GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3036, 24 March 1917, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.")

EOTJTINE WOEK. Continue planting narcissi, hyacinths, itulips, sparaxis, early-flowering gladioli, tfreesias, etc Continue sowing -seeds of and hardy annuals. Tako [cuttings of. roses, .(geraniums, anthirrjhinums, pontstemons, violas, ipansies, etc. iPlant out seedling wallflowers, stocks, fanemones, doronioums, antirrhinums, iprirflroses, polyanthus primroses, sweet •Williams, coreopsis, . grandiflora, Canterbury bells, eta.. :, . ... ' 'Water, ifeed,- and tie up plants whero •necessary. 1 Keep the 6oil will stirred by regular Hoeing. MVENDBR. ■ It is difficult *to imagine a -garden;without at least one lavender bush in it. The flowers are intensely fragrant, and, 'when dried, retain their fragrance for ;years. The leaves, too, have a delightful 'scent, "sard'"their;'greeny-grey., colour -is •always attractive in. the garden.-plants 'are easily /raised "from, seed, which may, 'be sown either now or in '■But a quicker : wiiy of ;obtaining now (plants is to 'take ■ cuttings "now. .'Choose 'well-ripened shoots 'of the present se'a;son's'igrowth, 'and-cut'them just below -a ijoinlv •l.rrsonie-'oases it is possible to take •the ; o!'" , 'rigs with a heel of the old wood. iKemove the lower leaves, and* insert tli© 'cuttings very- firmly in damn, sandy, soil. >A little satid 'should be placed in the bottom of the drill for tho base of tie cutting to rest in. "Be careful to press the Wr'firmlv'about the base of the cutting. Shading, from hot sun is necessary.-until 'new growth commensal . Lavender likes ft'-light, warm, sandy soil.-' Heavy soil' Should he very deeply dug, and should ham well-rotted stable-manure and coarso sand mixed with it. . i A row of lavender plants mates a charmitig"finish to the edge of the vegetable -garden. .. ... ■ The-'flowors should be -gathered when 'fullv mk, ti«! into bunohes, and suspended, downwards, from, the ceil-in^-of a dry shed. Afterwards they May lw-nuFto many delightful uses, such as 'filling 'sachets for "scenting, linen cupboards 'affd-drawers, or for mixing with dried rose petals to fill cushions. A laven-der-filled cushion is a T.iost refreshing thing to lean against,.and the more you shake -it. up the stronger, the scent that comes from it.

' bERtSANTHEMTJMS. Wherever they-cftniget.thechanoe oaterpillars are -gobbling up the. sewly-formed buds-'as .fast'as ipb'ssible.- The.amount of damage that can *be; done -by them during one 'short week-end is really'amazing. The ''only 'teliiible. method'of .'getting rid of 'theiri -Seems to be by 'hand : picking. It is, 'especially in'.'the 'case-of dargo cater-, ipillats, ■'-a .most unpleasant task, 'ana 'often'a'Tislcy-one, because some - caterpillars give, dne-a.'very. nasty bit<j. _ But_l have fmind consistent hand-picking the most effective jmeansi-pf keeping them in In the case of early-flowering'obrysan-theniuins very Utile disbudding is necessaiy. The plants, if left .to themselves with, just'a little necessary thinniM; out bf'the buds, .mil aeleW wonderful sprays-'of.blossom.,, ..... ..',.;:.. . . •Single-flowering chrysanthemums ;are more effective when treated in the same way. It is possible- then, ;With wcllgroOTi plants, to pick beautiful .Prays, of bloom two or three fe'et .in'length . . : In the garden, too, the -plantsi.maU-a fine aisplay .'whsn they .are mot disbudded axe;i*guvning to' swelii a little,ijquid'niarinrb 'should be 'given to the plants; -Joz. of guano, or loz. of: superphosphate, 'dissolved in a ■ .gallon of water. Svill-help the .plants toswell their buds'and 'produc'B.gboa flowers. Use rain • water ,if. possible, told artesian water should be exposed to the suu for several hours before. being used.-Plants-of--the .later-flowering variety that' liave.'been pinched,'back 'two,-or three ; dimes'will'by 'this time.! havo* made fine jbushy;growth, anil will be malcinE their, iterrain'alJbuds. ~A- well-pinohed plant 'has, as a rule, many, shoots and may: .ib'e disbudded'to one'bud-to each: shoot. [The central bud- 'o! each cluster is'gen- ; •Wily.. l the largest and the best one to !retaiii'.'",-.;'.GarefuUy.-.remove 'all ..^others.; AVhere ':'floiyers-.a're:'ivanted make 'a great'''di6play ihvthe garden,, the celiitral bud of each cluster is sometimes reimoved, and.either two or 'th'tee 'of the 'outside-buds, well-removed from/onb a'nibthef;' are "left. This "method:o'f disbudding give's 'two Or three smaller ■ 'flowers farming a .cluster or spray on ieach shoot, and makes' a great mass of Ibloom in the garden. But for .'decoration 'these-clusters aVe far too Iheavy. .For "this purpose the plan of Heaving thecentral bud.and rbiubving.'all 'others. gives biie medium sized flowers 'on .nice, long stem's. Flowering 'shoo'ts 'should.-be',tied, "as natiithlly as .possible; f to carefully/concealed stakes. EeiUbye l any -'shoots 'that begin to form at the' rb'ase of-the, stems. Prom now. o'nSvKrds '■attend, strictly ,to watering, mulching, 'feeding,.disbudding, tying-np 'ffowerihg Pshoots, and exterminating caterpillars.

