THE WEEK'S WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 152, 28 June 1924, Page 20

THE WEEK'S WORK.

I THE FLOWER GARDEN. %_ |j Gather up fallen leaves. There should always be a heap of decaying || leaves, for nothing is more suitable for potting and rearing seedlings. X Dahlia roots which have been cut down two or three weeks may t_ J be lifted on the first fine day. Store in a cool, dry place, W M free from frost and not where the roots will shrivel. Under || H the shelter of a hedge or Macrocarpa trees is good enough .? h about Auckland. |f 3 Many plants such as Pyrethrums and Delphiniums will be made safer p '.. for the winter if their crowns are covered with a layer of p 3 rough shell, coal ashes or fine scoria to keep off slugs. ' p tH Before planting climbers against walls trench the ground two or % three feet deep and see that the soil is relatively good to j^ "I that depth and well broken up. This preparation enables || -M the roots to go down deeply, and ensures against drought, £ || the reason of many failures in climbers against walls. <A When planting trees and shrubs bear in mind the sis* they are likely |" |j to attain, and give them sufficient room from the first to save g A transplanting afterwards. The spaces between them may be % % planted with dwarf-growing shrubs or herbaceous perennials, W \\\ till the permanent ones require all the room. Needless to jg J say, wide spreading shrubs should be well away from walks. p ~ : ° When renovating the herbaceous border only a portion of the plants jj;» '8 should be dug up, so that they can be replanted within a p- :- ~A reasonable time. Bad weather may put a temporary stop to pi ~4 operations, and the plants should not be left lying about. | ? -% Make the herbaceous border tidy by cutting down and removing 'L £$ the old flower stems. Those plants that remain evergreen [J ■ijj should not have the stems cut down, nor the root leaves g _1 cleared away. Only those plants that die right down should L _j, be cleared away close to the ground. _% Clematis Jackmanni and its varieties may now be cut to within a t!f foot of the ground and a good dressing of manure given. j^ '-'"; The plants take longer time to come into bloom, but this is , % the way to get the largest flowers. '£_ | '-$ Honeysuckle may be pruned by shortening back all the young shoots ' to one inch from the base. The White Jasmine may be |; treated in the same way. p -Sji Opportunity should be taken on fine days to prepare the ground for !■: -:| sowing down in lawn. The ground should be made level, ji- _% or to slope from the highest to the lowest point. }__■ il THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. | ifl The largest leaves of Spinach may be picked from time to time. X '-« The plants should not be pulled, because they will continue g % to give supplies till the warm weather causes the plants to || i ?j_ run to seed. Hoe the ground on dry days to promote growth. p i~- If slugs prove troublesome, dust the ground with soot or lime £ '■■ =4 occasionally. E m Heavy and wet ground is giving anxiety owing to the amount of R| water that stands amongst growing crops. Select a dry day KJ ±A and draw the soil up to the stems of Cabbages or Cauli- P |3 flowers. This will keep them steady during high winds, and |^ jdj allow the water to run away. jp j H Inspect the store of Onions and pick out decaying ones. A wet j£ j day affords an opportunity for work of this sort. j_\ Leather Jackets, slugs and other vermin are busy feeding upon p , % weeds during bad weather. The careful gardener will do L well to dig under all weeds to keep these pests in check. It .2 j is a waste of means to allow these pests to flourish in winter, X ' # and then apply soot or lime to reduce them. Clean ground is "l ! a what to aim at even in winter. W I?J Never pare off and burn the turf when grass land is being turned P ' J into a garden. It is really the best part of the ground, and p . '-% if only buried spade deep below the surface the grass will \p | J .rot and supply plants with food. Potatoes make the best p I i first crop for such land, and may always be planted with |; | profit. § ;;'S THE GREENHOUSE. k _H Chinese and Star Primulas coming into bloom should be stood close fe ] ™ to the glass and judiciously ventilated during the day. To || 1"I prevent the leaves damping off or the plants rotting at fe j the neck, the water should be poured in at the sides of the i£ ' til pots without wetting the leaves, and no water should be X given unless actually required. Weak liquid manure may be W ] |j given at each watering. if l|j Perpetual Carnations should be closely watched for grubs or red fc--4 spider. Hand picking for the former, and spraying with (f 5j black leaf 40 for the latter. Aphis is best controlled by p '■ m fumigation. & i 3 Cinerarias that were sown early will now be coming into bloom. (g I' 3 Plenty of ventilation should be given to maintain the plants _-k % >n » sturdy condition. The strength of the plants and the j| J size of the blooms may be further improved by giving weak £_ : liquid manure twice a week, if watering is necessary at this Eg 1 H dull season. ___ TO CORRESPONDENTS. , IN THE FLOWER GARDEN.