GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2812, 1 July 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Ivowhai.") :

FLOWERING SHRUBS,The chionanthus may be considered more a flowering tree than a.flowering, shrub, reaching, as. it does, a height, of ten feet or more.. Tho flowers, are .white and very fragrant, and their peculiar' fringed or wavy appearance has caused the tree to be commonly called the "frijigo tree." Chionanthus Y"S' n ' ca is the variety most commonly' grown.' It likes a fairly rich,, loamy soil, but any moderate garden soil (provided it is not too dry) that has been thoroughly prepared beforehand, will meet the requirements of the tree. CHOISYA TERNATA, . Clloisya Ternata . has many charms. It is a-shrub that may be grown equally well in large or small gardens, Many owners of sma.ll gardens are unable to grow some of the most attractive flowering shrubs on account of the amount qi room they take up. But the choisya will fit into quite a small space, or may, even be persuaded to grow, against a. wall or a fence. The shiny, green foliage is attractive all the year round: but it haß also another charm—it is scented. Plants that have scented foliage should always be grown where post sible. One eaniiot have too much scent in the garden.' The flowers £re like groat clusters of orapge blossom and iptensely fragrant. The plant does not seem to be particular as to sojl as long a$ it is well-pro. pared, but it is apt to be injured, when young, by very heavy frosts. - IRISH HEATH. Irish (Daboeqia polifplia. alba) makes a very beautiful miniaturq shrub. During Decernber and January tjie bush is covered with- innumerable upright stems, covered with dainty white.bells. If it is possible to get a little peat soil, this should be dug in where tfee bush is to grow. ' ' '; ' ■ A REMINDER. When about to plant Bhrubs prepare the ground thoroughly before hand, and at the time of pliipting spread out the roots in a natural manner, covering them firmly with very fine earth. GAILLARDIAS. ; Those who wish to have a continuous sijpnly of beautiful flowers over an extended period, arid at a minimum cost, should plant a row or group of gaillardias. During the hottest and driest of weather the plants will be a mass of bloom, and vill look refreshipgly healthy and quite happy, in spite of any amount of dust aud drought. AH that they ask is that you' should, .rob them constantly of their beauHful, blooms.. In my own garden ,a .nuniber of plants of mjxed varieties were planted .about thip tinio last, year, in a'partio\ilarly.dry and sunny part of the" gard.en. The ground was deeply workeil. and a, little bone-dust was put into the soil with each, plant. They commenced flowering early in October, and. thropgho'ut the summer and aijtumn the whole patch was hrilljant with richly-coloured blq,qips. They, were picked constantly, but still caniq more and rnqre flowers on long, stiff stems, and the bushes increased in size till they had. far exceeded their own space, and ' had crowded out, several weaker subjects, whioh- had tp be moved tq othoi quarters. The plants are floworing still, but their season of beauty is over. Not so their, usefulness, however, for the plants will bo lifted and thrown on to the smother fire, • where they will bo converted into food for other plants, It requires some determination to dig up plants that have served ono so well,, and that are still beautiful, but they oould' not give ncai'ly suclTa good display during ; their second year, The . ilowera 1 would be plentiful, but- smaller ind loss fine in texture ' avid • colouring. Tho plftc« tlioy Ijave occupied will be trenohed, and pler.ty of decayed i'ubbish will bs worked iiito the bottom spit. Into the top §oil will go a fresh > pupply -of river-sauil, and st>nio:boriedust, L as Uoforo. 'Already, strong 'youfig plaqtS; froiri'seed sown last spriag; that have bpeh- gathering strength in-a nursery-bed, are waiting to take tiieir place iii the flowerbed, and by the ]ook of thoni they are capable of quite as good a record as, the former tenants <if the gftillardia f 'patch." LIN ARIA. It is a dainty little 'annual that is apt to ba overlooked Trhen such p. numbar of niore brilliant • flowers are' in bloofli. It is npt until this time of the yeg.r that one fully appreciates it. The daipty little, flowers are like very tiny snapdragons, and they are niost gweetly scented. The'flowers are produced most freely on the tiny bushes, the colours being, aii a rule, shades of lilac, purple, ana yellow. From seeds sown early in, the' autumn plants will be produced'that will flower nil through the winter on a well-drained 6unny border. Li?aria is yaluablq, t®Q, as a summer flowering annual, because it will gi'ow in a dry situation, where many other subjects wou!