Garden Guide

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 239, 27 September 1930, Page 11

Garden Guide

The Hawke's Bay

(By LEONARD A. GRIFFITHS.)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1930.

“Flowers, leaves, f.’uit, are airwoven children of light.” —Moleschott. The Week’s Work at a Glance THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. September month finds the kitchen garden bare and ready for planting. Where space is limited the aim of every household should be to grow only the most profitable of vegetables. To do this we must pick out the crops that give a quick return to enable us to use the ground several times.

All quick-growing root crops can be sown—carrots, beet, radishes, parsnips and turnip. Plants of cabbage, cauliflower, onions, and lettuce can be transplanted in rows. Seeds of spring onion, leeks, mustard and cress and endive should be sown for salad use.

Sowings of dwarf peas in a small garden are recommended. William Hurst or American Wonder are the earliest. Stratagem and Greenfeast are two good main crop varieties. The pods from the dwarf peas are equally as good as those from their taller brothers and tho labour of staking is saved.

Ground should be prepared and enriched for the sowings of cucumber, marrow and pumpkin seeds which may take place next month. Sweet corn is a delicacy worth cultivation and can be grown to fill up some ugly corner

Onion plants that have been transplanted some time should be hoed between, care being taken not fo damage the young plants. Lift and divide old mint roots, discarding the surplus, thus making more room for the roots to obtain food to produce good foliage. Seeds of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red pickling cabbage and borecole or curly greens should be sown in beds to provide sturdy plants for next winter’s use. Tomato seeds are quickly germinated when sown in a box of fine soil and are certainly much cheaper than buying plants. ♦ ♦ * * Among the Flowers

September is one of the chief sowing periods of the year and to ensure bright and attractive summei and autumn displays work must be commenced at once. The weathei has certainly been against much planting, but if we waste much longer there will be no display. Sow the following seeds in boxes Asters, zinnias, lobelia. stocks, poppy, cosmos and marigolds. The following hardier varieties may he sown in the ground in warm, sheltered spots;—Phlox, violas, clarkia, mignonette, balsam and antirrhinum. Early sowings of tobacco may now be made in boxes or seed pans. Tobacco growing is becoming quite a hobby with many of our local amateurs. Prick the young seedlings out into trays and plant out when large enough to handle. They are easily grown from seed. Care should be taken to harden off all seedlings that have been grown in sheltered positions. Many hundreds of plants are lost yearly by planting out soft, weak plants when 10 days in the open weather would work wonders. Tobacco dust and lime will have to be constantly used to keep the slugs away. Dahlia bulbs that have been stored for some time should be examined and spread out on the surface of the soil to shoot. Chrysanthemum stools are throwing up fresh shoots that may be pricked off and boxed for transplanting later.

Spring sowings of lawn grass can now take place. 31b. of seed is sufficient to sow’ 100 sq. yards (10yds by lOvds). Established lawns can be top-dressed with manure, 3ozs. to the square yard. Rake ovei- the grass and sow fresh seed where grass is inclined to be patchy. For the backs of long borders the seeds of the following tall plants should be sown:—Giant sunflower, tree marigold, larkspur, zinnia and cosmos. For borders sow alyssum, Virginian stock, Shirley poppy, nyrethium. dwarf nasturtium and bellis perennis.

* * * Cleaning Up The Garden

Cleanliness is next to godliness we are told, and modern hygiene lias taught us quite a lot about cleanliness, but somehow we always seem to forget that it is just as applicable to the garden as to our homes. Tn this climate of ours it is seldom that trees, and particularly fruit trees, remain clean for long. We find small moss-like growths, liehens they are called, attaching themselves to the trunks and branches of ageing trees, and even mushroom-like growths (fungi) attach themselves occasionally to old branches. In addition there are a host of minute

fungi which tho eye cannot easily perceive, and which are every bit as harmful. These growths are all decidedly injurious to the health of the tree by drawing off the sap which should go to the development of its wood and fruit. Underneath the lichens are good hiding places for the many insect pests which prey upon the trees, and although they may be harmless at this season, will be quite active and do their share of destruction in their season. All these parasites can be easily removed by the application of a winter wash. If, as in the colder climates they no doubt will be, they are very had, the wash need be strong and one containing caustic soda is recommended for the purpose. If. however, they are present m but a mild form, then lime sulphur is hard to beat. Either of these washes may be purchased from any seed store, and in a form readv for use after the addition of some water as directed op the container. After you have finished the fruit trees turn your attention to the roses and things on the arches and pagodas. They may be perfectly healthy, but you never can tell, and a wash in time may prove to be just the mild disinfectant necessary to keep disease at bay. Caustic soda washes, by the way, are burning in their action, so you will find it necessary to wear gloves if you have to use them, and keep to windward of the tree all the time, so as to keep the mixture out of your eyes. A great deal depends upon the thoroughness with which the job is done. Every piece of the tree must receive the spray, from the base to the tip of the highest shoot. Slugs' Haunts. Next turn your attention to the rubbish heaps in the corners, which are always a lurking place for slugs, snails, and other pests. Gather all woody stems which will not rot and burn them at once, but the remainder should be turned over several times and will quickly rot, when it can be dug into the beds in the springtime as a substitute for manure. To counteract the slugs which might be present, give it a thorough dressing of limo from time to time.

