GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 12, 8 October 1921, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By

“Kowhai.”)

HARDY ANNUALS.

Larkspurs. —Larkspurs make a brilliant show when they are well u'rown. They are among the finest of the annual dowers, and are splendid for massing their rich colouring, their height, and their branching and light, graceful habit ninke them deservedly popular. A packet of mixed seeds gives one plants in every shade of pink, rose, light blue, roj-al blue, and purple, and if they are massed and Brown in fairly rich soil the branches interlace, causing the colours to run into one another until tho whole effect is brilliant. Sutton’s rosy-scarlet ie glorious, and should be given a bed to itself. Larkspurs like rich generous treatment, and repay one with a, wealth of nch-coloured, long-stemmed flowei’s when they net - Phlox (Drummondli.-Phlox is ono of those beautiful old-fashioned flowers that we have been associated with all our lives. The colours of tho flowers are varied, some being pure white, other a dainty shades of pink, saimon, and 1 line white’ others again. Especially in tho crimson and scarlet shades, are rich and velvety The plants spread over tho ground, soon covering bare B P a «°s w 't_h in not uiy . n Jn a c]ay o ne. care of» will mrry . , eroUDS Planted in long lines or among low-growing shrubs, as kuu as flowering time arrives, every plan S’ b“l aw-"'-ri ? h nL is often some difficulty in a foot apart each way. in comm Africa. -LB rv beautiful, the colour* rknging'from tho daintiest of pale shades S the’richest. of deep- ones Lhe plants lV%ve^ er S -de t n C e U r a c r an 3 Bo° treat his soil to Satisfy their requirements They have a decided objection to a oold damp -V «« welt nemeslas in a gardent of pure sand, the plants making a £oigeo face sand became, and looked quite ba e re e “eJl hen Co t ld° damp "oils should bo deeply dug, and should have well-de-cayed horse manure, and P}®" ty f of w c e C llbdeahoul o b { ur tho Wf bo at least six inches apart each way. (To bo continued.)

ROUTINE WORK. Lihnms—Liliums nre already sending un their flowering stems. Seo that strong, "cat stakes are already in post lion for the «tems must bo kept upright fro the start A mulch of well-decayed manure should be spread over tho bulbs, for they aro greedy feeders. Tho shoots will & JB buds aro forming and opening in OJick succession Tho supports against which the plants aro growing should be examined to SCO if they aro strong enough to withstand heavy gales. Y’ater supplied to tho Plants if necessary ana where possible a mulcn of woll-decayeu manure should be spread round the plants Soot water is a splendid manure for tho Argentine pea, and greatly im proves thfr colour of the flowers. P Wallflowers.— Wallflowers are fillin„ the garden with fragrance just n°w, and the Pich colours of tho flowers especially tho "blood red” shades and Fine King are a continual deiight to the eye 6tou *' stakes should bo provided for the pliants. for they are very top-heavy at flowering tl ™eeds should be sown now in seed-pans for next year’s display. Some people root out their plants as soon as the flowering reason is over, but if they are cut wel buck, and a mulch of well-decayed manure is spread round them, they soon put forth new growth, and develop, by the following spring, into largo and handsome b 'vtetets —The flowering season of violets is nearly over. Already the stems are not % thick, white the flowers are smaller and paler in colour. Strong young suckers aro shooting out from beneath the crowns of tne *** down as many as are needed for new plants. Keep cultivating tne soil about violet plants, and work in a little bone dust and soot alternately. During the next few weeks plants will be storing up food for tho following season. Keep i strict watch far red spider FreeHias.—Freesias, anemones, ranunculubta, and pansies aro all flowering well now and all love a good drink 01 clear water, followed by one of soot. watei. Seeds of all these. plants may be sown now in seed-pans in sandy soil. Keep faded flowers picked off pansy plants Begonias.—Tubers should bo started into growth now, and may then be Planted out among aquilegia plants to be in readiness to follow them. Begonias do snlendidly out of doors in well-prepared beds, and. keep a shady border very attractive throughout the summer and autumn with their dainty, gay-coloured flowers. If the soil was prepared with wellrotted manure, leaf soil, and sharp sand, no' further preparation is needed for tho begonia tubers. x „ ... Lily of tho Valley.—Lily of the Vail y aro pushing through the mulcn of decayed leaves and manure that was spread over them after tho leaves died down. Already thick green shoots are appearing and soon tho delicate green loaves will unfold to shelter the slender stalks of fragrant white flowers. Water should bo given freely to the bed now, always giving one thorough soaking, and then no more until another is necessary. Weak liquid manure should be given once a week, after a watering or aiter ruin Do not attempt to fork over the bed at all. Simply pull out weeds and work in a little sifted leaf soil, or sifted <.ecayed vegetable rubbish, among the plants.

growing marrows, eto., in tins Where water is scarce the. plan of rtowinc pumpkins, marrows, and cucumbers tn tins should be tried. Procure a number of kerosene tinu and cut the tops off Make a holo largo enough to admit tho spout of a watering-can in one side of each tin. a little more than half-way down Pill the tins with pebbles (not too iSe) till you reach the hole in the side. Sift a layer of sand over t.ha pebbles, an/i thnn filliUD with pood Boil. Allow mm plant to csh tin. At first the plants will bo watered from above, but when they have made good growth and the roots are well down in the tin. should bo poured through the hole in Mm side SO that there Will always be water among the pebbles in the bottom of the tin The roots will go down into pebbles, and will find there a constant 5 supply of water. The tins may be placed beside, a fence or bank, and tho vines allowed to climb.

Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about :-Hardy annuals, routine work, and vegetables.