THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 18399, 6 October 1923, Page 17

THE GARDEN

VEGETABLES. Growth is now in full activity, and crops of all kinds may be got in. Weeds in full growth must he dealt, with by hoeing and raking whilst they are small. Do this on a hot day; the sun will do the rest. Weeds mostly commence to seed whilst very small, hence the necessity for destroying them Before they reach that stage. Plant th<; main crop of potatoes and earth up early kinds that aro coming through the ground. Plant cabbage and cauliflower. Give waterings to keep them growing during hot, dry weather. Sow peas for succession. The stronggrowing main crop varieties arc Lest for this sowing, provided that stakes are available. Where the soil is good and the stakes aro at hand the yield is far above other sorts. Branches of trees with the leaves trimmed off and 4ft or sft high do admirably for the purpose. From 3ft 6in to 4ft between tim rows is not a bit too much ; farther apart will be better. Plant out let tuce, and sow radish or any other quick crops between the pea rows.

It is not advisable to sow tall, main crop peas unless stakes are available. Better rely upon the dwarf marrowfat kinds.

French hen ns may lie sown now. also butter and runner lican.s; hut it is not advisable to sow many until towards the end of the month, in case of revere weather, winch we are almost sure (o have some time during tin’s month. With only one or two exceptions, we have haul ioi years snow.on the high levels and frost more or less in October, ami if beans net nipped with fro-t the grower had better start Afresh, for thev never recoier sufficiently to justify keeping them. Leeks should I-a sown again if the former sowing is not sufficient. Sow main crop celery and prick out those from an early sowing as scon as they aro strong enough to handle. Sow the main crop of carVots of the intermediate type. Avoid giving fresh manure, or they become coarse and rooty. Sow parsnips if not already in. Sow beet. Sow onions for pickling. These should bo grown thickly on poor ground and made very firm. ’ . THE LA WX FflOM SLED. Assuming Ibo work of preparing the ground has been carried out as previously advised, the method of laying down a lawn may be dealt with: A tine triable surface is requisite to ensure favorable conditions for the .seed. To level and make the surface smooth and even in firmness is of the utmost importance. The only wajr to get this is by frequent raking, rolling, and treading, particnlarlv trending. The boot will find any soft spot in the 'round, where a roller, no mailer !itnv heavy, cannot —it will ride over a small soft place fur the reason that the ground is firm on cither ride. Fo there, is nothing for it but frequent raking.s am! trendings and rollings, tho latter to break down lumps and to put a nice finish on tho surface. I do not propose to give advice as to how to lay down bowling greens or a tennis court. sly amateur friends had better leave that to an expert.

Do not run away with tho idea that because it is a grass lawn any poor soil will do. Tho gray-s may come away fairly well for ft .short time, but sooner or later it will weaken, thou up cumo daisies and other weed pests, and soon the lawn becomes an eyesore instead of a pleasure. . Rake, tread, and roll the ground until the surface is as firm and smooth as a table. But before this is done, if the ground is at till poor, apply a good dressing of ni’tiiicial manure. Work this in during the process of levelling. .Superphosphate and bona meal in equal parts make a good dressing, applied at tho rate of IjJcwt per quarter-acre. No lawn should be sown with less than four varieties of grass seeds in the mixture—five would bo better. Some grasses do much hotter at ono season of the year than another, and most grasses do better when grown with others, giving a good appearance practically all the year round, which is impossible with only one or two | kinds. The selection of the grasses is of j tho greatest importance, as tho lawns must I bo considered as a permanent crop. For. heavy ground it is well to rely upon the stronger-growing glasses, but where the, soil is free and rich any of tho finer grasses may be used with advantage. Thisj is a good all-round mixture;' —Chewing a| fescue, or fine-leaved sheep fescue; dwarf perennial rye, or Poverty Bay rye ; smoothstalked meadow grass; rough-stalked meadow grass; crested dog’s tail. It. is advisable for inexperienced hands to divide the seed into two parts, and sow tho one half the one way and the other half at right angles the other way. By this method a much more even sward is secured. After tho seed is sown give tho surface an even raking to properly cover tho seed, but do not rake too deeply, or many of the finer grasses will not push through the ground, and consequently will bo wasted. After the raking in is all finished, give the ground a. rolling to settle or bed the seed. The roller should not bo a very heavy one. Tho quantity of seed required for any given area is from 80lh to 1001 b per acre. 'Where a prolonged drought succeeds the sowing, give a good watering. Avoid sprinkling. When tho grass is nicely through give it a rolling. Do not let it get too long before mowing, or it will have a yellow. appearance after cutting, and may be in-'' jure cl or burnt by hot sun and drying j winds. The benefit of a good watering in: tho absence of rain is not only to bring, the grass .away quicker, but to prevent Sparrows and other birds from dusting and pecking the seeds out, working little round holes over the surface, consequently destroying many seeds.

