GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 58, 1 December 1917, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.")

A BLUE GARDEN. A garden full of blue flowers! Instantly one's thoughts aro busy planning pleasing combinations of tho innumerable shades of this glorious colour. One stes in imagination bold clumps of stately delphiniums in shades of palo bluo and deep dark blue, massed with Canterbury bells iu similar shades, grateful-looking bushes of scabious, Azuro Fairy, with its lovely pale bluo flowers, tall clumps of pale blue sweet peas, groups of nigella (JUss Jekyl). larkspurs, cornflowers, cam-. .pamilas, and agoratum, all so grouped and massed as to form a porfeotly-blonded glorious bed of blue, white crowding about their roots, and forming a brilliant carpet for thcae taller-growing plants would be that lovely pale blue viola, (Chief Justice)* deep richly-hucd lobelia, clear palo blue forget-me-not, and the rich bluo daisy-like flowers of brachyeome. These aro somo of tho flowers that would, be filling a bine border at tlio present time. • By careful planting, one could nianago to havo something out in flower nearly all the year. At certain times thoro would lie a regular feast of. colour, at others only a fow vivid or delicately-toned patches. , , .. . Beginning with the winter wo havo that lovely littlo iris-Btylosa, violets, and blue anemones, .■ ~ Towards tho end of the winter fliiopodoxa (Glory of the Snow) opens vivid blue flowers, and is closely followed by pale bluo forget-me-not. A little later, early in the spring, we have anemones, forget-me-not, and grape hyncinthß (muscari, Heavenly Blue). These are auickly, followed by the pretty blue daiay, Agathaca, and tho dainty mtlcsnikea of Bcilla. We now have violets, anemones, forget-me-not, grape hyacinths, Ssilla.and Agathaea, all out together in our Blue bordor, and at the back tall clumpß of ttw A 1 ? 0^} 110 pea are fast opening their W blue flowers. JJmost at the same timo nag irises push np tall flowering stems, and very soon their rich blue- flowers that blend so well with tho Argentine pea are making vivid splashes of colour all up and down tho bluo border. At the samo timo hyacinths open their heavily-scented flowers, and anemones and forget-me-not are still floWoring indefatigably. Tho Argentine pea has a long-flowering season. It sees tho flag irises come and go; it watohes that littlo gem, iris rottenlata, open Its rich bluo, flwoetlyvccnted flowers, grows with it a space, and then sees it fades It is there to welcome, the first flowers of the blue sweet peaß-grow-ing in clumps near by; and it has still a few flowers as late as November when Canterbury bells, delphiniums, larkspurs, campanulas, cornflowers, lobelia, violas, scabious, and English Irises are filling' ffie bed to overflowing with their gloriouslyUued flowers. ■ - ' ' ; .■ v Meanwhile bold, clumps of agapantnus have sent up tall straight stems'won to be crowned -with clusters of 'pretty skyblue flowers,, and'hydrangeas are widerfully attractive with their wealth of blooms of the. palest blue. , Ageratums, brachyeome, 'nigella, Bcaoious . (Azure Fairy), and anehusas all have, their- place in the summer procession of blue flowern, while throughout tho-Bummer and autumn, lobelia and violas cover every scrap, of available space at the roots of the taller growing plants, •■;•• • , ' These ■ plans take, ub • -well; into the autumn when asters, salvia.patens, aei-, phiniums (second flowering', and Micnaoimaß daisies bring us round once moro to the first fragrant violets, and the dellcate-ly-sccnted, palp: blue irlb-stylpsa. Thore are other lovely blue flowers, but I have choßcn from tho .great army enly those that aro easily obtained and easily grown. Tho grouping and arranging I leave to the individual taste of the grower, . ■ . MULCHING. •-.