in October and November. 

Spanish Hyacinths (Scilla hispanica). White, 
lilac, blue or pink ‘bluebells.’ Treat as Scilla 
nutans. : 

Harlequin Flower (Sparaxis). Somewhat like 
ixis; many colours. Pot, in November, seven bulbs 


BULB-POTTING, ETC. IOI 


in six-inch pot. Cover with fine ashes or coco-nut 
fibre refuse. Keep in frost-proof room till growth 
appears, when lift pots out and keep in sunny 
window or greenhouse. Water moderately then, 
Dry bulbs off after flowering, but do not take them 
from their pots. Begin to water slightly next early 
spring, top-dress, and flower bulbs again in the 
same pots. 

‘Tiger Flower (Tigridia pavonia). Gorgeous in 
colour and very beautiful. Pot in March or April, 
three bulbs in a six-inch pot, one inch deep. Use a 
compost of two parts loam and one part each of peat 
and coarse sand. Cover with cinders in frame or 
glass-covered box in attic ; do not water until growth 
begin, when give light and air. Move to greenhouse 
or warm window and water freely. Give liquid 
manure when flowers begin to form. Dry _ off 
gradually after bloom is over. Keep pots exposed to 
sunshine for some weeks, then turn out bulbs and 
store by hanging them up in a dry room. 

Bugle Lily (Watsonia ardenei). White. Pot, in 
October or November, placing three or four corms 
in a six-inch pot. Keep in frame, giving just enough 
water to prevent the soil becoming dust dry, till 
flower spikes show, when grow on in greenhouse or 
window, watering normally. Dry off in the pots, 
and water once, then repot in following October. 

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis). The golden 
star flowers are very pretty in earliest spring. 
Plant bulbs an inch deep and an inch apart, in 
semi-shade. Can be grown in pots, like Scilla 
sibirica. 

Scarlet Wind Flower (Anemone fulgens). Plant 
out of doors, in beds, boxes, etc., two inches deep, 
six inches apart, from October to December. 


102 TOWN GARDENING 


Crocuses. Plant in October and November, three 
inches deep in good, fairly light soil, two inches in 
heavy soil. Lift and divide every fourth year. 
Pot one inch deep, one or two inches apart. Cover 
with cinder ashes; keep in cool place till growth 
begins. - Bulbs that have flowered in pots are useless 
for further pot-culture, but may be planted outside. 

Snowdrops. Plant in October, November or 
December, four inches deep, two or three inches 
apart. Pot as Crocuses. 

Lily-of-the-Valley. Plant the ‘ crowns ’in Novem- 
ber or December, in very rich beds in semi-shade, two 
inches deep, eight inches apart. 

Montbretias. Plant, from October to March, three 
inches deep, four inches apart, in rich soil. Mulch 
over with leaf-mould the first winter. Pot in 
November, placing five bulbs in each five- or six- 
inch pot, three inches deep. Keep in frame or 
room, covered by cinders or coco-nut fibre refuse 
until growth begins. The clumps in the pots can 
be turned into the garden ground to finish growth, 
directly the flowers are over, and portions of them 
may be potted up again. 

Star of Bethlehem (Ornithagalum umbellatum), 
Plant in November, three inches deep, three inches 
apart. Pot, October to December, five or seven 
bulbs in six-inch pot. Keep coco-nut fibre covered 
till growth appears. Turn flowered bulbs into the 
border. 

Oxalis floribunda. Pink. Shamrock-leaved. Pot 
in October, placing bulbs an inch deep and an inch 
apart. Keep in greenhouse or sunny window. 

Hyacinths in Glasses. Nearly fill a hyacinth 
glass with water, rain-water if possible, and put two 
nuggets of pure wood charcoal in it. Lay a small 


BULB-POTTING, ETC. 103 


round of fish-netting over, and place a bulb on this, 
so as its base just touches the water. The netting 
is to support the bulb upright, but can be dispensed 
with if preferred. Put the glass on a cupboard 
shelf in the dark, but where a chink can be left free 
for air. Fill up with water as required. Admit to 
light gradually when the growth is a couple of 
inches high. Then remove to window or greenhouse 
sunshine. 

Many bulbous plants can be grown very success- 
fully in bowls or vases with or without holes for 
drainage, provided a specially prepared material 
is used, which is sold for the purpose, and consists of 
peat fibre, crushed shell, and charcoal. All large 
firms of seedsmen supply this. The bulbs are 
simply laid upon the material, slightly pressed 
in, and it has to be kept just moist. The distances 
at which bulbs should be set can be guessed by noting 
the distances advised for bulbs in pots. 

Suitable bulbs include daffodils, early tulips, single 
jonquils, Roman hyacinths, early single Italian 
hyacinths, single Poet’s narcissus, polyanthus 
narcissi, scilla sibirica; also the ‘Glory of the 
Snow’ (Chionodoxa Luciliz), royal blue, which 
may be treated like scilla stbirica. 

There are also the meadow-saffrons (Colchicums), 
several autumn and winter flowering species of small 
crocuses which bloom long before the equally suitable 
spring crocuses, single snowdrops, and the exquisite 
little azure blue and lavender iris stylosa, which will 
bloom any time from November to April indoors. 
Place bulbs of this two inches apart in September. 


CHAPTER XIV 


BEDDING OUT FOR SPRING 


The Need for Hoeing. Why Plants die in Winter. Wallflowers. 
A Representative Filling for a Bex Bed. Shrubs, Pinks, 
Pansies, etc. Erect Ivies for Window-Boxes. Spring Plant- 
ing. 


HE subject of filling beds, boxes, tubs, urns, 
etc., so that they look well all winter and 
contain plants or bulbs that will blossom in spring, 
is not a popular one, as a rule, with the town 
gardener, who generally has the pessimistic idea 
that everything is bound to die. Great quantities 
of plants do die between October and April, but 
this is often because no gardening is done mean- 
while. It is absolutely essential to keep ground 


hoed over, and soil in receptacles pricked over, that 


there may be ventilation in the earth that is 
nourishing plants. Unless the hoe or, preferably, 
the spud, is used at least once a fortnight, plants 
cannot be expected to live. 

Of course there may be long spells of hard frost, 
when the ground is too hard to penetrate, but these 
are rare, and directly frost breaks the surface soil 
should be loosened. There is no occasion to hoe 
deeply, indeed it would be sure to injure roots and 


104 


Sorts uly ch 
@ x4 ne, sere 
ee > 7 Rete 
Ss 2 le ace 
— ° AR? aa SLC ii acronis 


"Thy 


BEDDING-OUT FOR SPRING 105 


bulbs; pricking over to a depth of an inch or 
two, according to what is in the ground, is best. 

By the by, wallflowers must not be loosened in 
the soil, or they will die off; so, if the hoeing has 
been careless these plants should be trodden round 
and made very firm. 

The hoeing can be done lightly through any winter 
mulch there may be of old manure or coco-nut fibre 
refuse, for the soil will not be turned. 

Florists will provide suitable dwarf evergreen 
shrubs for beds; these can safely be turned out of 

_ their pots in October, but many gardeners prefer 
to sink them in the pots, covering every vestige 
of the latter by soil. 

A bed, or box, six feet square will take one shrub 
in the centre, a smaller shrub at each corner, and 
there will be room for a ring of dwarf wallflowers, 
then one of London pride, then variegated arabis 
tufts at six-inch intervals, with three early scarlet 
dwarf tulips in each interval, and a final edging of 
mossy saxifrage (Saxifraga hypnoides). The result 
will be a very pretty ‘ evergreen’ foliage show all 
winter. 

By a little reflection the gardener will be able to 
invent other combinations, bearing in mind the 
great merits of ‘ perpetual foliage’ subjects, large 
and small, from shrubs down to common pinks. 

‘TI can’t grow pinks in my garden,’ I fancy I hear 
from a critic. Well, there is absolutely no reason, 
except neglect, starvation, or injury by animals, 
why pinks should not flourish in even city gardens, 
for they do not mind soot or smoky atmosphere. 
The beautiful new Allwoodii pinks, perpetual 
blooming, are just as suitable, though more costly. 

Pansies should always be tried. If mulched round 


106 TOWN GARDENING 


well they will probably live and will yield large 
blooms in spring ; whereas plants bought then, with 
giant blossoms developing, soon deteriorate. 

Forget-me-nots are very ‘chancy.’ They succeed 
in some of the worst town gardens and disappear 
out of many better ones. Double red and white 
daisies (Bellis perennis) are fairly safe. 


More use should be made of German irises, whose » 


grey sword leaves are so elegant. They ought to 
be represented by robust single specimens set at 
nine-inch distances, say with mossy saxifrage or 
variegated arabis all between ; instead of which we 
mostly see them in overcrowded masses, unable to 
flower properly. 

Suburban beds, borders and urns may well be 
edged by common thrift, for its pretty green effect, 
but London pride is satisfactory anywhere. Crocus 
edgings are always charming, but crocuses want 
to be let alone for three or four years, not moved 
about. 

I have seen window-boxes, with brilliant orange 
tiled fronts, in the heart of the city, looking beautiful 
all winter through, being planted only with some gold- 
variegated euonymus shrubs and the tiny-leaved, 
deep green, erect-growing ivy (Hedera helix conglo- 
merata). Hedera helix Cavendishi variegata is 
another miniature kind, only cream variegated, that 
should thrive. 

Directly March comes in beds can be made fair 
for spring, of course, by the introduction of wall- 
flowers, forget-me-nots, lungworts, violas, double 
daisies, polyanthuses, plain and coloured primroses, 
pansies, and many other attractive things that are 
described in other chapters. 

It is a good plan to plant forget-me-nots, especially 


BEDDING-OUT FOR SPRING 107 


myosotis dissitiflora, close against crocuses that are 
going out of flower soon; then masses of pale blue 
florescence will hide the decaying crocus foliage that 
must be allowed to die naturally, not cut off. 

Double and single pzonies should be planted 
permanently as a help in the spring beds, because 
their red shoots of foliage are as beautiful as 
blossoms directly they commence growing. Some 
lime should be strewn round them each March- to 
keep slugs away. 


CHAPTER XV 


ROSES, TREES, SHRUBS, ETC. 


How to Plant Deciduous Trees. Evergreen Trees. Clematises — 


Again. Roses for Town Gardens. Why Roses fail. The 
Hardiest Roses. Rose varieties for the Suburbs. Shrubs 
for Suburban Gardens. 


E have already considered how to plant | 


trees, with roots spread out on all sides 
when possible, with fine soil pressed among the roots, 
adequately staked and trodden firm. These rules 
apply to roses, shrubs, and large plants, as well as 
to limes, oaks, beeches, etc. 

It is not much use to try to get flowering trees, 
such as lilacs, laburnums, and hawthorns, to grow in 
the core of a city, but of course they will flourish 
so in such cathedral and inland health-resort towns 
as Worcester, Bath, etc. etc., and in the suburbs of 
London and Midland towns they will be almost 
certain to thrive. 

