GARDENING NOTES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 May 1933, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

General Routine Work. Continue the planting of hardy perennials, roses and shrubs' whenever the weather and soil conditions permit. Collect turf for rotting down, it is in valuable for all potting, and seed bon work. Collect leaves and place in a pit <o decay. Get in supplies of sand and as much manure as possible which will be needed in spring. Dig all vacant land for frost to sweeten. Save all wood ashes for the spring plantings. Sow seed under glass of all wanted things for spring. Layer shrubs and prune hedges. Erect arches, pergolas and make garden paths. Roll lawns and top dress heavily with lime- where grass grubs have been troublesome. Continue to plant bulbs. Break up and divide clumps o perennials whmh did not, give satisfaction last season. The Vegetable Garden. Make nightly excursions with the lime bag to the vegetable plots where slugs are making their presence felt. Keep the ground hoed whenever possible between growing greens. Sow broad beans on well drained soil. Store all root crops and get plots ready for spring sowing and planting. Dig in plenty or rough grass, hedge clippings etc., to help to keep the soil warm. Transplant autumn sown onions, thov are valuable for early use. Plant spring cabbage and early maturing cauliflowers. The Late Autumn Garden.

Much of the garden’s beauty at the present moment depends on the,' beautiful colourings among our deciduous shrubs and trees. Crimson, scarlet, gold, yellow and bronze leaves, vivid and colourful. Dull the days may be, but the presence of such beauty adds warmth, both indoors and out. Berries there arc too, in abundance, hanging in pendant bunches on the spindle trees, the cotoneastors, the viburnums, and crabapples. lire foliage of spindle trees, smoke bushes liquid ambers and snow ball trees arc a feature of the landscape. The' maples are just commencing to turn and these are among the showiest of all. On the pergola, wistarias are niak ing sunshine, while near bv walls arc ablaze with the hues of the Virginian creepers. With the delay of severe frosts the dahlias still continue to bloom, with near by chrysanthemums a riot of autumn colourings. The intense scarlet of bonfire salvias continue to brighten the garden with the yellow and bronze of French and African marigolds. Calendulas and Iceland poppies are again commencing to bloom freely, with a few stray early anem'ones braving the weather. Stylosa irises are already with us and after our unusually hot summer will probably bloom very freely. Freesias and bulbs of all descriptions are growing rapidly, and while we sadly watch the falling of the beautiful leaves, the perfume of violets bids us look forward to the joys of spring. Heucheras. Heucheras are among the most useful of our hardy perennial plants ana may be divided and planted at the present time. The heuchera is prized for its lovely, long, graceful spikes of bloom which are so useful to use hi combination with other flowers. Also, they are very showy in the garden when grown in the mass. There are many •varieties of them, the colouring ranging from white, through palest pink to cerise, and scarlet shades. The spikes retain their beauty over a long period. Many of them are worth growing for their foliage alone, and are very useful for various sites on the rock garden. The heuchera loves a rich loam on the heavy side, and after several years, should the plants begin to look ragged strike cuttings from the side and discard the old roots. Good drainage they must have, and quickly take exception to a sour state of the soil. Lime may be freely used among the plants, and plants may also be raised from seed. Winter Growth of Ferns.

A point not always appreciated by amateur flower and fern lovers is that, despite the apparently entire dormancy of many plants in the winter, they are not absolutely at a standstill, and consequently still require some little attention in the way of watering and looking after generally. There is, indeed, much root activity going on beneath .the soil long before any obvious evidence is given above it by actual leaf development, and Nature teaches ua that it is during the winter that the soil is moistest, and thus best adapted to aid this root action. During periods of continued and intense frosts the fronds of evergreen ferns shrivel •up and lie prostrate as if they were dead, and on examination they will be found precisely in th© flacid condition induced by drought. When, however, the frost ceases, and the soil thaws, we find lliat these shrivelled fronds will gi*adu•>llv rise and plump out, and in a day or two. not the slightest trace of damage will exist. Hence, it is clear the roots have resumed their usual function of supply, and the jlond cells have responded by absorbing and transmitting the needful sap precisely as they would do in the active growing season. The fact that the fronds shrivel when the root supply is checked proves that transpiration is going on all the time. In many eases, especially with bulbs, we cannot estimate the amount of root work going on in the so-called dead season by the amount of the leaf growth. An extensive root svstem mav be formed below a bulb while as vet the leaves have developed so little as not to pierce the surface of the so ; l but doubtless within the bulb itself

important work, is going on, preparing it for that rapid development of its contents as soon as the spring hasfairly arrived. Another fact which may be observed, and which involves considerable risk of drought to plants under, glass is that hard frost has a materially drying effect upon the soil Soil which previouslv was thoroughly moist, even wot, will often, when thethaw sets in, be found in a more or less dry condition, belying the natural presumption that so long as it was frozen hard the moisture contained therein was unaffected by evaporation. Many failures inay be attributed to a want of appreciation of these facts, and a belief that, since nothing is obviously growing, nothing need be done, the final result being that “nothing” is the reward, the failures being imputed to mysterious causes which had nothing at all to do with them.

Rheum Alexandre. This Chinese rhubarb is one of several carrying the hall mark of excellence' as-garden plants, from the deep, glossy green leaves arises in summer a spire like flower stem from three to four feet high, covered with attractive creamy yellow leaf-like bracts. The plant isbeautiful and strangely mvstieal. If thrives freely in a cool and deep Borland is a very fine plant for grouping in the border, neaf the water, dr in thewild garden, interspersed with such plants as gunneras, acanthus, yucca®, and other bold species. Other good dheums are atropurpurea dissectum, ar delightful plant, the young leaves of which are suffused with red and the flower spikes rosy red. With its finely cut foliage and fascinating colour, thi= rhubarb should appeal strongly to all plant enthusiasts. The wrinkled leaves of R. emodi. disnlay prominent red veins. R. Palmatum has'very lame pale green leaves, and is one of th n earliest to break into growth. Theform known as Dr. Baillers is strikingly beautiful, with large palest green foliage and towering scapes eight to ten feet high, laden with rose coloured flowers, and, last of all, R. .rotheanurn is sure to appeal by virtue of its largeovate bluish-green leaves. Japanese Maples, (acers)'. a. • The Japanese maples, all very attractive, interesting and ornamental, can be planted either in groups on the lawn, in the shrubbery, along the wufrside. and the dwarf ones in the rock garden. Shelter them from cutting winds by planting other evergreens in the background. Many varieties have dark fo 1 - iage on opening in the spring time, and these are a beautiful sight when grown in conjunction with groups ( of" tulips and a ground work of anbrietia. Acer atro purpureum and A dissectum* rnirpureum are among this section, .ami are well worth planting. Acer ianmiicum hauchiwa is one of the best introductions from Japan. The deeulv-lobed-leave.s form a bush somewhat irregular in shape: The autumnal colouring is most, exquisite, being a ,vivid rubv crimson. Acer Osakasuki makes a fine bush. The leaves are of a dull green colour, hi,ring the summer, but the autumncolony vivid scarlet, is a glorious sight, and when planted in masses is unsurpassed for effect. Numerous others there are. some with yellow foliage, some variegated and in infinite variety, worthv of a place in all gardens. They are not difficult to grow, providing the* necesary shelter is given them. J