GARDEN NOTES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13609, 18 December 1909, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES.

(By Hobtcs.)

TO CORRESPONDENTS,

"Cashmera Hille," W.J.W., and y.A.r?Your enquiries will be answered next «*ewu

HORTICULTURE IN. AUCKLAND.

Horticulture in Auckland! differs much from horticulture in every other centre in the Dominion. This is largely owing to climatic conditions. Everywhere there is tropical growth, ami plants arS not to. be discountied in garden decoration. Then, again, native plants of some kinds, more particularly the Meryta Sihclairii and thS pohutakawa (or Christmas tree) axe in, evidence everywhere, and these striking trees ,make their presence felt in a marked manner.. The~Meryta found in? Nature-on the Great Barrier does well on the mainland in the neighbourhood. of the city. Its large handsome leaves distinguish it from every other New" .Zealand plant. The pohutakawa, or Christmas tree, of New Zealand is just bursting into bloom. .This is the first time we have seen it, and feel that all the enthusiastic epithets applied to ite beauty are quite justifiable. The gloriously brilliant scarlet stood out everywhere, more especially in the neighbourhood _ of _ the sea shore, where it seems tor do^best. '• For the next fewv weeks Auckland will* be bright with the flowers of the pohutjukawa. . Roses, as stated in these; notes* on a previous casion, do well in and: around the city. Some kinds do better 'than others, ana the-darker ah&j brighter coloured varieties - do : ■ much.- better than in Christchurch. Crimson'; Rambler is to be seen everywhere: and flowering glorious--ly.. H«re ; the' colour of this rose is an intense' curiously enough, does not suffer in .this hot climate from sun burn,f as.it does in Canterbury. It' is also free in Auckland from the attack of green flyv ..In passing,, we may remark we saw honeysuckles and similar plants.also free from green fly, a most to see,' from » Christchuich . standpoint. Crimson Rainlf>ler; does" not suffer from anyl pest, v After, seeing this climbing rose growing and flowering in Auckland we can freely. state that nothing can approach-it for •briHiancy of display for. decorative purposes. Thousands of large bushes, smothered! with brilliant crimson "flowers, in gardens large and' small distributed throughout j the suburbs of the city, form a sight of which the, memory will *hW long, in the mind. Pink ivy geraniums rare also an effective sight at. this, season of €he year. Like the Crimson Rambler rose, this flower is seen everywhere, and blooming profusely. Its popularity is unbounded, as is proved by the fact that hardly a garden of arty size is to. be-seen* without this free flowering plant. Cannas .are: just coming into, full bloom, and will make a brave show until tho extreme heat of summer, when they will rest for a short period, and afterwards send up their spikes of brilliant flowers for an autumn, display < We saw some very fine specimens of Kalmia satifolia in one bushes from 4ft to oft high, massed in bloom. These shrubs were growing in suitable I soil; othenvise they do not grow well |in a warm climate. Carnations are . very largely grown in Auckland, and ; there are many keen growers of this popular flower. A fungoid 'disease, however, has attacked the calix of the bloom and caused some loss;, it aiso does damage to the" foliage and causes a weakening of the plaut. Sweet peas are, without doubt, the popular flowers at the present time, and a'host of growers follow the cult of the sweet pea in.and around Auckland. In gardens largo and small sweet peas are to lie seen everywhere. In.the florist and seed shops magnificent displays are made two or three times a week. Such flowers, both for size and colour we have not seen previously.. In Auckland the culture is high, and the climate is suited to the highest development of the sweet pea. Out atTakapuna Lake, in Mr Brett's garden, we saw a particularly fine.lot, which had-attained a height of 9tt, and were covered with flower. This collection-was typical of many others, though on a larger 6calo. Climbing plants, such as the Tecoma capense, Mandevilla ,suavolens, and others, were giving promise of a display later, and the fact ihat numerous plants and shrubs, more .or less beautiful, are limited to ..uckland, denoted that the weather conditions there favoured horticulture much more than ia Christchurch.