GARDEN NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 171, 7 April 1923, Page 22

GARDEN NOTES.

By

“KOWHAI.”

SPRING-FLOWERING PLANTS Towards tho middle of August. almond trees become flecked with pink, while in tho borders crocuses,. hyacinths, polyanthus primroses, violets, primula malacoides, narcissi, violas, alonsoas, antirrhinums, agathaea, anemone fulgens, freesias, and wallflowers are flowering freely.. Acacia. Baileyana is already .a mass of fragrant bloom, and japonicas are just opening gay flowers on their bare brown branches. Every day the garden becomes more interesting, for spring has come, and all the lovely spring-flowering plants are hastewing to perfect their blooms. Flowering currants, forsythias, flowering plums, and white brooms have covered themselves with masses of dainty flowers, and ranunculuses, schizanthus, stocks, paaizies, purple aubrietias, double arabis, spuraxis, forget-me-nots, and many other beautiful flowers are hcli>ing to make the spring garden gay.. In many gardens preparations for sprang are already well forward, but where they are not, no timo should be lost in getting the plants happ.ly settled in their flowering quarters. SCHIZANTHUS. Schizanthus is one of the most beautiful and one of the most easily grown of our annuals. Seeds may be sown now in a well-drained, sunny position, not tco exposed to frost, and tha plants will grow into large spreading bushes, which will, in the sprmg. bo a mass of dainty bright-coloured flowers. Before sowing the seed, dig the soil to a depth of at least eighteen inches, keeping the top soil to tho ton. Work in some well-decayed vegetable rubbish, and some share sand. A little honedust may bo pricked into the si;rfaco of the soil, and the soil should he made firm before the seed is sown Schizanthus wisetonesis branches freely, but forms a compact bush simnlv covered with exquisite butterfly-liko flowers. WALLFLOWERS. Before moving wallflower seedlings into their permanent places in the beds cut off tho long tap roots with a sharp knife. Press the soil very firmly round the roots when planting, and work a little bonedust into the soil. Give the •seedlings a really good watering as soon as they are planted, and drive in a short; strong stake for each plant. Wallflowers are so lovely in the spring that room should be found for as many as possible. Their delightful fragrance fills the garden, and their rich colouring is a pleasing contrast to tho prevailing shades of the yellow, cream, and white of so many of tho ear'y spring flowers. Plants should be got into place'as soon as possible now. PRIMROSES AND POLYANTHUS PRIMROSES. Plante have already started into giowth, and the new, tender green leaves that are peeping up from the soil warn the gardener that the time has come for them to claim their share of attention. All old or faded leaves should be removeci. Work a little bonedust into the soil about the plants, and spread a light mulch of thoroughly decayed vegetable rubbish s.■ leaf mould about them. Plants that have been in the same place for about three years should be lifted, broken up, and the pieces replanted in well-dug soil, to which some thoroughly decayed vegetable rubbish or c-»v manure have been added. If the soil is deenly worked before primroses are planted, the plants will send their roots down a very long way, and this is a great help to them when they have to face a hot, dry summer. FORGET-ME-NOT. Forget-me-nots are lovely in the spring garden. As carpet plants they are without an equal, for they creep in among plants, filling empty spaces, and covering the bare earth with sheets of heavenly blue. The flowers blend with narcissi, snowflakes, aquilequias, scarlet geums, and alonsoas. dc-ep blue and yellow irises, and all the dainty flowers that bring such charm to the spring garden. . Where they enc-oacli too much the plants may be <ut away in handfuls.

Now is the time to plant out strong young seedlings -into their flowerin'', quarters, and remember that each plant, when fully grown, will take up a considerable amount of room. , Any soil suits forget-me-nots, but a little sand, decayed vegetable mat* ter, and a dressing of bonedust worked into their soil will be appreciated by them.

VIOLETS.. At this time of the year violet plants begin to produce a great number of new leaves. Old leaves that are at all faded or inclined to decay should be carefully removed before they aro covered by the rapidly-growing now ones. If they are allowed to remain they are a source of danger to the plants for they harbour disease, red spider, etc Plants that have any trace of red spider should be attended to. The leaves should be cut off close to the ground and burnt, and the plants should then be thoroughly soaked with clear water, and sprinkled with flowers of sulphur. After rain or after a thorough watering, a solution of nitrate of soda, loz. in ■ a gallon of water, poured into the soil about the roots, will start the plants into vigorous growth. DORONLCUM. One of the earliest of the spring flowering plants is doronicum, a plant with pretty yellow daisy-liko flowers. It may be grown either in the sun or in partial shade. It blooms freely under any circumstances, but if the old plants are lifted early each autumn, broken up, and planted in soil to which a little sand and bonedust have been added, it fairly surpasses itself for the number and the quality of the blooms it provides. AURICULAS. Auriculas grow best on the shady side of the house, or under the shade of deciduous trees. In the latter position they get the sun during winter. and shade during summer, and that is what they like. Before planting auriculas mix with the soil plenty of leaf-mould river sand, and well-rotted and sifted cow manure. Each .year, after the flowering is over, the top inch of soil should bo removed, and should bo replaced with a mixture of loam, loaf-mould, sand, and broken-up cow manure. This will give the plants new rooting ground, and will help to build np strong plants for the next season’s flowering. (To be continued.) VEGETABLES. Seeds that may be sown this week where necessary are: — Carrots. —Sow thinly in drills twelve inches apart. Turnips.—Sow in ground that was richly manured for a previous crop. Make the ground very firm, and thoroughly saturate it with water several hours before sowing the seed. Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Shade tho drills, if possible, from hot sun till_ tho seedlings are up; then hoe constantly. Matured soot should be dusted over the seedlings as soon as they appear, for it is tho first smooth leaves- that the fly attacks Silver Beet. —Sow in deeply-dug, fairly rich .soil, in drills 18 inches apart. Thin out tho seedlings to one foot apart. Spinach.—Same treatment as for silver beet. Onions. —Make the soil very firm by treading on it before sowing, for onions must be grown in firm soil, but do the treading only when the soil is friable. Sow the seed in drills 12 inches apart. Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce.— Sow thinly in seed-pans in moist, sandy soil. Keep tho pans under the shade of trees till the seedlings are up ; then move them out into the sunshine. Bo not allow thy seedlings to suffer from dryness at the roots. "Garden Notes” next week will contain seasonable notes about: —Springflowering plants (continued), routine work, and vegetables.