IN THE GARDEN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21734, 17 March 1936, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN

j pDBK FOR THE WEEK ' (gyacuLLT WBtmx fob in mnj IBy W. JT. XUIUL] ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS Coostant Reader—Asparagus plants sel*(lom give satisfactory results when old plants are used. It would be better to buy young plants and make a new bed. The best time to plant asparagus is in the spring when the plants are beginning to grow. Mgpeful—Do not put any plants Into your r*fiew garden until the soil is free from weeds. Your best plan would be to cultivate the soil during next summer. g The more the soil Is worked before planting the better the plants will thrive. Put In a crop of potatoes, dig them early, and start planting next autumn. Do not plant geraniums now; they will die during the winter. October is the best time to plant out geraniums. It would be difficult to draw a plan without seeing the position. VEGETABLES la many gardens the soil is too wet undertake planting or sowing. Do net attempt to cultivate soil which is Jn g waterlogged condition; disaster is . bound to follow. Where the soil is well drained and in a workable condition, proceed with planting and sowing. Where soil has been recently dug and has become solidiged by the rains, lightly fork it over and leave it in a rough state. Potatoes which were under water for any length of time should be lifted and stored in dry sand, but dry them before doing so. Where the soil is workable, make soarings of prickly-spinach, yellowfleshed turnips, carrots, and turniprooted beet. Sow onions to stand through the winter; Ailsa Craig. Giant Bocca, and Brown Spanish are the varieties usually sown for this purpose. Lettuce may be sown now to stand through the winter. These will be ready for use next spring. Beet should be lifted when the mots are large enough to use. Store than in sand. Do not cut the leaves off; they are best screwed off, leaving •bout two Inches of stalk. This will prevent bleeding. Make a sowing of all salad vege**Nothing is gained by leaving the sec- I and early potatoes in the ground too fong. They should be lilted and stored as soon as they are ripe. Wet weather to autumn usually starts the tubers toto second growth. This is undesirable. Pumpkins and marrows should be cut and stored as soon as they mature. Frosts are very damaging to this class of vegetable. Earth up round the necks of cabbage to prevent them from becoming loose during wet weather. Do not lift parsnips, 'in.y are best left in the soil until spring. The early batch of celery may be earthed up. Dry onions well before storing them or they will not keep. Plant out cabbage plants for spring use.. Sow in a sheltered position or garden frame. . THE GLASSHOUSE Begonias that are past flowering should be stood outside in a sheltered ' place gradually to dry off. Take cutting! of coleus to provide plants lor next season. Make cuttings of geraniums and* pelargoniums. Feed begonias rnd fuchsias if you wish them to continue flowering. Pot on cinerarias, primulas, and cyclamen. i Now the days are shortening and the.; sun is losing its strength, ventilation and watering will require careful con- < tkleration. Reduce the shading and give plenty of air on all suitable occasion! Build vigour into the plants before winter sets in. Geraniums which were cut back and are now making new growth may be repotted and stood in a sunny position. The same applies to pelargonium! Give cinerarias more room as they develop. Air and light are essential to each leaf. Continue to pot hyacinths, narcissi, tulips, freesias, and lachenalias for early flowers. Stand them in a cool place and cover with sand or ashes to encourage root growth. FLOWERS Continue to plant spring flowering, bulbous subjects, such as narcissi, tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, early flowering gladioli, grape hyacinths, Spanish and Rngiiffh iris. Do not use farmyard manure when planting any of these. Plant out anemones and ranunculus now, but if desired, ranunculus may be planted in early spring. Remove all spent annuals and prepare the ground for future crops. See that the tall growing Michaelmas daisies are well staked.. March and April are the best months to plant paeony roses. They sulk if transplanted in spring. Plant Canterbury bells, polyanthus, and primroses, also pentstemons. pyrethrum! sweet Williams, aquilegias, *ad Marguerite carnations. Give luy of the valley and Christmas roses a top-dressing of well-spent manure; it will help them wonderfully. like cuttings of pansies and violas. They strike well now. Punt out perennial plants such as «is germanica. iris, kemphferi, gyp•oobylla, and statice. Prepare the ground in which to Pant shrubs and roses. Brampton and East Lothian stocks mould be planted now. Autumn Is the best time to plant out carnations. Give them a sunny, wellCrained position. Blood and bone manure suits them. Dust it over the W1 at the rate of four ounces to the future yard before planting. . Those desiring to make a good show yth hollyhocks next season should Wt the plant in now. These plants Way be procured in single and double varieties and in separate colours. . Sow sweet peas seeds to make a maplay early next season. FRUIT GARDEN Plant out strawberry plants. These •bould get well established before winter sets in. _ . ■ -As soon as the late fruiting raspWw« have finished their fruiting, out the old canes and spray those #*m*iaing with arsenate of lead. _ Keep the surface soil well stirred the fruit trees, but not too 1 ?*2*y. Soil aeration does much to I ***P, the roots healthy. ■’ , Bake up and burn all fruit tree 2*v®! Many of them contain plant WW! -lope’s Golden Drop, Angelina BurPresident, and Early Orleans are W®flc fruiting plums and worthy of vmwn consideration. LAWNS di Continue to sow down lawns; as Woo ap the seed is in the better. The pi r*W >eedlings should be well rooted hj: ■wore winter sets In. The lawn plays gt important part in the appear- in a garden. This should at . all d« jf®® B present a well cared for look, cc 2g.uammmed edge can mar the la fßSj* effect si Sfflmee the soil is of a light or sandy ti< Sfftte a good rolling at the present th .. SWf Would do good; but if the soil se figymavy and inclined to hold the th ciWHUua more harm than good will P- ; t* UOBe with a heavy roller. Rolling al I2u2!r ; soil of which is of a ten- b< .nature, when it is wet, causes H |9R’*ml to set hard. This prevents ft pgy. Proper aeration of the soil, and (< MPffMQttcnce the gnus roots suffer* m

