THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 187, 21 May 1938, Page 3

THE GARDEN

GENERAL ROUTINE WORK. (Written for the " Guartjiau ” by W, B- Brockie, N.D.H., N.Z.) THE GREENHOUSE. Pot on calceolarias into livc-incli pots to stand the winter. Keep them growing slowly. They require to be protected from frost, but little lire heat should be given to them. If grown in glass-covered frames they should be covered over wit'll matting at night and air admitted freely during tho daytime. Hydrangeas for display next spring should now be potted. I refer to small outdoor-grown plants which are supplied by nurserymen. A six or seveninch pot is big enough for them. Soil of a peaty nature should be used for the blue flowering varieties and no animal manure should .be added to it as this will invariably cause discoloration of the blooms. Turfy loam with a little organic manure and sand mixed through it is suitable for the pink flowering kinds. If the potting soil is sufficiently moist they will not require watering immediately. Let them stand unwatered in a cool part of the house for a week or so, but do not allow them to become dry. By that time root action will have commenced when water can be supplied. Do not force the bods into growth at this stage. About the first or second week in July when a healthy root system has formed they can be Torced on with bottom heat. Abundant water can then be supplied both to the roots and by spraying them overhead. Keep liquid manure away from the blue flowered varieties. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Dahlia tubers will survive the winter without being lifted, but if they are cleared from the ground now the soil can be kept in a better state of cultivation and the space used for a spring display of wallflower or sweet-william, which, when past flowering can be removed and the space again filled with dahlias. In most cases, even if they have been left in th© ground, dahlias require lifting and dividing, so it is just as well to get them out of the ground now and store them in a dry place, covering them with earth. Spring bedding should now 1 be well advanced. Any further planting will require to bo done without delay. Christmas roses will he improved if watered with liquid manure. Sweep the garden paths weekly; this will ensuro a smart appearance as well as remove moss and algae which develop very quickly in damp weather. When all the leaves have fallen topdress grit paths that have become baro with new material.

SHRUBS FOR DRY SITUATIONS.

It is often disappointing to the owner of a poor piece of ground to find that many choice shrubs will’ not grow successfully on it. A great deal can be done, of course, to improve any soil no matter how poor it is, but this often entails considerable expense. However, even on sandy soil overlying gravel many beautiful flowering shrubs will thrive remarkably well and actually flower more profusely than they would in deep, rich loam Brooms or Cytisus which are among

the hardiest of ornamental shrubs do not object to ordinary good soil, but

will succeed admirably on dry banks and in the poorest of sandy soils. In such situations they display a great wealth of bloom in spring and summer. They may be obtained either as bush specimens or as standards. 1 Cytisus Burkwoodi with bronzy red flowers is a strong upright-growing variety a little later in flowering than other

sorts. Lord Lambourne is outstanding ' with its vivid contrast of cream and red. Strikingly graceful in its habit is C. praecox, an early variety which produces countless numbers of sweetscented primrose-coloured flowers. Spartium junceum (the .Spanish broom) does well in poor soil and in the driest situations. It grows to about ten feet in height and, bears a profusion of golden yellow flowers in spring. Acacia verticillata and A. acinacea are hardy wattles which do well in Canterbury. The former grows to a height of about 12 feet and has pale yellow r flowers. A. acinacea is much dwarfer with flowers of a rich golden colour. Cistus or rock rose revels in full sun on dry banks. Some of them, however, are not quite hardy but they are worth risking. - Give them an easterly aspect in a sheltered position. Silver Pink is one of the best. Cliantkus puniceus, the New Zealand Glory .Pea or Kaka Beak is another shrub requiring dry conditions. Bed, white and pink' varieties can be obtained. The Brooms., Spartium and Acacias should be pruned immediately after flowering, as explained in last week’s notes.

Other hardy shrubs suitable for planting in dry places include Genistas, Berberis, Escallonia, Diosma (Breath of Heaven), Polygala, Erica pyramidalis, Buddleia, Manuka, Ivowliai, Laburnum, Phlomis frutieosa (the Jerusalem Sage), Hypericum patulum and Prostanthera (the Australian mint bush).

RHODODENDRONS. Ithododendrons may now be planted or transplanted. Although desirable, it is not essential as is often believed to grow these' in peaty soil. Provided lime is absent they will grow in most tsoils. The site should be well trenched and leaf mould or some similar decayed matter added freely. Before planting specimens received from a nurseryman it is wise to prick over with a fork the ball of earth so as to free some of the roots. This will ensure that the rooting system of the plant will be quickly established in the soil of the garden. I)eep planting should be avoided. Large leaved specimens generally do best in shaded situations, while the small leaved ones should be grown in positions fully exposed to the sun. The Kurume hybrids belong to the latter class. These should be planted more extensively. They usually grow to about two or three feet in height and are just a blaze of brilliant colour in spring and early summer. As an embellishment to the rock garden they are invaluable. BUSH FRUITS. Plant gooseberries five feet apart in the row and six feet between the rows; red and black currants about a foot wider. It is a good plan to use these for making the divisions in the vegetable garden. Besides providing excellent shelter for the vegetables, when planted in a single row they receive

abundant light and pruning and fruit picking operations are greatly facilitated.

Raspberries are planted three feet apart in the row and five feet between the rows. A splendid method of supporting the canes is to put in strong wooden posts at intervals of live yards in the row and stretch along these two wires at a height of two feet and four feet respectively. After cutting out the old fruiting canes when the fruit has been picked,'the young canes can he laced loosely between the wires. These canes when they have shed tlieir leaves can then be tied to ,tbe _ wires spacing them neatly about live inches apart. VEGETABLES. Houses suitable for tomato growing are usually found to bo satisfactory for growing lettuce in winter when the ground is vacant. -The best soil is a friable loam and tllis can be enriched with a dressing of bone-meal, 4oz per square yard, worked into the top six inches of soil and supplemented by soot scattered on the surface and raked in. It is best to obtain olants raised from seed last March. They should be planted about eight inches apart. Where heat can be provided, a rise in the temperature of the house at night, especially in the early stages of their growth, will hasten them on so that the hearts can he used before the time for planting the tomatoes comes round. Radishes, too, may bo grown in such houses in winter. French Breakfast is one of the best varieties for this sowing.