GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3012, 24 February 1917, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.")

SOWING SEEDS OF PERENNIALS. Daring the next few weeks seeds of most' perennial plants may be sown. Seeds sown at this time of the year are, as a rule, far less trouble than those sown in the spring. Owing; to the warmer and more settled l weather, germination of the seeds is more certain, and the resultant seedlings .are. not so liable to.suffer from sudden drops in the temperature. The seeds, moreover, may be sown in sheltered -parte of the garden, Instead of in seed pans, though I always take the precaution of sowing some in the open ground-and some in seed pans. If the seeds that are sown in the garden are well scattered they will need only a slight thinning oat, the majority being left where they are until it is time to plant them out in their permanent oucrte'rs. This often saves one the tediouswork of "pricking out," and it is a great saving of time to the busy amateur gardener. To be successful with seed sowing it is necessary to take a little trouble with the preparation of the seed bed. The soil should he well dug and mnde very fine. A good quantity of sand should be mixed with'it, and it 6hould then bo made firm again. At this time of the year it is necessary to water the seed bed before sowing the seed. This should be done thoroughly several hours before the seed is to be sown. Large seeds may be placed one at a time in position; smaller ones should be mixed with sand, and' then scattered lightly over the moist seed bed. Just cover the seeds with a sprinkling of very fine earth, and' lay some light litter, such as dead pea haulm <vr any manuka brush, over the bed. This will help to keep the soil moist till ti» seedlings are up, when it may be removed. It is always a pity to be obliged to water the seed bod after the seeds ore 6own. If the following rules are obeyed seed sowing should be a success •—l. If possible mis sand with the soil. 2. llaka I the soil fine and firm. 3. Water thoroughly several hours previous to sowing. _ i. Just cover the seeds with a sprinkling of very fine earth. 5. Scatter the seeds well, mixing fine seeds with a little sand to ensure thin sowing. 6. Shade the pans or seed bed from the hot sun till the seedlings are up. Seeds of the following perennials may be.sown now:—Beauty of Nice stocks and all the- early Brompton section, wallflowers, correopsis,' sweet william, sweet. scabious, anemone, nntirrhinum (snapdragon), aquikgin, delphinium, pansy, viola, pentstemon. pinks, carnation, primrose, polyanthus primrose, pyrethrum, verbena, geum, gaillardia, prnwophlia, gerbera, Canterbury bells, Oriental poppies, Iceland l poppies, linaria, lobelia, and petunia. '. .TULIPS.' . In preparing in bed for.'tuliss striot attention should be paid to drainage. Thoso who have a light, well-drained 6oil need only add a little bonedust when planting the bulbs. Afterwards a light muloh of thoroughly decayed manure may be spread over the surface. Fresh manure should never bo used where tulips are being grown. Heavy soil should be trenched, and should have added to it sand or road grit and leaf soil. Some growers follow -ifie 5"Rn of putting their bulbs -into rich soil one year, and poor soil the next. By rioh soil, I mean soil that was heavily manured for a previous crop of vegetables. Big bulbs that are lifted from rich soil and replanted in poor soil will split up and make considerable increase. The new bulbs will be small and medium in size, but if planted in rich soil the following year will grow into nice-sized 'bulbs. Gross feeding results, as ,a rule, in coarse blooros. Old gardeners sometimes used to speak of starving bulbs into purity." Whenbuying bulbs do not choose the largest. It is the medium-sized, sound bulb which generally produces tho purest and most refined flower. Tulips are wonderfully accommodating, growing equally well in tiny gardens in a smoky town, and in wintry gardens where the air is of the freshest and the sunshine is undimmed by fog or smoke. Thoy aro tho hardiest of flowers, and will 'grow" quite'. well? inr. the;. most/ordinary soil,' provided-it is rwelldug..':'A. little lime mixed with the soil'helps to keep the bulbs healthy. Owners of town gardon strips should, endeavour to plant a few clumps of tulips, in their tiny front gardens. ..