Garden & Field

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6551, 7 March 1928, Page 11

Garden & Field

Seasonable Boutine Work. With the soil once more in working order a great deal of necessary work may now be got on with. One of the most pressing jobs is the planting of bulbs and corns. If by any chance last season's stock has been left in the ground and it is desired to thin out or remove them to other borders,the work should be proceeded with speedily. The bulbs very quickly commence root action after a fall of rain. Where the soil has been kept loosened and free from weeds many of the annuals will be found to have large numbers of tiny seedlings around them. When these have made their second leaves they should be dibbed out into boxes, and a large number of plants will then be. available for the late autumn planting. ■■■ ; .Such things as nemesia, godetia, clarkia, cornflowers calendulas, linaria, poppies forget-me-nots, and many others stand the winter well, and repay with extra early blooms, \ This is a suitable time to propagate various kinds of the heath or erica family. The cuttings taken from the tips of partially ripened shoots will shoot readily if inserted in pots of sandy soil and kept close in a cold frame.

Hydrangeas will also increase ■ read: ily. Those should he short jointed and taken with three sets of leaves. Remove the lower pair and insert/ the cuttings in small pots of sandf soil. Keep-them moist to prevent flagging until roots are formed. Strike viola cuttings for' winter edgings. • . -"" ' Propagate violets and sow seeds of cineraria and primula malacoidcs. Cyclamen bulbs, which have been resting, should now be given a little water to help growth; • Where new lawns are contemplated, digging should be got on with, as it is advisable to get the seed sown early enough for it to get a good start before heavy frosts commence. Where lawns have suffered badly , from drought a light top-dressing of manure will prove a great benefit. Sow sweet peas, and all hardy annuals and perennials. . ' The Vegetable Garden. Many amateur gardeners look upon gardening as spring work With. the. result that. during the summer and autumn their gardens are full to. overflowing with vegetables (while in win: ter and spring the garden lies idle. Yet it is in winter and spring that we require vegetables more than at any other time. If any readers have not tried' to make a vegetable garden in the autumn try one this year and you will hereafter do so every year. What to Sow. Broad beans, beetroot, both long and short varieties, cabbage for spring use, sorts such as Onfield market/ succession lambs early, and flower of spring all being suitable. Early cauliflowers, the best being alLthe-year-round, early London, and walcheren; and onions' for spring transplanting. The white varieties of these are good and always cook to a nice soft pulp, while coarser varieties are ailsa craig , and giant rocca. , Endive, lettuce, mustard, cress, and radish may be sown for late: salads. Silver beet, winter spinach, and turnips will provide many a winter dish. A, sowing of .any short type of carrot will bo found of much value in the early spring. Shallots should be lifted as after the rain they will. commence to grow again very quickly. A few, may bo planted again as they are often useful during the early spring months. Where plants are obtainable plant leeks, celery, cauliflower, brocolli, and any winter greens. Where tomatoes are infested with caterpillar, mix some arsenic of lead with the bordeaux formula. Preparing the Soil for Autumn Sowings. While enlarging on the advantages derived from the autumn garden the foregoing remarks would not bo complete without some reference being made to soil requirements. The gardener must look ahead, and picture what his garden will be like during the wet winter months. A winter garden is usually a success when made near a belt of trees. Such a situation is not at all suitable for a summer garden, but in winter the soil will not get water logged, and will grow good crops, provided a little manure is used. If such a position is not available and low-lying level ground has to be made use of it will need to be trenched deep, ly and the plot filled up above the surrounding ground level. The quickest way to do this is to remove , turf and add layers ■as the works proceeds. The turf acts as a good drainage medium. All this may sound like hard work, but if it is followed out the success of your garden is assured. Whea completed, work in a good dressing of lime, or work if in as the trenching proceeds. It will help to keep slugs in check. . Any mqnijre available may be worked in at' the same time. Hyacinths and their Culture. Many lovers of these beautiful fragrant bulbs fail in attempts to grow them. Heavy soil is responsible for

Specially Written for "Times” by Lorna.

