GARDENING NOTES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 June 1936, Page 2

GARDENING NOTES.

Routine Work in tne Borders The unusual spell of fine weather has enabled gardeners to manure and turn over all vacant land, the frosts will aid in sweetening and in making the soil more friable. As weather permits continue to plant roses, shrubs, trees, and hedge plants. Continue to plant all kinds of edging plants such as aubrietia, violets, polyanthus primroses, and violas. Continue to plant hardy annuals. In shaded, sheltered nooks 'plant cinerarias and primula malacoides. Continue to sow sweet peas, but if slugs and birds are troublesome sow them in pots or boxes. Any seed sown should be under glass or in a warm, sunny corner. Continue to plant anemone and ranunculus conns. Complete plantings of tulips and other bulbs. Plant 'all kinds of perennial things. Well lime the borders where the soil is heavy. Set traps for slugs in order to thin them out before spring. The Vegetable Garden.

Plant rhubarb and asparagus in deeply dug, well manured ground. Plant shallots and artichokes. Plant cabbage, lettuce, and cauliflower plants, also sow seed of all three. How broad beaus. Plant strawberries and all kinds of small fruit bushes. Plant fruit trees of all kinds. Get in supplies of turf, manure, sand and loafmould. Gather fallen leaves for next season ’s supply. Keep Your Spring Flowers Spring Rowers are now appearing in the shop windows. At present (hey are fairly dear, but if the following hints are observed the flowers will last n h longer in the house, and therefore we shall not be too extravagant if we indulge our longing for a bunch now and again. All flowers should be taken out of the warm room at night and placed in a cooler temperature till morning. Mimosa will keep its flufliness much longer if the stems tire soaked in a jug of boiling water before arranging in vases. Tulips, which arc so often disappointing because of their tendency to flop, will keep upright if they are laid full length in a bath of water for a few hours. Gome people tie a piece of stout brown paper round and stand in a jug of water. Daffodils should have their stems cut under water. This applies to all hollow stemmed flowers. Watch the bubblerise as yon cut the stems and you will see that the flowers are • drawing up water and not air. The Helleborus (Christmas roses) keep a long time if the ends of the stems are bruised, placed in a little boiling water for a few minutes, and then stood up to their necks in water for a few hours before arranging them in the vases. Anemone Hepatica.

Those are old fashioned plants and one of the most valuable is the above named one, which, like, anemone blanda, opens its pretty eyes at a time when all is bleak and bare. For all that, anemone hepatica receives scant attention, and is generally used in hesitating fashion in borders or in the rock garden. This is the more remarkable, as, although roots of the different varieties are relatively expensive, the plants are easily raised from seed. They are not fastidious as to soil, and, although they are naturally lime-loving plants, will at the same time, do well where there is none. Old English cottage gardens used to boast their borders of hepaticas, which came into bloom with the earliest primroses and crocuses, and seemed to bring | the summer nearer. Not only were the single blue represented, but rose and other doubles also. The essential point is that the plants must not be in the direct track of the sun, but in cool places—anywhere, in fact, where primroses and violets will grow, in the rock garden, under walls, in borders, etc, anemone hepatica will prove itself an accommodating plant. And where it finds itself at home, and is allowed to remain undisturbed, the plants will in due course drop their own seeds, and the stock will gradually increase. The hepaticas dislike disturbance is the reason why so many' bought plants do not show' their true form for a season. But where plants in pots can be obtained they can be transferred to the ground without their being aware of it. Petunias from Seed. Petunias are among our most useful bedding plants, especially’ in districts that have summer drought, f’f seeds eau lie sown early in a greenhouse they will bo nice large plants by the time 1 rests are over when they can be transplanted to the open borders. Getting them under way early they produee masses of gay colour until frost comes to cut (hem. Their fragrance, especially in the evenings, is absolutely delightful. Fill the seed box with a mixture of good soil, well rolled leaf soil, ami sharp sand. Make the mixture firm in tlie box, and water thoroughly with boiling water. This destroys anv insect eggs that may bo in the soil. When the soil is sufficiently drained, mix the petunia seed —it is very fine—in a 1 saucer with a little sand or dry soil, and sprinkle it. lightly over the surface of the seed box. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they can bo moved into other boxes. Pinch the seedlings once to make them bushy. Varieties for bedding should be of compact habit. They' may be had in .rose, deep blue, purple, and white. \ery dwarf ones are, dwarf violacea, with deep violet flowers, dwarf rosy morn, with pink flowers, Norma, with purple flowers, and silvery lilac, pale blue. Seedling Perns Well ripened and fertile fronds

should be searched out for the purpose of raising seedlings. Some prefer to let these fronds lie on paper for a time after they are taken from the plant,, but there is no actual advantage in this. The idea is, no,doubt to ripen the spores, but this is not in any degree necessary. The better- way is to prepare at once some pans (shallow ones by all possible means), and distribute the fronds over the surface, fertile side downwards, and leave the rest to Nature for the time being. Later on, as the fronds decay and the spores are distributed on the surface, a covering of glass will be found desirable to prevent rapid evaporation, as well as to encourage a more speedy growth. The soil should consist chiefly of peat, and that not very fine, silver sand, or rough sandstone being also good additions. Bearded Irises. Bearded Irises made a glorious show during November, and s(jlid rows or big clumps of them in full flower are one of the joys of the garden. They are easily grown, for any well dug soil suits them. They are lime lovers, and they revel in full exposure to sun, a sunny slope being an ideal place for them. When they are opening their lovely flowers a little quick acting fertiliser may be given them, a dusting of guano, or a little superphosphate. A good watering following helps them to get the good of this stimulant. At this time of the year the iris beds benefit from a dressing of lime, or basic slag. Home varieties have stems four feet long and should not-be planted in too exposed a place, others are of shorter growth and more suitable for exposed borders. The Herbaceous Border. The modern herbaceous border does not consist of a collection of herbaceous plants only, but is augmented by hardy' biennials, annuals, and other subjects. This development is beneficial in its effect, for it enriches the colour display' during a longer period, and so extending the sphere of usefulness of what is called the herbaceous border, (a popular border in most gardens). W care be taken to choose good, free flowering, and showy perennials and ro plant these properly they will continue to yield good results year after year. It with these are mingled bulbs, and annuals, then it is impossible to surpass the beauty of such a mixed border. The main secret of success of all herbaceous borders is the proper treatment of the soil before attempting to plant. The situation must also bo considered, and horse manure mixed with heavy soil and cow manure with light. Leaf-mould, wood ash, chopped turf, lawn clippings, etc., may all be worked into it, and if the soil can be stirred to the depth of three feet, so much the better for all the plants find a home therein. The sub soil should never bo brought to the surface as it is always more or less sour.