<l fail. PL.YNTS IN A IiOOU. Many people like tp have pots of hyacinths, ireesjas, cyclamen, narcissi, etc., Browing in their rooms during winter. As . the" air in the loom is very much dried than what t'hey are accustomed to in the..border, oar® should be taken to keep the foliage frequently syringed. Once, every day the plants should be lifted.' outside,, and should : be. gently syringed with, tepid water. Thii daily attention keeps the plants, healthy and free from attacks of ..red spider, etc. , . Watering should be '.done ably when necessary, and then it should be done thoroughly. If the pots are stood in pans of tepid water until the soil js quite moist, another watering' will npt be necessary for some time. One way of testing for the need of water is to rap the pot with the knuckles. Onesoon learns to distinguish the ring-' that, conies from a dry or a wet pot. The wet pot has a dull heavy ring. At this time ot tho year watering should be done in th'a morning. As soon as the ilower buds show feeding may be commenced. It is safest to start with weak toot uatei. Later on a dusting of Clay's fertiliser may be' given. Always apply manure when the soil is wet;' VEGETABLES. Whenever the chance offers ■ il;g and trench a part of the. vegetable garden that is to be used for seeds, ■ etc.,. towards the end of the niopth. Preparing the ground in the vegetable garden is slow work at this -time of tho year because it is ouly -when the-soil' is -dry enough that one can - proceed with the worlc. A.-i it is advisable for all'deep digging to be done some weeks before seed-sowing.'ovcry opportunity should be taken tp push cn with it. Those who were fortunate enough to get this work done as the ground became vacant iu the autumn.and sowed a crop of oats, etc., then, have now only to turn, in the green ':rop and leave the surfac.e Tough in the meantinio. Frost will so act on the rough surfaco that all clods are broken, and the. soil is reduced to the fineness that is so necessary to plant growth. Plants obtain their nourishment from the soil t! rough their fine h»ir roots, and tbese fine roots can best penetrato the soil when it has been worked to a very fine tilth. Where wireworms, eelworms, grubn, etc., have been troublesome it is as well to mix with the soil some, insecticide.

Vapourite is good for this purpose. The powder should ho sprinkled on tie eurr lace and immediately dug deeply in. When mixed with damp soil it yuiefcly gives off a vapour that works ujwards through the soil, and that kills ufMn sects in the soil. Hence the need i'or immediate deep digging. Vapourite is sold by Beert merchants at the rate cf about 4i|- lb. In preparing the vegetable garden. the soil mupt be deeply dug. Shallow digging only courts iailure of the crops, plants whose roots can penetrato deeply-dug soil have a much better chance than those that are obliged to curtail their growth in a shallow soil. Two or three days of hot weather dry up the surface roots in the shallow soil, but the roots of those plants that have gone deeply down into well-dug' soil have a cooLhome, and also liavo the gH'at advantage of additional soil from which to obtain food. The result is that they are-strong-growing,, healthy plants, able to resist drought and'disease. Vegetable or animal manure must not now be added to plots that aro intended for root' crops. Mqnure may bo buried ■in plots to be used for peas, bt-ans,-or- greeus. The ground that is heavily nanured for greenß or peas this year will season iter root crops, when aitificial manures may be lesorted to. The plots used for roots this season may bo heavily manured for greens nest season. Ip this ■ way humus is supplied to the whole garden regularly. ; ■ Garden Note? next week will contain seasonable notes about floworing* shrubs, garden making, and 1 vegetables.