Garden & Field

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6755, 7 November 1928, Page 4

Garden & Field

Seasonable Routine Work. Plant out dahlias in rich positions, sheltered if possible from rough winds. Set stakes to them immediately, if no shelter is available. Lift unwanted bulbs from the flower borders and plant them in the wild garden. Sow seeds of auriculas and polyanthuses for blooming next spring. Lift and divide polyanthuses after they have finished flowering, for blooming next spring. Keep the hoe going frequently whenever the soil is in a suitable condition. Plant out ail kinds of half-hardy, general and carpet-bedding plants after well hardening them offl -Plants bougnt out of seed boxes are {seldom sufficiently hardened off and should be protected for a while by placing a few twiggy sticks around them.

v Remove seed heads from rhododendrons and othef choice flowering shrubs as soou as the flowers fade. Train rose shoots over pergolas and arches, tying them in early to prevent damage. Weed lawns and give a weekly mowing. : *Wecd the rock garden, cut dead flowers off plants, and whore there are bare spaces sow seeds or refill with plants. Prune those plants which are making too rampart a grovrth. Propagate violets, and keep th'o runners cut off the permanent plots. Sow wallflowers, forget-me-nots, Iceland poppies, violas ,and anything required for winter blooming. If theee are placed out into a reserve bed in the vegetable garden, good bushy plants will be available for refilling the beds in the late autumn.

Make a final sowing of any kinds of annuals wanted. Also make a sowing of sweet peas for late display. Continue planting gladiolus, allowing each conn, a handful of superphosphate. V ‘ The Vegetable Garden. f Thin oyt sowings of vegetables such ■ as carrots, parsnips, etc., as early as possible. [ j t Sow maize and sweet-corn, j Give asparagus beds" a good coating ; iof manure when cutting is discontinued to help them build 'up good .crowns, 3>nst onions intended for lergo-bnlbs ■ wry freely with soot to keep mildew in eheck. Clive the early rows a light dressing of nitrate of soda while the weather is showery. Plant out cucumbers, vegetable marrows, and tomatoes. Plant or sow at regular intervals anything needed for salads. There is often xoonj. between other slower growing . things for a catch crop of these. ' ; .

Sow runner or dwarf beans, , Make fortnightly sowing*" of peas, and prepare all spare ground for pos'i tatoes. / > .i ; Earlier crops will benefit from a good moulding up. After this operation, where space, is limited* tomatoes, cabbages, or cauliflowers, may be planted. .These get well rooted and come dh quickly as soon as the potatoes are dug. If the tops of the latter grow too luxuriantly they must be tied in .to give the f in-between plant? sufficient light and air. An extra quantity of - smnura must be added when growing &atoh crops. After hoeing and top-dressing the strawberry bed put down straw to keep r the fruit clean, ' , ' Pinch the shoots off any trained wall trees such as apples, pears, etc;, leaving the main leaders for the present, Eemove all suckers from the base of fruit trees.

Stakes and Staking. , . = t It is probable that ho one who sets put to tend a garden gives a thought to the part stakes and staking will play in. its future successful conduct. The primary thought of all-garden enthusiasts is the soil, but soon there eomeS a time when, plants having made their appearance, it is seen that some support must be - given them if they are to develop to their best and withstand the weather. The subject of staking is most naturally associated with flowering plants and it is with this end in view that these notes are given. Incidentally, slaking is also necessary in both the fruit and vegetable garden. The secret of proper staking is to preserve the natural symmetry of the plants. This is an art requiring considerable practice for much of the Staking dons has the very opposite pffect to, that of preserving the beauty of the plant. Generally it is much teo tightly done ,giving the subject fc: 4< bunehed” appearance which at once destroys the inborn natural grace of the plant. Some families of plants can be drawf ed 'by being pinched in early growth, thus almost obviating the need for staking, and rendering a shorter form of support quite efficient. Examples of plants which answer to this treatment are border chrysanthemums, michaelmas daisies, heloniums, and others. Many annuals, where they are grown in exposed positions, are all ■ the better for a pinching back in their growth, among these being marigo?<i3, ■godetias. clarkias, antirrhinums, etc. It is better to stake thoroughly than to do the work by halves. Flimsy staking is all too frequently seen. Plants might just as well bo left to Jail about on the groxmd as to 101 l about between two wobbly stakes, of be tied round the waist to one stake. Some gardeners maintain that staking should not be done until it is really necessary. This sounds feasible—it would be eminently practical if it Iwcre possible to forecast the weather, but sudden gales are all too common and plants hitherto in the finest condition are soon laid flat in all directions if not staked. It is better to

(Specially Written for '‘Times” by Lorna.)