Generally speaking, deciduous trees are planted 
from October to April, and evergreens in September 
or April. 

The plane-tree is the safest to use to make a screen 
before overlooking windows, though Lombardy 
poplars, chestnuts and limes are often satisfactory. 


108 


e 
a 
5 


ae; 


OT a ee ee ne Peet 


ROSES, TREES, SHRUBS, ETC. 109g 


The best plan is to consult a local nurseryman 
when tall trees are required, that advice may be had 
as to the species likely to do well in the particular 
neighbourhood. | 

For ornament, in a garden plot, a Monkey 
Puzzler, Tulip Tree, Catalpa, or Robinia will 
assuredly please. 

The ‘ tree of heaven’ (Ailanthus glandulosa) has 
lovely foliage, Japanese maples show vivid hues in 
their wonderful leaves, the Uhlan magnolia bursts 
into splendid flower before winter is really past, 
the white pyramidal almond is scarcely known, the 
loveliness of the fern-leaved beech requires to be 
seen to be believed, and crategus altaica is a 
hawthorn with big white blooms, that are followed 
by fruits as big as rose-heps. 

But, I repeat, nurserymen should be asked to 
advise. I have seen ail the above trees doing 
excellently within a couple of miles of Baker Street 
Station, and delighted in discovering magnificent 
house draperies of white clematis montana in 
earliest summer, purple clematis Jackmanii in 
late summer, and the cultivated ‘ traveller’s joy’ 
(Clematis vitalba), giving its masses of fluffy seed- 
vessels in late autumn as lavishly as if in a Devon- 
shire lane. 

Roses can be grown in open gardens, away from 
drip of trees, even where walls are high, for pruning 
partly discounts the ‘ drawing-up ’ influence of those 
walls. No doubt roses could be successful in dozens 
of town gardens where they have been tried and 
called failures, if their-stems and leaves were washed 
once a week, except in the very extreme of wintry 
weather. It is the soot and chemical deposit that 
kills or turns trees sick. 


r1r0 TOWN GARDENING 


Another usual death-blow to a rose is to leave it 
for weeks together in unhoed ground. This truth 
has been told so often that I despair of impressing 
it upon the careless gardener ; but if the man who 
really loves his garden, and the woman who particu- 
larly loves roses, will only read, believe, and practise 
the art of hoeing faithfully, I am happy to know 
that beautiful baskets of fine rose-blooms and a 
comforting outdoor display will result. 

The right rose-trees must be obtained. While 
hosts of varieties will thrive in suburbs, even in 
fairly airy places between the suburbs and the core 
of great cities, as may be seen in parks, only the 


hardiest will look healthy and bear well in shut-in . 


plots. 
The following are a good representative dozen :— 


CAROLINE TeEstouT. Pink. 
Hybrid Tea. 

J.B.Crark. Velvety scarlet- 
cvimson. Hybrid Tea. 
Mrs. JoHN Laine. Pink. 

Hybrid Perpetual. 


GLOIRE DE Dijon. Yeilow- 
buff. Tea. 

HucuH DIckKSoON. Vivid 
crimson. Hybrid Perpe- 
tual. 

Frau Kart  DRUSCHKI. 
White. Hybrid Perpetual 


(Now foolishly renamed as 
Snow Queen or White Em- 


~ MADAME RAVARY. 


press, according to local 
vendor’s fancy). 

MADAME ABEL CHATENAY. 
Salmon pink. Hybrid Tea. 

Ovange- 
yellow. Hybrid Tea. 

La Tosca. Salmon flesh. 
Hybrid Tea. 

ULRICH BRUNNER. 
Hybrid Perpetual. 

BARONESS ROTHSCHILD. 
Blush-rose. Hybrid Per- 
petual. 

JoHN Hopper. Deep rose. 
Hybrid Perpetual. 


Cherry. 


There are also suitable roses in other classes, 


Such 2s 


Rosa Rucosa ‘ RUBRA.’ 
Magenta -vose, single, 
followed by large fruits. 
Forms great bushes. 


RosA RuGcosA ALBA. 
Single. White. 
JESSIE. Cherry-crimson. 


Miniature polyantha, 


5 ae 


Bier) al 
ae 


ROSES, TREES, 


MA PAQUERETTE. White. 
Miniature polyantha. 

Mrs. Cutsusu. Deep pink. 
Miniature polyantha. 

CoMMON PINK CHINA, or 
MontTHLY ROSE. 

CoMMON CABBAGE’ ROSE. 
Pink. . 


SHRUBS, ETC. III 
MAIDEN’s BLUSH. 
CRIMSON DAMASK. 
PIMPINELLIFOLIA. Blush 
white. Single, with very 
thorny stems. Can be 


kept cut as a low hedge ; 
known also as the Burnet, 
ov Single Scots Rose. 


For climbing roses, Chapter XX should be 


consulted. 


Other rose varieties likely to succeed in the 


suburbs include :— 


SOUVENIR DE PIERRE 
Nottinc. Apricot - gold. 
Tea. 

INDEPENDENCE Day. 
Flame-and-apricot. Hybrid 
Tea. 

KinG GEorGE V. Blackish 
cavrmine. Hybrid Tea. 
HENRIETTA. Ovange- 
crimson, fading to salmon. 

Hybrid Tea. 

CHRISTINE. Golden 
yellow. Hybrid Tea. 

CAPTAIN HAaywarp. Scarlet- 
crimson. Hybrid Perpetual. 
Needs rich ground. 


DUKE OF EDINBURGH. Like 
scarlet velvet, but must be 
very little pruned, only 
tipped, and thinned out as 
to branches. Hybrid Per- 


petual. 

HER Majesty. Enormous 
vose pink. Hybrid Per- 
petual. 

His Majesty. Large, dark 
crimson. Very fragrant. 
Hybrid Tea. 

Amy kRogssart. Hybrid 
sweet briav; large deep 


vyose flowers. 


Shrubs for suburban gardens are plentiful, but 
this is a list of some of the best :— 


BERBERIS STENOPHYLLA. 
Gold. 

BERBERIS DARWINII. 
Orange. 

BUDDLEIA VEITCHIANA. 
Deep heliotrope-purple. 

SIBERIAN Pera _ (Caragana 
arborescens). Yellow. 

£ 


ay 


BLADDER SENNA (Colutea 
arborescens). Yellow 
flowers, and fine ved-brown 
seed-vessels, 

GOLDEN Privet (Ligustrum 
aureum). 

CoTONEASTER FRANCHETTA. 
Ovange berries. 


< aA een ye er ee Sl 4 eS 
ns 7 ot 
t 2 x \ Atay sa OS 


112 TOWN GARDENING _ er. 


COTONEASTER ACUTUM. JAPANESE CHERRY (Prunus 


Autumn tinted. 
ATRIPLEX Hatimus. Purple. 


BaccHus TREE (Azara 
Baccharis patagonica). 
Evergreen. 

DAPHNE MEZEREON. Jose. 

DevuTziA GrRaciLis. White. 

EUONYMUS BUXIFOLIUS. 
Evergreen. Dwarf. 


EvonymMus JAPONICUS 
RADICANS. Evergreen. 
Quick growing. 

EvonymMus JAPONICUS 
ARGENTEA  VARIEGATA. 
Variegated silver. 

EvonymMus JAPONICUS 


AUREA VARIEGATA. 
Variegated gold. 

Mock ORANGE, Called 
SyrInGA _(Philadelphus 
coronarius). White. 

MockK ORANGE, Called 
SyrincA = (Philadelphus 


lemoinei avalanche). 


japonica). White, also vose. 
HarDY RHODODENDRONS. 
All colours. Must not 
encounter lime in the soil. 
And will not bloom unless 
the previous year’s flowers 
weve picked off as soon as 


faded. 
AMERICAN CURRANT (Ribes 
sanguineum). Mose. 


SpirzA AITCHISONI. White. 
VERONICA BUXIFOLIA. 
White. 
VERONICA 
(Autumn Glory). 
purple. 

Yucca. Aloe-like giant. 

WEIGELA AMABILIS. In 
sunny gardens these beauti- 
ful vose ved ov white flower- 
ing shrubs should succeed ; 
also another species, 

WEIGELA SPLENDENS.~ 
Maroon leaves, yellow 
flowers. : 


HYBRIDA 
Blue- 


SHSON AO aaa Vv 


OJOY, 


: : 
: 
. 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE HARDIEST PERENNIALS AND 
BIENNIALS 


Making Special Displays. German Irises. Phloxes, Michelmas 
Daisies. Biennials. Hardy Plants in Pots. Oriental and 
Iceland Poppies. Lupins and Hybrid Pyrethrums. 


E have already thought out which hardy 

perennials are likely to thrive, either in 

city gardens or the happier ones on city outskirts, 

but attention has to be called to the manner in 

which we can use some to obtain quite remarkable 
effects. 


AROON ; BLUSH “SPURPLE TALL * 1MSON PAEO 3 CRIMSON TALLIC AR MIN E 
8th rug eee ean <4 hie Pro R Hoen, veut tS iho LLy Hock? 
Med saeceabngs f Remigatthy ee enses St Ll Se “BURPLE 
my PINK: PURPLE } Dovete os SRM AOR Senge ee tie ‘PINK arene 
rary: 2 Lox. $ NK een asc ; “DAISY... 
i onent Pe “oeananlee = PHEOX Fi a 


A BORDER OF WARM COLOUR. 


As a rule, if a garden-owner has discovered that a 
particular perennial (herbaceous plant) will flower 
well year after year with him, he tries to find others 
that will be as complaisant, and there he makes a 


133 H 


II4 TOWN GARDENING 


mistake. If he specialized in that plant, instead of 
experimenting with others, he would create a really 
remarkabie garden. 

Take the German iris for an example. It is so 
often found doing excellently, giving its rich violet- 
purple flag flowers without much encouragement, 
until at last it is choked by its luxuriance, stifled 
by its own offspring, so can only make leaves and 
smaller, weaker ones each year. Now there are 
dozens of florists’ varieties of the German iris that 
the average town-dweller has never even seen, just 
as easy to cultivate, just as complaisant. The 
colours range from black-indigo, through wondrous 
blues, to pale lavender and white ; from deep crimson, 
terra-cottabrown, to bronze-gold, clear yellow and 
cream; there are mauves flushed with red, and 
whites that blush with rose or peach. Let him send 
to some great firm for a collection of different sorts, 
plant them in deeply dug and well-manured borders, 
in sun or semi-shade (reserving the quite shady 
borders for the ordinary violet and the red-purple), 
nine inches to a foot apart, and then keep the surface 
ground hoed over, give water when necessary from 
April to September, and the reward will be speedy. 
As soon as the irises have formed a thicket they 
should be lifted, chopped into portions and replanted, 
either elsewhere or in the same border after it has 
been re-manured. Of course liquid manure and 
soot-water help the plants when their buds are 
forming, and a November mulch keeps them com- 
fortable during winter, but this should be of manure 
with loam. 

