GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 304, 17 September 1921, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By

"Kowhai")

autumn-flowering perennials. Many o£ the Bummer-floweriDK perennial» continue to flower throughout the autumn. Among these are :-Antirii 1 * j. dias. Denlatemous. daisies, he not argoniuins, geraniums, K 1^ 10 . 1 ’ flowering earnations, negonias, c P rou pyramidalis, gaura lludheimeii. origer, , ES.SXt. <•■■■ •MK&rtfcSt’ s lardias, gladioli, pentstemons. begonias, heliotrope, end geraniums jua y in!r that upon to make a toe display most trying month ol the X®”, 1 lilies, A little later come lilies, nerines, sfieciosa lilies, Swiftlv flowers, and Japanese anemones bwHUy following come delphinium- M tlle daisies, and chrysanthemums, and W tw middle of April the borders aio filled to overflowing with glorious no '''®J B j n hlox Herbaceous Phlox.-The annua PlUox, phlox drummondii, is .always POPh*« and largely grown, but the liR „ how tage gardeners do not, B . eel ? to re wonderfully beautiful herbaceous or per onnial phlox is. Provided it is put into well-prepared ground, it is one laßa most satisfactory plants for eve: y of garden—largo or small. Occasionally one sees clumps of the pure whit . is lovely, but the scarlet andl some of the pinks, lavenders, and rich heliotropes aro 6 Herbaceoiiß phlox must be well though they are such hardy subiects they will not flourish in ground that has not been deeply dug. Phloxes like to> be shad ed from midday sun during summer. thej like to be left undistrirbed, and. they 1 ike to be well treated with J well-rotted animal manure cannot be ob tained and worked into the soil while dig ging is going on, well-decayed vegetable rubbish should be used. ?Jen , ... bonedust worked in at planting t keep the plants'going, especially ir t y receive one or two soakings wit . liquid manure during the Afwerlng sea son. After they have An fhed flovvei'ins, cut the plants back to within a few inches of the ground, fork a little bonedußt into the soil around them, and cover them With well-rotted manure, or with decayed Ve £eonotus rU Leonara.—Leonotus is splendid for the herbaceous border, for it has long flowering season, and h exceeding y showy when in flower. The plant throws up a number of tall slepder stems f the root, much after the style of patens, and the small green ‘ rich orange flowers are well “Paced up their entire length. Leonotus is especially attractive during the autumn and ear y winter, for its graceful, flower-laden “te“ s are as much at home among cos ™°“; dahlias, and Michaelmas da sles as they are among masses of chrysanthemums and late autumn roses. Japanese Anemones.—These are JP d l SI1 n e rB sable in the autumn garden. They are the hardiest of plants. Browing caual y well in nun or in shade, and are splendid for small town gardens. Anemone JaP Ol . l ica alba has pretty white flowers, which look dainty and refreshing even when they are growlncr in the erndky Atmos phere of a town. The flowering teach a height of about three feet, and should, in windy positions, b° ® ar ® f ? nn staked. Another variety is ane ™°”, e m i?ed onica rosea, with (pretty roßo '®°. ®5 flowers. Both are splendid Browers and flower diligently throughout the autum. Before planting, the soil should no very deeply dug. and if ft can bo ®“F I ,® J ® d h Y! R S well-decayed manure or vegetable rubbish so much the better. Once establi shed, the plants need not be moved for “ e ' era * years; thereforo. deep digging i» oi Uu> utmost importance. A mulch of half-rotted cow-manure may be spread round tho plants at the end of the autumn. One of tho easiest methods of propagating is by division of the old roots, II this is done at tho end of the autumn tho new plants will have time to become well established before the next flowering season. , •. Perennial Sunflowers (Hellanthuies).— One can scarcely imagine an autumn garden without at least one perennial sunflower in it, for the flowers ore among the showiest of tho autumn ones, and quantities of them may bo had when other flowers are rather scarce. Once planted in deep-ly-dug, well-enriched soil, a plant need not be moved for several years, and will provide quantities of lovely golden flowers dvery autumn. When the old stems die down, tho plants should be covered if possible with a mulch of well-decayed manure. Old roots that have become worn out should be lifted in the autumn, and strong young pieces from the outside oi the clump planted back again. Don t skimp tho digging when preparing a place for perennial sunflowers, for on the depth of their rooting placo depends the size and much of tho lustre of their flowers ana the length of their flowering stalks. When really well grown, tho many vAtieties of tho perennial sunflower are handBome and showy in the extreme, and tho long-stemmed golden flowers are much sought after for cut flowers. Michaelmas Daisies. —When well grown th cso are a perfect glory in the autumn garden. The plants are very hardy and Increase rapidly. Almost every year there is some audition to the ranks of these boatful flowers, and gardeners may now have quite a collection. Almost every shade of lavender and purple is represented, the flowers varying also in size, and tho bushes in height and habit. Several shades of pink also are obtainable. Michaelmas daisies like a fairly rich soil, with plenty of well-decayed manure, or well-decayed vegetable rubbish mixed with it. Old bushes should be lifted and broken up every two or three years. Karly tn January a little bonedust should bo pricked into the soil about tho plants, and if possible a. mulch of well-decayed manure should be spread round them. Dahlias. —The soil for dahlias must be very thoroughly dug to a good depth, Rnd should be enriched with. well-decayed manure, or vegetable rubbish, and bonedust. Tubers that were lifted and stored awav should.be brought out and sprouted. To do this plant them in a sunny spare part of the garden, so that they are only jup.t covered with soil, and keep the soil moist all the time. Shoots will goou appear, and pieces of tuber containing ono or two strong shoots may bo cut away from the clump and planted in the prepared soil. As soon as the shoots are well above the ground, spread a mulch round the plants. During summer quam titles of water should be supplied to the plants.

VEGETABLES. Hoeing constantly between the rows Is a great help to vegetables, for it keeps the soli loose, thus preventing evaporation of the soil water, and allows tho sun-warmed air to penetrate to the tiny roots. Ths price of vegetables makes one realise the importance of growing enough to carry the. household through the winter and early spring mouths. For tnuill gardens broccoli are not profitable, fWr they occupy much valuable space over too long a period. If an early variety of cauliflower be sown in the autumn, the plants are ready for use almost as soon as broccoli that were sown us far back ns October. Parsnips, onions, and pumpkins should be grown in quantity, for they are easily stored, and keep till well in the spring months. Leeks and spinach are also useful winter vegetables. The careful gardener must look ahead and provide for the time when vegetables are scarce. Too many hav.e their gardens well stocked when vegetables are cheap, and neglect to grow a sufficient quantity of such things as parsnips, onions, and pumpkins, which are most acceptable when vegetables aro co dear as to bo luxuries. ROUTINE WORK. Plant out where necessary cabbage and cauliflower plants in richly-manured ground. Before planting the seedlings cut off -the long tap root to encourage the growth of fibrous roots. Mix a little bonedust with tho soil in each hole a.t planting time. Keep cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and silver beet growing quickly. Hoe between tho rows constantly, and feed greens once a fortnight with nitrate of soda (loz. in one gallon of water). Hoe between the rows of peas and beans, and attend to the staking. As soon as tho flowers of broad beans show signs of setting, nip off tho tops of the plants. Attend to the thinning out of carrots, etc. Begin drawing the soil towards early potatoes as soon as the tops show above ground. So-w, where necessary, the following seeds: —Beet, onions, peas, broad beans, French beans, turnips, parsnips, radishes, lettuces, pumpkins, marrows, and silver beet. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Autumn-flowering perennials, routing work, and vegetables.