THE WEEK'S WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1926, Page 24

THE WEEK'S WORK.

* THE FLOWER GARDEN. * I Delphiniums •hould be well looked after (or autumn blooms. The * >•• old stems should be cut down, and the clump liberally mulched 5! * __ and watered. , • * ','. Seeds of hardy perennials may be sown now. * *: Pl*»t bulbs of Daffodils and Narcissi as soon as possible. The bulbs * s: - commence to make roots long before the tops show above |jj s: ground, and a well rooted bulb is essential for good flowers. % * Dahlias will need a lot of attention just now. The last storms will * : '; have done a lot of damage to the plants. 'Broken limbs should ?; be cut away, and the plants trimmed up and securely staked. * ,\ ■ If properly attended to they will Send out some nice growths . fji * ; and give good flowers later on. ■ ' • '' ■ * 'J Chrysanthemums must be carefully staked and attended to. Unneces- >f >i sary lateral shoots and buds must be removed to give the plants }\ >l every chance to develop those that are left. Liquid manure and >j 5(5 . topdressing must be attended to. j| i: Remove all old flower heads from Rose bushes. If given a clean-up, * I; and the old flowering shoots cut back about half their length, * a: some nice autumn blooms will result. This applies to the. H.T. $ > I and H.P. and Tea Roses; the ramblers need pruning, and will # si not,flower again this season. sjs > t Any annual or perennial plant intended for flowering during winter * £ must be full grown before the cold weather sets in. Warmth * j: and sunshine and good cultivation is necessary during autumn. # |; Sow a batch ,of Mignonette seed. Although poor soil is said to ' * , '. . improve the scent, it does not produce the growth that is neces- ' '. :: sary to make good vigorous plants. Get as much stalk as se * I possible. A good rich soil gives the best results. ... '• 9: Cuttings of Pentstemons can be, rooted now. Choose short side - - j; \ shoots, pull them off, trim the base, and insert firmly in sandy ' * ! ; : • . soil in a shady position or provide temporary shading. . I. * The flowers of Zinnias should be cut away as soon as they begin to * * fade. I * 9: Layers of Border Carnations should be planted out. The sooner they : • * . . are planted the better the plants stand through the winter. ;: J Sow a little seed of Ten Week and Beauty Stocks. Keep the little £ :: seedlings free of "fly" by dusting with a little soot. Shading ?! I\ . helps to keep them free. • . ■ l\ g: Make an early sowing of early flowering Sweet Peas. The prepare- :: || tion of the-ground for the summer flowering varieties should be : ; $ undertaken at once. _ • , - • s! * Sow seed of Double Daisies, Coreopsis, Gaillardia, Aquilegia, ss £ Canterbury Bells, Hollyhock, Delphinium, and other hardy ': 9)c biennials and perennials. ,'■ * Camellias are now making their flower buds. The plants can be '; m- helped by mulching and also by a handful or two of blood and % ■j- bone or superphosphate. * £ Petunias, which were planted early and have got untidy, can be S * made respectable by having some of the long growths cut back * * aad the plants given a good watering accompanied by some * jjc . manure such as blood and bone. J J THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. , . * 11. Clear away all spent crops. Old Cabbage or Cauliflower plants that * * are badly riddled with "fly" should be pulled up and either * }| deeply buried or burned. * :: Dig all vacant ground, or at any rate keep it clear of weeds, v >c || Haricot Beans or Dwarf Beans, which are grown for seed purposes, 5C j: should be pulled up as soon as the pods begin to turn yellow. '! ' \ Pull them up and stack them in a pile round a stake in the '< \\ ground. A sack or two thrown over them will keep the rain \\ 9: off. When thoroughly dry and ripe they can be threshed and i \ I 1 stored. s: 3fe See that the Runner Beans are well supported. Where they have * *_ ■ suffered from the last storm, if the damage is very bad, cut the * , \ plants down to about a foot from the ground, they will throw V. it out new shoots and give a late crop. . . it * Dwarf Beans can be sown, that is about Auckland; further south, * if: where early frosts are probable, it is somewhat risky. i * Tomatoes should be kept trimmed up. Once the plants reach the tops * of the stakes cut the tops off. Keep the plants sprayed if there % are any, caterpillars about. * Onions should be stored in a cool shed. Tied in bunches or plaited into ropes and hung up is the best method of keeping them. / ' , Any soft or bad bulbs should be kept out for present use. Make plantings of Cabbage and Cauliflower plants. Spraying with arsenate of lead to keep down fly must be done; '

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