GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Evening Star, Issue 14631, 29 July 1911, Page 11

GARDENING FOR THE WEEK.

Once again the great Temple Flower Show is past, and m reading down the report a- few points appear to mo worth a place in this column. Firstly, what an opportunity was offered to colonial flower lovers who are visiting London to tee a first-class horticultural exhibition. They must have been struck not only by tnc wondrous beauty of the show an a whole, but In- the enormous throngs which attend and the enthusiasm shown at such an exhibition. Would that more of that enthusiasm were shown at our own shows. Not only at our own shown in Dunedin, but at nearly all shows in the Dominion that I have visited there is the s ame story —they do not receive the eupjxirt they deserve." Of course, we cannot hope for anything like a Temple show, but good little shows here have been got up in Dimed m with poor returns cv patronage for the labor bestowed upon them. 1 have heard some sav : "The shows are only got up to suit a certain class.” Let me disabuse the minds of anv who have such an idea ;n their heads. " I have been on the Dunedin

Horticultural Society’s Committee ever since it was changed from the old Amateur Horticultural 'Society, and not once do I remember any motive other than for tho good of the society and for the public at large. What can be done to fester a love of horticulture and a love of flowers' Flowers, to my mind, have a wonderful refining influence. I have seen men—one in particular—who was very rarely at home with his wife and little once, but attending divers kinds of shady meetings, until 1 and come friends started him growing good parties, and ho got so infatuated that ho planted half of his section with pausin', and carnations, and now he has steadied down, and for some years worker! himself tip to havo a good broiness of hit own at Ids trade, and is president of a large horticultural society. We should do our best to teach people to love flowers by having gardens and making them as bright as possible.

In reading the reports wc come to the year’s novelties at this show, '(’hey seem to consist principally of orchids. Fancy orchids valued at £70.000, end one preI cious plant valued at £I,OOO. If we had that plant here 99 out of every 100 would bo disappointed when they saw it, and would wonder where the value came in ; hnt among orchid enthusiasts it does not take much to put a hundred or two on a plant. Two or three years ago an odoutoglaseam that had a few more blotches of dark. shades of chocolate was sold for £1,500 at auction. This was supposed to ba about a record Orchids, however, are in a general way beyond us cut here. As to novelties, which concern us more, the carnation which Her Majesty selected as the Coronation flowor was Lady Hermione, raised by Mr Charles Blick. In roses the novelties at this show seemed to be principally among the Pillar or Rambler class. They have made enormous strides of late. The rock garden seems to have been very lovely, as it was made a special subject at this exhibition. A few of the cream of the 1911 novelties and ones that are hare and from which great things are expected are : —Miss Alice de Rothschild (yellow tea), Kaiser Wil- '■ helm 11. (crimson H.T.), Mr Foley Hobbs (ivory white, pink edge, tea). Marquis do | Ganay (silver rose. H.T.), and Shower of I Gold (weeping). These are reported to he I really pood, but are -it rather a high figure ! for meet people to indulge in this sea,son. | They run from os 6d each. | —Flowering from Seed.— ! As I .pointed out recently, it is very i necessary for some Linda of flowers to be : successfully flowered the first season that | they be sown early in August. Tbo prej cisa date depends on the weather and the district one lives in, and also the conveni- | ericas for raising where there are insuffi- , cient means of taking care of them during j sudden changes and perhaps sharp frosts, j It may be the beginning of the month or the end. On high levels and in a warm sunny position one can start right away, \ but on cold, low situations, where heavy j fretis are likely to occur patience must be I exercised. In either case, however, ono must have some glass, either in a greenhouse or a good frame. All the varieties of Dianthue, if sown now soon and pricked out singly into shallow boxes as soon as they are large enough to handle, will flower well the first reason. Geraniums, >f sown now and kept growing, will flower well in the autumn, and well into the winter. ’ Miniuliis, sown early in pots, pricked out into boxes, ami brought on under glass and planted in a nice cool, moist situation, make a grand show during the summer. Pelargoniums sown in a warm place am! potted up as soon as they can bo handled i m 2jm pots, and when "these are full of roots repotted into 4in or Sin, may bo flowered the first season. These require i good turfy loam and sand and leaf mould. 1 using no manure, or they will not flowei j the first season, by reason of thair grow- • ing too strong. It is very interesting'to i grow these from seed If a good strain of ! seed be used there is always a prcsptxn, ! of a real good ono turning up, good onomdi i to repay yon for all your trouble. ° j Fuchsias can be satisfactorily flowered in six or seven months, but those require I more warmth to bring them on in the early I stages. As the fuchsia is a gross feeder | it requires rich material. Sow- thinly in | well-drained pots, using fine leaf mould, | a little sand and soil well mixed, and j when largo enough to handle prick out! around the edge of small pots, and later I on repot into larger until the flowering! pot is reached. Use good old cow manure, j loam, leaf mould, and ea-ad for the final | potting, and give plenty of water. These make really tine specimens when grown from seed, as they seem so much "more vigorous than from cuttings, and there is always a chance of getting a good new one. Verbenas should be got in at once, as they are more satisfactory if they are not hurried on with excessive heat. Sow in [iots, in rich sandy loam and leaf mould, and place a square of glass on the pot to retain the heat and moisture. Either sheets of glass or brown paper should be used for covering all seed pots or boxes. This assists germination by retaining heat and moisture. Satpiglossis may be either sown now in boxes or it will do almost as well if sown in good rich loam outside in September, and the plants pricked out as they become strong enough to handle. —Answers.— “W.F.”—You have an asparagus springeri which is coveted with little bulbs at the roots, and a friend informed yon that it had club root. It is not club root. There is nothing wrong with it. It is its nature to have those fleshy, bulbous-looking roots. When these are thickly matted around the inside of the pot they require repotting. I have seen those roots burst the pot through being left too long before repotting. Give the plant a shift into a pot two sizes larger; make the pot clean, and use clean crocks for drainage—and good loam—you, need not then fear the result. “Amateur.”—lt is not too late to plant roses; it is quite safe to plant until the end of August. Next week I will give a few instructions upon the pruning of roses, as I consider August the best month for gmiinfi. ~ kLC.