GARDENING NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 94, 20 April 1912, Page 12

GARDENING NOTES.

(By "Experience.") PLANTING ON GUAbfc. Supplementing remarks in my lutt ! "Noteo" on this lorm of gardening, 1 may point out that whoa a new place 16 to bo lakt out in this style it will bo best to do all planting betoro oov, ing tho grass socd, or part only may be planted, and I plants uddod in tuture years; but if tho j wholo tiung is to be completed, by all means plant first, it will be remembered that I pointed out tho importance ot trenohing and draining the whole of the ground, should co&dition of soil, etc., render it advisable, _as it would only lead to disappointment if trees were planted with the soil in suoh a condition that | the roots would be confined to the holes dug for them, and it muBt be borne in mind that heavy soil always inclines to become harder under graes, AH tho work of planting should be done by plan, with due consideration to tho growth of the variouG subjects planted. It should also be considered whether it will be desired to grow 6mnll flowering plante; if so, provision should be made for them by laying out beds in suitable positions. It is bad taste to lay out beds around the trees; a tree in the centre of a bed of flowering plants is out of place, and its beauty is marred. Trees look better over grass than, in aiiy other position, and broadly, the same muy be said ot all buch subjects as are suited to such a style of gardening. Usually the btudy of the catalogue of a good nurseryman will matei uilly assist in arranging the Plants. They usually give heights, and breadth, is more or lesa in proportion, except in the case of certain plants, buch as cabbage trees, whose habit of growth is well known. It is, impossible to enter into details to the extent the subject would require to do it full justice, bo I must be content with mentioning some of the more important subjects suitable for such planting. To amplify matters I nave divided the plant* into sections, acoordisg to their habit, so as to give some indication, of ultimate development as a guide to the, space each will require. The erst list is of plants whioh may be termed toliage, being mostly of the character of bamboo. In this list are the giant reeds, arundo donax, and tho variegated form zuccas, Euialia variegated, iniscauthus eacohariHorus, and the Himalayan fairy grass, pampas grass, ditterent forms of the native flax, the cabbage tree Oordyiine , Australia, and tho broadleaved variety, C. indivisa). The a a- ffpunthus, both the blue and the white flowered varieties, are indispensable in this style ot gardening, the drooping foliage and strong habit of the plants making them particularly handsome and distinct over grass. Among plants of small or quite moderate growth are the .afcaleas, both mollis and Indian— the stronger forms of the latter should b» chosen— Guilder's white, flag of truce, and mortn— choisya tornata, spiraea Anthony Waterer, Spanish oustus, deutzias, diosma, l'tbiana imbricata, hydrangeas pernellya, mucronata, mock orange, lilac viburnum phcatum. A few of the suit' able things among shrubs of a little stronger growth thaa any of the former are ceanothus, flowering cherriee, Judaa tree, -oestrum aurantiacum, erythrina, esoallonm . niontrndiensis, rubra, and Xi,- a . ? lly sl i- ver and B° ld6tt queen, gianb laur&stmus, olearia varieties, particularly, avioonniaefolia, nitida, solandri, and etellulata. Varieties of retmospora are all suitable, and variegated torms of cupressus laweoniana, as well as the type and its variety erecta. Rhodo<tettdrons are large only after many years, and so come more properly higher up the page, and camellias are in the same category. Trees and Shrubs of Larger Size.Abies: Several varieties mostly require »li~. rr A O n n 'iu ßnd b ?«ll . u «B«ited to small places. All the varieties are naturally pyramidal in growth, with a broadly. spreading base. They have littlo beauty if robbed of the lower branches. Tho same may be said of tho Norfolk Island pine, ajid other arauoarias. Aoaoia Bailoyana, tho silver wattle, the golden watUej toatlet maple. Acmena florabunda is an Australian tree of fine appparaneej ite spread is not great, but it attains considerable height, and may be, likened to a giant myrtle. Arbutus uneclo and cananenßis, silver biroh, lime tree, lillia europea, Catalpa speciosa, Japanese quince, Daphniphyllum glaucesoens, purple beech and common beeoh, weeping ash, manna ash, laburnum, bay tree, camphor laurel, Grevillea robdsta, Sohinus molle, tulip tree, Lophostemou Australis. Paulonia imperialis, the ' native puriri, kowhai, pohutukawa, lace \ bark; Photinia glabra and serrulata, the Moiaton Bay fig, Fious maorophylla, mountain ash, rowan tree, Sty rax Japonioa, Tamarix gailioa. In places where they can be established tho natiw karaka is a fine tree, also tho koe-koo and titoki — in iaot, so are many others. 1 *THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Tho laßt sowing of turnips should bo well up now, and thinning should ba done whilo the plants aro quite small, bo as to givo them every ohanco to grow m tho way they are wanted. This sowing is to provide the main supply through winter, which means they have to stand in the ground for about twenty weeks, or, rathor, some of them havo to. It is not desirable to grow largo turnips, so thinning should not be severe. It is wrong to thin, to a single line; it enoocurages them to grow too large, and tho bods do not produce so much as they ought. Oaro should be taken to 6eo that each plant stands clear of its neighbours, and "about l£in divides them it will be suffioient; growing fairly olobo restricts one size ot the leaves as well as iho roots. Spmaoh should be thinned ouo as coon As the plants are well up; give them at least 8m or 9in space between them. This is the only way to get good loaves in winter. At this time of the year ths seedlings will transplant without difficulty. Cabbage and lettuce plants will be showing up if seed has boon put in as advised to provide for early planting. It is advisable to see that neither of these are allowed to crowd each other too much; it is always advisable to sow such things rather thickly, for vhore aro many causes of loss— birds, slugs, etc. — but at this time of year young plants crowded together are likely to decay, or otherwise to make very poor advance. It is therefore advisable <»_ thin them at once if they _ come up thickly. Onions that havo been sown with tho intention of transplanting' in spring should be left rather thickly in the drills ; for this purpose ono naturally sows tho sood more > thickly than would be done if they were not to be transplanted, and as it is not debirablo that the plants get very largo, but lather that by slow growth tor a considerable 1 time they make firm, hardy plants of medium growth, it is better for them to be crowded in the drills, and so check each other, than to be in a position to make strong growth. There ib no danger of onions damping off wbun they are once well up, for they havo no broad foliage jto shut out light and air. Pumpkins 'and marrows intended for winter use should not bo allowed to get 100 hard before separating them from tho plant. A safe guide is to try the rind with the thumbnail; if it is difficult to penetrate it may be considered fit for storing. If iho gourds are left till tho bark gets exceedingly hard, tho fleshy part has shrunk considerably , and froquently would be hardlY worth keeping. Shallots and garlic will, in many cases, havo but recently been storod, wt tlnsy may bo planted again at ouco by tho<-(» who are desirous of gelling thorn eariy. Perhaps this may bo more dcsirublo with shallots than, with gailic, tmd in either case it is no advantage to hurry if you have a stock, as they keep well; but if a now stock to bo worked up, and they are wantod early, thori plant at once. They require a free and woll-druincd soil ;v.; v . the bulbs c:< 3 to bo merely firc^ed iuto thu soil, leaving tho tops visible. Plant in vows t2in apart and 9in lrom bulb to bulb.