Practical Gardening.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 18 March 1916, Page 14

Practical Gardening.

Information and News for zy4mateur and Professional.

By DIANTHUS.

Correspondents will greatly ollige by ol>serving the following rules in sending questions for publication in these columns: — 1. Letters should be addressed Garden Editor, "Star" Office, Auckland. S. Write on one side of the paper, and make all communications as concise as possible. S. Flowers, etc., sent for naming must be sent separately, and, if possible, packed in a tin or wooden box — cardboard boxes are very liable to he broken in transit and the contents damaged. i. The full name and address of the sender must always be sent, out a norn dc plume or initial may be given for publication.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. HOMA, Monnt Eden.—Tecoma slips may be planted now, but it would probably be better if they were not planted till tbe end of the month or beginning of April. If planted now they should be shaded. HUNKER BEANS. S.P., Epsom, sends along a sample of ruimer beans which is a credit to the garden and gardener. He states they were soon about ihe last week in December, or were produced in ten weeks from sowing. It was one of the finest samples we have seen. The pods were as fender as possible, and were on «v average from 12 to ir> inches iv length, and what is more, appeared to grow in good clusters. Wp a rp sorry that S.P. omitted to mention the name of the variety, and We should esteem it a favour if he can send It along at his convenience. A few lines us to his methods of producing such beans would also be acceptable.

THE 'WEEK'S WORK. THE FLO\TEK GARDEN. Danlias are taking up a lot of time Just now. There is hunting for caterßlllars: this Is a daily occurrence. ■ Then there is cutting off dead blooms and trimming a sboot bere ami tbere. Those who prow dahlias need to give them n lot of attention at tbis time of the year. ■ A few days of neclect and there Is n tangled mass of wreckage that can only be brought Into shape again by n drastic use of the knife. Feeding and disbudding of dahlias must also be attended to. Use a manure chiefly phosphatie to produce b'itwm. Superphosphate and basic slag are two of the best phosphatie manures. Do not use both at the same time, but. if one is used one time and tb° othor the next, the plants will be found to appreciate the change of food. Chrysanthemums will soon be making the garden gay, and deserve the attention required just now. Disbudding must be attended to, and it is best to keep going over the plants taking a few buds each time. Plants to produce exhibition blooms will need constant attention now. The results will entirely depend upon what time is put on the plants. Feeding and watering once or twice a week will be necessary, and as the buds grow they must be made secure by tytnff. riants that are to produce blooms for decorative and cutting purposes will not need such severe disbudding, bat a certain amount is necessary. It is no use letting a stem carry five or six buds so close together that there Is only room for one to dev-elop. Each bud should have room to properly develop, and have clear length of stem. The single varieties are the best to grow for decorative purposes, and they do not need so much disbudding. Even with these it is no use letting the plants produce buds that will have to be cut before they are fully developed. Feeding is as essential to the plants crown for decorative purpose, whether single or double varieties. _ — Hoping among tb* plants should -be doae m often as possible, as it makes a lot of different-.• to the plants, keepiug the top soil nice ami loose. The border should Tje gone over, and all dea* , . bioonis removed, and any tall subjects tied up. Dovi't forget to sow some ten-week 6tocks if yo\ t have not already done so. The sooner they are in the better, and get a good bjt of ground ready for them. Thef are worth all the trouble, and are •worth more than many subjects that take as mui-n., and perhaps more, trouble. The • •iirden is a place for continuous -work- il sooner is one crop coming in, than it ii necessary to start and produce mother ta take its place. Nemesias are also a fine spring flower, and a gard. en without a 'bed or a border of them *a Hers in consequence. ■ Anemone i burns are offered cheap by seedsmen, fflX d it will pay the owner of the smallest v arden to speculate in a few. There is ao doubt that the early spring flowers, such as stocks, neme-sias ami anemones, are - one of the glories of the Auckland distm <■'. the climate seeniis particularly good A' r them. THE VEGKT ABLE GARDEN. There is oae tain,* that seems to have done rcmarkaoly weU. this season, aud that is weeds. Darin" the dry weflt/ier one was able to keep them in cheek, bu-t »ince the raiu they have simply jumped. Hoeing otlll requires a good lot of time, aud the garden neeO- a run over every The old leaves that are lying amongst cauliflower and broccoli, etc., due to the ravages of "uy, ,, suouui be rakt'U Uμ and burnt, or deeply buried.

I SOWDTG SEEDS IN POTS.

Our illustration shows how to fill a ' pot to use for sowing seeds. The drainage should consist of broken pots or scoria. The soil should be of a fairly light nature, and one that has a fair quantity of leaf soil and sand ill its composition. The sand should be used for covering the seeds, as it is not liable to become caked. Of course, there sue exceptions' to this, but as a pot for the general run of seedd this would do.

