GARDENING NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 December 1937, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES

(BY

“WELL-WISHER”).

A lot of gardeners to-day whether amateur or professional, are always on the look-out for flowers that can be successfully grown with the minimum amount of trouble and cultivation. It could not be inferred that flowers or plants under this heading are merely inferior or just commonplace kinds; because many flowers that are easily grown are as bright in colouring, attractive in form and agreeable in fragrance as the most highly cultivated kinds. As I have said in previous notes, no matter how hardy a plant may be, it will always repay that extra attention, time and care bestowed upon it. A little extra cultivation spent in the garden after rain will always conserve the moisture anS this is certainly helpful to all hardy varieties as will as half-hardy.

Among the easiest of flowers to grow are Nasturtiums, as these will always reproduce themselves from the seed that falls in the Autumn; they are frost tender in the early spring but there are generally so many more to assert themselves that there is no need to worry and go to the trouble of covering up. During the past few years great headway has been made in producing ne\V varieties in single, semi-double and double besides the dwarf and tall growing varieties. There is nothing more striking during summer and autumn than a fence or trellis work covered by this easilygrown annual. They can be grown in many situations where few other flowers will thrive and give of their best and it is surprising that they are not made more use of in summer gardening and ornamental work. They excel either in full sun or shade, they transplant readily if required for the filling up of gaps, they soon climb and cover fences with their dense foliage and make a most striking background for either the vegetable or flower garden. Then too as a cut flower they have their recommendations; for table decoration even in hot weather few flowers will last so long in water at this dainty annual. Since the introduction of the double varieties and the gleam hybrids, they are more extensively grown than they used to be and are just beginning to come into their own. One new variety or novelty on the market this year is called Double Globe “Firebrand.” It is one' of the Tom Thumbs and is to be recommended on account of its neat and compact habit. This worthwhile variety has the dark leaf of Tom Thumb and throws its semi-double flowers of a brilliant cerise scarlet well above the not tooluxuriant foliage. This will certainly prove a valuable addition to our summer bedding plants.

' POPPIES AND WALLFLOWERS The Eschscholtzias, or Californian Poppies, are also an easy flower to grow, the seed can be either sown in spring or autumn, by merely scattering it broadcast oyer a plot of ground. There are now some new improved sorts which should be more widelygrown as they make a brilliant display in spring and autumn. The Scabious or Pincushion is another that is easy to grow; this plant has also made great strides in the hybridist’s hands and of late years many glorified forms of these have been produced and very few gardens are without a few of them. They are showy in the garden and bloom continuously if the seed heads .are kept plucked off, few flowers give such a range of colour as the improved varieties of Scabious one outstanding sort “Blue Cockade” is worthy of a place; also one called “Azure Fairy.” They also excel as cut flowers, lasting a. long time even in hot and dry weather, and often fill the bill when othre flowers are scarce. The old fashioned wall-flower with its newer varieties always fills the gap when the spring bulbs are over. The seed should always be sown whenever it is ripe, because if it is kept for any length of time its germinating properties are very low. When the plants are about six inches high, pinch out the tops so as to have a bushy plant. As a rule they love a sunny position, but will grow equally as well in the shade. It is a lime-loving plant and should be planted near the house so that the perfume can be fully enjoyed. The Cheiranthus Allionii or Siberian wallflower is a low-growing plant of neat dwarf habit with flowers of brilliant orange; this beautiful plant is well adapted for the rock garden and enjoys a longer flowering period than the ordinary wallflower. The Calendula of which there are several free flowering double or semi-double varieties of brilliant colour mostly orange yellow or lemon, one new sort Calendula “Campfire” is a worthy acquisition especially for the florist’s use, as the blooms are flat across the top and of a type sought after in the florist trade and measure about four increas in diameter, and have long heavy cutting stems. Another variety although different in type is called Orange-Sunshine and is a favourite with all who have grown it.

It has unique and attractive dowers of Chrysanthemum-like form of bright orange colour which is appreciated seeing that this is at the present time the fashionable shade of Calendulas. Sweet Alyssum (Little Dorrit) very valuable as an edging plant is also easy to grow and worthy of place; its fragrance fills the air and it excels in a sunny position. A variety called Lilac Queen is also much in demand as an edging plant especially for spring bedding and in the rock garden. Another plant that adds brilliance to the border is the Iceland Poppy; the newly introduced strains are worthy of note and one called Golden Fragrance is true to its name. It is the poppy of the moment and its pronounced perfume guarantees it a rapturous welcome from the floral enthusiasts who believe that the soul of a flower is its perfume. This new comer has extra long stems to support the extra large blooms tinted a rich golden yellow. This new strain with its penetrating scent is a reselection from the Gartford Giants the admired descendant of the Gartref strain, so in this new variety we have combined beauty, fragrance and extra large blooms which gives it a place in the front ranks of modern horticulture.