GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 October 1925, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

(Bv Waratah.) HARDY ANNUALS. A bright display may be obtained in the flower garden at small cost by sowing seeds of hardy annuals. Ihe seeds may either be sown in a seed-bed and transplanted, or. the seeds may be sown where the plants are intended to grow. The advantages of growing the young seedlings in a nursery bed are that it is easier to water and shade them when necessary than when they are growing in different places in the garden, and also to protect them from slugs, snails and wood lice which often do much damage until 1 , the plants are two or three inches high. , , . The site selected for a seed-bed should be warm and sunny and the soil Of good quality. It is an advantage to i'orh in some well-rooted leaf-mould or stable manure into the top three or foui inches of soil. If this can be d.onc much labour will be saved in wateiing, and the plants can be transplanted more successfully, as they can be lifted with a good ball of soil. Sow the seeds in shallow drills 12 inches apart, and as. soon as tlie seedlings can be handled thin them out' to two inches apart, to enable them to develop side branches and form nice bushy specimens. Transplanting may be done as soon as .the plants are large enough. Choose a day that is cloudy if possible or transplant in the late afternoon. If the soil is dry make a hole ready to receive each plant and fill it with water. As soon as the water has drained away the plants should be put in. ■ If sown in the borders care must be taken riot to cover the seeds too,deeply. The surface should be levelled and scratched up with a rake, the seeds sown in patches thinly and evenly over the surface and covered lightly with fine soil, -which should be made firm with the back of a spade. A few pieces of scrub placed over each sown patch will preserve tlie soil moisture and prevent birds interfering with the seeds. Some good hardy annuals to grow are:— Clarkia.—These produce a large quantity of blooms of brilliant, colours over a long period, and are very attractive. The plants attain an average height of .18 inches, and should be thinned out to or transplanted .0 inches apart. Cosmos. —These are tall autumnflowering plants which need plenty of room. The new crested variety is a great improvement on the old single kind. A dry sunny position suits the cosmos best and the soil should not be too rich. Cornflowers. —These may be obtained in three colours —white, pink and blue. The double blue is the most effective and is beautiful for table decoration. Grow in a sunny position. The plants should be at least <5 inches apart. Candytuft.—This is useful cither as an edging to a border or in large masses in front of a border. The plants should be at least six inches apart.

Chrysanthemum, annual varieties. —- These grow to a height of 2ft and are useful as cut flowers as well as for border decoration. The plants should be twelve inches apart. Eschscholtzia. —These plants grow about one foot in height and are useful to produce a bright display in front of borders. They should be six inches apart. Gaillardias. —The annual variety grows to a height of Ift and is a showy border plant. The flowers are also useful for cutting. . Plant or thin out to six inches apart. Godetias. —These have brilliantlycoloured flowers which, in a cut state last a long time in water. The different varieties vary in height from 9in. to 2ft. Give them plenty of room, as in good soil thoy will make sturdy bushy growth. Gypsophila elegans.—This plant has tiny white flowers on slender stalks and is useful for cutting purposes, giving a light and' graceful effect when mixed with sweet peas or other flowers. It grows. to a height of l'ft. The plants should be Gin. apart. Larkspurs.—These are annual delphiniums' and . tire very effective and graceful plants with diverse and showy colours. The plants grow to a fair height and should bo given plenty of room. i

Liri'aria.—This is a dainty little plant growing to a height of Ift. The flowers are produced on slender stalks and are useful for cutting. The plants need not he thinned out severely as they arc of slender habit and look better growing in a close mass. Linum rubruni.— —This is commonly known as the scarlet flax and is one of the showiest annuals in cultivation. It grows to a height of Ift. The plants should be Gin. apart. Liive-lies-bleeding.—The flowers of this plant are dark crimson in handsome drooping spikes. The plants grow to a height of two feet and should be Ift apart. Mathiola (night-scented stock). —This plant is grown chiefly for the delicious perfume emitted by the flowers in the? evening. It grows to a height of Ift. The plants should be six inches apart. Nigel la (love-in-a-mist). —The flowers of this plant arc produced in great profusion among the graceful foliage and are useful for cutting. Height, 18in. Plants should be Din. apart. Mignonette. —This plant needs plenty of lime in the soil to grow it to 1 perfection. It should be sown where it is to grow, as seedlings do not transplant well. Thin out to Din. apart.

Poppies.—These make a brilliant display in the border. They heed not be vigorously thinned as they look better when closely massed. Height, about ISin.

(Scabious.—These are commonly known as ladies’ pincushions. The flowers are showy, freely produced, and useful for cutting. Height, about 2ft. Plant or thin out to Ift apart. Stocks, ten-week.—These are too well known to need description. They should be grown in fairly rich soil and watered well in dry weather. If the young plants receive a check they will be stunted and flower prematurely. Plant or tlii n out to ,Ift apart. ROUTINE WORK. Plant main crop varieties of seed potatoes in rows 2ft. Gin apart. Place the sets Gin deep and ,15in apart. Sow peas at. intervals of three wdeks to maintain a regular supply. Sow broad beans. Sow leeks in seed-beds for transplanting in December and January. Sow carrot and parsnip seeds in soil free from fresh animal manure. Anything of this nature will cause the roots to be forked or badly shaped: Sow lettuce seed thinly in drills loin apart. Thin out the seedlings to 9in apart as soon as large enough to handle. Sow mustard and cress in shallow boxes filled with fine soil. Make the soil firm and level and sow the seeds thickly on the surface. Press the seeds into the soil with a piece of board. Water with a can fitted with a fine rose and shade the boxes with paper until the seeds have germinated. Cress.should be sown five or six days before .mustard if both are required for use at the same time.

Sow onions in shallow drills 15 to 18in apart in soil made very firm. Pickling onions should be sown in wide drills or small beds. Sow the seeds thickly and evenly so as to get small onions. The soil should not be rich for this class of onion. Sow radishes at intervals of 14 days in rich, moderately firm soil. Sow turnips in small quantities at intervals of 14 days. Tire soil should not be rich, or strong foliage will develop at the expense of the roots. Sow cabbage and cauliflower for succession.

Other seeds which may be sown now are asparagus, beet, borecole, early broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, celery, kohlrabi, parsley, rhubarb, savoy cabbage, spinach, swede, turnips.