FLOWER BORDERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 143, 14 December 1933, Page 25

FLOWER BORDERS

PREPARATION FOR NEW PLANTS

Barly spring flowering plants are mostly past their best, and may be pulled out to make room for later blooming subjects. Wallflowers, forget-me-nots, and similar plants having outlived their usefulness, should be removed without delay. It is not, however, a wise policy to remove one thing and replace it with something else the same day without any preparation of the soil. These spring-flowering plants have been in the ground for a period of nearly six months, and the soil will now be in need of sweetening and enriching. The only practical method of sweetening is exposure to light and air. It will, therefore, be advisable to lea^e the bed or border free of plants for a week or ten days at least. During that time the soil can be cleaned, well forked over, broken .up, and, where necessary, manured. A light dressing of air^laked lime or ground limestone—not quick lime-— just before-planting will finish off the j job. Summer and . autunin-flowering plants need manure just as much as other crops do. The manure should be well rotted before use, otherwise it will make the soil too spongy, there not being time for it to settle down before planting. Palling manure, use rotted vegetable matter from the compost heap or leaf mould. ■-■-'-■-. " , The . season at the present time is very. hot; and dry, but it is not likely to continue uninterruptedly for any long period. The only satisfactory way to plant out in, such weather is to; puddle the plants in,.the water given in this way 'being sufficient ' to,, keep the j>oti?»g plants going till their Toots' start :.functibnjng. "Where only; a few plants are being put out it may be possible to/shade each .with an. Inverted

pot during the daytime, and this-is certainly a good plan where practicable. SEEDLING PLANTS. There are still many seedlings which may be planted out with every chance of success,,but while it, is fairly easy to find suitable plants for sunny beds it is more difficult to get those which give good results in shady positions. Among the ■ summer-flowering plants which will thrive in shady positions are petunias, fuchsias, and marguerites. On dry. sunny banks nothing, perhaps, makes a brighter show than portulaca. Seed may be sown broadcast, and does not require covering, being very fine, or seedlings may be put out if preferred. Zinnias and asters are- both invalu' able for autumn flowering. The soil should be fairly rich arid well-worked, while the plants should not be allowed to become too dry at any time,-- If the ground' is treated with chestnut compound before planting and at intervals of' three weeks during growth, there will be no trouble with the damp-ing-off disease which destroys so many aster plants 'in. some localities. French and African marigolds are wonderful at the hottest part of the year, the plants continuing to flower when, most others are killed with the heat and dryness. : They will continue to bloom throughout tho autumn and well into winter. Calendulas always give a good account of themselves and' ar.e ,not particular as to-soil, but naturally better results and larger blooms are obtained where the plants have good soil to work in. .■;,•.., ■ Delphiniums, larkspurs, Iceland pop-, pies, pansies, sweet peas, and roses, besides other plants, are liable to attack by mildew in hot weather. If, at tho first appearance of the disease, the plants are:dusted with-.flowers of "sulphur, on the hottest, day possible, the trouble will be checked. Most people are under the impression that it is necessary to apply the sulphur while the foliage is wet.. The best results are obtained if the dry sulphur is put on while the plants are dry and the atmosphere also -is dry and hot. The' fumes whieh'check the fungus are given off as a result of the., sun's rays', and it is not necessary for the sulphur-it-

self to come in contact with the foli. age. The- easiesfand most economical method_ of applying the sulphur is to put it into an ordinary round tin the lid of which has been, perforated with fine holes, like a largo popper pot.