THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 23817, 22 February 1941, Page 4

THE GARDEN

LAST YEAR’S NOVELTIES MANY HEW VARIETIES Many new varieties of plants suitable for , the flower garden are placed on the market i year by year, but arc not in some eases superior to the existing varieties, but new ] varieties introduced for this season after j a trial have proved well worth a. place in j any garden, and when known will become very popular. 'Jtiie following are outstanding and are | showing great promise at the present stage in these districts: — Calendula (Yellow Colossal). —Claimed to bo the largest calendula in the world. The colour is of a deep canary yellow, and the habit is ideal. The plants obtain a height of 18in, carrying large numbers of flowers up to Gin across. This variety certainly supersedes Chrysantha and other recent introductions. Cosmos (Sensation) is bound to become a favourite owing to its dwarf babit and ] bein" at least six weeks earlier than the old “variety. These plants do not exceed sft in height, and the flowers are much larger. The colours are rose-pink and white. It will make an ideal plant for massing or as a background for perennial ; borders. Iceland Poppy (Artist’s Glory).—Here we have a giant-sized flower and stem, and the colours are beautiful, including orange, lemon, rose pink, terracotta, and picoted typos. This variety will no doubt supersede Moonday, Bledisloe, and other highclass kinds. Another variety of scabious has been added to these "most interesting plants. Tins variety is named Blue Moon, and is certainly an improvement on the older kinds in cultivation. Tfie colour is a rich lavender blue, with flowers conical shaped and the sterns are exceptionally long and strong, making it a splendid variety for cut flowers and for all decorative purposes. Another variety of ipomca (or morning glory) has been introduced, named Scarlet O’Hara. This is an American selection, and no doubt a great improvement on the popular variety named Heavenly Blue. This new variety has a beautiful colouring of a rich dark wine or rosy crimson shade, and will commence to flower much earlier than the old variety. The constitution of the plant makes it a much easier plant to grow than Heavenly Blue, and this alone will help it to become a great favourite to all gardeners. Another marigold has also been placed on the market, although we have numerous varieties already. This new one is bound to he grown for its late flowering, and its unique colouring, with blossoms 100 per cent, double, and quilled gold centres surrounded by mahogany-red broad petals. The habit of the plants is very compact, with a light feathery appearance. This variety is named Winter Harmony, and is of fhe French type, which many gardeners are familiar with. As a winter flowering variety this will be a great success. New varieties which are not a great success. Iceland poppy: Red Cardinal. The colouring is very good, being much deeper than many others, but in size is disappointing ; also the lavender shades are not by any means a success, the colour being very pale and the size small. Phlox: Salmon Glory. Has not been a success, although the flowers are very largo, with beautiful colourings; but unfortunately they fade hadly in the sun. Cosmos; Orange Flare. This variety is not of a recent introduction, and it is not a success by any means. The growth is poor and the flowers are very small and fade quickly The writer made a trial of this variety four years ago, and although planted in a warm position under ideal conditions, it was a failure. VEGETABLES The following vegetables have been introduced, and are well worth growing, and are certainly au improvement on older varieties. Green peas arc certainly the most popular of our garden vegetables, and it is most essential that we should .-grow ‘Varieties which are the earliest aniF give the best results from the same amount of labour as given to the older kinds. Yates’s Early Crop is a great advance on many of older kinds. The height is only 18 inches, and is ready in about 60 days for picking. The pods are dark green and hang in pairs, and the crop is very heavy. A variety to follow this is Meteor. The height is 18 inches, with well-fiiled pods. It has an excellent flavour and is a great cropper, and if sown on the same date as Early Crop it will be ready to pick when that variety has finished. For a main crop Banqueter is outstanding, and is a successor to the above varieties. This variety carries very large pods, containing from seven to eight large peas of excellent flavour. The height is 30 inches. This will make a. splendid exhibition pea, and will be widely grown when known. Spinach Beet.—The perpetual variety has become a very important adjunct to the supply of vegetables, in as much as it gives a continuous supply of fine leaves, which may be used when other sorts are not available. If this variety is sown at this stage supplies will be available all the winter and early spring. Carrots play a very important part in the supply of vegetables for the table throughout the winter mouths. A variety which has been placed on the market named Early Krop is quick growing and coreless, with splendid colour. If it is sown at this stage a supply will be obtained right throughout the winter months. There is no waste with this variety, such as .wo find in many of the older kinds. The carrot, wo are told, is the most wholesome and nutritious vegetable grown, and is particularly rich in vitamins, which are so essential to the health of growing children. Carrots are better when allowed to remain in the ground and pulled when required. , F.S.P. CUTTINGS FROM ROCK PLANTS Many of the most popular spring-flower-ing rock garden plants are easily increased by cuttings of the young shoots, which should be taken as soon as they are long enough. They will root best in a frame, placed in a sunny position but shaded from strong sunshine. Failing a frame, the cuttings can be rooted quite successfully beneath a handlight of cloche, placed over a bed of sandy compost. A good general compost for cuttings of this type consists of three pafts sharp saud, one part loam, and half-part peat, the latter being omitted if not readily available. The ingredients should be mixed well and then rubbed through a iin sieve. If a considerable number of cuttings have to bo rooted it is best to make up a bed for them in the frame. First place a layer of broken pots or rough ashes at the bottom to provide free drainage, cover with a layer of siftings from the compost, making sure no worms are present, then fill in with compost. The compost should be at least 2in deep and firmed only very lightly, after which it should be surfaced with a iin layer of pure sand. Small quantities of cuttings may be inserted in pans, small pots, or shallow boxes, making sure that free drainage is provided. Although the cuttings must have plenty of moisture, they will not root in a constantly saturated medium. The preparation of the cuttings is a simple matter, but they must bo treated with care. In the case of plants like alpine phlox, pinks, sun rose (helianthe-