The hardy summer and autumn blooming phingcs 
are glorious plants for town gardens, and if a long 
border or a big bed is given up to them their display 


; 
: 


PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS © 118 


will be considered marvellous, whereas a phlox or 
two in a mixed border will not excite much atten- 
tion. They must have rich soil and be hoed round 
constantly, but really they are most robust. They 
prefer semi-shade. 

A town garden all hollyhocks, daffodils, and pinks 
would be attractive from spring till autumn. If 
there were spaces where some pot chrysanthemums 
could be turned out each August the floral display 
would continue until November, possibly later. 

Michaelmas daisies are astoundingly various. 
There are some almost like tall white heather, some 
nearly six feet high, with deep rose flowers, some 
that have big single starry blooms, others that have 
minute blossom set all along drooping or erect 
stems. The smaller growing sorts are not as robust 
as the giants, but there are few, if any, that would 
not embellish the ordinary town garden, if given 
some sunshine, enough food and drink, and hoe- 
ventilated soil. 

The entire families of the various herbaceous 
species that will live should be represented, to 
produce notable results. Mixed borders are all 
very well, but specializing commands far more 
praise. Plants that should be chosen for this really 
representative kind of cultivation include del- 
phiniums, golden rods, campanulas, lilies, carnations, 
sunflowers, and peonies. | 

In a lesser degree full shows might be made of 
Japanese anemones, the Shasta or Ox-eye daisies 
(Chrysanthemum maximum), day-lilies, pansies, 
potentillas and alum-roots (Heucheras). 

Then there are families of plants that include 
distant kinsfolk, as when the common primrose is 
accompanied by polyanthuses, coloured and yellow 


6 TOWN GARDENING 


cowslips and auriculas, or dianthuses are represented 


by spring’s alpine pinks, Japanese pinks in summer, 
by carnations and sweet-williams and the common 
and the florist’s pinks. 

Many biennials that seed themselves are splendid 
for making borders gay, and it is a good plan to 
mulch these borders with finely-chopped old manure 
and soil each early November, so that the seedlings are 
protected. There are foxgloves, hollyhocks, sweet- 
williams, honesty, sweet rocket, and ee 
bells. These seldom die out of gardens. 

Hardy plants are often most successful in pots. 
If there is no garden, only stone courts, areas, or 
roof-tops, the town-dweller can buy medium tall 
perennials in October or November, pot them up, 
sink the pots in a deep bed of cinders out in the air, 
mulch over the tops of all with really old manure, 
and he will see growth sprouting forth in earliest 
spring, just as though his plants were in beds or 
borders. 

After-culture is simple: lime scattered often 
among the pots will keep enemies away ; repotting 
can be done when the pots are too full of roots; 
watering must be systematically carried out, also 
syringings, some weak liquid manures (and soot- 
water once or twice) should be given when buds are 


formed, not before ; some staking and tying will be 


required. Blossoming plants can be used to adorn 
rooms for a few days at a time, then be stood out 
again in the air. 


Alum-roots (Heucheras), Michaelmas daisies of — 


medium growth, peonies, doronicums, snapdragons, 
sweet-williams, peach-leaved campanulas, Canter- 
bury bells, the foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia), 


spiderworts (Tradescantias), veronicas, pansies, 


PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS = 117 


phloxes, and fleabanes (Erigerons) can be recom- 
, mended. 
There are certain plants that will flourish grandly 
for a year or so—perhaps only one season—then die 
out of some town gardens. I have known. this 
i happen with the grand Oriental poppies and the 
% Iceland poppies. 
Lupins and hybrid pyrethrums I have not advised 
for gardens, because insects seldom let them live. 
But for protected pot culture they are delightful. 
ra So too are columbines. 


CHAPTER XVII 


FINE WINTER EFFECTS 


Paved Gardens. Dutch or Formal Gardens. Dwarf Shrubs. 
Winter Flowering Plants, Bulbs, etc. ‘Everlasting’ Flower 
and Seed Sprays. How to Dry Them. 


HEN the town gardener has become 

sufficiently experienced to be able to look 

back on a creditable summer, spring, and autumn 

display, he will naturally worry if his home appears 

dull during winter. Happily there are several 

things he can do—or choose between doing—to 
make the drear months decorative. 

Let me begin by saying that money is well spent 
in paving a little front garden. Gravel or grass 
have their own charm, yet pavement, of the simple 
grey flagstone sort, or sunk dull red bricks, is 
always clean, or, at least, can be kept so with the 
minimum of trouble, and shows off every atom 
of flower, incidentally of leaf, as nothing else can 
do. Tiled paths with patterns in the tiles and crude 
colours are detestable. Many a town mansion 
would be marvellously improved by having the 
tiled walk, from gate to steps, exchanged for one of 
old flagstones. 

Then sunk beds can be had in a paved garden, 


118 


FINE WINTER EFFECTS 11g 


and plants thrive excellently just below the ground 
level, escaping many frosts. There may be a sunk 
pool, if desired, and a raised plateau, up steps, for 
a sundial if there is sun exposure, or for a handsome 
stone urn otherwise. Of course, a fountain is 
permissible! There might be a stone balustrade 
along the verandah, with stone ‘ baskets’ on it at 
intervals. 

A few winter flowering plants will create a 
sensation in a front garden in a town. There really 
are a number of reliable beauties, such as the 
following, some of which have been mentioned in 
other chapters :— 


WINTER HELIOTROPE. These all begin blooming in 


(Usually known as Tussi- 
lago fragrans). Medium- 
tall hardy perennial, with 
loose spikes of minute lilac 
bloom im November and 
December. Very sweet. 
Plant in March, in semi- 
shade, or, if in full sun- 
shine, preserve from 
drought. Rich soil, or give 
mulch each October. 
JAPANESE QUINCE (Pyrus, 
or Cydonia japonica). The 
popular wall shrub, with 
scarlet bloom shaped like 
apple-blossom. Will 
succeed as a hedge in many 
gardens. 


Pyrus or CyDONIA RUBRA 


GRANDIFLORA. Scarlet. An 
evect stvong shrub. 


Pyrus or CyDONIA MAULEI. 


A dwarf species most useful 
for urns oy tubs. Brick 
ved, ov terva-cotia flowers. 


March, tf not earlier. Plant 
them in October ov Febru- 
ary, the roots of the larger 
species six inches below 
ground. 


JAPANESE GOLDEN BALL 


TREE (Forsythia  sus- 
pensa). <A beautiful shrub 
that succeeds in many sub- 
urbs when trained against 
a wall, and gives golden 
bloom in February and 
March. Plant in October. 


YELLOW WINTER JASMINE 


(Jasminum nudiflorum). 
Generally flourishes against 
porch or verandah pillars, 
with a@ west or south-west 
aspect, ov south if watered 
during summey. 


VARIEGATED JAPANESE 


HONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera 
japonica aureo reticulata). 
The leaves ave as gay as 
many flowers. 


120 TOWN GARDENING _ 


SWEET DAPHNE (Daphne 
mezereum). A four - foot 
shrub that has rose blossom 
all along bare boughs in 
February and March, then 
puts forth foliage and 
berries. Quite hardy. Needs 
sunshine. A lovely centre- 
piece in a sunk bed, or looks 
well in a border against a 
background of evergreens. 
Plant in October. There 
is also a yellow flowering 


variety. 
KNOTWEED (Polygonum 
amplexicaule). Well 
worth trying. A hardy 


perennial that blooms natu- 
vally from September to 
November, of a deep ved 
shade. 3 ft. tall. Plant 
in March or April . 

RED-HOT POKER (Tritoma 
or Kniphofia). Several 
florist’s varieties, all desir- 
able, likely to be blooming 
still in November. Protect 
with cinder mulch each 
winter. 

CHRISTMAS Roses (Helle- 
borus niger, etc.). White, 
green shaded. Plant in 
very vich soil in semi-shade. 
Hardy, but weather usually 
spoils the blooms unless the 
plants are covered by glass 
shades. 

MEGASEA (Of SAXIFRAGA) 


CORDIFOLIA. 
flower spikes in February, 
from among fine leaves, 


Excellent for beds, uyns, 


boxes, or pots. 

finis: REtTICULA EA 
February blooming, violet- 
and-gold, scented. Plant 
bulbs just below sunny soil 
in September ov October. 
9 in. 


IRIs SINDJARENSIS. White- 
and-blue. March bloom- 
ing. 1 ft. 


Iris STYLOSA or UNGUI- 


CULARIS. Azure blue and 
lavender. Blooms from 
November to. March. All 
these need sunshine, and 


may also be cultivated as 
pot plants for winter effects — 


in windows and conser- 
vatories. 
WINTER CrRocusEs should be 
planted in September, only 
— gust below soil. The hardiest 
ave— 


Crocus SusIANuUS. Gold- 
and-bronze. 

Crocus SUAVEOLENS. Violet- 
and-fawn. 


Crocus VITELLINUS. Yellow, 
sweetly scented. 

HEPATICAS (Anemone 
hepatica). Blue or rose ; 
double or single. Beginin 
February. Semi - shade 
desivable. Plant in October. 


There are also snowdrops, double and single, 
yellow winter aconite, and the blue chionodoxa is 
one of the earliest flowers in spring, good to associate 


Gives pink 


FINE WINTER EFFECTS 121 


with the old-fashioned double daisies in red and 
white. =:: 

Trim clipped evergreen shrubs maintain a pretty 
appearance throughout winter, as we all know, but 
few gardeners realize the value of evergreen plants 
such as mossy saxifrages, wallflowers, London pride, 
pinks, etc., in winter gardens. It is by setting little 


BED SPACED OUT PERMANENTLY BY Mossy 
SAXIFRAGE, 


shrubs in trim designs, with evergreen plants among 
them, and filling the spaces with tulips, crocuses, 
etc. etc., all of a height, that the Dutch, or formal, 
style of garden is gained. 

As the vases indoors are of great consequence 
during the dull months, the town gardener should 
try to cultivate some of the perennials that give 
flowers, etc., for drying. 


9 + \ 

ie : ’ 
ae Fag oe <r ~ seh 
[ieee oh a ee 


I22 


GLADWIN IRIs. 


Honesty (Lunaria biennis). 
Seeds itself year after year. 
Hardy. In sun or semi- 
shade. Magenta - purple 
flowers, followed by silver 
seed-vesscls. These should 
be left on the plants till the 
stems ave dry and crisp, 
then the outer covering of 
the seed-pods must be gently 
vemoved, the silver lining 
being then shown. Raise 
from seed in Apvil or buy 
young plants im Octo- 
ber. 2 
Plant 
vhizomes just under the soil 
in October. Loves damp 
ground, but seldom succeeds 
in shade. Can be grown in 
pots in frames. The seed- 
pods crack and show hand- 
some red-orange berries. 
CHINESE LANTERN PLANT 
(Physalis Alkekeng1). Rich 
sunny bed or border. Plant 
in April. Gather the 
branches of ovange - ved 
fruit in September. 


