GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 95, 16 January 1926, Page 24

GARDEN NOTES

(By

“Kowhai.")

YELLOW ARUMS. The charming little yellow arum is becoming more popular with amateur gardeners, for they arc finding that it is quite a handy garden plant. Occasionally, too, one sees the variety with pink ilowers. Both are very suitable lor small as well as fur large gardens. The soil for these arums must lie capable of being well drainel or (lie fleshy tubers may rot. At the same time the plants like sufficient moisture during the growing season, and must therefore be supplied with water during dry weather. Propagation is effected by cutting up large tubers into single eyes, as you would a potato. Dust the cut portions with finely powdered charcoal, and leave them on a warm shell for a day or two to dry. When they are first planted do not be too generous with water, lest the cut portions of the tubers rot. Once growth is well started, however, they may lie given plenty of water provided the drainage is good. Three things nre necessary ior their successful growth: Heat, abundance of water during the growing season, and good drainage at all times.

ALSTROEMERIA. The alstrocineria is a most useful perennial plant for this time of the year, for once carefully planted it practically takes care of itself and provides a wealth of bloom over a long season. Its only drawback is that, in soil that it likes," it is apt to take possession of the garden. This, however, may be overcome by marking off the ground that is to be given to the patch of alstroemeria and surrounding it with a wall of zinc sunk in the ground for a depth of two feet. Benzine tins cut open and flattened may be used for this wall, provided the gardener bears in mind the fact that the tin rusts away in time and must be replaced. If the plants are top-dressed once a year with a good loam and decayed manure mixed, the size of the blooms may bo kept satisfactory, and jho jilants need not be lilted and thinned out for many years.

The best time to plant now plants Is early in the nufiimn, and the thick flesliy roots should be planted fairly iieep. The flowers may be small the first season, but after that the grov.th is strong. 'Die alstroemeria most commonly grown Is the yellow one. The flowers are borne in clusters at the end of 10-'g straight stems, and the colours vary from bright orange with tiny red streaks to pale gold. A good clump of plants when in bloom is a sheet of orange or gold.

The pink alstromerias are lovely, and flowers may be had in several shades from the palest to the brightest of pinks. The blooms of the white alstroemeria are slightly tinged with green, and the plants when in bloom look refreshingly cool and dainty. Another variety that must be well grown to be attractive has flowers that are green tipped and splashed with red. For cut flowers alstroeincrias arc charming, or the dainty blooms are easily arranged and last for a long time in water.

The plants like a well-drained soil well supplied with humus. Sandy soils should have decayed garden rubbish buried in them; Heavy soils should be deeply dug and should have grit, burnt rubbish, and well -decayed stable manure added to them.

Alstroemerias may be grown in sun or semi-shade.

ROUTINE AVORK.

In many gardens verbena plants are looking unhappy, for once tney become thoroughly dry at the roots they are apt to bis attacked by mildew. Even where mildew is not present, many plants have practically flowered themselves to death, and hard cutting back of the growths is necessary. If the soil about them is well stirred and a little superphosphate is worked in about each plant, strong new growth is soon produced, and the plants will, in a very few weeks, be again a- mass of beautiful fragrant bioom. Where mildew lias been troublesome, the plants should be washed with limo and sulphur, or well sprinkled with dowers of sulphur while they arc wet with dew.

Keep plants free of dead flowers, seed pods, and dead leaves. Suck plants as carnations, scabious, daisies, geraniums, violas, etc., arc anything bur beautiful when they are covered with (lead flowers, and the plants rapidly deteriorate while they arc in such i> condition. Attend to the staking and tying up of plants as they grow. The majority of plants look much better, v hen in Hower, if they arc in an. upright position, than if they’ arc lying, broken by a mischievous wind, on the ground. Liliums, hollyhocks, scabious, dahlias, asters, pansies, tritoiuas, thalictrum, and autu.mn-Howeiing annuals need regular supplies of water and liquid manure.

Dahlias in particular need plenty of water. Hollyhocks need quantities of weak liquid manure to keep them growing vigorously and tree 1 com disease. Annuals that flowered early arc already ripening their .seed, and jmui.v have'seaci ready for gatheilng. H save ral plants of each kind are pulled u.p and well shaken over a prepared seed patch, there will be in the autumn a host of studry seedlings ready to go into the borders. Some seen should be put awav in labelled boxes ready for sowing towards the end of the winter. Primula Alalacoidcs. —Seeds ol this charming little primula may be sown now, so that the seedlings may be ready for planting out early in the autumn. Well-grown plants begin flowering towards the end of winter, and keep up a constant supply of bloom for many weeks. ‘ I,inaria.—lf seeds arc sown now the plants will bloom throughout the winter if they are planted in well-drained soil, and tn a position where they will get winter sun. Sow, as soon as they, are ripe, seeds of dclphiniu’n, Sweet William, Oriental poppies, stocks, wallflowers, and untilrhinums. The seedlings should be ready for planting out in the autumn. Leonotis.— Plants of leonotis must bo given regular supplies of water and liquid manure. I’.schscholtz.ias.—These plants arc making brilliant patches of colour in the i garden at present. The colours ol the flowers of up-to-date eschscholtz.ias are charm Tig, for there is a good mauve, several shades £>f pink, and a rich wallflower tod. The plants arc splendid for seaside, or dry gardens.

VEGETABLES. Winter greens, such as savoys, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, may still be planted between the cart hcil-up rows of late potatoes, or in ground that has become vacant. If the ground was maiii!.rcd in the winter, no more manuring is necessary, but the soil should be well forked over, and then made firm again bv treading on il. Wlieu planting the seedlings water them in. and make the soil very firm about the roots. If the plants arc being put out on a piece of unoccupied ground, it is a .‘-ood nlan nt. this time of the year to plant them in shallow trenches instead of being spread all over Ihe ground. Later, as the plants grow, they can bo slightly earthed up. Keep the soil between all growing vegetables well hoed.