FLOWERS. Plant out hardy bedding plants during dull days, or, bettor still, during showery weather. Tiki planting of shrubs, both flowering and others, should bo brought to a conclusion as speedily as possible. Clip hedges. Keep lawns regularly mown and rolled. Trim grass and verges. Hoc and rake gravel paths. Keep 'clown weeds TlrTiower beds and borders. ANSWERS. nr ’A.D.” writes; "I have been getting parcels of plants, annuals, etc., for the past six weeks for Central Otago. They arrive quite fresh, but die off in a few days, although I plant them at once, and water them every third evening."—lt is

not your being I,oooft above sea level that causes the plants to die. I think Ij can see bv your letter various causes of' ■failure. Firstly, it is too soon to plant | annuals when you get night frosts and j flno days. Tender annuals will not stand that. Again, you use too much wood ash. Two parts soil to ono of ash too strong. One part wood ash to four or six of soil is quite strong enough. And watering young plants every third day is enough to kill them, especially on heavy, soil. When I plant I give one watering' only, to settle the soil about them. Unless the soil is very light and dry, onoj watering should be sufficient, at least for a time. Your plants turning yellow and dying in a few days is attributable to on© or more of these causes. Exoept for perennials and hardy herbaceous plants, I should not plant out before tho end of this month. I advise you not to be so kind to your plants. They like rich soil certainly. Try again later, when you think you arc free from nipping frosts at night. Let me know how you get on, I

WORK FOR THE WEEK. Our contributor, a well-known gardener, will be glad to answer questions, which must be received not later than Tuesday of each week. Advertisements for this column raus t beJ'.andsd in to the office before 2 p.m. on Friday.

“Rose.”—lt certainly is late tf remove a large rose bush, but apparently it is Hobson's choice. You must cither lift it and take the risk or leave it behind. If it is a good ono and not too old. I should ljft_ it. Give it a good watering before lifting and after planting, and prune it well back, as the roots could not support a large top after lifting. “Tomato.”—Anv time this month is early enough to plant such a small house with tomatoes. Secure decently grown young plants. Keep the house rather close and warm for a few days after planting. Do not give too much water, H.C. STONE PAYING. A very pleasing form of pathway in the alpine garden may be formed by utilising odd pieces of paving stone or the Hatter slabs of the rockery stone itself. Pitch a path is not only in harmony with the informal character of the gat-den, lint. may be made quite decorative if the (lagging is laid on two or three inches of gritty Roil, in which case many dwarf plants may bo used to garnish the chinks and seams. If the joints between the stones are well rammed with such a compost, and the surface loft slightly below that of the slabs, such wee plants us Aren aria ba'carica, Mentha Requiem, and Cot til a squMida will make a refreshing edging by them, and in their season spangle the pathway with their tiny flowers.

The great thing to bear in mind in formbi'T such a path is thoroughly to consolidate the foundation, which may advantageously he composed of ashes and clinkers. If the grit tv soil referred to

above (to which may be added a little leaf mould and old mortal') is placed upon such a substratum, the worms will nob be ro troublesome. Tf the material used is oddments from street-paring—which, by the wav. makes quite a. good, substitute for roughly-quarried slabs—some time can very profitably bo spent, in chipping the edges so as \o take off tho rectangular appearance which such ‘'dressed” stone lias. It is a mistake to think that the pieces can bo just thmyri down apvhow Quito as much rare and .attention should bo expended in “placing” them ns in adjusting the rocks in tho alpine garden, and all the large intestines should ke filled with suit able small pieces of paving, /o ns to knit the, whole tightly together.— London ‘Gardener,’ THE CARDINAL EI/EVEE. This beautiful flower (Lobelia oarclinalis) is striking in bed, group, or border, and most useful for cutting. Tho flowers last long in water, 'and l ns the lower ones fade on tho spike the higher ones come out in succession for days—or even week* if carefully attended to. Tho plant, on the whole, is easily grown, hut few pay better for liberal culture. It cannot be depended on to ripen seeds in the open,

except in favored and sheltered places, j When it does ripen seeds, these should bo pnwn as soon as ripe in pans or boxes of light, rich soil, and either potted off before winter or left in the seed beds till the spring. They should bo pushed forward in moderate heat, and finally pointed out in deep, good soil, and in a. sheltered, moist nook, it possible, towards the end of November. The plants may throw up a snike tho first season; they will certainly form, a stool, like herbaceous phloxes, or plants of similar character, only the shoots are far more fleshy and strong. Only in the wannest places should these lobelias be left out for tho winter, and where this is done a foot of .cocoanut fibre refufo over them is a belter protection than coal ashes, sawdust, or any other material. Whatever is used, it ought not to lie removed till the middle, or end of November, and on (ho removal of the covering a top-dressing of fresh soil should bo given, or a little of the finest fibre left as a. top-dressing. But the safest mode of wintering the cardinal flower is to cut down the (towering stems as soon as they have finished blooming, and lift the clumps early in May at the iciest, and either pot them separately in Gin or Bin pots, or pack a dormi or so in a cutting box. This mode is better than placing them in cold pits nr frames, ior on the floors of cool hovpes for the winter. The plant,? placed in heat in the early spring have ono or more crops of cuttings obtained from them: the first crop, being terminal shoote, are the strongest and the Lost, and yield the most bloom next year. Then the clumps may also he broken up into as many shoots as rents can bo obtained for. In dry seasons give the plants muh'vings of manure and, occasional applications of manure or clear water.—‘The Gardener/