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mum), ibertis, aethionema, lithospermnrn, and other subjects of similar habit, shoots sin or 4in long may be used. They should be severed just beneath a. node or leaf joint with a sharp knife, the lower leaves trimmed off. and until sufficient are prepared for insertion they should be covered with damp moss or sand to; prevent them from flagging. The cuttings are inserted by just press-, ing them into the compost, deep enough, for them to stand upright without support. An alternative method is to make holes with a small dibber, set the cuttings in, and then press the compose lightly against them. Unless the latter method is done very carefully there is a, danger of au air space being left at tha base of the cutting, and if this occur* it may fail to root. After inserting the cuttings they should be watered with a fine-rosed can and tha frame then closed and shaded. After-atten-tion consists in spraying the cutting* lightly earlv each morning, and again in the afternoon if the weather is very hot. When the frame is opened in the morning the lights should be left off for a few minutes to drain off moisture that has collected on the underside of the glass, otherwise the frame should be kept completely closed until rooting has commenced, when air mav be admitted gradually. Rosette-forming plants like androsac* sarmentosa are propagated by removing the new rosettes, each with a portion of the runner-stem attached, and instertmg those in the compost so that the rosettes rest just on the surface. Popular plants that may be increased quite easily by cuttings of the young shoots, in addition to those already named, are: Alyssum saxatile, Arenaria montana, Calamintha, many kinds of Campanula, Cerastium. alpine wallflowers like Cheiranthus Harpur Crewe, the rosette-forming drabas and saxifrages, Dryas octopetala. gobularia, creeping gypsophila, hutchinsia, dwarf hypericuras, Linaria alpina, linum, Penstomou Menziesii and others, aricula, Saponaria ocymoides, sedum, and the dwarf herbaceous and shrubby veronicas.— ‘ Popular Gardening,’ London. PLANT BULBS THAT HAVE BEEN LIFTED It is a practice with .many amateur gardeners to lift bulbs of narcissi and other flowers when the foliage has died down and to keep them out of the ground perhaps for two or three months, in the belief that the flowering of the bulbs in tho spring will not be affected. This is a. mistake. They should be put back in tha ground as soon as possible, so that _ they can make good root growth, which is essential to successful flowering. It is a safe rule to plant all bulbs have been lifted, except gladioli and tulips, directly the ground has been made ready for them* ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT “ Vegetarian.”—lt seems that a mistake has been made when you say that the plant is carrying 50 male flowers and no female flowers. I cannot explain it, but I would advise you to examine your plant again. “ Bruce.” —The 18ft border could be planted fqr a spring display with earlyflowering wallflowers as a ground work, with bulbs such as tulips or daffodils planted between, or it could be planted entirely with ranunculus edged with anemones. The seed boxes should never he allowed to get dry, and immediately the seedlings appear the glass should be removed. I am afraid you allowed tho flowers of your sweet peas to seed m the early stages. All seed pods should be taken off as they form. Sweet peas must have plenty of liquid manure, applied when in the blooming stage. “ Apricot.”—Fruit submitted has been eaten by the grub from the bronze beetle. Nothing can be done at present, but advice will be given on spraying at a later date.