THE GARDEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 248, 17 September 1936, Page 15

THE GARDEN.

THE FLOWER GARDEN

it is usual with gardeners to look upon September as the busiest month of the year in the garden, but so far it has been impossible to do very much owing to the weather making the soil unworkable. However, it is far better to leave it alone than to attempt to work it. Seed sowing may be done as long as it is done under glass and the soil for the boxes lias been treated properly. Such plants as asters, cosmos and so on, which come under the lmlfhardy class, should be sown. Prick them out as soon as they are ready and you will find that there is plenty to keep you busy for some time. There are some things which can be done now if the weather does not allow you to work the soil. Lawns must be cut and rolled and the clippings at this time of the year can be taken off for the compost heap. There is nothing than can equal this stuff as a manure when it is rotted down and mixed in with other things. Lawns can be rolled now to advantage, but at the same

time it is not necessary to use a very heavy roller; a light one that one man can pull is quite heavy enough. Poll the lawn two or three times up and

down and then cross it and you will find that the most uneven surfaces will respond to gentle treatment quicker than if a heavy roller is used on them. There is still time to patch up any holes that may have formed through sinkageor any other cause. Lift the turf carefully in slices about three inches thick and pack some good soil underneath, replacing the turf and rolling it down smooth again. If this is done now the roots of the grass will soon go through the new soil and hold it in place. Shrubs mav still be planted, especially those that have been growing in pots. It is a mistake to put them too near fresh manure: but wait until they have started to grow before any manure is placed near them and then only use well-rotted stuff. It docs not do to leave any planting till too late in the season when good growth is wanted. Those trees that have been balled for some time can

be treated in the same way as potgrown stuff. The sacking need not be taken off their roots. It will soon rot away when it is placed in the ground. Dahlia tubers can be lifted quite safely now and put in a trench in some part of the garden to sprout. They even may have plenty of young shoots showing. Later on they can bo taken up and separated so that each piece of tuber has one eye. If they are to be stored in a shed or under trees, cover them over with some light material such as sand or light soil. When taking up. be very careful to fix the name and colour to each shoot. Many are lost every season through failure to do'this and it is very annoying to find that you have not planted that particular variety you fancied or that you have got too many of some other variety of which you thought you would only plant one. NATIONAL ROSE SHOW. (Contributed.)

I arrived here (England) about a fortnight before the great rose show held at Chelsea on July 3 and 4 and immediately got in touch with some rose-growers, who have introduced me to others. The weather, to say the least of it, was putrid. You cannot imagine the thunderstorms they get here; they are really awful, and then the weather turned very hot. Growers were in despair and were predicting a poor show, but things turned out better than they expected. I do not think I can give you anything like an adequate idea of the magnitude of this show. There are seventy-five classes devoted to the rose, and there are about twenty-seven valuable challenge cups and over two hundred cash prizes

and a vast number of medals of various degrees. I am told that I was very fortunate as the show turned out to be the largest they have ever had. Thanks to the tickets I had the privi-

lege of meeting many growers from other parts of Britain and also America. I know that you and your readers are always interested in the newer varieties, but before 1 get to them I must say that the staging of the trade exhibits is really wonderful, and I made a note of what I considered the best of the blooms used—Barbara Richards, Contissade Sasatoga, Etoile de Hollande (the latter in every exhibit and in thousands), Lady Forteviot, Mrs Sam McGredy, Sir Hy Segrave, MeGredy’s (yellow and ivory), Mrs G. A. v. Rossun (a better colour than we get it but not so large), Golden Dawn (also a good colour), Mrs O. Lamplough, and Crimson Glory. I do not know if this last one has reached you yet, but get it when you can. Christopher Stone was another new one largely used. Polyanthus roses and their hybrids were also • largely shown and Donald Prior is a new one you should have. I think it has only been placed on the market this autumn. Karon and Else Poulsen and also Van Ness are two others. There are too ninny of the true polyanthas to mention, but they all were splendid, and I think Ruby and Golden Salmon Superior pleased me most. I had a good opportunity of seeing the novelty roses and was conducted round by two well-known growers. The only gold medal was given to Viscountess Cliarlemont, a fine rose with a good scent, but the pink colour did not appeal to me at all. The scent is good and I was told it was a good grower. I liked Mrs Ed Laston much better. It is an orange cerise and I think that the number of people who saw it thought that it should have got tlie coveted award. There were crowds round it all the first day. McGredy’s Sunset is a golden orange, but I think it was rather too thin for us. It may

last but I am doubtful. Fred Walker, old rose flushed apricot, is a fine thing and will make good anywhere._ Gerald Hardy reminded me of Hadley in scent and colour.'' I wonder if it burns like that variety and goes a dirty blue. Valsheda is one of those true, clear

