GARDEN FIELD

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 5618, 6 April 1931, Page 10

GARDEN FIELD

(Specially written for “Times” by Lorna.)

Colour in the Border. A noticeable feature in gardens this year, is the earlier tinting of autumn ibiiaged subjects, this is perhaps due to tue early frosts which have been experienced in many parts. Berberis thunDergia is a glowing mass of crimson, while euomymus, tne spindle tree, daily grows more beautiful in the delightful colouring of its toliage. The large leaves of the varieties of rlius are among the earliest in adding the tints of autumn to the garden. Bright tints are to be seen on the crimson and red oaks, also on the more dainty foliage of fagus fusca. Gorgeous dahlias are responding generously to the cooler weather conditions, transformering borders into a perfect riot of delightful colouring. Zinnias, marigolds and asters are lavish with their display of beautiful- blooms, while the autumn nerines have reared their naked stems crowned with clusters of satiny bloom, in mostly, pink and scarlet shades. The scent of belladonna lilies wafts gently over the borders, their setting enhanced by groups of restful blue delphiniums, w'hose spikes, although not so perfect as those of early summer are yet always welcome. Gf.y sunflowers aggressively flaunt their blooms, which nearby clumps of pelenuims in bloom and red shades fail to abash. In the shrubbery the native lace-back has opened cluster after cluster of snowy white bloom, surrounding masses of Michaelmas daisies, adding to its charm. In the rock garden several varieties of sedums are blooming freely, these attract numerous bumblebees, and on sunshiny days, butterflies as well, while during the hush of the evening hours, hosts of moths hover, and settle on the large heads of bloom. Whether in honey or scent, the attraction for insects is undeniably there. Statiee. continues to bloom freely, and also the pretty blue of that campanula known as the Scotch bluebell. Convulvus mauritanius is a joy to behold, clothed from crown to tip with flowers of a particularly pleasing shade of blue. An orange glow continues to mark the spot where gazanias grow, while manyother rock plants are acquiring beautiful autumn tints on the foliage. The Culture of the Tulip.

If a feed is properly made up, the tulip will flourish and do well for a number of years, without having to remove them annually. The tulip does best in a good, rich soil, inclining if anything, on the heavy side, but perfect drainage is essential, the lack of this latter item, is mainly responsible for the loss of bulbs by rotting. Another very important item in their culture is the depth in planting. Too shallow planting has destroyed more tulips than planting too deep. The bulb should be planted at least five inches deep, measuring from the top of the bulb. The bed should be thoroughly prepared and dug at least two feet in depth. A heavy dressing of old decayed cow manure may be dug into the bottom spit of soil and an application of four ounces of bone dust (not blood and bone) to the square yard mixed with it at the same time. It is best to take the precaution of placing a little sand around each bulb, and planting should be got on with as quickly as possible. Most bulbs revel in a moist soil, but few of them will stand wet conditions. Such subjects as hyacinths and tulips arc gross feeders, and have root systems which, in favourable soils, go down eighteen or twenty-four inches. If, therefore, the garden is expected to grow all classes of bulbs, the soil must be drained to a depth of not less than three feet. This will ensure porosity of the soil, a warmer soil in winter, a cooler soil in summer, and proper ripening of the bulbs. Drainage Problems.

Where the garden is of some size, where a good fall obtains, and where there is an outlet for drainage water, the drainage is accomplished by laying agricultural tiles at the proper depth, not less than forty inches below the surface and fifteen feet apart. In the small garden, surrounded by similar small allotments, this is not practicable and a certain measure of efficiency is possible only by deep digging anti by mixing some rubble or light material with the sub-soil. Every such garden is a problem in itself. Light soils, with gravel in close proximity have more difficulty in growing really good bulbs. In soils of this nature, heavy loom and decayed cow manure must be mixed in, in order to give it a firmer and heavier texture. Insect Pests in Bulb Culture. In growing bulbs successfully general garden cleanliness is essential. Weeds must be kept down, as they harbour pests of all kinds. The underground pest is. a more insidious foe, the mite, and the eel worm taking toll of a good number of bulbs, especially in light soils. The foliage of affected bulbs 1s never healthy looking where these arc troubling them, and in the case of the anemone, the foliage attains a blackish appearance. Where land is badly affected, the only thing that can be done is to remove all bulbs, and have the plot thoroughly treated with a good soil fumigant. It is safest to start entirely with fresh bulbs. In the case of the narcissi, manj gardeners have planted the bulbs from such beds in the grass, naturalised in this way, in some waste part of the grounds, most of them seem to recover. Depths in Bulb Planting.

