DECEMBER

Only the idle or the half-hearted gardener will complain that he has no

work to do in the short dark days of this month. Although there may be

little or nothing to plant or sow, and few flowers need repotting, yet

there are soils to obtain and store for future use; former heaps to turn

over and remake; dead leaves to remove from plants in pits and houses;

stakes and neat sticks to prepare for subjects which will need support

by-and-by; beds and borders to enrich, and many other duties to perform.

In the evenings, too, there are new combinations and fresh harmonies in

colour to be designed for beds and groups in borders; the requirements

for the coming season to consider while experience gained during the

closing year is still fresh in the memory; the position of plants in

pits and frames and houses to forecast, so that the plan of the summer

campaign may be clearly understood, and all the resources of the garden

be under intelligent control. The fluctuations of the thermometer have

also to be watched, and means adopted to save plants from injury by a

sudden fall of temperature. Altogether, there are abundant sources of

profitable employment for those who have a mind to work.



Bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, &c., which have not been

planted, will have commenced growing, notwithstanding the precautions

taken to prevent it, thus showing that they ought to be in the ground.

The growth has been made at the expense of the bulb itself, for there

are no fibrous roots from which to draw support. Therefore it can

scarcely be expected that the flowers from very late plantings will be

quite so good as the same bulbs would have produced had they been put in

at an earlier period. Still there are cases when the delay is

unavoidable, and it is reassuring to know that sound bulbs carefully set

at the proper depth will produce flowers only in a degree inferior to

those from earlier plantings.



Bulbs in store, such as Begonia, Dahlia, Gladiolus, and Gloxinia,

should be passed in review. Examination will almost certainly reveal

some unsound specimens, and their removal may save valuable companions

from their contaminating influence. This practice should be followed up

about once a fortnight until all are eventually planted.