GARDEN NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 227, 19 June 1920, Page 12

GARDEN NOTES.

ii, i, (By "Kowhai.")

II'ATTBAOnTB PLOWERma TREES AND ,| :. SHRUBS. | Ones established, flowering trees and I shrubs are a continual source of pleasure. j They give tho grower vory little work 1 once thoy have started to Brow freely, !',. and they mako very attractive the surI : roundings of a home. : Where space alj lows a fair number to be. grown one-can j. always have one' or more shrubs, 'making 5 'a cheery Bpot in the garden. As with *:■:;■'.everything else, flowering shrubs must be £; "carefully planted in the first. instance. { ■-One has only to think of the number of f: ! years that a flowering shrub or tree stays f' in one. spot, flowering faithfully season s after season, to reallsff that the ground ;■..;.' . must.be well prepared for their reception. ?? ."•.. Amongshrubs that are beginning to look ; ? i ;; very-gay just now are tho ericas. The ■ ?".'■■ beautiful pink variety, Autumnalis, is "already out, and the Scotch heathers show ; signs of, breaking into bloom almost any • V-.vVday..' Ericas like a well-drained soil, and : . a heavy one should, be lightened by the \;addition'of sand.' Animal manure and • lime must'on no account be used near .!•'!.■ ericas, or the plants, hardy as they are, ;■:;-■:■ will refuse to grow.. S.|■..••;'•''. ;,, : :BIBBS' SANGUINEUM; . /..; [5 ■. The -flowering currant, ribes sangnineum, >! la a.charming spring-flowering shrub, SViwMoh may be grown'even in a small r.?i garden. During the winter the bare ff-ij stems allow the sun to filter through on !: i ' to the garden, and at tho same time the lV;" shoots,become so well ripened that the I v tree becomes,learly1early in spring, a ma!S f> of bloom, every branch and twig being v \ ; ;.'.--I covered with the fragrant pink flowers. Hi' One of the great charms of ribes is/that will grow in a Bhady part of ;the I .':■' garden, thougll it.is not such a sucetsß j": if there;.as it; is in a 6unny position..- ... .'■.' * FORSYTHIA. -.;,'•■ >~-' Torsythiao are very early, and' very ..beautiful spring-flowering shrubs. There are 'several varieties, but Forsythia sns< j -, \ pensa is of weeping habit, whioh .adds .' greatly to its charm. In spring the bare ' ' branches are covered, to the very' tips, >;■ with tiny bright yellow ;■ bell-shaped £'.'..■ "flowers.' .■,..■-. h'-S ' MTRTIyB. , .■'■;. \<l : i ■'■■•'" Myrtle ia a delightfully fragrant .shrub, k^'the leaves, when rubbed, having a spicy |C ; ecent. Mvrtles grow very easily, and i flower profusely if they get sufflcientheat. '■ J ln the Korth Island,;and the north of ; ' •' the South Island they grow into lino big shrubs. The soil should 'ha a mixture of i. loam, ipeat, and.sand. The plants are p: propagated by cuttings of half-ripened % '.;/. wood inserted in sandy, coil. ' . ... OHOISYA TERNATA. '•" i;; - ; Thlß is' another flowering shrub with ',•'■■■ ■ scented foliage. The bright green leaves ; : v 'are beautiful all through the year, ana !-->•■'■'-the pure white, orange-like flowers are very Bweetly scented, and are borne in i? great'profusion when once the plant is -established. Ohoioya nhould be; protected i'..-V 'from very heavy frosts. It strikes readily i'L...from cuttings. : , . I' " ;,. , FLOWERING'HiTJMR. 1 /'; The flowering , plum-prunus-is : among '■-■■■ the'earlieat of the spring-flowering shrubs, and is certainly one of the most attrac"'f .tive,-' There are several .good varieties ob- ' :; taipable, tbe ones jwith pink flowers being i>i the most beautifufi Flowering plums like f,- ; .a rather rich soil, and, bb the blossom t'S' is produced on the- young .wood, they fi. ; should be fairly hard pruned soon after Si/i;-'- flowering.':...- ' „„.„„• ..... .. 0'- _■:■.; OEANOTHTJS. ..'•.'. '&■■•"■■■ The Ceanothuses are lovely..''Most-.of f'.',': the'.varieties. have bine flowers,.and dur- '/-■■:. IngVflowering time-Ootober-the bushes | ; become literally a sheA v of glorious blue, t'' Oeanothus azureus is a very beautiful va- .' r ' riety, bearing, °as' its nanie - indicates, '■"■' •• ■ light blue flowers. One of the most' alrl'tractive varietiefl is. •■nerhons. Oeanothus • veitchianus, which bears bright blue flow- - : ers in the greatest 1 profusion. If grows ;'•' into a.very laree shrub. Ceanothuses ! ;; mav be grown or shrubF, or they may ;■'■■'••' 'be'traiifbd-againßt walla or fences. They '■■'■■■■'' are showy and' attractive, however grown. i. ■■ A eoodi'.Tich loamy soil is snitable for !-■'■.""■•' their cultivation.. Pruning should be done f'■ as soon as the flowering Is oyer.' ■ ;.: .'j.; '.AR'BTJTtJS TJNEDO. . : i>. ■■'■ A'rbht.as - ' : unedd'. (the Btrawborrv tree) is •' ■' a perfect treasure, for it will flower and ■'' fruit freely in the poorest and shallowest '■•' of edils. - It : grows to a smalt tree of j'.' most .attractive, appearance The,,.whiin I.:-, flowers are nrettv, but it iB the beautiful '[''orange scarlet fruit that follows that the tree its greatest charm, .. W[r ■■ -''ROTS (SUMAOJDiCOTINTJS.:- ';",/ {■"■'. ,'As. ayrule the.