Here And There In THE FLOWER GARDEN

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29251, 8 July 1960, Page 6

Here And There In THE FLOWER GARDEN

Because of a natural scarcity of other subjects, any shrub or plant xne wwser monWM is regaraea with much favour, and when one comes to consider it, it is surpris- ; ing just how many worth-while plants flower during the cold months. Perhaps the best illustration is ; the well-known narcissus, Soleil ■ d’Or. It is followed by the lovely , Wue Iris stylosa and a good companion in hellebores, of which 1 there are several types in white and chocolate. Clumps of these winter roses should be protected by glass top and sides to produce better stems and purer flowers. In shrubs, the Japanese allspice • (Chiomanthus fra grans), yellow ■ and highly fragrant, heads the list- Others that appeal are the ■ yellow winter-flowering jasmine—- ' a good climber for a fence—and ! Hemamelia moUis (witch haael), a 1 striking shrub with its yellow 1 clusters on the bare stems. An- ‘ other good winter-flowering dwarf tree is the yellow wattle (Acacia baileyana). A good fruiting shrub is the Solanum capsicastrum. or winter cherry, bearing a profuse crop, of small, tomato-like fruits right through the cold months. Berrying shrubs are numerous, one of the most common being the red snowberry. A good bed of these is situated on the river bank at the intersection of Hereford street and Oxford terrace. Garrya elliptica, just coming into flower at present, is the wellknown shrub with greyish catkins hanging from the branches. Two ericas can also be included. They are E. derleyense and E. rubens, both dwarf varieties that last well. Planting roses is a labour of love with most gardeners, for whether climbers, standards, or dwarfs, roses fit so splendidly into the garden layout and give so much colourful charm. They are apt to be planted too closely together. Standards at 6 feet apart, with one dwarf in betweep, will adequately fill a narrow border. It is early yet to prune roses. If it is left for about a month, the hardest frosts will have passed. In the planting of effective shrubs, the range of suitable things is increasing each seasbn, and though many of the popular shrubs cannot be passed over, some of the more select should be included. This applies more

particularly to the front of the border chiee those growing only to five or six feet high, for more of these can be found room for; apart from azalea mollis broma, lilacs, ericas, proatranthera, hydrangeas, and berberis, noteworthy additions would include the cerise boronia, andromeda, Rhus cotlnus, purpurea, ceratostigma. diosma. Hakea laurina telopeo (waratah), and magnolia. Camellia susanqui. the ornamental single decorative form, and abutilons in many colours can be commenced for choice positions. It is often found necessary to shift well-grown shrubs, and it can safely be done now. The shifting entails cutting many roots, but ao long as the tops are cut back, and plenty of soil is left on the roots, the transfer will be successful. Fork over the ground to bury leaves and leave things tidy, but watch for spring bulbs peeping through the soil. Go over gladiolus corms, removing outer husks and baby corms.

Club Root

The disease known as club root, which appears to be becoming more general, is caused by a minute living organism which occurs in infected soil, and gains entrance to the seedling plants through delicate hairs on their roots. If protection is given to the seedlings and to the young transplanted plants, the attack of the disease may be warded off. To give this protection it is essential that seedlings should be grown in soil which is known to be free from club root; and In those cases where the soil is known or suspected to be Infected the seed must be sterilised. This can be done by heating the soil with steam, or if this is impracticable, by applying lime or some other sterilising agent. Heavy dressings of quicklime are said to be effective, but more effective is treating the soil with naphthalene. This should be applied a day or so before the plants are put out. Mark out the rows where the plants are to go and scatter powdered naphthalene along the line at the rate of about one ounce to the yard run of row; fork this in lightly. Or the ground can be watered with sulphate of iron at loz to the gallon. Cabbages, and

other brassicas, which are particularly susceptible to the disease, should not be planted on such ground for some time.