New Designs for the Hower Beds

Flower-Bed Designs. Flower-beds having a simple outline are more effective than intricate patterns. Circles, ovals, and crescents are easy to design and very little labour is required to keep the edges neat and tidy. To form a circie, two stout pegs and a few yards of strong cord are required. I'ind the centre of the bed, drive in one of the stakes to which one end of the cord must be attached with a loop loosely arranged so that it will easily slip around the stake. Having decided on tho size of the bed, shorten the cord to a little over half the diameter and secure the other end to the second stake. By keeping the line taut, a perfect circle is easily scratched on the lawn. Ovals are marked out in a simdai manner. Two stakes are driven into the ground in line with the longest axis, about one foot from the edge og the oval. The ime is made into a large loop and then firmly attached to the marking peg. By placing the loop around the two pegs and keeping it taut an oval is easily marked on tho lawn. Tho size of the oval can be varied by widening the distance between the pegs and lengthening the cord. ;

Making Beds of Various Shapes. Small crescents and other geo-metrically-shaped beds are easily traced on tho lawn with a largo pair of wooden compasses. These can j>e easily constructed with two pieces of wood pointed at one end, bolted together at the tops, and provided with an arm which can bo easily adjusted to describe any aro or circle. After marking out the design, remove the turf and use it for patching bare places in the lawn, or stack it in a heap to rot down for potting. Next take out the top spit and examine the subsoil. Ig it is composed of stiff clay, sand or gravel, remove it to the depth of another spit or work in liberal quantities of humus. If you decide to remove it, put the top spit in its place and then fill up the bed with good soil from the kitchen garden, or you may utilise old potting soil for the purpose. If it is desired to plant the bed immediately, make the soil firm by treading it, otherwise it may be allowed a few days to settle down before the plants are put in. Never plant when the soil is very wet as it is impossible to firm the soil around tho roots, and if it is. very dry it is impossible to consolidate. Dry soil must be well watered and the plants inserted on thg following day.

Garden Improvements CRAZY PATTERN PATHS.

There is a real lack ot attractive paths and approaches in the smaller gardens ot to-day4 What a relief it is to see a garden a little different from its neighbours. Unconsciously we pause to say “How beautiful” without perhaps knowing why we exclaim this. But when we look closer and compaie it with its neighbours we find the difference perhaps in the attractive flower beds or in the well-laid-out and tidy paths.

* * * * Some Notes on Crazy Paving

Now crazv paving is unique and ornamental and if properly thought out will be different from the average gardens. With the use of crazy paving, the main thing to bear in mind is that it needs as much care and as firm a foundation as an ordinary concrete or slab path. First level and trim the earth bottom to the shape of the finished path. Second, on this spread four inches of coarse gravel and solidify the foundation by grouting over it a thin layer of cement smoothing it off to form the actual bedding of the flags. Third, the following day the foundation will be ready to receive the crazy paving. Fourth, place the crazy paving in tho desired position, keeping the edges straight. Fifth, mix the cement mortar and when this is ready lift each stone from tho already set-out pattern, drop a trowelful of cement on the spot where it is to be placed and knock it firmlv down with tho handle of the trowel.

Sixth, proceed in the same way and so on throughout, fitting the edges together as neatly as possible until the path is complete. Seventh, if the paths are to be weed-proof simply fill up to the level of the stones with cement. An old world effect is to plant divarf seedlings and grass along the joins.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Path Edging

The edgings of paths are almost as important as trie paths themselves and properly treated, they make an ornamental feature in the garden. Many subjects can be used for this work and the old-fashioned box edging would be in keeping with the crazy paths. Narrow strips of grass closely clipped are always cool and clean-looking. A foot flower border planted with Virginian stock, will make a gay entrance and add a splash of colour to any pathway. For permanent edgings, glazed tiles can bo bought fairly cheaply varying in price according to the simplicity of the designs. In setting this kind of edging, dig out a narrow trench of the required depth, ramming the soil at tho bottom and testing it with a straight edge to provide a firm, level bedding.

♦ * * * Garden Jardinieres and Tubs

Tubs, barrels and oil jars are now being extensively used in the gardens for path, lawn and verandah decoration. This is certainly a cheap and effective way of decorating the garden. There are now several makers of pottery designs in Auckland who can supply the necessary garden furniture in shapes that will please any artistic eye. Our readers will probably have noticed now extensively sub-cultiva-tion is carried on with success in Europe, Britain and other countries. In every old-world picture appears a graceful potted subject.

♦ ♦ * ♦ Planting Tubs

Many people ask us what will grow in these confined vessels. As an example a tub measuring 18ins. across should carry a plant about 3ft. high. Yews, cacti, acmenas, retinosporas, geraniums—all are suitable foi the centre plant. For planting near the sides we suggest lobelia, pyrethrum, Virginian stock, nasturtium, phlox and nemesia. The central plant should be planted first, then three or four smaller and next important plants at equal distances apart, the smallest edging varieties dealt with last. Due allowance must be made for the growth of all plants, so that each tub will be well furnished when tho plants aro fully grown.

* * ♦ ♦ Originality

I would strongly. urge that builders of homes give more time and consideration to the artistic appearance of tho grounds surrounding their particular mansion. A beautiful garden adds 50 per cent, to the value of the house and is an indication of refinement. Tho following few suggestions may ho useful to your readers:— (a) On a lawn a succession of stepping stones of white flat slabs of concrete in a shady garden. Nothing can be more charming than this slightly indefinite track of stepping stones winding through trees tn a quiet seat or to a pool or other objective. (b) A path made of common red bricks laid in concrete or sand, as the situation may demand. (c) A stone-flagged path or court laid in loam. A space of 2ins. between the stones is recommended. Couch grass may be grown therein, or several kinds of prostrate growing plants, such as sedunis. (d) A sundial gracing some quiet spot cn the lawn, with a quaint garden seat tucked away in some shady corner