GARDEN CALENDAR FOR MAY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3901, 9 May 1877, Page 2

GARDEN CALENDAR FOR MAY.

(From Hay's "Annual Garden Book.") Kitchen Garden. — Late crops of pe.is Avill be over, manure and dig the ground ; if required for nothing else soav it AA'ith oats to keep the Aveeds under. Soav last crop of turnips, also carrots if not done last month ; onions, for spring ; stir the soil amongst spinach, lettuce, cabbage, ancl caulifloAver, ancl earth up Avhen required. Clear oft' all decayed crops before the aa .t season ; dig up kumeras and late crops of potatoes; gather in pie-melons, pumpkins, vegetable marroAvs, tomatoes, and melons, preserve in a dry airy place, free from damp ; celery continue to earth up ; Indian corn gather in as it ripens, and millet. Hoo and tliin the crop of carrots, onions, turnips, parsley, lettuce and spinach that Avere soavii beginning of last month . cut cloavii tlie stems of asparagus, and fork up the surface, throAving sonic of the soil on each side of the bed", then add manure to the depth of one inch and return the soil on the top, and the Avinter rains will aamsli the nutriment of the clung to the roots of the plants ; rhubarb beds may be treated in like manner, if the beds haA-e been cloaaii three years trench it out of the ground for three months and replant in spring. Beans all but over. Fruit Garden. — Continue to gather in the later sorts of pears and apples', as tliey arrive at maturity. Prepare ground for iioav plantations by trenching tAvo feot deep, ancl drain if necessary, so as to have the ground Avell pulverised, and lay in a quantity of bone dust to mix Avith the soil at planting time. Fork round established fruit trees, and add manure Avhere the soil is poor. StraAA'berry plantations may iioav be forked betAveen the i'oavs and all runners destroyed, the manuring better deferred till spring, if done uoav much will be aams led by the Avinter rains ; raspberries may be forked also. Fruit in season : — Apples, pears, figs, quinces (for preserves), walnuts, lemons, and oranges, guaAMs, passion fruit, grapes, &c. Floaver Gardek. — Any alterations intended in the flower garden should be done as early as possible. Dahlia roots Avill iioav be matured, and may be care-

fully lifted, taking care to secure labels to the roots vnlh thin wire ; lav them out to dry previous to storing them away for the wmter. Plant tulips ancl anemones, hyacinth, a f.AV m pots ; plunge the pots tAvo inches under the soil till the leaves begin to show above the ground, then remove, the pots either to a greenhouse or window there to flower. It is too e.irly to plant for flowering in the open air as the rain destroys the flo Avers in early spring. A few ranunculus roots may now be planted; jonquils, narcissus, and Spanish ms— plant a feAv of each, also sparaxis and ixias. Alterations in this department must be vigorously folloAved up in favorable weather; any tender plants to stand the Avinter should be re duced, and some light mould put round the stem, even ashes or sawdust will answer the purpose; such as salvias fuchsias, tea roses, bouvarclais, and alstrenieria. Greenhouse. — Collect the general stock of plants, ancl clean before puttinothem into Avinter quarters ; many of the sorts, such as fuchsias that have ripened their wood, may be cut ancl placed under the stage, or in a rather dry place. Gloxinias and achimines, amyrillis, japan lilies, may also be stowed aAvay in some comer of the house kept rather dry ; geraniums ought to occupy an airy place in front. . The old plants that were cut down as recommended in a previous month, -will require more pot room, ancl pinch any shoots back that are taking the lead of the others, so as to form a plant Avith a nice bushy head, symmetrically formed on all sides ; cuttings require similar treatment to form them into good plants. Keep the cacti tribe rather dry; set them on a back I shelf, except the epiphyllums that will soon be coming into flo Aver : they aa_U require more air ancl -water. Heaths, camellias, azaleas, begonias, and yoimoplants of fuchsias aa -ill require plenty of au- and water ; also all plants comino- on tor flowering ; arrange them accordingly. Look out for Avorms in the pots ; a watering of weak lime-water Avill destroy them Chrysanthemums clone flowering cut back ancl plunge outside; remove all plants past floAvermg, to make room for the permanent stock.