pinks and is a good new exhibition rose. F was told it flowers freely and can lie covered satisfactorily. I was laughed at for taking a fancy to Madge Wliipp, which is a bright cerise red and will probably be a good exhibition rose as it is nicely pointed and very sweetly scented. Lady It. Verney is another of the decorative class like Rapture, rose pink in colour. It will be quite useful. Donald Prior, which I have mentioned before, is the other lose that got a certificate of merit. It is bright scarlet flushed maroon, and will make a splendid bedder. Some other roses which did not get any award were to my wav of thinking much better than those that did. Destiny is said to be a deep red sport from McGredy’s Scarlet and is a better colour. It will be a favourite. That bloom of Sweetness, of which I sent a colour photograph, is a very fine thing and is the shape that exhibitors like ; the colour is apricot sunset pink. Princess Marina is orange salmon, paler on the edges. It is very pretty but too thin for us. It is a good decorative only. Hispania is another exhibition rose, deep crimson in colour with a real rose scent. It may come

Notes are published under this heading, and rea'lers interested in gardening are invited to send in questions relating to mattors upon which they wish expert advice; answers will be published with the weekly notes.

in useful and I rather like it. Rouge Mallerin is quite a large red of good shape on good strong stems. The scent is good. I have been invited to the trial grounds at Wisley and shall endeavour to get there and hear what the experts have to say about some of the newer ones. 1 am told I am in for a treat and shall let you know what I think of them. VIOLETS.

“J.M.” sa3’s: “Our violets have not been at all satisfactory this season. They were planted about February in a semi-shaded part of the garden. The ground was deeply dug and well manured, but they have not given up many blooms. I think they are called Princess of Wales. Could you tell me what to do to get them to come on well ?” The trouble with your violets is that they were planted too late in the season. Violets to do well should be planted next month in well worked soil. Leave the plants vpii have alone and slop any runners that you ma.y see coming from them. These runners when about six inches long make good plants for setting out now. Get the" bed ready as soon as the soil is in a fit condition to work. We would prefer an open situation to a semi-shaded one, and get the plants in next month. When taking the runners remove the leaves on the lower part and plant straight down into the soil, so that only the tip of the shoot appears above. It does not matter whether these runners have roots or not; they will soon make them when they are planted. Put a row or two of them in a reserve bed to provide a few plants for possible misses, which you will soon see. The soil between the rows must be kept well worked and in the dry weather they should be liberally supplied with water to keep them growing. If they get very dry they are liable to' be attacked by thrips and red spider and will have to be sprayed with lime-sulphur.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN The same state of affairs in rcgarr to the weather and soil exists in tin vegetable garden as well as in tin flower garden. The soil lias been toi wet to work and those plants and seed: that are in the ground have not madi very much growth. Lettuce plant: that were set out in the winter tinu are making valiant efforts to grow but they want a little warm weathei now to set them off. Give those thai are trying to heart up a little nirat< of soda as we have recommended sev eral times lately and some liquid man ure at the same time. As long as tin surplus water can drain away tin plants will be alright. ,It is those thal have to stand with their feet in watei that do no good. In lact, it is verj often found that their roots have rotted away and they are not growing. As soon as the ground is dry enougli seeds of red beet and carrots can be sown to provide some early stuff. A little salt sown along the rows after the seed of beet has come through the ground is a help to the plants and they will keep a better colour for it. The main thing with this vegetable is to grow it quickly and use it as it gets large enough. Later on another sowing can be made for winter use. Almost every gardener has his or her own pet variety of carrots and we would advise them to stick to the one they find satisfactory, because this is a vegetable that will vary in different soils, and one that suits the particular soil it is grown in is the best to use.

Leeks are good vegetables to have in any garden. They are most useful during the winter months and can be made to last well into the spring if they are taken up about this time of the year, and are heeled in close together. Sow seeds now in drills in well manured soil and when they are large enough draw some earth up to them to increase their length before planting. They are generally grown in trenches for exhibition work, lint for ordinary home use they can be pricked out into holes with a dibble. When they are growing earth can be drawn up to them to increase their length if required. A correspondent says:— In the winter I sowed two rows of broad beans and put some lime in the drills. They have come up well, but later I sowed some more in three rows and so far they have not come up. No lime was used with those, but some mixed manure was used to sow with them. Only a few of the seed have germinated What do you think the reason may be?” We do not know what the reason is, but you may have used too much artificial manure. A light dusting would have been quite enough. There are other reasons such as sow j . ing too deeply and waterlogged soil. These beans will stand a certain amount of wet, but they do not like a waterlogged soil. Try sowing again between the rows and use lime in the drills, keeping the manure to sprinkle along the rows after they come up.