GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 62, 6 December 1930, Page 28

GARDEN NOTES

Plants for an Exposed Position

(Bj

"Kowhai.”)

In the ordinary town garden, where every inch of ground is valuable, there is often a dry, sunny part where it is difficult to get something to grow. This applies especially to hillside gardens, though even in fairly level ones these dry, and often windswept, spots occur.

If there is a fence for a background, the first thing is to get something to cover it. Among creepers, honeysuckles are quite good, provided they are given a good start, and in an exposed place they are often less subject to blights. One thing, however, they must have, and that is occasional thorough washings with the hose during summer. , Among shrubs, several things may be induced to cover a fence—cleanothus veitchii, abelia florlbunda, japonlcas, jasmlnum primulinum, and, falling all else, brooms. They should have their shoots well spread out, and fastened to the fence as they grow. Such brooms as gracilis and gacea make very gay splashes of colour for a long time.

Among dwarf semi-shrubby things, dlplacus glutinosus (now mimulus glutinosus), and agathaea coelestis are very charming if they are kept well trained back. Both have a long flowering, season, agathaea during winter, spring, and summer, and diplocus during summer and autumn. If all dead flowers are clipped off the agathaea bushes occasionally, the plants may be kept almost always in flower.

Among bedding plants, escholtzlas make a great show, and there are many lovely colours among them. Calendulas, too, adapt themselves to a windswept plate, and if they are given the help of some support in the way of twiggy sticks, pushed In around them, they make a brilliant show for a long time. Another annual that is suitable for such a place is vlscaria, in blue or deep rose.

*> In every case, no matter what Is planted, the ground must first be deeply broken up, with a pick if necessary, and enriched with decayed garden rubbish. A light dusting of bonedust may be given before the plants are put in. Just at first the plants must be kept well-watered and supported with small twiggy sticks. Hellanthemums (sun roses) are among the most charming of perennial plants for such a place. Indeed they seem made for windy places, for the leaves aro small and rather hard, and the stems tough and wiry. They grow into neat mounds that become simply covered with flowers like tiny roses, and even if a good wind does scatter the petals one day, he next there are many mote buds ready to open. The plants must have sun, and they like welldrained, gritty, rather rich soil. At the end of autumn, the bushes should be wellcut back. This is very necessary, for the best flowers are on young growth. The creeping veronicas are exquisite just now, for plants are still covered with their dainty spikes of bright blue flowers. These veronicas hug the ground in a sensible way, creeping along and covering it with a soft green mat. They, too, like rich gritty soil, and hard cutting back at the end of autumn.

Catmint (nepeta) is Well known, and very popular. It revels in sunshine, ami in light gritty soli, and can stand a fair amount of wind. In seaside gardens it is one of the last to show distress during very dry weather. The plants are lowgrowing. with small grey-green leaves, and long spikes of pretty blue-mauve flowers. Plants bloom throughout the summer if dead flower spikes arc clipped off.

Quite an attractive plant for an exposed sunny position is erigeron mucronatus. It has thin wiry stems, and tiny white daisylike flowers. Very often the petals have pink tips. It thrives best in a hot, dry situation, although it often needs a little good soil to start it. This erigeron seeus about, and comes up happily in often the

most hopeles Bplaces, but it is inclined to become a weed unless well controlled. The many pinks, dianthus, both garden and rock varieties, are splendid for a sunny rather exposed place, and many of the newer pinks (allwoodii) revel in such a place. The advantage of the allwoodii is that one gets sueh lovely colours among them. For a windy place, those of lowgrowing habit should be chosen. Falling all else, especially on a bank or slope, two things are sure to be successful once they are well started. These are the lovely creeping thymes, and ajuga repens. The thymes creep over the ground, spreading a green fragrant carpet. They are lovely all the year round, and do not even mind being trodden upon. At flowering time they are covered with their tiny mauve or magenta flowers. Ajuga is splendid, too, for creeping over the ground. It makes rosettes of coppery leaves at the end of long runners, just as strawberry nlants do, and these peg themselves to the ground in real strawberry fashion. In spring erect spikes of brightblue flowers spring from the rosettes in such numbers that the whole ajuga patch becomes a sheet of blue.

Routine Wqrlc. Hydrangeas are beginning to show colour in their flower buds, and regular feeding must begin. Water, too, in generous quantities must be given at soon as the weather becomes dry. Fopd and water given at regular Intervals right through the growing season are necessary if the plants aro to produce large heads of bloom of a good colour. Plants should never be allowed to become abnormally drv at the roots. Dwarf polyantha roses are sending up strong stems that show promise of huge heads of bloom. Provided that the soil is ke«t well cultivated round them, and that they are given an occasional stimulant, the bushes flower freely from now until the end of the autumn. In all flower borders staking is of tho utmost importance, but only must. tallgrowing plants, such as delphiniums, perennial poppies, lupins, carnations, anebusas, etc., be well tied to stakes, but also stocks, antirrhinums, godctlas, and many others need small stakes or twiggy sticks to hold them in place. Verbenas, phlox druminondii, petunias, etc., should havo their growths pegged to the ground with strong hairpins, or pieces of bent wire. After wind and heavy rain, one must go round the garden making the soil firm about plants, shrubs, and roso bushes, for rain softens the soil,•‘•and wind sways the plants about, loosening them until they have worked • a hole. Chrysanthemums should have their tips nipped off as soon as they are nine inches high, and then the second shoots should be pinched back as soon as they are four to six inches long. Plants must be watered in dry weather, and mulched with grass clippings (not fresh). No manure is necessary at this stage of their growth. Dahlias need a good deal of attention right from the start. When the shoots are a few inches high, one dose of weak liquid manure helps to make good growth. Then watering and constant stirring of tho soil carry the plants on until the first buds are formed. From that time watering and feeding must be regularly attended to. VEGETABLES

In the vegetable garden, weeding, staking, and loosening the soil between the rows provide plenty of work. One can scarcely work the surface soil too much. The following seeds may be sown where necessary:—Bunner beans, french beans, carrots, lettuces, and kohl-rabi.