. ./IHISES. '„ English, and Spanish irises should be [planted as soon 'as .'possible to allow the I bulbs 'time to make Btrong roots before ithey throw : .up flowerins steins. Irises ■appreciate plenty'of Blind in'the soil siirirounding tnein, and that ;is easily ob-. ■ taine'diby.. most. New.-Zealaivd:gaideners. ;A little bonedust should be added to. tho •soil when plantintt irises. Spanfsh irises •flower just a little sooner than the English ones, and their colours are very" 'dainty, the pale yellow and whito Tarieties being specially charming. One <can't- '-help a little, feeling of .i-egi'et as : the flowers'fado and die. but almost -imIrtimi jately "the English, irises',-open- their '.■■'. and-richly-coloured : purple, blue, or lilac flowers, and, for a" space, i'de.light us:'with 'their .'exquisite 'beanty. English and Spanish-irises are splendid ei-bwiiig in clumps in a iuixed border, (or. ..for.- growing' in •■ a- well-drained posi!tion,'on thevsuimy, edge of a .pond, or 'stream. ■•, Of .their, -value as cut.'flowers "too rnubh. cannot bo.said. The delightful .'form of the. flowers,; r their dainty--col-iours',. their 'longisteins. and- their .ability 'to keep fresh in w.iter. all make them ■very desirable : as cut ''flowers.- ' ibISELU. ; The seed of lobelia should be sown, 'now.in pans .in .preparation for planting .'out in "the spring; '.'Vyhefe frb'ste ai'e pi'o'v'al'eht the seedlings 'ihust be given koine iprotectio'n at night. The inbsV popular Ivariety is Crystal;-Palace cbmpaotar-'a 'rich, dark blue. Cardinalis and "Queen Victoria have brilliant scaTlet flbVersVEGETABLES.: •: ■"■.'-;■ ISPAEAGTO FOLIAGE.': ■;' There is always a great temptation to ;cut the ioliage'of the asparagua'and to Iput it in bowla with ■ flowers.,, ' However, if thick sueculo'nt stems are'lobked ■for in.the. following spring, the temptation must be resisted-. During the sum'raor. and early autumn months the ileaves -aro busy food, and ; the stronger tho ieavea are at present

the fatter and-more succulent'.will th'e next crop of asparagus be. SEED-SOWING. ' Seeds that may bo sown' this week where necessary aro:— . ■. , > Carrots.—Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. . . . in ground that was richly, manured for a previous crop. 'Make, the ground very firm, and thoroughly saturate it w.'.tk water several hours ''before sowing tho seed. . Sow'thinly -in-drills ; 12 inches'.apart. Shade the drills from the hot sun till the eaedlwgs aro up; then hoe constantly. Matured soot should bo dusted over the seedlings as soon as thoy appear, for it is the first ■smooth leaves that.the fly : attacks. t Silver Beet—Sow in deeply-dug, fairly rich, soil in drills 18 inches apart. Thin out the seedlings.to one foot apart. Onionsl-Make the soil very firm by treading on it beforo sowing. Do this only when the soil is dry.' Sow the seed in'drills. 12 inohes apaTt. „ . Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce.— Sow thinly in seed pans in moist, sandy soil. Keep, the pans under the shade of trees till the seedlings are up; then move them out into the sunshine. Do not allow the seedlings to suffer from dryness at the- roots. ROUTINE WORK. . Thin out seedling carrot, turnip, etc. Keep .all winter .greens supplied with ! water during dry. weather. Syringe tho leaves frequently with clear water. Remove all crops'that' are over, and at once prepare the ground for the next crop. Make a sowing of somo crop to be dug in for green'manure where the ground is not wanted for immediate use. Clear away all rubbish, and either add it! to. the "rubbish leap, or- bunt; it and save tfre ash. _ ~ " Cut marrows and pumpkins as they ripen. Earth up celery where necessary. Attend- regularly .to the needs of tomato plants. • Harvest onions that are ready. Keep the hoe'going. Garden' Notes : next week will contain seasonable nbtes peas, violets, and vegetables.