Cyclamens, with the top of the corm lying on the surface, freesias and crocuses three inches, and other similar sized bulbs. Banunculus and anemone two to three inches, the latter depth in the case of light soils. Spanish Irises, five inches. Narcissus and tulips, six nuchcs. Hyacinths, seven inches. Grape-hyacinths and lachenalias, four inches. The Environment of Plants.

We constantly read and hear the implication that the soil is the principal factor in cultivation, the only item apparently which deserves serious attention. The practise of such a belief leads to a great many failures with various plants, and the amateur gardener is apt to become bewdldercd by the various contradictions uttered by authorities on gardening matters. Take, for example, the “primula.” One authority swears by a soil rich in leaf mould; another, equally eminent, contends that the certain way to kill the plant is by giving it that very material. A third pins his faith on sandy peat, while yet a fourth, with modest taste, relies on unadulterated turfy loam. Abandoning the subject here, we will doubtless find ourselves in much the same fix, but searching for

a cause for these seemingly contradictory views, a more hopeful view can be taken. The first speaker’s soil is sandy, and the addition of leaf mould would assist the retention of water, the ground of the second disputant is on the heavy side, badly drained, and readily clogged, the third is in much the position of the first, while the fortunate fourth apparently possesses a virgin soil, turfy you will note, and therefore porous by virtue of the fibre in it, so that, sifted down, drainage was the needful thing in each case for fcto plant’s success. The particular soil at each gardener’s hand may therefore require quite different treatment, in growing any one plant to perfection, and in transplanting some lovely wilß- - from its native haunts, more that giving it, the identical soil, that it is found growing in, will be necessary for its success. There are various steps in ascertaining this knowledge, but the best is that of intelligent observation in the field or in the garden.

Tulips for the Garden,

Each year the love for garden tulips increases, and. while the grower tor market is concentrating more and more on the earliest flowered varieties, tho home gardener prefers the later varieties which tend to make the garden gay when the narcissi blooms have left a gap. To get the best effect, tulips should be planted in beds, or bmd masses. Placing a bulb here and there, the beautiful effect is entirely lost, and the great point in selecting them is to get the best that can be Had in each colour, as for instance, several varieties of yellow may be listed, but a few bulbs of the best for your purpose will be found of_ greater value in display than one of each. Readers with a taste for colour arrangement have endless opportunities with tulips, many prefer to plant each variety separate, and there is much to be said in favour of this procedure. On the other hand, the simple contrast of maroon and yellow. The tall black maroon Zulu is more effective with the soft pinks, while the apricot, John Buskin, goes well with, the purples and crimsons. The earliest tulips do not grow as tall as do the Darwin’s. Then there are the parrot tulips, and it would be interesting to know the exact origin of these, which are worth planting freely in beds or in places where some turflet or creeping, plant surfaces the soil to. prevent the bold flowers getting splashed by rain. Their heavy character is a fault in some respects, but one must.'admira the glorious ; series of colours r distributed on the curiously shaped sedgments. Striped tulips are favoured by many, and certainly they make a striking display, the bronze shaded varieties with yellow or orange stripes being particularly attractive. ; Planting Hollyhocks. >

Hollyhocks may be planted either in late autumn or in spring, but as they are very hardy, it is a great advantage to get the plants in as early ; as possible. In quartering them care should be taken to prepare the ground they are to occupy by deep digging and working in old manure or bone-meal. The double varieties seem to be the most popular, and for back rows or. for planting near to a wall one may. have a glorious show of bloom. Hollyhbcks should not be planted where the soil is known to be poor, or where they have been planted the previous year. Tho term, “gross feeders,” applies in a particular sense to these plants, as they take more nutriment from the soil 'in a short time than most plants. They delight best when they can be given rich feeding ground unhampered by any other plants in. their immediate vicinity. Another point, sometimes lost sight of by new growers is that all suckers produced from the roots should be pinched out, growing the plants from a main stem. In this way tall stems are to be had, roped with fine blooms. A good, stout stake should be placed to each at the time of planting.

Michaelmas Daisies. No autumn flowers are superior to Michaelmas daisies where dainty blooms and colourings are desired, and anyone who has a comprehensive collection is fortunate these autumn days. A ery different are they than the varieties of twenty years ago. Noticeable among them is King George with rich dark blue flowers, and there is something appealing in the.variety enchantress, its flesh coloured flowers remind one of an enchantress carnation. Climax bears flowers which arc colour of a November sky on a cloudless day. King of the Belgians takes a ldf. of beating, with its large lavender blue blooms. Brightest and best, should bo described as a ro'sy purple, its flowers are most conspicuous. Beauty of ffonsdorf is remarkabel for the size of its blooms, and Perry’s favourite is a lovely thing where pink blossoms arc wanted.