THE GARDEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 124, 23 April 1927, Page 11

THE GARDEN

Notes ai» published weekly under this 1 eading, and readers interested in aaitlening are invited to send in questions relating to matters upon which they wi»h expert advice; arm ers will be published with the weekly notes.

ROSES. A correspondent asks for a selection of good reliable roses for garden purposes. He says: “I am not an exhibitor but one never knows what is going to happen. I like roses and consider the pleasure of growing them a most fascinating one. One only has 1 to succeed with them to find out what pleasure can bo got from a small bed containing about two dozen.”—A selection of good reliable roses in one place may not be the same in another, but these wo give below we believe to come up to the standard required for garden purposes. Shot Silk is a beautiful rose in every way, and if it lias any faults it is the short petalage. It is mildew proof and a free bloomer and the flowers keep well when cut. The colour is orange pink fading a deep pink as the bloom expands. Hawlmark Crimson is a deep crimson and scarlet and is a semi-double rose, a very free bloomer and keeps well when cut. It is also mildew proof. Betty Dprichard is a strong grower and fairly free from mildew. The blooms on the outside are orange scarlet and inside a soft shade of pink. The blooms are carried upright and are semi-double. It is a rose that opens rather too quickly in the hot weather. Mrs E. "VVillis is. a beautiful ehado of soft coral pink. The flowers are not large but are borne continuously and keep well when cut. It is liable to mildew sometimes. Mrs Henry Morse is a clear rose pink covered with a coppery shade in the bud stage. It is a very free bloomer but is liable to mildew in some seasonsWhen well grown it is fit for showing. Gen. McArthur is a free blooming crimson rose that is well known for its scent and free blooming qualities. It is mildew proof and a good all-round rose. Ariel is a splendid rose, sunflower yellow in colour and a much better grower than Independence Day which it much resembles in colour. It mildews slightly but soon gets over this. Of the two, Ariel is the better rose. Capt. F. S. Harvey-Caul is a rose of the Mme. Abel Chatenay type, but a better shape and has not got the fault of growing long stems without shoots. It does not seem to mildew. Hadley is a sweetly scented maroon crimson rose, of perfect form; the trouble with it is that it is inclined to turn “blue” at times and also it. does not seem to tone in with other roses very well. When well grown it is a beautiful thing. Mrs Henry Wimsett is another red rose of perfect form but does not grow quite as freely as Hadley, although it is said to be a seedling from it. Both are mildew proof and so is Evrard Ketten, but tb© last is one of the best autumn blooming roses we have and we would bracket the three together for good qualities. Ophelia is still going strongly and is very free blooming. In fact, it is too free and requires disbudding to get the best even for garden purposes. There are two good sports from it in Mms. Butterfly and J. C. M. Men sing and both are a shade or two deeper in colour. Rev. F. Page Roberts is a good yellow rose, but is not a tall grower. It free autumn bloomer and often rises to exhibition form. By this mail we havo heard of the death of the famous rose grower it was named after. There are other yellows and Mabel Morse is about the best of them so far. Victory is another good red that will be wanted when better known. We have given the names of more than a dozen and could double it of really good roses. When the plants are well looked alter and the ground suits them they can be kept in bloom for a long season by cutting them as soon as they are ready and keeping the soil round them well worked. GLADIOLI. As soon as the foliage of gladioli begins to turn yellow the corms should bo lifted and dried. If they are left in the ground from year to year they soon deteriorate. V lien lifting theiA in frosty weather some means mustbe employed to cover the corms so that they are not frost bitten while lying outside to dry. As soon as they are dry enough clean them up by cutting the tops off and put them in open boxes. If they are put in closed ones they will sweat and mildew, but in open ones in a dry shed the moisture win easily get away and the corms will be alright. If you wish to increase any varieties you may have this can very easily be done by saving the little bulblets at the base of each. These can be planted at once or held over until next spring, whichever is the most convenient.. The main thing about them is not to plant too deeply. The smallest size should only bo about half an inch below tho surface and the largest about an inch. When planted