■':.-• ; y .,'■ , : ■'.- .The'Vcolours of. .the".flowers a]te most varied, ■ some -. being, .'positively. gorgeous, while /others are most; chaste arid delicate. The flowers are very Bweetly perfumed, and their length of, Btalk and ability to last for a long time in water endear them : to all who love to make. their rooms .beautiful with flowers. Whon planting the bulbs, i see that they are .deep enough ltd have about three inches of soil above them. They should be four or five inches apart. Place them on a layer of sand, and sprinkle sand over them before covering with earth. Tulips are divided into four classes:— Single (early and late), double, Parrot, and Darwin. If some of each class are represented in the garden one can have tulips in j flower over a long period. . ' GLADIOLI. The corms of gladioli should not be loft in the ground till the foliage dies right down. Many failures are caused by leaving them too long in the ground. Early in the, autumn the corms/ should be lifted' with their tops and spread out .in. a warm, though shady, place .to dry. Afterwards tho tops may be cut-off, and the corms stored away in paper bags. .-' ROUTINE "WORK.;..' 'Although many:of the summer flowers are over our gardens, are stillgay with golden-flowered perennial sunflowers, dazzling scarlet salvias, rich-hued petunias, gailladias, . antirrhinums,- verbenas, and edgings of vivid blue lobelia. Already the autumn flowers are BegiSning to open. Dahlias, speoiosa lilließ, and asters are well in bloom, while the earlie Michaelmas daisies are giving a hint of colour. Occasional good waterings should be given to all of these plants, and doses of soot water and very weak liquid manure will help them through their flowering season. Chrysanthemums need daily inspection for, caterpillars. Where a mulch has not already been provided, no timo should be lost in attending to this Tery important operation. Plants must be staked as they grow. The brittle stems of. cosmos, dahlias, etc., are soon snapped by frolicsome-winds. Constant stirring of the soil is necessary to help plants during dry hot weather. AGAPANTHUS. The shrubbery is apt to be Tather dull at this time of the year. Hydrangeas are still in bloom, but the majority of flowering shrubs are either over or just preparing to bloom. Where clumps of speoiosa lilies, tritomas, and agapanthus have been planted among the lower growing shrubs, however, the effect is, at present, most pleasing. The agapanthus is one of our most stately plants, ami for size of flowers and purity of colouring is almost unsurpassed. It is Been to preateat advantage when growing among shrubs at the edge of a shrubbery, when grown in big clumps on a lawn, and when grown among fornß at the edge of a stream or pond. Tho pure rich colour of the blue agapanthus is especially delightful. The agapanthus likes a good root run, a light soil, and a warm position. A little weak liquid manure, and an occasional good watering .are appreciated, by the plants during the flowering season. VEGETABLES. The following seeds may be sowji this week, where necessary:—Cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce. Sow in seed pans in moist, but not wet, soil. Keep the f>ahs shaded from the sun till the seedinga are up. The seedlings should be kept uniformly moist till thoy_ are planted out. Carrot.—Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Turnip.—Sow in ground that was richly manured for a previous crop. Make tho ground very firm, and thoroughly saturate it with water several hours before sowing the seed. Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Shade the drills from hot sun till the seedlings are upi then hoe constantly. French beans.—Sow in drills two feet apart, and have the seeds six inches apart in the tows. Trench the ground for this sowing. Soak the seed in water for an hour or two. Dust bonedust in the i

drills at the time of sowing, and sprinkle superphosphate along the rows as soon as.the seedlings aro up. Constant hoeing and much watering will be necessary to bring this crop on quickly. . Silver Beet. —Sow in deeply-dng, fairly rich soil, in drills 18 inches apart. Thin -out tho seedlings to one foot apart. Keep • the hoe at work among growing crops. . Garden Notes next week' will contain seasonable notes about:—Hyacinths, routine work, and vegetables.