SOME SPLENDID FLOWERING SHRUBS. THE HARDY AZALEAS. The l -Lard-v summer-leafing or Ghent azaleas ought to bo found in gardens much more often than they arc (slates a writer in the London * Gardenerin early summer they nro lovely, and iho smicy fraernneo and splendid tints of the flowers mahe them the most striking thing in the garden while the bloom lasts. There is nothing in the open pardon so (harming ns old azaleas in flower. They should he no placed in a pardon that they hare, wh.cn in flower, a background of greenery, prefm-ablv evergreens. ■ They tiko she 1 tor, even from southerly winds; they delight, in shaded nooks. A peaty soil suits them best, thmnrh they grow/ well in light Imm, especially if enriched with decayed loaf mould. As they a-ro nil of slow growth, it is better to buy from nnrserkn a few largo plants than many small ones ; bushes sft in height and, upward,s, if well rooted, can be transplanted with perfect success if necessary. DAPHNES. These hmutiful flcwTving shrubs, of which the old Mezereon is the best known, are deservedly popular. The leafless branches of the Mozcreon are covered with a profusion of fragrant blossoms before winter is past. Tho common sort has reddish-purple blooms, but there are pink and white, single and double, flowered forma It should .always be planted in a spot where its beautv can bo enjoyed in early spring. It, dislikes shade, and does best in an, open, sunny place, in almost any kind of roil. In some seasons it flowers from the end of July till October, The pretty Garland flower (D. cneonim) is also a favorite shrub. It is of trailing growth, and makes dense cushionlike masses of evergreen foliage a few inches

Ins'll. The flowers, which arc deep pink, fragrant. and produced in dense clusters at the tips of the shoots. If. prefers a peaty soil in an open situation, and flowers in spring and again in autumn. THE CHINESE CRAB. This (Pyrus speefabilis) is a highly ornamental member of«the Crab family, forming a medium-sized tree, the branches of which have, when young, rather an upright tendency, hut become more spreading when old. The flowers are semi, double, pale pink when fully expanded, but deep red in the bud. They are bornein great profusion, and, being rather later than many other kinds in opening, generally escape any harm from late spring frosts. Another now well-known kind, by some considered a variety of the last, is the coral-flowered apple (Mains floribund-a), a slender growing tree, whoso long, flexible Branches lare completely wreathed with pretty pink flo'.vots. The jnost effective stage, however, is perhaps before the blooms expand, at which time the coralred buds are very showy

HARDY FUCHSIAS.

Hardy fuchsias ought, to bn largely grown,‘but thev are not very often seen. They produce their lowly flower* rtnaInrlv evorv vonr, ami Avlim in full b oom arc* among 'flic most aliractivo features of LI 10 garden. In many cases wlmio fuchsias are, not satisfactory tho reason is that they arc. not treated properly. Planted in a good, loamy soil, and proled ed during the first winter or so by placing n, layer of leaves nr’ashes over th* crowns in antirnui on tbo ol frost, thev will thrive well enough. _ 'J his fact is proved by the splendid Kpceimcns seen in cottage, and other old-iarhioned gardens in all parts of the country, Many who have fuchsias in tho garden under their charge cut . tho shoo Is Jjaeh in autumn, nr, rather, as soon as they hare dropped their leaves. This, however, is a mistake. Ht is better, particularly in districts whero severe frosts are experienced, to leave the, cutting back until spring. In various parts of the Isle of IV.ght I have seen magnificent specimens cf hardy fuchsias. An acquaintance there bos a complete hedge ol his small but always interesting garden. Una, too, is not mutilated, as is often the case, lint is .allowed to grow in a free and natural style, which adds considerably to its beauty. In Devonshire and various parts of ylampshiro' I hare seen fine specimen fncloVis on lawns whero they have been growii\ for years. Cottngo gardens in both of the so comities, too, are particularly wealthy in fuchsias. A pretty cltcct can bo got by planting the, PoeFs narcissus in a, he;! of frehsia-s. The narcissi bloom in soring, and by the time they are past and the foliage is decaying tho fuchsias will have mado enough growth to hide tho yellow leaves from right. One of tho most useful kinds to grow in F. Riccartoni, which is hardy in most par:?, of Great Britain. Id. g'obosa is a, lovely kind, with richly-colored flowers; and there are other good varieties which may bo used.