deej er many of them fail to grow. Mos . growers plant these little bulblets in boxes as it is much easier to look after them and keep them clean thai when planted out in the open. THE ROSE BEDS. I] is month and next are busy ones for the rosegrower. This month new belt should be made and old beds clea ed up and manured. Any kind of i .anure that can be got is useful, but we are inclined to think that sti.b a manure is the poorest.' It may su:t some soils very well, especially the very heavy ones, but given choice, of man ires for roses we would always take cow manure in preference. Cow mi n ire will hold moisture and is cool, and ihat is what is wanted in the summer time. Sheep manure is the next be;>t thing, but this does not rot down as q ickly as cow manure and is slower at c iming into action. Whatever manure is used should be spread over the surf; ce of the bed and lightly forked info the soil after the ground has been clea: ed up. Basic slag is a splendid rose manure, and can be used in conjunc ion with anything else. Spread it oi ir the surface at the rate of about half a pound to the square yard and simp y rake it into the soil. The rain and soil moisture will do the rest and will tvash the goodness down where it is tv nted. No pruning should be done at tl is time of the year beyond cutting any seed heads that may be on the plcn s. Tl 3 work of making new roso beds is o le that must be carefully done. The first thing is drainage, and this mt si be provided if the sub-soil is clayt y, but if it is a free open one it is :ic i; so important. Deep digging and mi d ig in plenty of manure with the lowe spits is essential, and here again coir manure is the best. It does not matt ir whether it is old or fresh as long as plenty of it can be got. With the. t arface soil work in some bonedust. If tl 3 coarse kind can be got it is the best, but any kind of bonedust will do. Wlie l the bed is finished cover it with lime and work this into the surface on a fin > day. Tho mere working of the surf* :e soil exposes it to tho sun to swoe en, and this is an important part of nse culture. Leave tho bed to set :h for a few weeks before putting the ] lants in, and when they are put in p ant them firmly. This can be dore as long as the surface soil is dry anc. lanting should never be attempted in wet weather. If the plants come to .in ad in wet weather heel them into the p - ound in some convenient spot and wait until the soil is suitable.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. AVI an violet plants are well establishe< they should be about ready to flowe now. Clear away any foliage that ooks diseased and give the plants a p;o d dressing of animal manure, whicl should be forked in round them at oi ce. If animal manure is r.ot avail; ble a dressing of blood and bone mami -e will be found quite satisfactory. If a good crop of flowers is want d the runners should be kept well < ut back as they take a lot out of the j ants. Thi ; is a good time to go over the her >8 ;eous borders and to mark any plant that are to be taken out altogetiie • and aLo those that are to be move, to other quarters in the w.nter or sj ring. The same thing can be dona rith the shrubbery, and any trees and ; hrubs that have proved .insatisfactoi y can be marked for removal or desf ri ction, whichever you may think fit. Any you want to move should hava .he spade pushed into the ground all it and them and then they will be ready when the time comes for doing the v ork. Shrubberies are often far too c owded, and by taking out a plant here and there much better use can b i made of them. Tie end of the dahlia season is not far oi , and it would be a good plan to m; rk those you .wish to keep and dig t e others up and burn them. The 'e are so many good ones liow-a-daye. hat*it is waste of time to grow poor nes, and even those that hang thei* leads are not wanted when better or is that hold their blooms upright can b got at the same price os tho others Cinerarias can be planted out in she ly corners now. They must havo enotg overhead shelter to keep frosts off th im. A little manure worked into f le ground will be a great help to the n, and it even may be necessary to w a er them once or twice until the soil g ts moist enough to stop them flaggii g. Keep the soil around narcissi v ell workod and open, but care will h: ve to be taken to see that the young leaves are not injured as they are cc ning through the soil. A dressing of basic slag will not do any harm, but ut other manure must be given to their..