FLOWER SEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 23

FLOWER SEEDS

FOR PRESENT SOWINGS HARDY ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS Several varieties of hardy annuals and biennials may be sown in the open ground at tlio, present time for flowering early in the season. If the seedlings are cared for and attended to during the winter mouths they will flower just after the early., spring iloweiSj when usually there is a. rather dull time in the garden. Among those suitable for such treatment are tho following: Sweet Sultan, Nemophila, Eschscholtzia, scabious, visearia, alyssum, antirrhinum, candy tuft, larkspur, shirley poppies, sweet peas, Virginia stock, cornflower, coreopsis, Clarkia, visearia, goditia, Iceland poppies, mignonette, and forget me uots. Seed beds should be prepared in good loamy soil, tho seed being sown thinly in drills, for preference, as the seedlings can more readily be kept free from weeds. As soon as the plants are strong enough thin them out so that each plant has room to expand. A fine day in July when the soil is in workable order should be- chosen for planting out the seedlings into their flowering quarters. If preferred, thd seed may be sown where they are to flower if the ground is of a light nature, otherwise they are better sown in prepared beds and transplanted. ..... CHATHAM ISLAND LILY. "MyosOtidruni • hortensis," better known as "M. Nobile,".is a splendid garden plant, and when well grown is a decided feature. The bright shiny green leaves are over 12in long, while the bunches of. flowers which are held well above the foliage, are of an intense gentian' blue in the centre, and more or less white on the margin. The' individual florets are ■ as' much as one inch in diameter. In. their natural habitat in tho Chatham Islands they grow on tho sandy shore or in rocky ground in peat. If planted'in good, loamy soil in slight shade, the plants do quite well. For coastal districts this, plant is particularly adapted, especially where sandy soil can be supplied. Plants can'be raised quite readily from; seed. ■' ■• ■ BULB PLANTING. While it is quite true that most bulbs will remain dormant for a considbratle time, it. is best to get.them planted fis early as,possible, as they do best when they have plenty of time to make roots before the- foliage starts into growth. It is not necessary, or even advisable, to lift all bulbs every season. In fact, as long as they are healthy most of them are better left undisturbed. When they become overcrowded, however, the ground becomes exhausted and it is then necessary to lift and divide them, replanting, when possible, into fresh positions. It ia not safe to use animal manures for bulbs, as it is liable to cause various diseases. Jf it is used it should always be worked into tho soil well below the bulbs, so that the roots have to work down into it. Where tho soil requires manure, bonedust ia perhaps tho best and safest, while any quantity of wood, or rubbish fire ashes, may be added with advantage. Where the land is trenched and a lot of green rubbish is buried, time must be allowed for tho rubbish to rot and the soil to settle down before planting, otherwise the bulbs are liable to be left with their roots hangjnjr, in which case they cannot possibly succeed. It is well to remember that a layer of green stuff a foot thick will Tot down to an inch think or less, and the soil abovo it does not always settle down. Where the ground is naturally of a clayey nature it is very liable to settle firmly over the top, and to remain in position, leaving a cavity where the buried material has shrunk.

Bulbs suitable for present planting include all varieties of narcissi, tulips, hyacinths, ixias, ranunculus, anemones, uiirly gladiolus, lachenalias, irises, crocus, tritonias, grape liyacinths, etc. The depth to plant must be governed by the size of the bulb ami the nature of the soil. The larger the bulb the deeper it should be planted, while in light, sandy soil it is safe to plant deeper than in very heavy soil. To avoid damage to the bulbs by future digging or forking, their positions should be distinctly marked by means of pegs. SUMMER-FLOWERING BULBS. Belladonnas, Brunsyigias, Nirines, etc., are just commencing to flower in early localities. In most cases theße bulbous plants throw their flower spikes from the bare bulbs, the foliage appearing later. Unlike the spring-flowering bulbs, these are best planted quite shallow, with the nose of the bulb just beneath the surface. The reason for this is that they must be thoroughly ripened or they fail to bloom. ROTATION OF CROPS. There is no doubt that better results would be obtained in the vegetable garden if a systematic rotation of crops were practised. It stands to reason that each crop requires special food, and that such crop having grown on a plot for a season lias to a greater or less degree depleted the soil of that particular ingredient. By changing the crops round each will find the maximum of its special requirement, and the results will bo better in proportion. Most of the food requirements of plants are contained in tho soil, but, not always Aji a condition in which they are availMale to plants. The various constituents arc released by the action of ruin, wind, sun, and frost,- while some arc fixed in tho soil until released by the action of lime which must be added when working the soil. For the purpose of working out a rotation of vegetable crops the garden should "bo divided into three plots. In (hu first plot grow cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and all other members of tho brassica family. In the second, peas, beans, lettuce, radish, and such like. In the third, carrots, parsnips, beet, and celery. "Each year the plots should bo ch'iMijred, so that the same ground does not have a similar crop more than once in three years. Onions arc an exception to the general rule, doing quite well on the same ground for several years, but even here ;i change ia an advantage, and any crop following onions should do exceptionally well, as the onion bed must be heavily manured each season, and is therefore very rich. Tho sowing of onions for spring use may be done now. The best varieties for present sowing are Ailsa. Craig, Giant Eocca, or a similar kind. The ground should bo well worked up and manured, and before raking give a dressing of soot. Thoroughly rake to .a fine surface, tread Jinn, and re-rake until the surface is quite firm and smooth. Sow the seed ihinly in drills 12 inches from row to row and not more than ■Jhich.deep. Thin out when large enough to 6 inches Tpart.