MONTBRETIA Few plants are as useful for giving an effect in the garden and cutting during the autumn month as montbretias. Of late years many new and beautiful varieties have made their apSearance. These newcomers are of ybrid origin and all are well worth garden room. Blooming as they do in late autumn they have special garden value as a cut flower. Few can compare with them for elegance arid lasting qualities. The . plants need no special favour in the way of cultivatfon. An open sunny position suits thpip best. They need replanting every second year to get good results. Give the bulbs at least six, inches each way. Planting Is best done in the autumn after the flowers fade. A few of the best varieties are: Fire King .'(scarlet)," Hi* Majesty (brilliant orange), Prometheus (deep, orange), Star of the East (orange), G. Davidson (light yellow)„ and Dady iKanulton .(apncot-yeUow)*.;

DULBS SUITABLE FOR THE ROCK GARDEN A few bulbs planted in - the rock garden always adds interest. The following are all suitable for this purpose:—Chionodoxa (glory of the snow) -r-There are several kinds of 1 these, all are blue flowered; and will add much charm ’when they bloom _ in early spring. ■ Luciliae (blue with -white centre), Sarderisis (gentian blue); and Gigantea (large blue)' are the bestknown sorts., , Scilla siberica' is another dainty little blue flowering subject which looks.at home among the rocks. The winter aconite makes , a bright spot , in the rock garden. This hardy little plant flowers in ,the middle of winter. A position in the cool.portion of the rock garden suits it best. -The botanical nafhe is Eranthus hyemalis. • . Cyclamen coum - does ' noest when grown in colonies in a sheltered nook

on the rockery. It produces its dark green, heathery, faintly white spotted leaves in autumn, followed by crimson coloured flowers in June* Erythrbniums, known as dog’s-tooth violets, are worthy of • a prominent position in the rock garden, their pretty, variegated foliage, and -cycla-men-like flowers are very . pleasing. They are bests planted in groups and, if possible, nearby-a clump, of iris reticulata. The ; creamy . colour of the flowers form a pleasing contrast to the blue of the iris. They flower , at the same time^ SHRUBS Oiie of the. most effective plants in ■bloom at the:present-time is,Ceratostiggna - Willmottae.,- This - blue- flowering subject is most liberal with • its; flowers, and - for months' each branch is crowned with its' flowers. This plant* must be given lull [ exposure to get

the best out of it. It will do no good in. shade.; CHRISTMAS ROSES March is the best month, to transplant these. ; Quite often it is said that Helleborus’ .are" difficult subjects to grow. :Possibly:,this is true when-they-are. planted in spring after * growth, has begun. The Christmas rose produces two seta, of roots each year, the main or basal,rootsJnNearly autumn, and the lateral or fibrous roots in early spring , with the. coming, of- the hew foliage. If the plants are 'disturbed in spring the main roots-are destroyed, and consequently it is im-' possible for,,the plants ,to be nourished. The plants will, sulk-and- seldom 'flourish.' .'The'. soil . should , be deeply ..worked and well, prepared as they send down their main : roots to a depth ■ of two feet, or more. Old. mortar orlime rubbleshouldbendded;

freely to all but the .lightest of soils, and a good drainage must be given. As these plants floWer . during the winter months, a position' which keeps out' the cold winds should be ‘given them. ■ ■ ' ■ ~ •'