TOWN GARDENING 


‘SEA LAVENDER (Statices lati- 


folia). Spreading trusses 
of lavender blossom in late 
summer. Plant in Novem- 
ber or March in sunny 
bordeyv ov vockevy. There 
ave annual species that the 
town gardener should try to 
grow from seed each March. 


GLoBE THISTLE (Echinops 


Ritro). Tall glistening 
grey hardy perennial, with 
blue globular flower-heads. 
Plant in October ov April. 


SEA Hotty. Seldom success- 


ful in veal town gardens. 
A fine vace of handsome tall 
perennials with glistening 
silver or blue flower masses. 
Plant in October or April. 


Pampas Grass (Gynerium 


argenteum). This splendid 
grass will grow in open 
gardens in towns, and 
makes its best effect as a 
grass - plot ornament. 
Should be planted in April, 
in sunshine, and kept 
watered. 


For annual ‘everlastings,’ and bedding ones, 
Chapter XIX should be consulted. 

All sprays, trusses, plumes, etc., for winter vases, 
should be dried by hanging them downwards from 
cords stretched across sunny rooms. They are very 
pleasing if well combined with dried field grasses, 
winter berries, etc., for table decoration or window 
bowls. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


DAILY ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE 
WORK . 


GENERAL WORK FOR NOVEMBER, DECEM- 
BER AND JANUARY 


MPROVE vacant soil by adding manure, if 
is poor. Ground that is enough manured can 
often be made better for plant-life by forking in 
plenty of road-grit—road sweepings without manure, 
taken from country roads—or crushed brick-rubble 
if there are no rhododendrons, which could not bear 
with the lime therein. Obtain these ingredients from 
builders or horticultural providers. 

The opening and closing of greenhouse windows 
and of frames will be a task for common sense to 
decide, as no hard and fast rules can guide. A 
brilliant winter’s afternoon may allow air to be 
given freely, to the great benefit of plants ; whereas 
on damp, foggy, airless days the walls and stones, 
etc., of conservatories become soaked if there is 
much ventilation. 

Water all pot plants with tepid water only. 

No water should ever lie on floors in winter. If it 


123 


124 TOWN GARDENING 


is thought that a fernery has become overdried by 
sunshine or artificial heat, standing a pail of water 
in it for some hours will soon moisten the atmosphere. 
Syringings are seldom needed now in open suburbs, 


but must be given fairly often, when frost is not 


present, in the centre of towns. Thisshould be done 
in mornings, and if suitable air can be admitted to 
dry the place, well and good; otherwise windows 
should be closed and a small lamp, with talc chimney 
that will not crack, be stood inside for some hours. 
Use water that is not ice-cold. 

Dead leaves have to be frequently swept up; if 
left on lawns or paths they make them slimy. 

Uneven parts of walks should be remedied by 
lifting bricks, tiles, or flagstones and putting crushed 
mortar or cement beneath, and by scratching up 
the surface of gravel, filling in hollows with fresh 
gravel, watering and rolling often. ; 

Cinder-ashes should be banked up against the 
wooden sides of frames. 

Burn up, or otherwise get quite rid of, all decaying 
vegetation. Cut down hardy plants to within 
six inches of the soil. Be sure that mildewed rose 
boughs are all destroyed. 

Keep the outside of the greenhouse glass well 
washed, as every bit of sun heat is of value. 

See that all pots of growing plants are cleaned, 
by scraping or careful washing, on suitable 
days. | 
Mulch many borders, shrubberies, rose - beds, 
etc. 

Water plants in mornings, not evenings. 

Continue to sweep and roll lawns. 

Prune straggly oleanders into shape. 


FRROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 125 


SPECIAL WORK FOR NOVEMBER 


This is one of the chief bulb-planting months, so 
instructions already supplied should be carried out 
for the improvement of gardens, window-boxes, urns, 
etc. 

Remove all suckers from the roots of lilac bushes. 
No pruning must be done, however, or there will 
be no flowers next year. This applies also to the 
mock orange (Syringa or Philadelphus) and to 
most flowering shrubs, which ought only to be cut 
back after they have bloomed. 

Clean any oil-stoves that are used. 

Arrange any coverings of mats, linen, or paper 
that may be needed to shelter plants from 
frost. 

Lift all dahlias, bedding plants, etc. 

Wrap up in sacking, yuccas, lemon verbenas, or 
other delicate plants that are in the open. 

Continue to pot bulbs for the house. 

Mow grass in the first week of the month, weather 
permitting, for the last time. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR DECEMBER 


There is not much to do, except maintain good 
order, -hoe, remove dead foliage, attend to safe- 
guarding from the cold. 

This is, however, an excellent month in which 
to build rockeries, make different terrace levels, 
reached by wooden, beaten-earth, brick, or pavement 
steps, in readiness for March plantings. 


126 TOWN GARDENING 


jeosmy eA CMe ZC 


A Ht1nt HOW TO ARRANGE STEPS, BOULDERS, AND ROCKERY. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR JANUARY 


Prick over the soil among bulbs in beds, not 
going down more than half an inch, and avoiding the 
bulbs, of course. Add more coco-nut fibre refuse 
covering, if necessary; or, if there is none of this 
used, strew on a very little fresh loam or leaf- 
mould. 

Prick over the surface soil of pot, box, and tub 
plants. Top-dress as above. 

Use tepid water for delicate plants. 

Mulch among clumps of hardy ferns, using equal 
parts of old manure, loam, and road-grit. The dead 
fronds should not be removed yet, as they serve to. 
shelter new fronds that are starting below. 

Hoe borders and beds after hard frosts have 
broken up. 

If any shrubs or plants look badly frost-bitten; 
tie light canvas or newspapers over them, then they 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 127 


will be thawed sooner. Remove these as soon as the 
work is done. | , 

Strew ashes from vegetable fires over the best 
beds and borders. 

Virginia creepers may be pruned back. 

Strew greenhouse or frame floors with borax to 
banish ants and wood-lice. 

Fill up crevices in wood or brick with Portland 
cement, adding a very little glue to the water used. 


A9Sv A 


SILVWATO 


0J0Y, 


I 


Part. LV 


WORK IN FEBRUARY, MARCH 
AND APRIL 


CHAPTER XIX 
HOME-RAISED PLANTS 


When and how to Sow. Seeds that should Succeed. ‘ Everlast- 
ings.’ Sweet Peas. Ornamental Grasses. Novel Sugges- 
tions for Pot Plants. 


T may seem discouraging, but I cannot advise the 
. town gardener to try to raise many of his own 
bedding plants, or those to make window-boxes and 
balconies gay. Unless there is a fully-heated green- 
house, which is rare, plants cannot be grown quickly 
enough from seed to look creditable or bloom early 
enough. | 
But it is pleasant to raise additional plants, say for 
mixed borders, greenhouse and room adornment. 
Florists will supply all the well-grown ‘bedding ’ 
stuff later, when it can be put where it is to grow. 
Seed-sowing of most plants is best done in April 
(except certain tender kinds that May suits better) 
unless the greenhouse has a temperature of from 50 


129 I 


130 | TOWN GARDENING 


to 60° certain. Pans and quite shallow boxes 
are used, drained first by a few crocks, then by a 
little old coco-nut fibre refuse, or pulled-to-pieces 
tussocks of ancient turfs, under the compost. This 
should be of equal parts of loam and leaf-mould, 
with a quarter portion of fine silver sand. There 
may be less sand, and an eighth portion of the finest- 
chopped, oldest manure in the compost used to 
transplant most seedlings into. - 

The sown boxes should be covered by glass, 
shaded by a little dried moss or white paper, 
watered by partial immersion only, and kept always 
level, never slanted. An awkward tilt or shake 
will send the seeds all together. 

Sowing must be carefully done on just damp soil ; 
the covering in should lie lightly, not be pressed 
hard. (See Chapter V.) The following flower-seeds 
usually give good results :— . 

Pansies, snapdragons, lupins (slugs are fond of 
them), sweet-williams, foxgloves, Canterbury bells, 
honesty, sweet rocket,- Brompton stocks, Oriental 
poppies, Iceland poppies, lobelia (dwarf and trailing), 
French, African, Scotch, and English marigolds, 
columbines (aquilegias), forget-me-nots, candytufts, 
sweet alyssum, coloured primroses and cowslips, 
polyanthuses, asters, stocks, crimson beet, corn-— 
flowers, clarkias, convolvulus minor, convolvulus 
major (climbing), canary creeper, double daisies 
(Bellis perennis), fuchsias, godetias, gypsophila 
elegans, annual sunflowers, heliotrope, hollyhocks, 
kochia_ tricophylla, larkspurs, sweet-peas, nastur- 
tiums (Tom Thumb, Liliput, even smaller, and the 
climbing kind), tobacco plants, primula obconica, 
primula malacoides, Virginian stock, and wall- 
flowers. 


HOME-RAISED PLANTS 131 


Happily, seeds are nearly always sent out with 
cultural directions on the packets, so all the buyer 
need do is to order and obtain them early, then sort 
them into different classes for the different treat- 
ments. 

There are a few special plants that must have 


special mention. 


The ‘ everlastings ’ that are used for bedding are 
better bought as young plants in May, but if any are 
to be raised for gathering the finest are double and 
single helichrysums. They may be sown under 
glass in April or May, the seedlings pricked out two 
inches apart, in larger and deeper boxes, as soon as 
they are an inch tall; then may very likely require 
still another shift before they can be planted out in 
June. If so, the easiest plan is to put each into a 
tiny pot, then they can be turned out into borders or 
beds without receiving any check. 

Other ‘ everlastings’ are the annual sea lavenders 
—statices Bonduelli, yellow, and spicata, pink and 
white. These may be treated like helichrysums. 

Miniature Fairy Roses are easy to raise, and the 
tiny bushes of single or semi-double, often eventually 
quite double blossoms, followed by wee red fruits, 
are very charming for pots, beds, or rockwork. Sow 
in April, each seed in a two-inch pot; keep moist, 
shaded, yet as warm as possible. 

Phacelia campanularia is a gentian-blue hardy 
annual, nine inches high, that I recommend for 
sowing in large pots to stand out of doors. It will 
succeed sown in good beds, but only if there are no 
slugs or snails near. Seedlings can be transplanted 
into window-boxes. 

Pots of blue or scarlet flax are pretty. Sow in 
April or May over surface-soil of pots, keep them 


132 TOWN GARDENING 


in cold frame or greenhouse, thin out the seedlings 
well, put sticks round the pot edges, and bands 
of raffia from stick to stick as ‘for freesias, harden 
off early, and flower out of doors. 

To grow sweet-peas in pots, sow five seeds (pre- 
viously soaked for twelve hours) in a four-inch pot in 
March. Keep quite moist; give bottom heat, if 
possible, by plunging pots in manure up to the 
rims. Reduce the seedlings to three ; pot-on these 
together as the roots require it; use rich compost 
for the final potting, for which a seven-inch pot is 
large enough. Feed with liquid manure and fer- — 
tilizer when buds are forming. Must have ample 
fresh air. Five seedlings may be permitted to grow 
on, if preferred, but the flowers will not be as fine. 

