IN THE GARDEN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21716, 25 February 1936, Page 5

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK (BFBCIALLS WRXTTBR FOB TUB FBESS.). [By W. J. BUMM ] answers to correspondents F.S., Woodend.—The name of the plant sent in for identification is Lythrum roseum. It is not a weed. It is listed as a perennial plant in nurserymen’s catalogues. It. inakes an excellent waterside plant, taut will succeed in any portion of the garden provided that it is not in deep shade. Its cornmon name is Rose Loosestrife. Strowan.—The following 12 varieties are distinct and all are suitable for making a display in the garden or for exhibition purposes:—Gleneagles (blue). Beatall (cerise). Charm (glowine cerise), Scintlllantha (rose cerise). Captain Blood (scarlet), Ambition (lavender), Wembly (pale lavender). Avalanche (white). Welcome (scarlet), Pinkie (pink), Mammoth (orange), What Joy (cream). The second week in March is quite a good time to sow the seeds. Prepare the soil now. so that it will have time to settle before the seeds are planted. Mansfield Avenue—To get the best out of wallflowers they should be planted in full sun. If planted in a shaded position the plants will grow long and sappy, and will not flower well. Polyanthus will grow and flower well in spring in the shaded position, but the soil should be well worked and some well-decayed manure put into it. Blood manure is good, but it must be worked into the soil well before planting. Produce well-established plants and plant out in April. Pansies or violas would also succeed; they, too, should be planted in autumn. Cashmere Hills.—Three distinct varieties of calendulas are .Chrysanthemum, The Ball. Radio. THE GLASSHOUSE Proceed with the potting of such bulbs as tulips, narcissi, crocuses, freesias, hyacinths. Continue to take cuttings of pelargoniums and geraniums. Cut back pelargoniums and stand in sunny position. Sow schizanthus and mignonette. Pot or put in baskets lachenalias. Take, cuttings of colens and irisenes. Pot on cyclamen and primulas; also cinerarias as they require it. Pot up arum lilies for forcing. Sow seeds of cyclamen. Take cuttings of hydrangeas. Pot on primula malacoides. As the sun loses power, much of the shading must be removed from the houses and frames. Keep fuchsia flowering by giving them liquid manure. Give primulas, cinerarias, and cyclamen growing in frames plenty of ventilation, FLOWERS Plant out iris germanica. Continue to plant out daffodils, ixias, sparaxis, hyacinths, snowflakes, crocuses, anemones, ranunculus, tulips, grape, hyacinths, and lachenalias. Prepare places for sweet peas. Plant out Canterbury bells, aquilegias, pentstemons, sweet williams, pyrethrums. > Plant bulbs of early flowering gladioli such as The Bride, Peach Blossom, Insignus. These come in after the flush of spring, bulbs are over. Prepare the ground for planting out carnations. Tie up and disbud dahlias, and as soon as the ground is workable, lightly hoe the soil about the plants. Tie up chrysanthemums, and spray for mildew, rust, and caterpillars. VEGETABLES As-crops ara removed;; plant broccoli, kale, and savoys for winter use. Sow for salads, lettuce, onions, and radish. . A • . Lift and store the earliest batch of carrots. After heavy rains they are liable to split. Clean sand is quite good to store them in. Stop the main leader on tomatoes when they have four or five trusses of fruit set. Sow yellow-fleshed turnips. Sow seeds of cauliflowers and cabbages. Earth up the early lines of celery. Make a . sowing of a stump-rooted variety of carrot. As the plots become vacant, if not required for present crops, dig them up and leave rough to sweeten. As soon as the soil is workable, keep the hoe going. The heavy rains have caused the surface to crust over; when it is in this condition, the crops cannot thrive. Hoeing warms and ventilates the soil and also enriches it by the action of the air. Lift potatoes as they become fit; after the heavy rains experienced they may begin second growth. Burn all tops affected with blight. Thoroughly dry the onions before they are stored, or they will not keep. FRUIT Collect all fallen apples that have been attacked by the, codlin moth grub and destroy them. Also, destroy all fruit affected by the brown rot. Leaving these fruits on and under the trees is only spreading this scourge. Where English plums are making too much wood growth, and not fruiting to satisfaction, the best way to make them productive is to root-prune. This may be carried out as soon as the foliage has fallen. All stone fruit should have a dressing of lime each year; four or five ounces to the square yard is sufficient. Blood and bone manure scattered round under bearing fruit trees, and hoed in, will build vigour into the trees and the next season’s crop will be better in consequence. SHRUBS No family of hardy flowering shrubs is more effective at the present time than the hibiscus These autumn flowering plants are not met with in gardens as often as they should be. There are but few shrubs which make their display so late in the season and on this account should not be overlooked. The plants are not difficult to establish. They lose their leaves in winter and therefore are best given a position in the full sun. The plants form good-rounded bushes up to six feet in height and bloom most profusely. The two species known as hibiscus syriacus and H. syriacus alba are quite hardy. The hibiscus syriacus has reddish purple flowers much after the formation of those of the hollyhock. The other variety, * has white flowers. These plants belong to the same family as the abutilon and hollyhock, and their common name is Syrian mallow. Besides these two species there are many hybrids with rose, lilac, white, ruby, and purplish red flowers in both double and single varieties.

Violets Need Attention Now—During the summer and autumn months when the violets are out ol flowers, most people forget all about their presence and neglect them. A little attention given to these spring flowering subjects during the summer months, will make all the difference to their flower display. When large blooms are desired, feed the plants with well-decayed manure or leaf mould, and keep all the runners off as these use the nourishment needed by the main crowns.; In dry weather dry spider often attacks the underside of the leaves. These pests may be controlled by spraying the plants with cosan colloidal sulphur. At the present time if the plants were given liquid manure once a week it would do much to build vigour into the plants. i,, , . Uly Cf the Valley— The plants are 3t present developing .their crowns, which are to bear the flowers next spring, and any assistance given- to

them at the present time is bound to improve both the flowers and the length of their stems. Black, rotten manure or leaf-mould, top-dressed through the plants, will do much good, so will liquid manure. Time to Plant Peony Roses—Although the herbaceous peony is quite easy to grow and will continue to give a wealth of blooms each year over a long period without much attention, yet many people lail to grow these very useful perennials to perfection simply because quite often they are planted during the winter and spring months. This these plants simply hate; quite olten when planted then, they will sulk, and refuse to produce flowers for several years. It is seldom that peonies need transplanting, for when once established and suited to their position, they will go on producing flowers each spring for many years. The best time to plant or replant them is during the end of February or early in March. It is not necessary to wait for the leaves to die olt. Plant them with the leaves on, and they will then grow new roots. Shift beiore winter sets in. The cultivation of the peony is very simple; all they require is a good rich soil. It is almost impossible to have It too rich provided that the drainage is good. If the soil is light, dig in some well-decayed cow manure. These plants will flower better if lime is added. Give the plants plenty of room. Three feet apart .is little! enough. Do not cover the crowns at a greater depth than three inches. After peonies have been transplanted it usually takes from two to three years to become fully established again. Either sun or partial shade will suit them. A quite pleasing effect can be made by planting a clump of yellow daffodils between the plants. The crimson shoots of the peonies contrast well with the yellow blooms of the daffodils. It is also quite a good plan to plant clumps of perennial phlox through the bed or at the back of each clump. The. phlox will give an effect through the summer when the peonies are past flowering. Topdressing with well-decayed manure immediately after flowering does much to keep these plants thriving. During dry weather plenty of water should be given them. The peony is a worthy perennial and should be represented in every garden. As a cut flower there are few as useful.