CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 63, 16 March 1933, Page 17

CORRESPONDENCE

SALVIA. AND LOBELIA.

. " A 'Horticultural Friend. "—You suggest' that August ' would be ■ a good month to plant salvias. This is really too early as they are essentially hot weather plants. It would be better to delay planting till, say, November when the ground has become well warmed. The lobelia might safely' he planted in August arid would then probably come into flower at tlie samo time as the. Salvias" "fr"' ""' -■■-■■->-■■- - ■■'-■WfflJ*-; -*.;.:• r^p

PERENNIAL PHLOX.

L.S.B.—Like all herbaceous perennials Phloxes require deeply-dug, rich, welldrained soil. Plenty of water during the period is required to. keep thr plants healthy. 'Lift and divide the clumps each winter, and reduce the growths to four or five of : the strongest at each clump. They may be grown from seed, but this is not a very satisfactory method.bf propagation as seed is very slow in germinating, and' soon loses its vitality. There are so many exeellen't varieties cm the market that it is not worth while raising new ones from seed many of which would not be worth keeping. '"..-• ■

SOWING:DOWN A LAWN,

H.H-—You would be wise: to. postpone the.' sowing for a month and to employ the intervening "time in cleaning the ground. .-Encourage'the ■ germination of weed seeds by watering occasionally, 'and afterwards when the weeds appear, frequently go over the ground with the hoe and rake. On no account dig the ground again!as this would bring up to'the surface more weedy soil. You cannot do better than get a.good lawn mixture from a reliable source. A certain amount of weed is sure to come up however much working you do to the s soil asthi seed is constantly being carried by the wind.