THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 22, 5 November 1938, Page 3

THE GARDEN

GENERAL ROUTINE WORK. (Written for the “ Guardian ” by W. B. Brockie, N.D.H., N.Z.) THE GREENHOUSE. Hippeastrums that have finished flowering should be assisted to matine their growth by placing them in a warm moist part of the house. Give them plenty of water and feed the roots occasionally with liquid manure. Thrips cause havoc with hippeastvum leaves, but the presence of these pests is usually always due to the house being kept in too dry a. state. Syringing the foliage vigorously night and morning with clear water will dislodge any that get a footing. When growth is completed, feeding should he discontinued and water withheld gradually. The pots can then be stood on a shelf close to the glass fop.* the bulbs to mature.

Make a sowing of Primula sinensis. Sow the seeds tihinly in shallow pans using a. finely sifted compost of 5

parts leaf mould, 4 parts coarse riversand and 3 parts pasture loam. (This makes an ideal seed compost). Just barely cover the seed, and water the soil with a fine rose can. The seeds will germinate quite well in an unheated house or in a sheltered frame. Keep the pans shaded until the .seedlings are through the soil. Cactus,and succulent plants are now putting on growth. Do not allow them to shrivel for want of water. The thinner leaved kinds need an abundance of water during the summer. See that they get full sunshine and a good circulation of air. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Darwin tulips are about a fortnight later in flowering this spring and whtere they are used in beds that have to lie cleared and cultivated for summer bedding it will be necessary to leave these beds to the last so as to give the tulips ample time to mature their leaf growth. When the last of the petals fall is .a suitable time to lift them. They can be heeled in in the kitchen garden, but where only a small quantity are to be dealt, with they may be placed close together m boxes about six inches deep and covered with fine sandy soil. See that the .soil is well packed around the bulbs. Give them a good watering and place the. boxes close to the south side of a fence. About January the contents of the boxes can be sieved to separate the bulbs which, are then stored in boxes or paper bags. • The work of summer bedding will

now be in full swing. The soil m in • excellent condition for planting, be'ing quite moist underneath. Where beds have to be cultivated, trim the verges first and then dig in some well rotted manure. See that the soil is broker up finely, not only on the surface but to the full spade depth. Before planting out make the beds firm, but do not tramp the soil too 'hard. Rake the surface quite level. Do not hesitate to pull the soil right up to the verge, as it can be easily pushed back with the rake held with the teeth pointing upwards. Mark the rows at equal distances apart. Ten inches from the verge is about the right distance tor the front row of edging plants and 12 to 15 inches apart for the other rows. With the great variety of excellent material to choose from nowadays the scope for variety in summer bedding schemes is almost endless. Prominence fnay be given in the scheme to one kind of flower, such as geraniums, antirrhinums, petunias, French and African*, marigolds, zinnias, asters, dahlias, begonias and salvia, or a pleasing harmony of form and colour can be produced with a judicious planting of selected varieties of the several kinds. Suitable edging plants include lobelia, Crystal Palace, Golden Feather, Tom Thumb antirrhinums, dwarf geraniums, Tagetes signata pumila, agora turns, alyssum, Little Dorrit, alternanthera and aentaurea candidissima. I do ngt propose to go .into descriptions of particular bedding schemes. The most satisfactory results from the viewpoint of the individual are achieved when they iollow personal observations made through the summer of the combinations of bedding plants that are pleasing to the eye. Take notes regarding the varietal names of the plants, their heights, colour and time of flowering. This way one can exercise originality and plan to suit oneself. Avoid being too elaborate. Simple schemes are far more pleasing. ' For large beds on a lawn a luxuriant and subtropical appearance can be attained by using tall plants such as the canna, the castor oil plant and variegated maize. These can be underplanted with ornamental beet, perilla and arnarauthus (love lies bleeding). Toward the front an informal grouping of zinnia, irisene, heliotrope, eentaurea candidissima and celosia is very effective. For subtropical bedding the soil must be heavily manured with good farmyard manure. The desired luxuriant effect will be entirely lost if growth is short and spincnv through insufficient nourishment. Do not let the plants suffer from want of water, but when they have attained almost full size in late summer less water will be needed. Keep the rock garden neat and tidy by forking over it occasionally and remove all weeds. If the small creeping oxalis puts in an appearance dig it out immediately, as this weed, once it goes to Seed, is most difficult to eradicate, requiring persistent and, painstaking care to remove it entirely from the cushion plants and rock crevices to which it is so perfectly adapted.

THE FRUIT GARDEN. Bod down the strawberry plantation with straw while the plants are still in bloom. Before doing this give the ground a good hoeing to get rid ol weeds. The straw should be carefully worked in underneath the leaves by hand. A large quantity is not necessary, the object being to keep the fruits clean by preventing them from# trailing on the bare ground and from being splash/ed, with soil in wot weather or when they are being artificially Watered. Select a dry day lor putting down the straw.

Gooseberry bushes and black and red currants planted last autumn will be greatly benefited if they are mulched with strawy manure and given occasional waterings. Old established plants cannot be expected to give heavy crops‘of large berries year after year if feeding is neglected. If the bushes were not given manure in the winter they should he assisted now while the fruits are developing with a dressing of fish manuye or blood and bone. Mix the manure with some dry

wood ashes, light soil and a little lime and after spreading it around the bushes fork it lightly Into thie surface. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. Alako a sowing of long-rooted beet to obtain roots for storing next winter. Thin parsnips, beet, carrots,"spinach, lettuce and turnips before the seedlings become drawn and weak. Weed asparagus beds and take advantage of showery weather to apply a light dressing of artificial manure or salt. f

Where a constant supply of dwarf French beans is wanted make a sowing every fortnight. •Plant brussels sprouts two feet six inches between the plants and tlvee feet between the rows. This excellent winter vegetable requires richly manured and deeply cultivated soil. Alake the soil firm before planting. During the season see that they do not suffer from lack of water and spray with arsenate of lead if the white butterfly grub is troublesome. Hoe frequently between the rows of all growing crops.