THE GARDEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18534, 9 October 1920, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

WOKE FOR THE WEE® KITOEtEN GARDEN. Seeds to Sow.—Broad beaus', beefy broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage/ cauliflower, cardoons, carrot, celery, cress, endive, lettuce, onion, parsley, parsnips, peas, radish, salsify, spinach, tomato and turnip. What to Plant.—Cabbage, eaulw flower, herbs, potatoes. The quarter that Is to be planted with potatoes should be well worked before the tubers are put inj small areas can.be forked through, but the oultivator should be used on the larger quarter. Broad beans that were sown in the autumn are flowering. Pinch off the end of each Bhoot to concentrate all strength of the plant into developing ' the, pods Prepare trenches for runner beaus. These plants produce a big crop, ana the more generous the treatment the longer the plants will give supplies. Make the trenches two feet six inches deep, put rich manure at the bottom, . and mix liberal quantities with the soil, when filling the trench. Some gardeners grow runners in clumps.' This is a very good method, and the ground can be prepared by making round trenches. Attend to thinning all seedling crops. With warmer weather, these will come on very fast, and there is a danger from overcrowding unless the thinning is promptly done. It is a better practice to thin the. young crops earlier, even if it takes more time, because those that are left suffer less. FLOWER, GARDEN. Any one riding round Christchurch and its suburbs during the past week could feel in some degree the inspiration that prompted the poet to write Ob. to be in England Now that April’s there. The spring flowers have been, and are, just lovely. The flower beds in Victoria Square are a credit to the city, the clumps of daffodils between the orhamtentall sjhruhs or© more effective than a bed filled with narcissi; the dark background shows the flowers up to the best advantage, and a bold clump of one variety is more effective than a mixture of any varieties. The beds in the Domain along ■ Rollestoa Avenue, are resplendent with hundreds of fine daffodils, and probably the Gardens have never been as gay with spring flowers as they are just now. Stocks, calceolarias, violas, photos Drammondi and nemosia should be set in their su>nmer quarters as soon as possible. It is too early to risk lobelia, salvia and similar plants, that are liable to suffer from the late frosts, and can be put out at the end of the month. GREENHOUSE. Seedlings such as asparagus and kindred plants should be potted as soon as they are. big enough to handle. There are quite a number of plants that grow faster under the soil than the top growth would suggest—cyclamen, for example. ’ These send up one leaf, and appear to remain stationary for a long time, but they are making roots, ana. developing the bull), or x corm. By the time the second and third leaf appears, the roots are long, and if there are many plants in the * seod pan, the roots will have become so tangled one with another that it will be impossible to separate without breaking most of them. Water sparingly after potting. Remember that the fresh soil will hold a tot of moisture, and with slight dampings overhead the plants will get au the moisture they require. Winter Flowering Begonias.—Several complaints have been made during the past winter that plants of the Gloire de Lorraine have lost their robust health, and flower very indifferently compared to & few years back. Probably the cause of this weakness is due to taking cuttings from the stem of the old plants. These invariably mako weak plants—the most satisfactory cuttings are those from the base of last season’s growth. After the present season’s flowers are over .give the plants a little rest, then out the stems back, say about half of lost year's growth; keep the plants in a warm house, damp them on bright days, taking care that the roots are not too wetThey will soon send up strong nevr shoots from the base; take these when about three inches long, and put them in clean, sharp sand, plunge them in a mild bottom heat as soon as they are rooted, and pot them off singly into small pots. This work needs great, care because the roots are so fine and tender that even h little rough handling will break most of the roots and bruise the stem, causing the leaves vo turn brown and the plants to fall sick. Do not press the soil too firm. Even this is liable to damage the roots at the base of the plant. Keep thorn close for several days after potting, but not in too hot a temperature, which should range from 60 degrees at night, and rise to 75 degrees during the day As soon as they begin to grow give them more room and air, keep the stage damp, and syringo the plants on bright , days, but do not keep the soil about the roots too wet. Give these plants plenty of ventilation, as ifwiey bxg kept too close they cannot; mako strong growth. They need shade from very hot sunshine,, but if possible the shading should bo movable, so that it can be taken off when the'sun gees down. Zonale pelargoniums, for flowering m the winter,'should bo selected as soon as possible, potted, and encouraged to grow fast. Prepare a good winpoßb for the first potting with rotted turf, good stiff loam, a little leaf mould, and some broken oyster shells aud sharp sand. Pot firmly, and stand the plants quite near the glass; give each plenty of room. It is .impossible foi plants to grow sturdy when they are crowded. It Is better to grow a dozen good plants than crowd three dozen in a space that Is only big enough for one. When each plant has ample space the joints are close to one another, the wood matures as it grows, and gets thoroughly ripe long v before the autumn. Some varieties are naturally of n. branching h'vut, d others need pinching to make them bushy. Tin's pinching should be done early in the growing season.