Flower Garden

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29021, 9 October 1959, Page 8

Flower Garden

Gardening at this season of the vear can be a very congenial and fascinating job or recreation It is in tune with the rapid expansion of growth and. because of that fact, becomes a labour of love to most people, women especially. Men are more concerned ’with the economical aspects of the vegetable garden, and that is as it should be. for it is to women that the higher attributes of garden beauty carry a stronger appeal. Plans made for the summer display can now be put into practice and the borders filled with plants There is really no limit to the variety—this is largely governed by the space available—but earlyflowering sorts should be the first choice. Ten weeks or Beauty stocks, Iceland poppy, nemesia. lobelia, viola, calendula, schizanthus and viscaria should all provide a bright display over the holidays. The more permanent things for succession would include pansies, carnation, antirrhinum, scabious, petunias, hollyhock, phlox and verbenas. The shrubby calceolaria and the Paris tree daisy, in pink, yellow and white, should also find a place. The double pink and

white forms of this daisy are very popular. Wellpark beauty and Mrs Sanders, especially. Conditions now make it possible to sow all kinds of hardy flower seeds, whether annual or perennial.

Make and sow down new lawns. If moss exists in present lawns, water monthly with sulphate of ammonia at loz to the gallon of water.

Michaelmas daisies can be divided and replanted. It pays to divide these every year. Delphiniums can be planted. Although divisions of clumps is the usual means of increase, cuttings taken next month are definitely superior. Chrysanthemum stools can be lifted and divided: each shoot with a few rootlets attached will make a plant. Fill up any vacancies in beds or borders. Some may be caused by seed failures and new sowings must be made. Plant gladiolus. These can be planted six inches apart, either in rows or in clumps. As cut blooms they are unequalled. Do not use fresh manure when planting.

Paeonies, gerberas. heleniums and phlox are capable of contributing much to the early summer display, and should be planted now.