THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 285, 14 September 1935, Page 3

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK THE GREENHOUSE. (Written for the “ Guardian ” by J. A. McPherson, N.D.H., N.Z.) The sun’s rays are becoming stronger day by day and a watch should be kept on greenhouse roofs. Excessive sunshine very quickly burns tender foliage and makes palm and other thick foliage assume a yellow and sickly appearance. On the other hand, the shading when applied should be very light, just enough to take the fierce heat out of the sun’s rays. Portion, of the roof should still be left unshaded to assist such sun-loving plants as geraniums, pelargoniums, and schizanthus. A very thin mixture of turps and. white lead will do when stippling the outside of the roof, while for inside work a mixture of skim milk and whiting can be sprayed on. Where stocks of geraniums are short they can be propagated by taking the tip cuttings and inserting them in pots of sandy soil during this month. Give pelargoniums and geraniums plenty of air and light, and spray the former for greenfly.

Re-pot fuchsias once they start to show signs of growth. Chrysanthemum cuttings should now be rooted and ready for potting singly into three inch pots. Do not coddle the plants, hut give them cool growing conditions in the shelter of an outside frame. The plants must now be kept outside during the whole of their growing season and brought under glass only when the flower colour starts to show toward late autumn. Seeds of tomatoes and cucumbers must be sown. The former in pots or boxes, and the latter in pots. Dahlias which one desires to increase the stocks of must be brought into the greenhouse, placed in boxes of soil and encouraged to make shoots. When the shoots are three inches long they may be cut off and rooted in pots of sandy Keep sowing annuals and prick them off as soon as they are ready for handling.

The Flower Carden. Growtli is definitely oil the move and the last of the herbaceous plants must he split up and re-planted. Do not overlook the introduction of a tew plants of the new delphiniums, which produce large spikes, the individual flowers measuring as much as three indies across. The old gypsopliila is now superseded by the newer variety, “Bristol Fairy,” a larger doubleflowering type. Summer flowering chrysanthemums may be lifted, split up and divided. They produce welcome cut flowers toward the end of the summer and are most useful for room decoiation. Autumn-sown sweet peas are now on the move and will benefit if a little superphosphate is forked in round t re roots. Exhibition sweet peas should be trained to one stem and even the tendrils must be cut off. To get over the height question is a very simple matter and may be carried out as follows. When each plant reaches the top of its stake undo all the ties and lay the plant along the ground, bringing the top of the plant to a stake further along the row. Commence to train up its new support and should it reach the top of this stake, repeat the operation. This is how all exhibition sweet peas are grown in England. It results in a saving in tall stakes and also prevents the plants from being damaged by high winds. , Now that good soaking rains haw been experienced hurry on the work of sowing down lawns. On light sandy soils the area is best given a light rolling after the seed has been sown. Look over oil small plants, especially those on the rock garden and re-plant any that have been lifted out by wintei * r I'he first flowers on anemones should not be allowed to set seeds for this discourages the main display of flowers. In districts where heavy - frosts are now past a start can be made to sow annuals out of doors. The ground lias received a good soaking and can be given a dies sing of one ounce of superphosphate to the square yard. Fork this lightly in, rake the surface fairly fine and sow the seeds thinly, finally covering with not more than oneeighth of an inch of soil. Birds must be kept away by covering the germinating seeds with wire netting or manuka scrub. Once the seedlings appear above ground the scrub can be removed. All annuals, save marigolds, salvias and asters, can be sown out of doors this month. Those mentioned above are a little tender and sowing should be held over till October. Spring Displays. Within the next few weeks spring bedding will be making bold displays in both public and private gardens. Observations during this time will reveal a few interesting points, especially as regards colour schemes, and the following points are worthy of note so that preparations can be got under way for similar displays lor the spring of next year. Wallflowers always look well when massed in large beds. Beds may be of separate colours, but avoid full beds of the dark colours, they are too heavy and dull and .require some golden yellow varieties through them to lift up the colour. Bdds of dark wallflowers interplanted with light-coloured tulips or narcissii always look well. Wallflowers can be underplanted and the beds edged with either aubretia, polyanthus, bellis daisy, or myosotis (for-get-me-nots). Tulips look splendid when kept m beds each of a separate colour and underplanted with myosotis. Then there is the happy combination of pink tulips underplanted or edged with the sulphur alyssum. Anemones and ranunculus look best when massed in beds, anemone fulgens (scarlet wind-flower) and anemone his excellency (single scarlet) being very striking indeed. Beds and borders massed with poly-

anthus look real well, but as is the case with wallflowers the dark varieties need the yellow varieties intermixed to assist in heightening the colours. Arabis, too, makes a splendid ground work for tulips and wallflowers, especially the double white form. Where a pink ground work is required for white tulips or yellow wallflowers, try using the pink variety of myosotis. It looks really well.

Scilla siberica and chinodoxa are two bright-blue flowered bulbs most useful for carpeting beds of azaleas, or other choice shrubs and for carpeting the bare base so often seen round standard roses.

Hyacinths are best when massed either in separate colours or mixed. Snowdrops make a splendid carpet beneath early flowering shrubs such as winter sweet, pyrus japonica (japonica), and liamamelis. There are plenty of other plants blooming in the spring, which with a little thought can be arranged into good colour schemes, and observations carried out during this spring will help with the selection.

The Vegetable and Fruit Carden. Supplies of lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower plants should be secured for planting direct into their permanent positions. All three plants require plenty of organic manure (stable, cow, and sheep) and during the guowing season applications of nitrate of soda, one ounce to four gallons of water will stimulate growth and assist early maturity. The main point to bear in mind with all crops is to keep up a constant supply. Continuity and the avoidance of gluts at any one period goes far in the success of a vegetable garden. Carrots of the stump-rooted varieties, turnip-rooted beet, Early Mjilan turnips and radishes may all be sown on warm areas.

Peas do exceedingly well on land recently vacated by celery. All that ono requires in the way of a manure in such situations is to fork in a little superphosphate a few days before opening out the drills and sowing. Space the rows two feet apart and do not sow deeper than three inches. A catch crop of radishes can be taken off from between the rows of peas if the seeds of the former are sown at the same time. . The tops of Jerusalem artichokes make splendid wind-breaks for the piotection of other crops and tubers should be sown now, spacing them lo inches apart and four 'inches deep. Secure supplies of asparagus ready for planting. This crop will be dealt with in detail next week. Sow parsley and spinach, and split up herbs for replanting.

Correction of Error.—ln last week s notes a small error crept into type regarding Ghoshunt Compound. It should read “two parts by weight ot copper sulphate to eleven parts by weight of ammonium carbonate. There is no such thing as copper superphosphate.