SWEET STJLTAJiS. Amongst the seeds that can be sown now are the sweet eultans. These are fine flowers for cutting, ac they last long, and are carried on long stems. In appearance they somewhat resemble thistles, but are not armed with prickles. The seed should be sown where the plants are to bloom, as the plants resent removal. If this is not convenient, sow one or two seeds in a. small pot, and they can then be" put out. Sweet Sultans like a soil in which there is a large quantity of lime, and also need a position in full eun—shade or dampness they will not stand. A soil that would be accounted light and drj: suifc? them. At the «same time it needs to he well manured, but only wellrotted stuff should be ueed. The eeed sown now will produce plants that will give a good show next spring. DIMORPHOTHECAS.

DIMORPHOTHECA AI'TUVTIACA HYIBRIDA PL. FVESO. These plants are well known now, although of very recent introduction, , and are included in the list of the best annuals. Sown in autumn, they bloom , early in the spring, and are most profuse bloomers, their daisylike flowers completely covering the plants* One of their requirements is full sun; shade

Digging ew|ny plots ot pround should be done at ouc-e. so us to t«eveut ttieiu becoming a bed of weeds. Sow another row of dwarf beans; if good ■weather prevails they may come to maturity; it m worth rUKlng. Keep the pods cleanly picked off the runner beans; the plants will carry Tor il long Udip yet if this is attended to. Celery should be gradually earthed up. The proper way is to keep on putting a little soil around the plants; it is a mistake to put too mu.h at once. ■ Water and. liquid inauure are alLo essential for this crop, and frequent applications should 'be glveu. Jiefore earthing, puil off any side shoots .that may be growing: the central, or matu stem, is the only one of any value. Should any bljght appear amongst the foliage of celery, spray at once with bordeaux, or lime sulphur. To grow celery it Is almost essential that the plants should ue sprayed two or three times during the season. ■ Tomatoes still require attention, to spraying and tying. Uemember that by spraying now you kill caterpillars that may attack other things. Some people let tjie plants go after they ihave received a fair crop, thinking it does not matter; the consequence is the later caterpillars are left unmolested, and are able to perpetuate the species next season. Spraying should be continued till there arc no ca.terpillars; the use or value of the fruit lias no bearing on this matter. If the planU are done, gai&er all She fruit crui'u or otherwise; if carefully put on a sh'vf some will ripCD, or it may be used for making chutney, etc. Union sciii may be sown now. This crop requires a long season of growth. The nest method in early autumn sowing is 10 sow not on the ground that is to carry Uie crop neit season. - Sow the seed in drills on a spare piece oC proiibd. jind next spring the plants can Vi> I rs'i? pi an ted into the prepared ground. A s'juri row will provide plenty of plants' for :i sin.ill garden, as each plant should count a good iMilb. What* , .'fr else you do, (however, make sure of irU ! iiL- fwl seed. A little is sufficient. Inn mi- ihut it Is rellable. Tliii- !:i-l r.'iison II was remarkable *he nuuiJT . i , mlxi-rl crops that could be seen. In sunn- :i-i- there were three or four diPtui. i kiiuK iif onions oat of one packet. 'L'lie win iif kuinaras should be lifted oecu.-iuniilly, to prevent them rooting. This ..i.: tiirow ail the value into the main fu"tS.

DIMORniOTHRCA A UK. HYBRIDAthey detest, and arc never seen in good form in the shade. The original variety had blooms of an oranpe colour, but there are now hybrids of various colours, from white to deep orange, obtainable, and the latest development is a double form. This latter is not yet common, owing to it being rather erratic in coming, but undoubtedly, when properly fixed, it will be -worth adding to the list of good things. A UWTOXTB EDGING TO BED.

The illustration shows how a quantity of empty bottles were brought into good use as an edging to a bed. Certainly unique, if not artistic ANMJAL FLOWERS FOR AUTUMNSOWING. The majority of gardeners, both amateur, and professional, do not think of sowing annuals until September or October. Thie ie no doubt a good time to sow many subjects, to keep . up a continuous show in the garden, but if one wants to see annuals in their fullest vigour and giving the largest number of best bluoins the time to cow them.its is

