Cultivating the Golden Coreopsis

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 159, 6 July 1940, Page 7 (Supplement)

Cultivating the Golden Coreopsis

best perennial Coreopsis is grandiflora, so called because of its large golden flowers and the freedom with which it produces them for the greater part of summer. In heavy soils it often dies out the first year after flowering, and in that case it requires to be sown annually to keep up a stock. The long stalks make it one of the best flowers for cutting. The stalks of C. lanceolata are not so long, and the flowers are a little smaller, otherwise it stands the winter better in heavy and wet soils.' There are two smaller flowelwd varieties, which are very pretty. which are cut intoj giving 'ran impression of, numerous leaves at each joint. Actually, however, there are only

two, both very deeply cut. The flowers are yellow and the plant forms a compact, erect tuft. A similar habit has C. rosea, with rose coloured flowers. Ideal for Rockery They are all ideal plants for the rockery, as they keep strictly within their own boundary, and do not encroach upon their neighbours. They can all be easily raised from seed, which can be sown any time during autumn or spring. It should be sown thinly either in shallow drills outside, or in boxes. As soon as the seedlings are large enough they should be transplanted, placing them six inches apart. They soon grow into nice clumps, and can be placed into their flowering quarters. By sowing a batch in autumn and another in late spring blooms can be had nearly all the year round.

Herbaceous Borders WHEN renovating the herbaceous border only a portion of the plants should be dug up, so that they can be replanted within a reasonable time. Bad weather may put a temporary stop to operations, and the plants should not be left lying about. Make the herbaceous border tidy by cutting down and removing the old flower stems, etc. Those plants that remain evergreen should not have the stems cut down, nor the root leaves cleared away. Only those plants that die right down should be cleared away close to the ground. ♦♦• ♦ ♦ Control Of Pests LEATHER JACKETS, slugs and other vermin are busy feeding upon weeds during bad weather. The careful gardener will do well to dig under all weeds to keep pests in check. It is a waste of means to allow these pests to flourish in winter, and then apply soot or lime to reduce them. Clean ground is what to aim at even in winter, + ♦ ♦ ♦ , Grass Turf Is Manure NEVER pare off and burn the turf when the grass land is being turned into a garden. It is really the best part of the ground, and if only buried ! spade deep below the surface the grass . will rot and supply plants with food. , Potatoes make the best first crop for such land, and may always be planted with profit. * + * * I Climbing Plants Against ; Walls 1 DEFORE planting climbers against j D walls, trench the ground 2ft or 3ft 5 deep and see that the soil is relatively good to that depth and well broken up. ' T This preparation enables the roots to , go down deeply, and ensures against t drought, the reason of many failures in r climbers against walls. r * ♦ ♦ * A„J CL_L_

™ 'VVU illlU Ullf Ul/O WHEN planting trees and shrubs bear in mind the size they are likely to attain, and give them sufficient room at the first to save transplanting afterwards. The spaces between them may be planted with dwarf-growing shrubs or herbaceous perennials, till the permanent ones require all the room. Needless to say, wide spreading shrubs should be well away from walks. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Young Fruit Trees WHEN a tree is young is the time when pruning should be done, so as to form a good base for a well-, shaped tree in after years. The leading shoot ehould % be cut back to 12 inches from the base of this season's growth. The eide branches should be shortened back to eight or nine inches, and any thin sub-lateral shoots should be cut back to two or three buds so a* to form spurs. Several shoots will arise from the pruning during the coming summer, but only the best situated should be retained, the rest being pinchcyl out. By means of both winter and summer pruning a foundation can be made that in after years will need little pruning. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Chrysanthemums THE importance of strong, healthy chrysanthemum cuttings cannot be over-rated in the raising of young stock. Select the healthiest stools or plants for this purpose, and if any of them have had less feeding than others, they will provide the best cuttings. Some growers keep a plant or two of each variety without feeding for the purpose of aupplying cuttings. Another point is that as many as possible should be rooted early. Especially is this so with those varieties which produce large blooms, and require a long time to get sufficiently strong. + ♦ ♦ ♦ Climbing Convolvulus CONVOLVULUS major, or Ipomoea purpurea, ranks as a valuable

subject for clothing porches, screens and barn fences. In positions and well-drained garden soil the plants rapidly attain a height of seven or eight feet or more. The colours include numerous shades of blue, purple, rose, crimson, white, and prettily striped flowers. Sow the seeds where the plants are to blossom. A dwarf strain, Convolvulus minor, is a free-flowering plant for sunny borders and grows 9in to a foot high. The seed may be sown utmost at any time, but it is best to «w during autumn, March or April. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Pelargoniums THERE is a great variety, of these, differing in the forms of the leaves and also in the fragrance. At one time these plants were thought a lot of and almost every cottage window contained an "oak-leaved geranium." It is needless to enumerate varieties, sufficient to say they are all nice and are easily grown. The scented leaved-varieties can be struck from cuttings as easily as the common varieties.