- A mulch, is a layer of some material placed above the Boil over the roots ol plants to protect the soil from the evaporation which takes place in summer. If horse manure is used it mußt bo wen rotted, because the idea of a muloh is to keep the roots moist and cool, wesn manure -would fermout and make tho roots warm. Oare Bhould bo taken, also,in using freßhly-cut grass, as it bccomcß heated -when damp, Well-decayed[veget-able rubbish that has been r.itted down with washing water, houso • ships, etc., makes an excellent mulch, especially n wood-ashes and occasional dressings or lime havo been added during the rroccßs. For certain plants a summer mulch is absolutely ncceßsftry, for many others.H. is advisable. Hoses, dahlias, chrysanthemums, liliums, azaleas, rhododendrons, newly-planted shrubs, and fruit tices (those planted during the winter) will all bo benefited by a light mulch. If only gardeners would pay mora attention to the rootß qf their plants! All '.their thoughts and. attention scorn, to be centred.;on the visible pari of tho ■ulanta.. and it is mUy .the wota-that are doing the main ipart of. the wort. They are such sensitive, delicate little things, some of theßo roots. They creep alons'.through tho soil searching for food and moisture for the plants, always working so willingly, >>«t eo often receiving so little encouragement. One of the worst things can happen to them is a careless and insufficient watering, when merely the surface of tho soil is moistened. The tiny roots go up in scaroh- of the moisture, and are then oipoeed to tho heat that follows the insufficient watering. Tho sonaitive little things aro burnt, and very often wither, and tho poor plants receive a severe check. Sometimes they dio outright, at others they are obliged to expend in making nowfibrous roots energy that might bo diverted into'producing perhaps leaves and flowers, i . A mulch .properly applied is a wonderful protection, for plants. It keeps tho ground cool and moist, keeps ont hot, drying winds and burning sunshine, admits moisture, but rcfussj to allow it .to evaporate. Before a mulch is applied the ground should, thcrcforo, bo thoroughly eaturatcd. It. is wonderful how quickly plants respond once they begin to feol tho effects of the mulch. Pansics love a mulch of -well-rotted manure, and in tho return for it' produce quantities of long-stemmed flowers of good substance and colour. .Another groat advantago of a mulch is that we can syringe tho leaves of plants on the ovening of a hot, dusty day, comfortable in tho knowledge that it will not bo necessary to rush out with the hoe oarly the next moraine to loosen the soil lest it cakes. Occasional' showers, too, oease to become a nuisance. They oro •instead a blessing, because they wash and refresh the loaves without being able to cake the 'soil. . ' In ,a small garden I should advise mulching the whole of it. Those gardeners who go away for a few weeks' summer holiday, leaving their plants to care for tnemsclvcß, .will find the mnloh, well aipplied, a great boon. In districts subject to drought it is a good plan 'to muloh vegetable marrows, pumpkins, cucumbers, French beans, poas, and winter greens. : , , , . Most gardoncrß can produce a mulch of some sort. In town it ia not possible to storo animal manure until it is fit for use as a mulch, but thoro aro always the grass clippings, weeds, vegetable rubbish, etc. In gardening, not a thing need bo wasted. Evori in the smallest garden weeds and vcgetablo rubbish can bo rotted down in a hole in somo corner A littlo fence covered with- a creeper will always hide tho hole. Weeds that have not gone to seed cau bo pulled up and placed round plants as a muloh. Where decayed vegetable rubbish or grass clippings aro being used a littlo bonedust or guano may first of all be lightly wicked in about the plants. Tho best mulch for liliums is deoayed cow manure Dahlias liko a muloh of half-jotted cow or pig manure. For chrysanthemums I like a muloh of thoroughly decayod vegetable rubbißh. mixed with wood ashes and a little coarse sand J or road grit. A littlo bonedust and superphosphate may first of all be pricked in round about tho plants. Rhododendrons and azaleas like a mulch of .half-rotted stablo manure, but a little bonedust pricked into tho soil and a mulch of decayed -vegetable rubjjish and leaves form a good substitute. All dead flovl.cr heads should be kept iplcked off rhododendrons and azaleas. Hoses arlf not vory particular about tho form their mulch takes, as long as their roots are kept cool and fairly inpist.. If vcgetablo rubbish and grar,.» clippings arc used, a littlo, bonedust should first of all bo pricked into the soil. Mulches should bo applied to ground that is damp and warm. Thoy ehould never be too heavy. From ono to two inches is thick enough for a- muloh. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about sweet scabious, routino work, and vegetables.