Garden & Field

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6946, 27 June 1929, Page 9

Garden & Field

In the Flower Garden. Owing to heavy recent gales, an inspection will need to be made of all newly-planted shrubs, and the soil rammed tightly around the base of the stems. Shrubs or plants will not flourish if allowed to wobble to and fro with every wind that blows.

Heavy frosts, too, will have the effect of loosening plants at their base. Autumn sown sweet-peas are making good growth and should be kept off the

ground by means of some support. Keep a watch oa the chrysanthemum plants. Many of the choicest of them often fail to produce young shoots, but if examined, slugs will bo found to be at the root of the trouble. If ground is needed for other things for .spring planting, remove as many young shoots as are required from the base of each plant and dib into boxes. The old plants may then be descarded and a new plot got under way for the reception of the box plants at a later date. Refrain from mulching rose beds and perennial borders until later on, or much good food will be wasted. Plant shrubs of all kinds; Ann planting is ess'cntial. Weed the surface of lawns, and roll them as often as possible during the winter months. Fruit and Vegetables. Select seed tubers of early varieties of potatoes, setting these eyes upwards in boxes placed in warm, sheltered nooks. Sow a few peas on light, well drained soil. The “early disk“ is always appreciated. Sow radishes in a warm border and protect from slugs and birds until the second leaf is showing. Uso soil fumigants for pest-ridden soils. Sow seeds of cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce in pans or boxes. Plant rhubarb and asparagus. Plant all kinds of small fruit bushes. Shorten the stronger canes of raspberries to about five feet. Clean all rubbish from strawberry bc-ds and lightly fork between the rows. Prepare and strike cuttings of all small fruits. Prune fruit trees, and prepare fruittree washes for use on fine, calm days. Prune outdoor vinos and afterwards paint with a sulphur mixture to prevent mildew.

(Specially written for “Times” by Lorna.)

Top-dress the vine roots with a mixture of good loam and crushed bones. Proceed with planting operations of ail kinds of fruit trees. Hydrangeas in Pots. The various species of hydrangeas make effective and handsome pot-plants There have been such great improvements in these plants of late years that it is difficult to associate the blooms of the modern varieties with those of bygone days. Pink varieties arc the most numerous, and it is in these that the greatest variation is to be found,. Almost every tone is to be noticed until almost a red is seen in several instances.. Then there are the pure whites and creams. Intense blue is the colour that many aim at, but it is still rather elusive, although there are signs of its becoming more fixed. Many a gardener has been disappointed with this colour, often obtaining cuttings from, a plant with blue flowers, only to find them changed to pink in liis or her own garden. There is no doubt that soil largely influences the results, and where there is a lot of iron in it, there blue is present. The easiest way is plentifully to mix iron filings or alum with the potting sail, also to water from early spring until the blooms are opening, with water containing odd pieces of rusty tin, or nails, or dissolve an ounce of alum in a gallon of water, giving a dose of the solution to the plants twice a week until the flow'crs open. The most popular form of plant is that in the five-inch pot, carrying one fine head of bloom. Plants of this kind are not at all difficult to obtain, and to secure a succession, cuttings may be struck at intervals during the late autumn, winter, and spring montuis. When the old plants have done flowering, stand them in the open and after a fortnight the young wood w r ill have hardened and will root much better. The shoots selected for cuttings should be . about three inches long. Cut just below a joint, retaining all the leaves but the very lowest. Insert them singly in small pats filled with sandy soil and water them well. Place in a greenhouse, or sunny spot but shelter from rough weather. The foliage will quickly indicate when roots have formed. Plenty of air and sunlight must then be given, to prepare them for shifting into five or six inch pots.