secure all plants that are expected to need support in an early stage of growth so as to prevent disaster and save many a disappointment. Annuals become straggly iu appearance when left unstaked too long, and never wholly regain that first healthy erectness of form. Climbers, when staking and training are neglected, become an entertwined mass, and arc so easily snapped or broken .at the base that no further emphasis should be wanted to show the folly of delaying early support. How to Stake, Closely associated with tho question of when to stake a plant is that of how it should .be done. Briefly, the work shond so be carried out that when pants reach perfection the stakes appear an essential part of them and look as unobtrusive as jt is possible for artificial assistance to look. Also, stakes should so be placed in position that; their, tops lean slightly outwafds, thus allowing space for the increased growth of the stem and foliage that is natural to all plants when nearing full growth. Avoid driving the support too near, the roots or crowns of the plants, especially those of the choice species. There are two kinds of stakes to use and each, has its value and place—the trimmed and untrimmed stakes. Thq latter type is practically unknown in many gardens but such gardens are the losers. Branched stakes are often the only kind which permit many plants to maintain a free and normal appearance. To be convinced of the increase in beauty that oceurs where branched stakes are used, readers should experiment with two separate borders,., haying one bed staked with ordinary straight sticks, and the other with branched or twiggy sticks. Carnations and pinks look well when treated with twiggy sticks, whereas much of their beauty is lost when they are not staked owing to the drooping tendency of the flower heads. - Dahlias and paeonies need several stakes te each plant, and present a truly imposing appearance when the work is well done. Four states are needed round an ordinary bushy plant, and enough should be used to keep the shape of the plants. Where good stakes axe purchased it is a wise plan to paint them a'dark green, which besides helping to preserve them, aids in (•making them less conspicuous. Ornamental Vegetables. In the, following remarks will be enumerated the names of a few species and varieties of vegetables noted for their decorative value iu addition to their culinary worth. Many owners of small plots are forced to grow a few vegetables around their houses, and they rightly prefer something ornamental wherever possible. These plants also have their value in large flower beds where they are used as a break between various massed effects of colour. *

For a touch 'of green, asparagus is greatly prized.' Five or six mouths of the year its feathery sprays wave to and fro in tho breeze—first green and then yellow, with its seeds of scarlet berries.

The globe artichoke is a handsome plant with greyish-toned, divided foliage, and ,likc asparagus, can be planted to remain in the one spot, a number of years if the position chosen be warm and sheltered. Its edible portion of scaly globe heads is both interesting and attractive.

There are several kinds of beetroot which are well worth including in the flower beds, wherd reddish warm tints are desired, the black leaved variety being especially striking. Extremely picturesque are tho new types.pf kale. In this family" no two plants-are alike in colouring or formation. They include 'beautiful mauve and vidlet tints, various yellow and green mixtures, and many show an almost black shade of colouring. Grouped in Shrubberies and borders they have a striking effect and may be listed as among the most ornamental of all foutage plants. In their young stage, the more the plants are shifted, the brighter will be their subsequent colourings. They are also more vivid when grown in soil which is on the poof side. Parsley and thyme make extremely pretty edgings to a small border, while the flowering sage with its greyish leaves is also most attractive. The bright scarlet blosoms of the scarlet runner bean are always a pretty sight and combine utility and attractiveness to a marked degree. Then there are tomatoes, the blossoms of which are insignificant, but which .produce bunches of fruit that even in the green state are an agreeable sight. It is no exaggeration to call their later scarlet colourings beautiful.

Lastly, mention must be made of the bumble vegetable marrow, which makes a gratifying picture if trained up rough trellis work or allowed to ramble its own way over mounds of rubbish. It will cover many an unsightly spot with its verdant foliage, lit up by dazzling golden yellow flowers, with here and there a huge dark green or yellow fruit. This crop should be more largely grown by the gardener who wishes to combine utility -ujjtb beauty. Cucumbers and others of the melon family may be made to climb and cover any bare spaces available, Violets for Market. ... , The planting of violets for market purposes should not be delayed longer. The plants have all too little time to get nicely rooted before having -to contend with the driest months , of the year. The ground should be well manured, as from five weeks to six weeks the plants will be growing freely and .he roots searching for nourishment. If the soil is poor and starved they will search in vain. Natural animal manure serves many purposes, mechan-

ical and chemical ,and besides enriching the soil it conserves the moisture for the use. of the plants, so that even in the driest weather they will continue to grow with the aid. of an occasional watering. Liquid manure is a. great help when given every ten days or so and will be greedily taken up by the roots. As the plants progress,' runners will be formed, and these must be removed so as to! preserve all the vigour in the crowns, with the object of securing the finest and most perfect flowers. If increased stock is wanted’these runners should be planted in the shade. These, when rooted, not having flowered, will produce finer blooms than can be obtained from the division of old stools that have become partly exhausted. Although the violet loves moisture, this can easily be misapplied. The plants will not tolerate being plhnted in soil that is wet and stagnant. During the summer months the hoc should be' kept going among the plants regu'larly and where possible the plants should be supplied with as much moisture as is possible. The violet is a shallow rooting plant and as soon as it feels the loss of moisture, stops growing. Violets bloom earlier if well cared for during the summer mouths. When planting, care should be taken to jplaut very firmly, and whenever liquid manure is applied, see that the soil is well moistened first with water.