Ornamental dwarf grasses make elegant: pot 
plants, or may be sown in boxes or borders for 
gathering. Sow any of the following from March © 
to July :— 


Mist GRASS (Agrostis QUAKING GRASS (Briza 


nebulosa). 9 in. maxima). I ft. 
Love Grass (Eragrostis ele- .FEATHER GRass_ (Stipa 
gans). 14 ft. pennata). 2 ft. 


The three first are hardy annuals, and should be ~ 
thinned out slightly. The last is a hardy perennial. 
Five seedlings may be grown in a four-inch pot till - 
they flower, then be given a change to a five- or six- 
inch. . 

Any of the annual eschscholtzias can be sown over 
a six-inch pot, thinned out to an inch apart, and 
flowered in a sunny window, or on outside sills, — 
where their yellow, orange, crimson-and-gold, dark 
rose, cream, or pale pink masses will be greatly 
admired. 


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HOME-RAISED PLANTS 133 


Pots of the annual bartonia aurea may be similarly 


grown, reducing seedlings to four in a six-inch pot. 


The prickly poppy (Argemone mexicana), which 
has silvery-grey thistle-like foliage and large cream 
poppy-shaped flowers, two feet tall, is a charming 
rarity of easy culture from seed. It looks best 
flowered as single plants in five-inch pots, but should 
be sown first three seeds in each small pot, as seed- 
lings might damp off in the larger size. 

Dwarf snapdragons are excellent outside window- 
sill pot plants. 

Single China asters and ten-week stocks, phlox 
Drummondi, and love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena 
ceelestina) will have time to bloom during summer 
and autumn, if sown in pots in April and May. 

Asa last suggestion, the town gardener who wants 
to make a sensation, should sow blue alkanet, 
(Anchusa italica, Dropmore variety) in March, three 
seeds in a four-inch pot. Sink the pots up to the 
rims in fresh manure that has stood out for three 
weeks and been turned over three times, in a deep 
box ; pot on the three seedlings all together as the 
pots become filled with roots, till they occupy a 
nine-inch size, keeping them out of doors in sunshine 
from early May onwards. With good luck the 


* anchusas should bloom in the same year, but if they 


do not, they can be housed in cold frames or airy 
attics, and will be glorious specimens early the 
following summer. The height is about four feet 
ultimately, but small specimens blossom. Liquid 
manure should be given when buds form. The 
colour is vivid cornflower blue. 


CHAPTER: 4X 


BUYING TREES, CLIMBERS, ETC. 


From Whom to Buy. How to Order. Selections of Climbers for 
all Aspects. 


HEN a town garden has to be furnished with 
trees, or gaps filled up where trees have 
failed, a nurseryman with knowledge of the locality 
should be consulted. This does not necessarily 
mean a local nurseryman. Indeed,itis more advis- 
able to inquire of one of the large firms of European 
fame, for then their experience will be combined 
with their ability to provide healthy, well-grown, 
and perhaps uncommon specimens. The suburban 
grower for sale seldom stocks more than a few species 
and varieties, which are, consequently, to be met 
with in all the local roads ! 

There is no reason why acacias, laburnums, and 
hawthorns should have the world to themselves. 
When we buy climbers we should either make our 
own choice, or tell the firm we wish to choose for us 
the exact aspect to be furnished, the nature of the 
background, wood, brick, stone, stucco, etc., the 
quality of the soil, as far as we know it, and mention 
incidental circumstances, such as draughts, closeness 
to high buildings, railway lines, gasworks, etc. 


134 


BUYING TREES; CLIMBERS, ETC. (135 


There are climbers for all aspects, though not — 


many for the coldest. 


Here are some suggestions. 


For North brick walls, or wooden close fences, or stone, 
stucco, etc., upon trellis woodwork, or painted wires 
stretched from staple to staple. 


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WooDEN SUPPORTS FOR CLIMBERS. 


AMPELOPSIS QUINQU2FOLIA. 
The quickest growing 
virginia creeper. 

AMPELoPSIS Muratis. The 
large -leaved self - clinging 
species. 

AMPELOPSIS VEITCHII. 
small-leaved 
variety. 

Ivy (Hedera helix). 

(Atropurpurea). Purple 

leaved. Usually quite hardy 

in towns, though unable to 
bear gales on an exposed 
hillside. 

(Canariensis). Common 

Irish ivy. 


The 
self-clinging 


(Regneriana). Large, 
heart-shaped, leathery, 
deep green. 


CANADIAN MOONSEED (Meni- 


spermum canadense). A 
light-growing eleven to 
twelve foot climber, with 
bunches -of small greenish- 
yellow blossom. Usually 
succeeds if planted in front 
of ov. between virginia 
creepers, to which it can 
cling. Needs water, but 
does not object to shade. 
DOUBLE- FLOWERING 
BRAMBLE (Rubus fruti- 
cosus plenus). The double- 
flowering blackberry. Very 
pretty, and has been tried 
successfully in London. 
EvonyMus JAPONICUS 
RADICANS. The plain 
green, not the variegated, 
usually flourishes when 
nailed up as a climber. 


136 


Yellow winter jasmine may be grown against 


TOWN GARDENING 


either virginia creeper, euonymus, or ivy. 


For East walls, or close wooden fences, or wires, or 
trellis woodwork in front of stone, stucco, etc. 


JAPANESE WINEBERRY 
(Rubus _ phoenicolasius). 
Whitish bloom, handsome 
foliage, cerise-ved edible 
fruits. Wall grow ten feet 
high. 

JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE 
(Lonicera japonica). Plain 
green, with veddish - white 
flowers. 

YELLOW WINTER JASMINE 
(Jasminum nudiflorum). 

Ivy (Hedera helix). 


(Algeriensis). Yellow- 
ish gveen, large leaved, 
vapid growing. 

(Dentata). Dark 
green, toothed leaves, 
large. 

(Digitata). Dark 


green, cut-out leaves, veined 
white. 
(Marmorata). 
blotched with cream. 


Large, 


Ivy (Variegata). Common 
ivy, blotched with creamy 
yellow. 

ComMMON Hop (Humulus 
lupulus). Cut down each 
November. ; 

TRAVELLER’S Joy (Clematis 
_vitalba). Whitish scented 
bloom, fluffy seed - heads. 
Grow against virginia 
creepers. 

WHITE JASMINE (Jasminum 
officinale). 


JAPANESE QUINCE (Pyrus, - 


or Cydonia 
Scarlet. 

THE FIRE THORN (Crategus 
pyracantha). White 
blossom, ovange - scavrlet 
berry clusters. 

CoMMON GOLDEN BROOM 
(Cytisus scoparius). Tie 
up to virginia creepers, 
ov ivy. 


For South walls, or close wooden fences, or open 


trellises and vatlings. 


Roses. All climbing roses, 
except that the Ramblers 
and climbing Polyanthas 
and Wichuraianas will not 
flourish on walls or close 
wood with a hot aspect, 
though open palings and 
trellises suit them, through 


which air can pass. All 
voses must have enough air 
and light. 

CLEMATISES. (All must have 
fairly pure air.) 

(Clematis montana). 
White, in spring. 

——- (Clematis Jackmanii). 


Japomes). 


BUYING TREES, 


Violet, purple, ved, plum, 
flesh, lavender, etc. Very 
‘tricky’ climbers, so may 
mot succeed. Safer on 
south-west or west aspects, 
oY even east. 

(Calycina). An ever- 
green, with rather ineffective 
creamy, purple - marked 
fiowers, in earliest spring. 
Foliage very attractive. 

ViRGIN’s BowErR (Clematis 
flammula.) White, fra- 
evant. 

VARIEGATED JAPANESE 
HONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera 
japonica aureareticulata). 
Beautiful tinted, — gold- 
netted foliage. 

MOUNTAIN SWEET (Ceano- 
thus azureus). Blue, 
spivea-like flowers. For 
suburban wall only. io ft. 


CLIMBERS, ETC. 137 

ESCALLONIA MACRANTHA 
INGRAMI. Foy suburban 
walls or close fences. Rosy 

~ ved. 6 ft. 

VARIEGATED EUONYMUS 
(Euonymus japonicus). 


Gold or silver variegated. 

Ivy (Hedera helix). Margin- 
ata vubva. Shaded with 
vosy-ved. Small _ leaved, 
stluey and vose varie- 
gated. 

JAPANESE GOLDEN BALL 
TREE. (Forsythia sus- 
pensa). Yellow, in March, 
ov earlier. Oft. 

MAGNOLIA GRANDIFLORA. 
Huge cream-white blooms. 
Is said to succeed in any 
atmosphere, if it has deep, 
vich, well-dvained soil, a 
sunny aspect, and a brick 
wall. 


For West walls, close fences, or stone, stucco, etc., with 
trellis woodwork, or painted wires, or wire-netting 


in front. 


Roses. Ramblers, Climbing 
Polyanthas and Wichurai- 
anas, Gloire de Dijon, 
J. B.Clark, scarlet-crimson, 
Captain Christy, pale pink, 
Felicité Perpetué; white, in 
clusters, succeed even in the 
hearts of many towns. 

CUT - LEAVED BLACKBERRY 
(Rubus laciniata). Pretty 
foliage, blossom, and ex- 
cellent fruit. 

EVERGREEN 
CREEPER 


VIRGINIA 
(Ampelopsis 


sempervirens). Does not 
become bare. Self-clinging. 
For walls. 

WISTARIA SINENSIS. Blue- 
lilac. Another ‘ tricky’ 
climber. May thrive ona 
west wall in one district, 
but require a south one in 
another. For walls only. 
GoLDEN Hop (Humulus 
lupulus aurea). Same as 
the Common Hop, but the 
young foliage is yellow. 


138; TOWN GARDENING 


Most of the jasmines, honeysuckles, ivies, vir- 
ginia creepers, and clematises already mentioned may 
be grown with confidence with a western aspect. 

Ugly walls should be covered by trellis woodwork 
and climbers. Many walls can be made more sightly 
and useful by rustic or ordinary trellis woodwork on 
their tops. 


Js Vis aol 


CHAPTER XXI 


VIOLETS, AND OTHER BUTTONHOLE 
FLOWERS 


How to grow Violets in Borders and Frames. Carnations, Double 
Primroses. Ranunculuses. 


IOLETS may be grown, in absolute perfection, 

in frames not only ‘within sound of Bow Bells,’ 

but within sight of the Tower of London. So no 

town-dweller need complain of ‘ the impossibility of 

growing anything.’ But there are thousands of 

gardens in environs of cities in which violets flourish 

in the borders, so we will start by planning their 
culture. 

The two best sorts to begin with are the Czar, the 
well-known rich violet-blue, and Princess of Wales, 
which is slightly more purple, and grows with the 
long strong stalks that are such a convenience. 
Florists will provide roots, or ‘ crowns’ as they are 
called, in April, which is the right month for planting. 

