Pot-pourri from a Surrey garden

April 3rd. — This is the time of year when we make up our nursery, which I consider one of the most important gardening acts of the whole year, and one most fruitful in results. We take up, from wherever they happen to have been left last autumn, herbaceous Phloxes, early outdoor Chrysanthemums, and Michaelmas Daisies. These are broken up into small pieces, according to the number of plants that are likely to be wanted in the borders or to give away, and planted in rows in a half- shady corner of the kitchen garden. Here they are left to grow and increase till some wet day in July, when they are planted in bold masses where they are to flower. They really move better in dry weather than in wet, and I say a wet day merely because it reduces the APRIL 75 trouble of watering, which is all the attention they require. They fill up bare places and holes in the borders, and flower as they never did with us in the old days when they were left alone. This treatment especially suits the Phloxes, which is curious, as they are moved when just coming into flower. The rows in the spring must be labelled with the names and colours, as the different hues of the flowers war with each other if promiscuously massed. The Michaelmas Daisies flower earlier in this way than when left to starve in a dry border or shrubbery, but one can always leave some in unfavourable places to flower late. April ±fh. — All the Linums and Linarias (see Mr. Eobinson's book) are useful for house and table decora- tion, and are very suitable for small gardens. The common blue Flax is a lovely thing; so is the white French Willow- weed (Epilobium), which is most useful, and flowers earlier in the year than the common lilac one. As a single plant, for beauty of growth and foliage there are few things as lovely as the common Hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). It is an annual, easily grown in April in a pot or box, and planted out. In gardening, as in most things, it is thought that is really required, and that wonderful thing which is called ' a blind god ' — love. But blind love is mere passion. Eeal love in every form, even towards animals and plants, is watchful and ever seeing, never missing for a moment what is for the good and the advantage of the beloved. In walking round and round the garden, with a practised eye one soon sees when a plant is getting on well or the contrary. When a plant is doing badly, it means the conditions are unfavourable, and it is then our duty to find out why. In my garden the usual cause of failure is dryness, and many and many a plant 76 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN has been saved, since I understood this, by a timely mulching or a good can of water. When things are coming into flower, especially early Alpines, Gentians, etc., it is quite safe to water, even in cold weather, early in the year. Do they not flourish where the ice-water drips upon them from the first melting of the snows under the spring sun ? Early spring plants do badly in our soil ; but were I there, to watch and to water just at the right time, I feel sure they would look more flourishing.