Here And There In The FLOWER GARDEN...

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28973, 14 August 1959, Page 9

Here And There In The FLOWER GARDEN...

Thoughts are now turning towards the coming seasonal display, and with many this takes precedence over the more utilitarian vegetable section. Although this is not strictly as it should be, it is only human nature to respond to an appeal to one’s sense of beauty rather than to that of mere usefulness.

Many are anxious to sow their flower seeds unduly early. Few of these should be sown out of doors for a week or two yet, even if all the necessary jobs of border maintenance have already been done.

A pressing job is that of rose pruning and spraying. Cut out much of the old, prickly stems, leaving but shortening the younger green or brown stems, for, from the dormant buds on these, will come your best blooms. Then spray with red oil at 1 in 20 to control white aphis, and with bordeaux for leaf blights. Shrubs and flowering trees of all kinds can be put out. Flowering cherry and apple and coloured brooms in all their presentday beauty of colouring should not be overlooked. Rhododendrons are everyone’s choice; so are gzaleas and hydrangeas. Those in search of something out of the ordinary have a wide choice as Chilian firebush, magnolias, oleander, hybrid lilacs, proteas, Japanese camellias, abutilons, boronias and ericas can be considered. Trim climbers on fence or trellis of all useless branches. Secure firmly in place the re-

served growths. This is comparatively easy with evergreen climbers, where live growths are plainly apparent, but with deciduous ones, like clematis and mandevillia, trimming off much of the surplus hanging trailers should be sufficient. Border perennials should have attention for they provide the larger share of a bright summer display. Dahlias should receive attention, and large, old clumps be lifted and subdivided for replanting. A few gladiolus should be planted for early flowers. Old carnation plants would be the better for thinning off some of the old shoots, while overlarge clumps of many good perennials should also be reduced.

In addition to the pruning of roses, all deciduous shrubs, and also some of the evergreens, require to be gone over and more or less pruned. The deciduous varieties should have all dead and decayed wood removed and some of the straggling branches headed back, and others thinnec out to give the branches a more symmetrical appearance and to encourage new and vigorous growth. The border is very destructive on several of the deciduous trees and shrubs, and also on wisterias. Lilacs are often badly affected. These plants should be carefully examined, and, as far as practicable, the affected portions cut and burned to prevent the insects from escaping and doing further damage.