The beds should be well made up—by beds I mean 
the plantation sites in borders, for it is a pity to dot 
violets about a garden—good fresh loam being 
enriched with really old manure, made porous by 
the addition of road-grit, if necessary. A soil that is 
naturally too light has to have clayish loam mixed in, 
but town soils are mostly damp and heavy. There 
should be no exposure to full sunshine, so a border 


139 


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140 TOWN GARDENING 


that faces north-west is ideal, a north one willdo,and ~ 
a west one often answers ; if there is a hedge at the 
back the violets should not be placed too close to it. 
Many violet beds are successful under light-growing _ 
deciduous trees, such as laburnums and acacias. 
The ‘crowns’ are planted nine or twelve inches 
apart, in well-moistened soil, and should not be 
watered until the moisture has dried out, as their roots 
never take hold of ‘mud.’ Asthey grow well during _ 
summer, runners will spring from them, and these 
must be removed while young, and the ground kept 
free from all weeds. While violets must not be 
allowed to shrivel up in times of drought, the gar- 
dener must realize that supplying water to them is 
always dangerous. Whenit has to be done the wetted 
soil should be just pricked over, and some fresh 
compost sprinkled over it between the plants. A 
mulch of old manure and leaf-mould can be given in 
November; another in March to old-established beds. 
For frame culture plants can be lifted from the 
border (or new ones bought on purpose) and planted, 
about seven inches apart, in rich beds made up in 
sunny frames. These beds should be so deep that 
the leaves and flowers of the violets will nearly touch 
the glass. Once again, the soil should be quite moist, 
the ‘lights ’ put over closely for several days, air be 
given sparingly for some weeks, and no more water 
supplied. After the first weeks there should be ample 
_ ventilation whenever possible. , 
~ The runners from a few border plants can be 
allowed, to grow large enough to root themselves in 
the surrounding ground, then be detached in Septem- 
ber or April and used to make young beds. 
Carnations are delightful buttonhole flowers, and — 
the plants do not mind smoke. But they need light 


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BUTTONHOLE FLOWERS I4I 


sandy, yet rich enough soil, so it is wise to cultivate 
them by themselves, in raised beds in full sunshine, 
especially as the borders are sure to contain wire- 
worms, or the smaller eel-worms, that destroy them. 
The soil must not be made as hard as for other 
perennials; only the hardiest border varieties 
should be bought; sticks and ties must be given 
every flower stem, or a fencing of sticks, with raffia 
bands, round each plant; and traps of halved 
potatoes, partly scooped out and greased, should be 
sunk under the soil. 

The perpetual-flowering carnations are of immense 
value, but, unfortunately, amateurs seldom succeed 
with them. The best.plan is to grow them in pots 
trom the first; keep the pots out from April to 
November, then in cold frames or unheated green- 
houses. At any season of the year, if flower-buds 
have formed, the plants may be put into moderately 
heated glasshouses to hasten the opening. I 
cannot recommend them for London gardens. The 
Allwoodii perpetuai pinks are far safer. 

Double-coloured primroses can be advised also 
for buttonhole blossoms. They flourish in semi- 
shady rockeries. ; 

Lilies-of-the-valley (convallaria) are often found 
thriving in shady borders. They need encourage- 
ment in May, so a mulch, and occasional liquid 
manures, should be given. New beds are planted 
in September or October, the ‘crowns’ only just 
covered and three inches apart. Exhausted beds 


_ should be broken up, the crowns divided, and the 


portions used, those of similar size put together, to 
make fresh beds elsewhere. 

Turban ranunculuses are admirable for button- 
holes; their culture has been described. 


CHAPTER XXII 


ROCK GARDENING AND ALPINE 
PLANTS 


Why Plants are safer in Rockeries. Where to make Rockeries. 
Small Perennials and Alpines. _ Other Plants to Try. Rock- 
eries all for Bulbous Plants. 


OCKERIES are homes in which many plants will 
keep in full health that would sicken and fail 
on level soil. The reasons are various. There is a 
depth of good earth ; the big stones not only give 
shelter but prevent the soil from drying up, yet keep 
warmth in it and intercept frost. The plants have 
occasional shade, as the sun shifts, and are less pelted 
by hail, less battered by winds, than their border 
brethren. Any bank may have a rockery side, so 
may a raised bed or grass plot. Other rockeries 
can be built against front or back steps, along the 
edge of the verandah, to surround tubs, barrels, box- 
beds, rain-water butts, on area slopes, against any 
walls, of course. They do not need garden space, 
for a mound of good soil thrown down on some stones, 
broken bricks, and coarser earth, ringed round by 
rocks, dotted over by slabs and craggy pieces, 
becomes a rockery whether it is upon a roof-top, a 
porch-top, a backyard, or the area pavement. 


142 


ROCK GARDENING 143 


All small hardy perennials are suitable for filling 
rockeries, and we have already considered which are 
the most likely to do wellin towns. There are some 
‘ alpines,’ etc., that may settle down comfortably in 
rockeries though they would fail on the level. 

Japanese pinks (Dianthus Heddewigii) are gay, 
rich, and beautiful, and florists offer young plants 
freely in May. Viola cornuta is a spreading plant 
that becomes covered with daintiest lavender-blue 
blossoms that continue all the floral months, if 
seed-vessels are assiduously picked off. Pink and 
white alpine poppies are real gems. Purple rock- 
cress (Aubrietia) will make mauve sheets very early 
in the year, and there are crimson, rose, red-violet, 
and blue varieties also. 

Other plants that should be tried, though only 
experience can decide if they will consent to beconie 
town-dwellers, are the perennials— 


LITHOSPERMUM  PROSTRA- PLENA. 
TUM. Evergreen trailer, 14 ft. 
with blue flowers, VERONICA SPICATA. Blue, 

NEPETA Mussinr. Laven- in spikes. 1 ft. 
dev-blue spikes. 1 ft. VERONICA SPICATA ALBA 
tall. GRANDIFLORA, Pure 


Double. Pink. 


OXALIS CORNICULATA ATRO- 
PURPUREA. Gold, with 
bronze foliage. 7 in. 

PLATYCODON Mariesil. Deep 
blue cup flowers. 1 ft. 

SAPONARIA OCYMOIDES, 
Trailer. Rose pink. 

SAPONARIA OFFICINALIS 


white. 1% ft. 

ACHILLEA TOMENTOSA. 
Gold. 6 in. 

POTENTILLA, GIBSON’S 
SCARLET. Single vermilion 
flowers. 1 ft. 

SOLIDAGO BUCKLEYI. A 
miniature golden vod. I ft. 


Instructions for rockery building have been given 


in Chapter II. 


There may be much soil and few 


rocks. Just a dozen or so boulders and slabs will 
turn a twenty-four-foot length of wide border into 


144 TOWN GARDENING 


one type of rock garden, while a compact rockery 
will show scarcely any soil between the plants when 
these have grown to maturity. Let the soil be 
rich six inches below the level or dwarf subjects, 
nine inches below for semi-dwarfs, one foot below 
for medium tall, and add more manure two feet 


4h, 
Upegele— A, 
= =e IB Lire PO ==, 


oa 
=> 
~ 


FSM EE 


A ROCKERIED MOUND. 


A Iceland poppies. Ki Gold Pansy. 

B Pansies, ; L Dwarf red chrysanthemum, 

C Arabis alpina. M Anchusa italica. x 
D White pinks. N Iberis sempervirens. 

E Pink sweet-williams, O Blue lungwort. 

F Sedum spectabile. P Geranium Endressi, 

G Colchicums. Q Mauve rock cress. 

H Crimson clove carnations, R Orange hawkweed. 

I White clove carnations. S Blue hepatica, 


J Linaria dalmatica. 


deep for giants. Care must be taken that no stones 
or rock slabs obstruct the way of roots. All should 
be kept on a slant, so that rain can run off after 
the ground is sufficiently soaked. Avoid uniformity 
of height. Employ tall and long rocks, short and 
long, broad and narrow, and of a great diversity 


TIVM AHL NO SVILAYENV 


AQ]P OUT 


ROCK GARDENING 145 


of size. Place some pairs slanting away from each 
other ; place other pairs leant together to touch 
their tips. Let there be similar diversity in the 
size of plants. Three-inch, or even two-inch high 
alpines have their worth, for growing in scarcely 
any soil in basin-hollows of large slabs of rock, 
where colour sheets will have real charm. A few 
lofty plants, such as_ red-hot pokers and golden 
rods, will prevent a monotonous appearance. 

A rockery all for bulbous plants would be a novel 
feature for a garden : ranunculuses, Spanish, English, 
and other irises, montbretias, allium moly, yellow, 
the summer snowflake (Leucojum estivum), Turk’s 
cap lilies, and Madonna lilies could furnish it from 
May to October, when the Caffre flag (Schizostylis), 
meadow-saffrons, and the autumn-flowering cro- 
cuses, crocus ochroleucus, cream-and-orange ; C., 
pulchellus, lavender, blue-and-orange ; C. speciosus, 
violet-blue ; C. sativus, yellow-and-violet, could fill 
a gap till winter crocuses, winter heliotrope, snow- 
drops, Christmas roses (in shady nooks), and the 
azure iris alata, would rise from the stones. 


CHAPTER XXIII 


A NUMBER OF NOVEL SUGGESTIONS 


Blue, Gold, other Self-coloured Gardens. Suiting Flower Colours © i 


to House Colours. Climbers for Balconies without Pillars. 
Dahlia Gardens. Various Novel Gardens. Wild-flower 
Culture. Rare Plants. Making Use of Attics. 


REMEMBER a front garden in a Kensington road 
that was always called ‘ the blue garden,’ and 

had become a noted feature of the neighbourhood. 
Massing plants that all have flowers of one colour 
is a simple expedient for engaging the attention 
that is sure to include praise. We can fancy the 
cheering, sunshiny effect of an all-gold garden, in 
front of a dull grey house, maybe, and with plenty 
of dark evergreen shrubs to show up the blossoms. 
Personally I should vote for edgings entirely of box 
or London pride. If the site is not too draughty 


for golden privet, plenty of those shrubs alone, with — | 


golden rod, yellow violas, wallflowers, a few sunk 
pot chrysanthemums, and common stonecrop, will 
have a sufficiently sunshiny appearance to make 
the heart leap, on the greyest day. Elders are not — 
averse to smoke, and the golden elder is always 
a joy to witness. 
A house that is painted cream or ochre is the ~ 


146 


NOVEL SUGGESTIONS 147 


harmonious background to all violet flowers ; a house 
of the ugly dun hue too often found in London and 
other cities, needs flame-salmon and scarlet; a 
house of new red brick is always suited by white, 
blue, or pale yellow; old red brick tones with all 
_ colours but rose pinks and carmine, which last 
colours will go with grey, but are most satisfactory 
_ with cream or white. It is an admirable plan to 
paint houses quite pale greens, when floral adorn- 
ments are in prospect. 