-sumachs are' grown for ■■■■''■ their follneo, which colours brilliantly \r, in the'-autumn.' When planting these I ' /■■ shrubs or trees"'for..the, purpose of pro-r=.-'.k vidine brilliant colouring in the grounds t *• during autumn, care I should be taken to f. plant them in urouna that., is not too j: - rich, for a« a rule it is the bushes growing i'.') in-rather no.or ..soil.i.tbat. colour best. !:'• ■ Rhus'cotihUß,'however, , bears during., the j ,; ..'. : , srimmer, 1 tbe .most; nurious-looWne bends i .': of' fruit. ' These heads'-are not 'unlike the t- : "! flufly silken seed-pods of onr. native i.'.'.' clematifl.' but the colonr is heliotrope ! tinged with preen. Not only are'they |-'. .'ourtous. but they are.also most beautiful, j " and Bolendid for room. decorationß. The !'. '.'■.'. snikes' of heliotrope flnfflness look very !* : light .and graceful, when arranged in !■' . "bowls or - vases,- and thhy last freßh in 'water' for a very long time., {St : : '^y;"■■ HTBRANOBAS.,/' : ';;;"'■ Hydrangeas '-.arii the most .nsefnl and !'>: satisfactory:Bhrnhg we]onri grow.'at least • '■'' in. what is termed the'middle area of New ;-'.-'•■ Zealand.! They seem, to do well in'any ij;-'! kind;;.pf'."floit'in srin or in shade, near !; . ithe-sea':'6r inland. . Bnt.iiPis'from slants !'■' Btowlng. in' '.'the shade that we get'the ['-'■';• '■ purest 'colours. ' Some of the flowers i; iikfl.'glant opals:' paleiblue, nlnk, bream, f ; , aridpale' green are all to'bo found in the j'; sanie flower.-and, arc bo in(<>rniin'"lefl as E'""' to; give it. in the B'lnshine, the Iridescent |, -''.. look of ■ the .opal. .Cuttings of,hydrangeas I strike so easily in a little damp sand !: and .earth that no one need bewithont '{'.■" a few bushes. A little-alum-administered t, in the .spring keens the blue hydrangea tV ..very pure in colour..' Two or three ounce's r' " of gnano or. the same ouantlty of; bonef.-, dust may bo liehtlv. pricked Into the soil I :-', Bbout.'eaohtree lust, now; The plants ; V shonld.be kent free from those robbers— ; '■■'■. weeds—end tfie soil should be kept hoed. ?.''.'. Even in winter hydrangeas are not withs out a flower, but, then'the flowers are '(:>''. , inch a lovelv, colour—a beautiful shade ,'■'.' cf green. Sometimcß the flower heads )■■.. are so large'that it becomes necessary to ?...',.' support them, A few neat stakeß may I•-.■''. .be ounningly placed in amongst the \.-: : foliage, and the brahohea with heavy n■:''' heads of flowers may.be tied to them. .' ; |;. ! VEOETAOLES ;; V Whenever the. soil is in good working tv''.',■■ condition seize the opportunity to finish r.' the trenching and manuring of all vacant j'-...- plots.:, {■jv '' Sprinkle lime or soot over the gronnd !;'::'; wherever it is possible., Sow, .where neccsp!r-" fiar'y,•■' seeds of dwarf peas and broad [$'. beans. Vir Plant i shallots, asparagus, rhubarb, j! herbs,'horse radish, oabbage, and oauliIf flower. a Heap well-decayed manure over stoolß [j ' of Bummer bearing rhubarb, and feed with | liquid' manure the winter bearing variety. y A few tubers of an early variety -of £.■ potato should he set up on end in a 5 shallow box to sprout. :: Lettuces should be gently syringed, duri Ing dry weather, with dear water, to keep «'.' i them free froTH green-fly. V ' Young cabbage plants should have the ,* soapsuds from the washing water ponred %,, over them. . {'■ ' Silver beet, cabbages, cauliflowera, broc- ' - coll, and lettuces, should have the hoe ;■: constantly at work among thorn when the 3 soil Is in a suitable condition. When = , hoeing, push thcxsoil towardß their stems, y\ thus gradually earthing them up. \ '..•., 'ASPARAGUS. i The gnoirnd for asparagus should he trenched .at least two feet deep, the sffbsoil being enriched with manure and bonedust. Whero new roots aro to be planted this year, the ground should be made/ready at once. August is a. good )...' time for planting the roots, and, threeij" year-old roots,should be bought. {• ' The rows should bo from two to three V feet apart, and the plants in the rows two v foet apart. I Mark off''a row and then draw along it, E ■:., with a hoe, a shallow trench. Draw up I the earth from the sldea into the middle (■ till a ridge Is formed,all along the middle >■ of the trench. The plants will rest on t, i ! this ridge with tho roots spread evenlv '"' down the sides. When tho earth is all ;■ filled in again the crowns Bhould bo \ two or three Inches below the surfac* f , of the soil. • .' ■ ■ ;i Garden Notes next week will contain i : . seasonable notes about:—Flowering trees, i; routine work, and vegetables.