the autumn. There are exceptions to tbis rule, and some arc only of value when eown in the β-pring. Sown in the autumn the plants have a much greater vigour, and flower much earlier. March is a good time to sow the eeeda, but of course the eeason has a large control over these matters, and an exact date cannot be given. If the weather is ihdt and the ground dry it is little use putting in seeds till there is rain. All claeeeg of annuals are benefited by a deeply dug and well-enriched soil; at the came time they are co accommodating that even if no manure can be spared they will be found to do very well in ordinary garden coil, especially if sown in the autumn. Circumstances may somewhat alter cases, but no matter whether the quan'titiee of seed are large or email, sowing in drills is much preferable to sowing bioadcaet. By many cowing where the plants are to (lower is considered the best way, and probably there is a lot to be said for this method, but ft is far from convenient. The ground ie not vacant at the right time, and there is not the came control over birde and slugs when the teed patches are scattered about the garden. Excellent resuite can be obtained by sowing in drills and transplanting the seedlings when ready, and it is much easier to properly arrange a planting scheme by this method. Amongst the many plant* which are usually termed anmiato are some which are truely perennials, bui for garden purposes these are best treated as annuals. The following ie a list of come of the most iieeful "ay nuals" for autumn-sowing, but it by no means includes all the "annuals," and there are many more that are useful for garden purposes. To the average gardener, however, twelve or eighteen varieties are all that is required, and in most cases 6LX ia quite sufficient. Antirrhinum* (Snapdragons). —These should bo found in every garden. There are dwarf, medium and tall varieties, being respectively about nine, eighteen, and thirty-six inches high. The colours of some of the newer strains are most varied and beautiful, and a bed of wellgrown plants will continue in bloom for many weeks. Agcratum. —There are tall and dwarf varieties of these; the dwarf are particularly fine for edging purposes, being about six inches high. The flowers are blue, are like small round balls, and are carried in large heads just above the foliage. Aniebto Cornuta. —This grows about about two feet high, and produces abundance of spikes of golden flowers throughout the eeason. Each flower has five large black spots that fade to maroon in a day or so. A good plant for the sunny border. Calandrinia Spedosa and C. Vmbellata are the plants to cover a hot, dry bank. The flowers are of a rose or purplish crimson colour,-and show up well above the grey-green foliage. It is useless to attempt to grow this plant in shade or cold, wet positions. Growing about six inches high. Calendula. —These are old-fashioned, but nevertheless they are easily raised, flower early, the later varieties having immense blooms of lemon or orange colour. About fifteen inches high. Candytuft. —These are rarely seen at their best unless they are sown in the autumn. For massing as an early spring llower they are unequalled, and some of the later varieties have immense spikes of flowers, the plants growing from, nine inches to eighteen inches high. Clarkia. —Tueae are seldom seen, but seed sown in the autumn produce plants that will grow two feet six inches to three feet high, and which will carry immense spikes of bloom. Firefly and Salmon Beauty are two varieties that should be grown by everybody. For decorative purposes they are unequalled. Coreopsis. —Without this genus of plants our borders would often be very dull, but, easily grown, their bright yellow and brown {lowers are among the showiest plants we hays. They are unequalled for cutting purposes, and will bloom over a very long period. They vary according to variety from nine I inches to three feet in height.

Dianthus. —These are very bright and showy flowers, and in form are like carnations, of which they are a variety. Sown in autumn, they will produce their bloome for a very long time if care is taken to remove the dead blooms. The plants are about one foot high. Dimorphothcca. —This, although one of the newer annuals, takes a prominent position in our gardens. They are of easy culture, and will succeed in almost any coil. They need to be planted in a very sunny position. D. Aurantiaca has flowers of a brilliant orango gold colour, in form similar to a Marguerite. The hybrids vary from white to reddish and bluish white tints, and are very pretty. They grow about one foot high. Oypsophila elegans. —This is well worth growing, for its value for mixing with other cut flowers; mixed with sweet peas, it is delightful. The plants should be allowed the space of a foot or more between them. The plant grows about eighteen inches high. If successive sowings of this are made it is possible to have*it in flower most monthe in the year. Larkspur or Annual Delphiniume.— These are very pretty, showy plants, and if well grown make great displays in beds or as groups in a border. They vary in height from about fifteen to twenty-four inches. Linum grandiflorum coccincum. —This is one of the best of the annuals, witn scarlet flowers, the flowers being of a glowing crimson. It grows about two feet high, and looks beautiful in a mass. Memophila.— These are pretty dwarf annuals, growing about six inches high. It is a very old and at one time popular favourite, but it seems to have been passed over of late years. The plants should be thinned to one foot apart, and should be given a position in full sun. Almost any soil will suit it. Mignonette.— Most folks know this; in fact, we should not be wrong in saying that everybody knows this delights ful- old-fashioned sweet-scented annual. It is not altogether an easy subject to grow in Auckland, but with good treatment it can be done well. Give the plants plenty of well-rotted manure; bow in autumn; thin out seedlings to at least six inches apart. Seedlings will transplant if weather is dull and moist, bat as a general rule mignonette is a bad subject to transplant, and failures are very frequent. The best procedure is to sow the seed thinly and to thin out the seedlings when large enough. Mathiola stock. —Most people are acquainted with the various kinds of stock which are of euch value in our gardens, but this little species is not known so well. The seed should be scattered thinly close to the verandah, or under windows, and of an evening the delightful perfume that will be emitted will cause visitors to inquire '•what it is that smells so delightful. The plant grows about a foot high, and the flowers are of a lilac shade.

Nemcsias. —-These are too well known to need any description; they are largely used about Auckland, but even were there twice as many grown, there would still be room for more.