Some houses have balconies that are not supported 
by pillars. In order to induce climbers to mount 
to them quickly, to be trained along the railings or 
stone balustrades, clematises, jasmine, hops, roses, 
etc., can be planted some distance out in the garden 
below, and trained to stout string, or bamboo poles 
latticed between by string, slanted inwards up to 
the balcony platform. When there are open railings 
to balconies or porch-tops, overhanging vegetation 
should be a feature : ivy-leaved geraniums are 
frequently seen; canary creeper, the common 
climbing nasturtium, represented in its countless 
‘self’ colours and blends, climbing convolvulus 
major also, the purple bellflower (Cobea scandens) 
are other plants that will blossom hanging down. 

A rare show can be gained by cultivating the 
trailing fuchsia (Fuchsia procumbens), seven plants 
in a nine-inch pot of good soil, either sowing it in 
heat in March or buying young plants in May. 
The pendant trails are often twelve feet long, and, 
though leaves and the many tinted fairy-lantern 
blossoms are small, the latter will give place to cerise 
‘ cherries ’ that are highly decorative. 

_Dahlias are most accommodating town flowers, 
and it is a comfort to grow something that is lifted, 


148 TOWN GARDENING 


and housed safely in dry bulb state, during winter. 
By combining single, single cactus, the symmetrical 
ball-headed show species, cactus, decorative, pom- 
pone, and Tom Thumb kinds, great diversity of 
heights is obtained. Dahlias may follow a display 
of hyacinths and tulips, that are also lifted, while 
turban ranunculuses and Spanish irises would give 
bloom in between the spring and late summer. 

A large round bed on a square of gravel, or plot 
' of turf, becomes less troublesome to adorn if a 
fencing of painted trellis-work or painted wire-netting 
encircles it to the height of a yard, or rather more, 
and a clematis montana grandiflora is planted at 
one side, a clematis Jackmanii at the other, then 
trained round it. Merely single dahlias, or golden 
rods, hollyhocks, delphiniums, tall snapdragons, or 
pampas grass, with a ring of standard geraniums 
or fuchsias about the clump, would furnish the 
inner space. 

I have just. seen a novel small front garden in 
Kilburn. The grass-plot had a ring of big, nearly 
square stone blocks, set with corners touching, 
right on the grass, with a plant of St. John’s wort 
behind each, spraying over the grey rock. Grass 
showed inside, and then there rose a weeping 
_ standard of the climbing polyantha rose, Hia- 
watha, crimson, white-centred, for middle height. 
The turf had been newly clipped, and the old 
picturesque rocks showed up excellently. 

Perhaps the easiest bed to manage is one of 
mixed dwarf polyantha roses, carpeted by varie- 
gated arabis. These roses need no scientific pruning, — 
but to be just tipped, made symmetrical, and 
cleared of many of their too thick inner branches each 
early April; and this kind of arabis maintains a~ 


- NOVEL SUGGESTIONS 149 


tidy growth, so requires only to have its dead 
blossom cut off. 

Wild-flower culture is possible in a town, and 
there is certainly pleasure to be derived from 
associating field daisies, poppies, devil’s-bit scabious, 
the blue cornflowers called ‘ blue-bottles,’ now so 
rare in fields, with oats, meadow-sweet, spotted 
foxgloves, golden broom and_ gorse, brambles, 
traveller’s joy, and dog-roses. Honeysuckle is not 
likely to live, but every gardener should be eager 
to experiment ; primroses will increase and multiply, 
of course, and bracken-fern has a noble effect and 
becomes gorgeously autumn-tinted. 

A front garden may be of pavement, rockeries, 
a sunk pool (preferably fed generally by rain-water, 
with an overflow into a drain), and planted all 
with hardy ferns, slow-growing, creeping, or erect 
ivies, a few Solomon’s seals and foxgloves. 

A garden, tree-shaded, with a cold aspect, in a 
London street, was once made pretty by having a 
stone pedestal with vase planted only with ivy in 
_ the centre of a bed given up to periwinkle and 
quite small shrubs of gold-variegated euonymus. 
The triumph was the reward of careful tending, 
for the shrubs were always clipped perfectly neat, 
stood in rows a yard from each other, jutting out 
from the pedestal-like spokes of a wheel; and the 
periwinkle was kept pegged down evenly to cover 
the intervening wedge-shaped spaces. 

Take some rare plant for a hobby favourite, and 
mass it, is one meritorious suggestion. There is 
a ‘blue rambler’ rose, called Veilchenblau, that 
will live in a town. Plant it wherever it can be 
accommodated, give it dead trees, tree trunks, 
poles, pillars of the verandah, arches, trellis gates, 


150 TOWN GARDENING 


porch sides, or railings to adorn. Plant some 
trees of it on bank summits, and let it trail. The 
colour is ‘steel,’ not true blue, but quite blue 
enough to astound people, and it is not costly. | 

If delphiniums will live, leave the blues alone for ~ 
once, and mass the purple and mauve varieties. 
If Oriental poppies will, avoid the scarlet, and have 
as many plants as possible of the salmon pink. 
Go in for violet perennial phloxes, violet wall- 
flowers, violet tulips, or for ‘ray’ or ostrich-feather 
China asters, cup-and-saucer pink Canterbury bells, 
rosy-red Michaelmas daisies, yellow snapdragons, ~ 
orange-scarlet cowslips, black pansies, the new red 
gaillardia-flowered annual sunflower, the primrose 
fig-leaved hollyhock, striped sweet-peas, green 
pompone dahlias, or pink violas. In short, be 
always on the watch for a beautiful or quaint 
rarity ; then obtain sufficient to make a sensational 
display of it. 

Grow flowers where neighbours do not grow 
theirs, if possible. Have a portion, at least, of 
an attic glass roofed, with windows to open like 
a greenhouse, and turn it into a home for spring 
bulbous flowers, then for some palms, cacti, cras- 
sulas, eucalyptuses, etc. ; later for chrysanthemums. 

A charming fern-house can be made in a glass- 


roofed attic on the shady side of a town mansion, __ 


CHAPTER XXIV 


- DAILY ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE 
WORK 


BTAIN ingredients for potting and_seed- 

aes O sowing compost, and clean pots, pans, boxes, 

_ ¢tc. Prepare crocks for drainage by breaking up 

broken flower-pots and passing the pieces through 

wire sieves, keeping large, medium, and very small 
crocks separate. 

Prepare ground for sweet-peas. Manure and dig 
beds and borders that are vacant. On wet days 
see if the tiffany sheets or greenhouse blinds need 
mending. ~ 

Order seeds and plants in good time. Thin out 
overcrowded shrubberies or remove shrubs that are 
failing through being below tall trees. 

Fumigate greenhouses. 

Clean out frames. Scatter carbolic liquid be- 
neath frames, which should always be slightly 
raised on bricks, if with flooring. Frame sides 
and ‘lights’ put over beds will rot unless painted 
with tar just where the wood presses on the earth. 

Surround pot plants or seed-boxes in frames 
with a few inches of sharp cinders. Begin to lay 
leaf traps for slugs, and go out to examine them 
at nightfall. 


151 


152 TOWN GARDENING 


SPECIAL WORK FOR FEBRUARY 


Examine foliage of all large-leaved pot plants, 
and the shoots of liliums, to ‘see if any green-fly 
is upon them. If so, sponge with water made 
lathery with carbolic soap, and wash off half a day 
later. 

Buy a blossoming laurestinus shrub for window - 
by day and for the dinner-table by night, for the 
scent will be delightful. Stand the shrub out of 
doors during summer. 

Old fuchsias may be started. Repot them, using ~ 
turf-loam, leaf-mould, and a little sand, but use 
pots the same size, or rather smaller, after cutting 
away any diseased or dead roots. There is no need 
to try to preserve the lower half of each ball of 
soil when turning the old plants out of their pots. 
Put them in a greenhouse, where the temperature 
is 60° or more, or place inside a south window, 
and keep watered and sprinkled. They may be 
cut into shape at the same time. 

Perennials in the garden can be divided and re- 
planted, if they are hardy sorts and the weather 
permits. 

If any pot plants become frozen, shut them in 
a dark cupboard for a day to thaw, after sprinkling 
them with cold water. , 


SPECIAL WORK FOR MARCH 


Prune old pot geraniums into shape, and use 
the parts removed as cuttings. Cut them just 
below a slightly woody bit of stem, if possible. 
Insert a third of the length in very sandy loam, 
press in firmly, stand close to glass, keep the soil 
from drying up, but do not water much. 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 153 


Scatter finely-chopped decayed horse manure 
evenly over lawns, grass edgings, etc. Sweep the 
grass in a week’s time if there have been rainfalls 
to wash the goodness in, if not, bear with the 
unsightliness a little longer. 

Many mulches have to be given in March, in 
accordance with instructions in previous chapters ; 
rose-trees and flowering shurbs must not be 
forgotten. 

Prune the very hardiest roses at the end of the 
month. Wall climbers (other than Banksian yellow 
and Banksian white, which must not be touched 
till they have bloomed) are to be dealt with first. 
_ Merely tip the shoots, and remove overcrowding 
boughs and weak little twiggy growth. Rambler 
roses can be tipped and thinned out. Hardy 
perpetual standard and bush roses ought to be 
pruned by an expert, but the general rule is to 
limit the number of chief boughs, removing the weak 
ones, and then cut the shoots from those boughs 
back to within six to twelve inches of the main 
stem ; some immense old bushes would be spoilt, 
for garden effect, if reduced too much. 

Many rose-trees in borders can have some of 
their long young branches stretched out on each 


/ ; dS 


OLD ROSE-TREE TRAINED TO ESPALIER, 


154 TOWN GARDENING 


side to espalier supports, thus making a kind of 


hedge and leaving the centre branches ample 


space. 

This is a fit month for planting roses. 

Plant hardy perennials. 

Divide and remake edgings of double daisies 
(Bellis perennis), London pride, thrift, etc. 


Start fern-balls into growth by soaking them 


very thoroughly and hanging them in warm positions 
against glass. 


SPECIAL WORK FOR APRIL 


Plant ivies. The best way is to stretch the new 
plant along the surface of the soil against the wall 


or fence, and peg it down here and there. A 


climber so treated will actually get up the wall 
faster then if it had been nailed up it at once. 

Repot ferns and all other plants that need it. 

Sow pots with hardy annuals ; sow hardy annuals 
out of doors ; sow pans, boxes, and pots of half- 
hardy annuals and perennials, placing receptacles 
in greenhouse, frames, or windows. Fill window- 
boxes with soil eae, to plant with ‘summer stuff’ 
in May. 

Sow grass seed or toy turves. 

Sow sweet-peas out of doors. 


Top-dress the herbaceous border and shrubberies. __ 
Lawn-mowing will have to be done when the grass 


is not too wet. Sweepings and rollings should be 
frequent. 


Plant carnations, clematises, Virginia creepers, 


jasmines, Japanese honeysuckles, if desired. Make 
new violet beds. 