many failures also omitting to protect thorn from slugs. Where the soil is heavy, a specially prepared bed must be provided. The site chosen should, if possible, bo near or over a drain in a sheltered and sunny corner. Dig out the first two spits and remove tho next spit which should be of stiff clay. Add anything of a turfy .nature to take the place of the clay then mix a generous amount of leaf mould and sand with tho other soil. If a piece of native bush is within reasonable distance of leaf mould is available in the little hollows and gullies, and this is ideal for the purpose. Hyacinths also like manure, but is must be well decayed, 'stable manure for heavy soils, and cow manure for light soils. Plant the bulbs from six to twelve inches apart, covering the crowns with two or three inches of soil. If the shoots, when they come through the ground, show an inclination to open and reveal the flower buds which they enclose cover them up at once with an inverted flower pot, the object being to draw flower stem from tho bulb while it is enclosed in the leaves and before the flower is exposed to the sun. If this is not done, it often happens that tho flower begins to colour when only a portion of it has appeared, spoiling the beauty of the spike. Another danger lies in wait for the hyacinth at this stage, as slugs often destroy the bud before it is at all noticeable to the eye. If the flower pot is pressed well into the soil it will help in this direction too. Allow the flower pot to remain until the flower j stem is well through and above ground. Single hyacinths arc preferable to double ones as they always produce finer spikes and have a more graceful appearance. ■ Hyacinths grown in pots are very beautiful. New pots should be well soaked in water before using and then wiped dry. Use a rich, loamy, sandy or peaty soil well mixed. In planting, barely cover the bulb, and let the soil be J inch below the rim of the pot to allow for watering. After potting, give one good watering and then place the pots out of doors on a bed of ashes, cover with some fibrous material three to four inches above the pot and leave them exposed to all weathers. •. When the bulbs have well rooted, and 1 made about an inch of top growth, they may be removed indoors, first into a subdued light, until the blanched foliage has attained its full green colour and then into the sunniest place at command in the greenhouse or window. It is a good plan to place Inverted flower pots over these also for a few days when removing them in. doors, as by so doing they are protected from possible draught. Abundance of air, a moderately moist atmosphere, and plenty of water at the roots are then necessary for early and well developed flowers,. A dry or frosty atmosphere, or direct draught will cause the flower buds to shrivel. A frequent , fault made when growing hyacinths in . pots is that they are subjected to heat before the bulbs are fully rooted. Hence-the necessity for parly planting and- to keep the pots well covered to ensure darkness while tho bulb. .is making plenty of strong roots. ' ' Culture in Glasses. Although this culture may be looked upon as interesting, at the end of the flowering season, the bulb is starved and practically, worn out. If planted when flowering is over they sometimes pull;round after a whole season’s rest. Pure clear water should bo used, (rain water for preference), tho same temperature as tho room, with a piece or two of wood charcoal in it. The bulb can be made secure in the glass by a piece of fish netting and its base should at all times just touch the water. Place the glasses in a cool dark place to encourage root growth, add keep supplied with water as required. When nearly full of roots (not before) and an inch or two of top growth has been made, admit them to the light gradually and then to a sunny place where there is full light and an even tern, peraturo. Grasses, and Everlasting Flowers.

Ono of the finest subjects for winter decoration may bo seen blooming at the present time. This is humea (amaranth feathers). In our climate it is. a biennial and grows into a tall graceful plant with light feathery briwnish-red panicles, which branch out in all directions from the long main stem. It is very silky in appearance and is highly prized for cutting as it keeps for years in a dried state. Another asset is its fragrance, which is peculiarly penetrating and as invigorating as the scent ono meets with on-entering a piece of virgin bush. Another lovely subject for winter vases is the perennial grass called tricholaena rosea, the fronds of which arc a pretty, deep rose colour. This grass is well worth cultivating. Then there are the many species of statice which arc so easily dried, and look so natural. The shades of blue and lavender statice show to advantage when mixed .with the quaint heads of the sea holly. The familiar . heliehrysums (hardy everlasting) also have their use?, for .winter decorations. These may be had now in more brilliant col-

ours, the fiery crimson shades being especially handsome. The flowers, and most grasses, should be dried with the heads hanging down.