GARDENING NOTES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 December 1934, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES.

Christmas Cheer in the Garden Although dry weather has 1 - marred the freshness of our gardens, there is still plenty to choose from for Christmas decorations, foremose of which are the lovely perfumed trumpets of lilium regale, handsome heads of hydrangea, spikes of gladioli, long-stemmed scabious, glowing gaillardias, the sunshine of perennial cereopsis, while late flowering rambler roses are a riot of colour. During the morning and evening hours particularly, the pleasing fragrance of the modest honeysuckle is noticeable, and gay annuals are blooming everywhere. Lawns are rapidly showing an accumulation of brown patches and their usual fresh green and cool appearance is sadly missed from the garden scene. In gardens where clematis Jackmanni grows, the large flowers of a beautiful violet shade are outstanding, particularly so when a rambler rose in a .pink shade is flowering nearby, throwing the lovely blooms into bold relief. The fragrance of sweet peas is still with us, and whare plenty of moisture is available, continue to make a brave display. In shady nooks and around the edges of ponds graceful clumps of hcmerocallis (day lilies) give a pleasing display of yellow and orange flowers, together with the stately spikes of yuccas. Routine Work in the Borders.

With the borders refilled with plants which will bloom throughout the autumn months, there is little to do beyond the important work of keeping the soil well loosened and worked to a fine tilth among the plants. This is far better than giving the plants a sprinkling of water which merely encourages the roots to come to the surface. Watering is only beneficial when the plants can be given a thorough soaking'. Where possible, give plenty of water to hydrangeas as these useful and ornamental plants suffer badly in times of drought. Layer carnations and complete the planting of gladioli.

If leaving the garden to care for itself while holidaying, give any choice plants a thorough soaking of water and place a mulch of strawy litter or lawn grass clippings around the roots. Dahlias and chrysanthemums may still be planted provided plenty of water is available to get them well rooted.

Help garden plants in times of stress by keeping all faded blooms plucked off. The Vegetable Garden The trying months of January and February are just ahead and those who are short of water will need to keep the hoe going very frequently in order to keep things growing. Lettuce, particularly, cannot be grown during these months unless shade and copious supplies of water are forthcoming. While the dew is on the freshlyplanted winter greens, sprinkle with tobacco dust, which will ward off all blights. Keep onion plants and tomatoes sprayed with bordeaux mixture —prevention is better than cure.

Complete sowings of maize, marrow, pumpkin, cucumber and sunflowers. Burn all garden rubbish in the way of hedge-clippings, etc. Setting Out Plants

During the dry weather always leave a depression so that the plants lie in a small hollow, and every drop of moisture than runs to the roots of the plants and-there is none wasted. Work on the same lines when sowing the seed of marrows, pumpkins, etc. Palms. Under the popular name of palms there are included many genera and considerably over a thousand species. They form a very important group of plants, both on account of their noble and ornamental appearance, and of their great importance from an economic point of view. The majority are natives of tropical countries, where many of them form large trees. Others again have long, slender stems only a few feet in height. Their economic properties are many, oil, wax, sugar and sago are all obtained from them. In the case of the African oil palm, oil is extracted from the kernels, this oil being extensively used in the manufacture of soap, margarine and canditou. xn the various countries to which palms belong, they supply the natives witn practically all the necessaries of fife, including food, which is obtained from the fruit, stems and young leaves. Wine, or "toddy" is also obtained in large quantities from the stems and inflorescences. The stems are also employed in the building of houses, while the leaves are used as a thatch and in the manufacture of baskets, hats, brushes, ropes and household utensils. j In this country palms are grown solely for their valuable decorative qualifications, and in the adornment of rooms, corridors and entrance halls, and there aro few plants to excel them. The cultivation of palms is. by no means difficult, their chief requirements being good drainage and an abundant supply of water in summer, less, of course, in winter, although their roots must never apprpach dry,n ess.

'Palms succeed better when potted firmly and kept in small pots, unless the roots are lifting the soil above the rim of the pot. Apply a top-dressing in which a small proportion of some reliable concentrated manure or liquid cow manure. By such treatment they can be kept in a healthy state for a considerable time., Palms are liable to attacks of insect pests, such as mealy bug, red spider, scale ,and thrips. When badly infected the leaves soon become disfigured and the plants lose their I value for decoration. The most effectual mode of destroying these pests is by carefully washing the leaves with

a sponge and soapy water or some reliable insecticide.

Stachys Corsica Most flower lovers are familiar with stachys lanata, or lambs' ears, but not' all know stachy 's Corsica, which is one i of the miniature gems to which the ardent alpinist is partial. It is recommended by some as a carpeter, but it 1 looks much better and gives greater de-, light if allowed to place .itself with out any taller plant rising from its lowly carpet. In a good place in the rock garden it soon makes a plant a few feet across, -with charming leaves and miniature flowers of white, clinging close to the foliage, and eventually tinged with pink. Stachys Corsica is lovely in light, dry sandy soil in the rock garden, but it is equally charming in a stony moraine. Sometimes it suffers a little in wet, cold weather, but ( soon recovers with the return of spring. Sempervivium Calcareum This is a noble species and distinct in rich metallic hue. The leaves are very solid and fleshy and closely packed, and the rosette is pale green tipped with red. Grown in shade, very little of the red is seen, but given poor soil and sunshine the red hue is striking.

The flower spikes rise erect from the dense tufts of leaves. It is worthy of a place in the rock garden, in some arid position where a plant of great endurance is required, for it will withstand j heat and drought amazingly. It will j thrive and grow on level ground, but its true position is in some earthy or mossy chink on an old wall. The rosettes look as fresh and vigorous when emerging from some dry chink where a

v~i —~ '•- '■',-•' "■■ -".-"■ drop of water seldom falls upon them as when planted' in good" o^m ri .M% "V raised beds. It will grow on almoal* eartWess, mossy rocks provided a han# ful 9f about plant is beat increased by side-scoots, which are mimerous when the plant is thriving. Th| flowers aire tiptW to match the leaves| which are borne on six-inch stems, tvfr flowers spreading put tfear f|e tflji about the size of a shilling and continue opening over a considerable period o£time.