BEAUTIFYING

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1939, Page 6

BEAUTIFYING

STREET IMPROVEMENT

(Contributed). It is with' pleasure and encouragement that the Association will continue its advocacy of street improvement, for no doubt the tidy plots m front of the residences are -a joy to the eye. The recent spell of' dry weather has been a decided encouragement to workers and the more repent rains have added the vivid green touch that is such a distinguished feature of the Coast. We are grateful to those who have .responded to ou-r>'requestf/tfoTtady) .jfl't'e f jrontageS): hut Them-as Vstilbinahr'h to be done and we again appeal to those who have not done their share to help to beautify our town. Cooperate with your neighbours and endeavour to make your block a decided beauty spot. With the winter approaching there will not be so much growth, and once the plot is in order, only attention will be necessary. We have received further reports of those people who indulge, in the contemptible practice of removing and destroying plants and shrubs from residential gardens at night. The Association will do all in its power to pre'vent ithis occurring and ask for the ■ co-Oppration of :1 "worthy'* citizens in d<?I tectipg the Vartdalsr ! ‘ Wej also continue our appeal to all diiveis of Ifbck,^hh ! d ; motor-vehicles, hfid io school children to respect anv ''f'lTdrtp made ghW thlfjffimi&ffiioldhtf in ’'ah'endeavauß'.;.to ; helpu-beaiitify:j our town.- :i. !fi% - Several overhanging hedges and trees would benefit by a trim, as these are a real menace to the passer by on dark nights. The effort of manf people to also improve their flower gardens is particularly pleasing and in this connection the following suggestions gre. offered : 'to assist those desirous of keeping up ' their good work. PERENNIALS. Without the hardy perennials our gandens would be 'Very empty and characterless. Annuals are bright and cheery while they last; but they have no permanency, and in places where gardening is carried oil under difficult conditions a great fight may be necessary to establish them. The gardener may win and have, a good show but it is not longViihtil , the plants come to their natural end and then next year ' the same baffle must be waged over again. Perennials on the other hand quickly establish themselves and become a permanent feature of the gar-den--where they are most decorative and also are useful" in producing flowers for .interior decoration. V . . ( ■J’erepnials oh the whole are easy to grow and many, of them will give of ..their best under practically any condi-tions—-their first- cost is their qiily one and often there is not even this first cost for pieces, cuttings, etc., ore gladly given to tlie gardener by his friends, New varieties are always coming onto the market and hybridists throughout the world are everlastingly working to produce new varieties and colours, but there are many old favourites which one likes to see in \ every garden. The sight and scent of them brings happy memories to. all that see them for to many people scents bring back memories more vividly than anything else. , , , They last indefinitely, given ordinary care and attention and grow steadI ily and are capable ,of being propagated I by division—cuttings and from seed. Hardy, perennials ’are easily grown from seed, and may be raised either in boxes or in a- suitable seed bed in the open ground. They usually bloom the second year from seed, but many sorts, sown early enough, will flower earlier. It is important that the seedlings should be well thinned and given every chance to grow into strong, healthy plants. When propagation is to he by division the new growth round' the edge of the Clump should, lie %aken and not the old centre part.,,, hjg clump should sfiever be planted, for much better results; will be obtained from the young growth. A certain’amount of care must be taken i»: v yhoqsing the time for transplanting perennials, for they have their own different times for starting both stem and root growth and great ; harm can he done to those plants which only produce two sets of roots each year if ,their root fibres are ruthlessly ,;damaged. Some produce root fibres throughout the greater part of the • year—ex. phlox—and these may be transplanted over quite a long period'. Others such as the paeony and Christmas rose produce their i(Oot fibres at certain intervals, and care must be taken' to replant these at the right time, otherwise the plants lose a great deal of their vigour and often take a Jong time, to recover. ,V, A number of pe^gh^lals,;'ijeCd atgking and great care must be taken in doing; this, for the beauty of the plants can easily be ruined hv wrong staking. The natural growth of the plant must he taken into account—the beauty of solomohs seal would quite go if it were tied: securely to a stick. When a plant is'to be staked, several stakes should be;given to each plant in the early stages of growth so that when .fully .grown 'the stakes are hidden though the plant is being well supported. The position of the plants in the garden has a great deal to do with the ‘necessity for staking, for it naturally follows that those in exposed positions need much more attention than those io. 1 ., sheltered places. Perqnnials should find a place in every garden for they will give untold pleasure to the householder and also to the passer-by.

The following is a list of perennials and suitable subjects for West Coast gardens Perennial phlox, lupins, delphiniums, scabiosas, aquilegia,. verbena, sweet william, geuiris, gaillardias, Canterbury bells, autumn glory (daisy), wallflowers. The next meeting, of the Association will be held! in the ,County ; Chambers at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, 2nd. May. All garden lovers and those desirous of improving the appearance of Hokitika are cordially invited to be present.