Aralias and palms are only to be repotted when 


ROUTINE AND SEASONABLE WORK 155 


roots are showing at the base of pots, or when the 
balls of soil are found to be closely matted with 
roots. To ascertain this, the fingers should press 
the crocks upwards, through the drainage hole 
(after the plant has been watered by immersion 
in tepid water up to the pot’s rim), till the whole 
balls of soil will move, and slip out into the palm 
of one hand, or on to the knee in the case of a 
giant specimen. It would not be possible to move 
a plant out in this fashion while dry; the tepid 
water loosens the roots’ hold on the sides of the 
pottery. If the palm does not need repotting it 
should be gently lowered back into the same pot 
and top-dressed with a little fresh compost. The 
florist will supply proper compost for palms, 
or the gardener may use equal parts of fresh loam 
and peat, with a sixth part of silver sand. 

Plants of all sorts should be thoroughly watered, 
then left to partially dry, before they are repotted. 
Palms, aralias, aspidistras, castor-oil plants, etc., 
often go brown at the tips. This is a sign that 
some roots are partly diseased, owing to sourness 
of soil. It is advisable to repot, but to use as small 
a fresh pot, or one a size smaller, if possible. As 
a rule, these plants, excepting aralias, only need 
repotting every third year, but disease renders a 

shift essential. 

Ivy should be trimmed on walls and fences, 

Prune clematis Jackmanii by shortening last 
year’s shoots two-thirds of their length. 
_ Sponge all large, shiny-leaved pot plants, including 
palms and aspidistras, with tepid milk and water, 
to give the leaves a gloss. 

Repot cacti, when absolutely necessary, giving 
only a very little more room. Use a compost of 


~ 


156 TOWN GARDENING 


two parts loam, half a part of old chopped cow 
manure, half a part of coarse sand, half a part of 
crushed mortar or white bricks. 

Sow mignonette in pots or window-boxes. It 
seldom succeeds in real town-garden borders. Add 
a quarter part of crushed mortar to the ordinary 
loam, leaf-mould, and sand compost; or builder’s 
lime, a dessertspoonful to a pint, will do instead. 

Now is the time to remove some buds from rose- 
trees, in order that others may grow into fine blooms. 
Keep suckers removed from the base of rose-trees, 
but take care that they ave briar-growth, not new 
shoots of the roses. There are sc many different 
“stocks ’’ used now that no rules can be laid down 
absolutely as to how to recognize suckers from the 
briar ; however, the leaves are generally a great 
deal more toothed than those of the rose, and are 
a different shade, so the careful gardener will learn 
to discriminate. Syringe rose-trees with a solution 
of four ounces of quassia chips in a gallon of soft 
water; after it has stood' for a day the addition 
of two ounces of soft-soap, and two more gallons of 
water, is excellent for a second syringing, a week 
later: Always syringe with plain water twelve hours 
or so after using any insecticide. 


INDEX 


7Ethionema grandiflora, 77 

Ageratums, 22 

Alpine phloxes, 24 

Alum roots, 66 

American currant, 21 

Ampelopsis, 135 

Andrew’s broom, 78 

Ants, 93 

Arabis, 66 

Arches, 31 

Artificial beds and_ borders, 
27-8 

Atriplex halimus, 21 

Avens, 24 


Barbary ragwort, 77 
Barrels, 29-30 

Baskets, 30-1 

Bedding pansies, 25 

Bell flowers, 23, 66 
Berberis thunbergii, 21 
Biennials, 116 

Birds, 16 

Blackberry, 137 
Bleeding-heart flower, 81 
Blue gum, 81 

_ Boxes for plants, 28 
Bridal wreath, 81 

Brittle bladder fern, 66 
Broom, 136 

Bugle, 20, 67, 81, 101 
Bulbs, 21, 25, 39 
Buttercup, 24 


Caffre flag, 100 

Calvary clover, 77 
Canadian moonseed, 135 
Carnations, 140-1 

Cat mint, 24 

Cat’s ear, 67 

Cats, 86 

Chamomile, 23 
Charcoal, 15-16 

Chinese lantern plant, 122 
Christmas roses, 120 
Chrysanthemums, 23, 79 
Cinquefoils, 24 
Clematises, 136 
Climbers, 135-8 
Climbing knotweed, 47 
Coco-nut fibre, 35 
Compost, 28, 34-5, 42-4 
Cone flowers, 24 

Cream broom, 78 
Creeping Jenny, 20, 66 
“ Crocking,’’ 29 
Crocuses, I02, 120 
Crown imperials, 97 
Cuttings, 44 


Dactylis, 77 
Daffodils, 99 
Dahlhias, 147-8 
Day lilies, 24 
Delphiniums, 150 
Draughts, 16, 75 
Drip from trees, 21 


157 


158 


Escallonia, 137 
Euonymus, 135, 137 
Evening primroses, 24 
“ Everlastings,’’ 131 


Feathered cockscombs, 81 
Fire thorn, 136 

Fleabane, 24 

Foam flower, 67 
Foxgloves, 20 

Freesias, 56 

Fumitory, 20 

Fuchsias, 55, 147, 152 


Geranium, 66 
German iris, 114 
Ghent azaleas, 78 
Gladwin iris, 122 
Glasshouses, 51 
— plants for, 25 
Globe thistle, 122 
Goat’s beard, 20 
Gold dust, 23, 66 
Golden rod, 20 
Grasses, 132 
Green-fly, 50 


Harlequin flower, 100 
Hawkweed, 66 
Helen flower, 24, 71 
Hepaticas, 120 
Hoeing, 104~5 
Holly fern, 66 
Hollyhocks, 24 
Honesty, 122 

Hop, 136 

Humea elegans, 81 
Hyacinths, 96, 102 
Hypericum, 66 


Iceland poppies, 24 
Insecticides, 37 
Iris, 20, 97, 114, 120 


Ivy, 135-7 


Japanese anemone, 20 
Japanese golden ball 
I19, 137 


tree, 


INDEX Ree pre 
Japanese honeysuckle, I19, — 4 

136-7 ee 

— quince, 78, 119, 136 ire. 

-— wineberry, 136 © oe ee 
Jerusalem sage, 24 2 ee ae ae 


Kenilworth ivy, 66 
Kidney vetch, 67 : iS 
Knapweed, 23 if 
Knotweed, 120 


Lambs’ wool, 67 

Larkspurs, perennial, 23 

Lawns, 49-50 eae 
Leek, 67 CSS aeees 
Leopard’s bane, 20 ay ees 
Lilies-of-the-valley; 141 

Lily, 98 

Lime, 33-4 
Lithospermum prostratum, 66 
Lobelia erinus, 66 
London pride, 20, 66 E 
Loosestrife, 20 = eae 
Lungwort, 20 

Lyre flower, 20 


Madonna lily, 98 

Magnolia grandiflora, 137 
Manure, 33-4, 36, 85 

Mice, 93 cs 
Michaelmas daisies, 20, I15 
Mignonette, 55 


. Mildew, 89 = ecw: 


Mock maidenhair, 67 
Mock orange, 21 

Monkey flower, 20 
Monkshood, 20 
Montbretias, 102 
Mother of thousands, 81 
Mountain-sweet, 137 
Myrtle, 78 


Oleander, 15 a Pe 
Orange daisy, 24 eee te: 
Oriental poppy, 24 Sa eee 
Oxalis, 66 as eee tac 
Oxeye, 20, 23 . mae 


INDEX 


-Peonies, 24, 107 

Painting woodwork, g1 
Pampas grass, 122 

Pansies, 22, 25 

Parsley fern, 66 

Paths, 49 

Perennial candytuft, 66 
- Perennials, 19-21, 23-5 
Periwinkle, 20 
_ Phacelia campanularia, §1 
Pillars, 31 

Plantain lily, 20, 66 
Planting, 39 

Plants, bedding, 21 

Plants for inside rooms, 78 
Plants for window-boxes, 72 
_ Plants, pot, out of doors, 72 
Plants that live all the year 

round, I9—21 
Plants that will 
shade, 20-—1 

_ Plants to grow in pots, 81 
Plumbago larpente, 77_ 
Polyanthuses, 24 
Polypodium, 66 

Pots on steps, 70-1 

Potting, 40 

Primrose, 20 

Primula malacoides, 77 
Primula stellata, 81 
- Purple rock cress, 23 
_ Pyrus, 119 


thrive in 


Queen of saxifrages, 81 


Ragwort, 25 
Rain-water, 84 
Red-hot poker, 24, 120 
_Replanting, 61 
Rock cress, 23 
_— purslane, 23 
— roses, 78 


_. Rockeries, 31, 142-5 


Roof-top gardens, 54 
Roots, 40 ~° 

Rose of Sharon, 20 
Roses, 28, 109-11, 136-7 


159 


St. John’s wort, 20, 77 
Salix purpurea Nana, 21 
Sandwort, 67 

Saxifraga, 24, 62, 66, 77 
Scarlet wind-flower, 101 
Schizanthuses, 81 

Sea holly, 122 

Sea lavender, 122 

Seats, 83-4 

Sedum ewersii, 77 
Seeds, 42-8 
Sempervivum arachnoideum, 


77 
Siberian squill, 100 
Slugs, 51 
Snow-in-summer, 66 
Soil, preparing, 32-37 
— sour, 14-15 
Solomon’s seal, 20, 81, 100 
Soot, 16 
Sowing, 42-8 
Speedwell, 25, 67 
Spiderswort, 25 
Spirea, 81 
Spleenwort, 66 
Spray bush, 21 
Spraying, 16 
Spring snowflake, 95 
Star of Bethlehem, 102 
Starworts, 23 
Statices bonduelli, 81 
Stonecrops, 24, 25, 66 
Summer snowflake, 95 
Sun roses, 77 
Sunflowers, 24 
Sweet daphne, 78, 120 | 
Syringe, 16, 156 


Tassel flower, 81 
Temperature, 76 
Tents, 85 

Thrift, 23, 67 

Tiger flower, 101 
Toad flax, 24 
Tobacco plants, 22, 81 
Tools, 36 

Tortoises, 85-6 


160 


Trailing snapdragon, 67 
Traveller’s joy, 136 
Trees, drip from, 21 
Trifolium, 67 

Tulips, 96-7 

Turban ranunculuses, 100 
Tying, wool for, 41 


Valerian, 23 

Veronica, 21 

Violet bells, 20 

Violets, 139 

Virginian creeper, 14, 137 
Virgin’s bower, 137 


Watering, 15, 43-4 


INDEX 


White broom, 78 

White jasmine, 136 

Window-boxes, 30, 63, 106 

Winter aconite, 101 

Winter flowering plants, 119- 
20 

Winter heliotrope, 119 

Wistaria sinensis, 137 

Wolf’s bane, 20 

Woodruff, 20, 67 

Woodwork, painting, g1 


Yarrows, 23 

Yellow water flag, 20 

Yellow winter jasmine, 119, 
136 


Printed in Great Britain by BuTLeR & TANNER, Frome and London. 


ini 


00009132417