Hydrangeas are of luxuriant growth and delight in a light, rich, compost of three parts loam, one part rotted manure, some coarse sand and a little bone meal. The pots must be well drained. Give very little water during winter and early spring. A warm position will help a few to flower earlier, while others may be left in partial slrndo for succession. Directly the flowers fade, cut back the stem to the first pair of strong leaves and grow them on throughout the summer. Prom three to five shoots will form, each of which will carry a flower-head next spring. Repot the plants in autumn, just slightly reducing the ball and give a slightly larger pot. Fine specimens may be grown in tubs for the summer garden, to stand in odd corners or on terraces. The plants will live for many years if they arc surfaced with fresh soil in spring and fed with liquid mauurc during growth. Paper Mulcmng. Experiments are being made in various parts in the use of paper as. an aid to producing early vegetables. ' Ordinary asphalt roofing paper lias so far proved the best. The plants treated this way are said to make vigorous growth, and what is more important, the growth of w r ccds is controlled. One gardener experimented with sweet corn and cucumbers. _ For the former, the necessary length was cut off the raff and spread along the garden plot; with a stout knife crosses were cut in it about one and a-balf feet apart, zigzag along the whole length. The cor: nc-rs of the cuts were then folded back to onable the gardener to plant four seeds in each, the corners being then turned back again. No other treatment was. given. The corn produced an abundant crop, with no w-ccding, hoeing or watering. The cucumbers were grown a trifle differently, the roofing paper being cut iu half lengthways. The two pieces were placed along the plot with a halfinch space between, to allow of soedsi being sown, along the straight line.' Dry weather is said to have no ill effects on plants treated in this way, and after the roofing has been removed, an examination of the soil sowed that over the whole area, there was a mass of fine feeder roots which extended to the surface of the ground. Experiments in this direction would be well worth a trial, only in gardens badly invested with slugs it would be best to rid the soil of these as thoroughly as possible before sowing or planting, as “under paper’ ’is suggestive of.d good hiding placo for theso nocturnal visitors. Linaria Alpina.

Certainly one of the most charming of Alpine plants, this delightful little gem is not at all difficult to establish in sandy, gritty, and rather moist soil, or in crevices in the sunny parts of the rock garden. The Alpine limaria 13

short-lived, but when happily placed, it seeds itself so very freely as soon to form cascades of silver loaves ana brilliantly coloured blossoms. The small bluish violet flowers are vividly touched with orange, and the rosea variety is a charming confection in silver, pink, and orange. These linarias are easily increased from seed, which should be sown in boxos in spring, or in the places iu the rock garden, where the plants are to flower. Another treasure is erysimum, or cheiranthus linifolium, almost ever in flower, trusses, cascades and torrents of softest mauvo and lavender colouring, an ideal plant for clothing the top of an old wall, or a very dry sunny slope or bank. The plants delight in a stony soil and will readily cover a considerable area with innumerable self-sown seedlings. Meconopsis Baileyi. Much attention has been given recently to the above named plant, which belongs to the perennial poppy family. The foliage grows into a. compact clump of green leaves, the flower spikes rising to a good height above the foliage with an occasional leaf here and there. The individual flowers are a lovely blue shade ,largo and single, with brilliant yellow anthers. This poppy loves partial shade, and looks well growing in those parts of the rock garden. Shelter from wind is desirable, as the blooms are easily damaged. The plant, is easily raised from seed, and when better known will became a groat favourite where bluo flowers are liked. How to Arrange Violets.

These charming little flowers are difficult to arrange. Take an ordinary saucer or flat dish and fill it with fresh moss. Build the moss up in the form of a little mound in the saucer, keeping the fresh points of the moss to the front, so as to make it look as fresl and velvet like as possible. Rounfl the edge of the saucer small fern fronds or violet leaves should bo arranged so .s to hide tho china. Then take the violet blooms and make them into bunches of from eight to ten in a bunch. Their stems should then be bound together with a piece of binding wire. The binding wire, besides keeping the stems together, makes them firm, and renders them capable of being bent into any position required. When as many of these little bunches are made as required, they should be dotted over the groundwork of moss. A few snowdrops, if procurable, placed here and there amongst the violets, produce a charming effect, and a mixture of white violets also looks very well in an arrangement of this description. The addition of a few, small fronds of maidenhair fern, too, .tends to heighten tho general effect. The’ moss should be well damped every morning, and, if this be not forgotten, the violets will keep fresh and emit their sw'cet. perfume for many days. i :