GARDEN & FIELD

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7006, 16 November 1932, Page 9

GARDEN & FIELD

ROUTINE WORK IN THE BORDERS

Dig the borders thoroughly for summer bedding plants, working in plenty of well decayed manure at the same time. Rotted soil from the compost heap too, is ideal.

Keep all newly planted bedding stuff thoroughly well watered. Lift and divide polyanthus primroses, renewing the soil at the same time, or they may be removed to tho reserve garden until autumn showers commence.

Plant. generously of lobelia, which blooms steadily on through tho hottest months. Bulbs, too, may bo lifted to provide more space. Place in a trench and water occasionally until the foliage commences to go off. Take outtings of any choice wallflowors, also aubriotia. Sow seeds of aubriotia to proviuo good clumps for late autumn planting. Propagate violets. Sow seeds of biennials such as Canterbury bells, sweet william, wallflower, hollyhocks, scabious, etc. Pinch carnations, geraniums and any young plants requiring this attention to promote the formation of a bushy habit. Top-dross liliums as the fleshy roots show on the surface. A little bonedust worked around, with a mulch of lawn grass clippings, will answer n nothing else in the way of well rotted manure is available. Continue to plant cannas, dahlias, gladioli and chrysanthemums. Attend to the staking of tall plants and keep all bodding plants from seeding. Weeds are plentiful, but even these are of great value, when placed in. a heap until rollod down; sprinklings of lime hasten their decay. Give all choice flowers occasional dressings of liquid manure. Place spare plants in the reserve garden to fill up any accidents in the bedding schemes. The Vegetable Garden. Peed asparagus beds in full “cut" freely with liquid manure. Give schallots a good application of old soot. Pinch out the tips of all broad beans as soon as black fly is seen. , Sow seed of all winter greens. <j plant out celery and leeks and sow a little more seed for succession. Continue to sow seed of all salad plants. Continue to plant tomato, capo gooseborry, early cabbage and cauliflower. Pill empty garden frames with strong cucumber plants. Give timely attention to all crops requiring thinning out; best done after showers.

Prepare plots for winter vegetables, digging them deeply. Continue to sow or plant marrows, pumpkins, etc. Sow more dwarf beans and peas. Remove the tops of pea shoots now in flower if early pods are desired. Lift tho earliest planted potatoes if the tubers are large enough for use, burying them in sandy soil for daily use, this being only necessary when the space is needed for another crop. Continue to make sowings of spinacn, carrots, etc., and keep the hoe going when soil conditions permit. Summer Bedding Schemes. The most important bedding schemes aro those composed of plants which stand the summor heat well. In the herbaceous border a few plants bore and there showing signs of flagging are not so noticeable as those confined to smaller beds to themselves. Cannas and Begonias, j Round or long shaped beds are deJlightful when tho centre is filled with!

Specially written for tho Times by “Lorna."

bronze leaved cassas, with a bordering of the pink flowered variety of begonia somporflorens. Such a bordor will be attractive until frost appears. Lobelia and Viscaria,

The centre part of a small border planted with the now fire king viscaria and a double edging of dwarf lobelia is very colourful and lasting, neat and compact. Cannas and Nasturtiums. Por a largo bed a splondid lasting offeot may be achieved by covering the ground thickly with the double golden gleam nasturtium, interspersod witn dark foliaged cannas. Pyrethrums and Nomesia.

Borders of nemesia are given a nice finish if a doublo row of the dwarf golden leavod pryethrum is used to border them. Tho latter should bo kept from flowering. Bon-flre Salvias and Begonias. The above combination is very colourful, but needs a border sheltered from high winds. The begonia u»eu should be a variety with dark foliage and red flowers.. Garden Trellis. Garden lovers aro fortunate in now being able to procure lengths of garden trellis at reasonable rates, which too, can bo sont any distance easny. Placed in the right place, a line of trellis can make a wonderful difference to tho garden. Even where exposed to tho wind some of tho hardiest of the climbers such as American pillar rose, jasmine and honeysuckles may be persuaded to covor it, and when these have got a good start the blue pea, clematis montana, both pink ante w«ne, and everlasting pons will creop into the shelter of the hardier things. A trellis covered with Paul’s scarlet climbor is a beautiful sight, and there are hosts of other things equally beautiful which only ask for something to cling to. This trellis work, too, is so easily tacked to an unsightly building whore tho creeping plants aro readily tied to it.

Sulphate of Ammonia. Sulphate of ammonia applied to a lawn will kill flat leafed weeds and will not injure the grass to any great extent. The chemical should be applied at the rate of one ounce per square yard, and for the purpose'it must be applied during a dry period. To ensure even distribution the sulphate should be mixed with throe parts sand or light garden soil. Repeat the dressing at intervals until the weeds are got under control, paying special attention to tho weedy patches. The Living Pergola. The pergola is now to be seen in most of our larger gardens and the introduction of so many beautiful climbing and rambling roses is no doubt responsible for this. In very few gardens do we, however, see the “living pergola" which does not trouble us with decaying uprights, etc., which need replacing as tho years go by. Living pergolas provide delightful shade walks and there are many things which are suitable for the work, such as flowering cherries, laburnum and flowering apples. Then, again quinces, apples aha pears may be used for the purpose. The trees should bo planted the same dis-

tance apart as one would place posts, leaving ample width. As the trees grow the pruning naturally is xmaertaken with the aim of gradually coaxing tho branches to make tho overhead covering and to filling in along the sides from tree to tree. Laburnum grows very quickly and forms a shelter for many shade loving plants beneath. Lavender. The lavonder is universally beloved and may scarcely bo placed wrongly in a garden wherein hedges of this aromatic plant will prove a delightful old world feature and isolated specimens or groupings in shrubberies and large borders wi l make a strong appeal. Good hedges may be formed by placing suitable cuttings in tho desireu position. The soil should be friable, well drained and suitably enriched, careful and generous preparation proving requisite for a lavender hedge which may remain undisturbed for several years. Tho cuttings should bo of half ripened wood obtained with a heel in spring or late summer.

There are quite a number of beautiful lavenders and whore all are so lovely choice becomes a matter of difficulty. Lavandula latifolia is the true old English variety, and what memories of old world gardens will it conjure up, gardens of old fashioned flowers delicately perfumed, the carnation, stock, wallflowers, pinks and auriculas. This plant is distinguishable from its fellows by broader foliago and larger growth. The variety known as dwan French has very dark flowers continuously produced and deliciously fragrant. It is a good grower and one of the best for drying, and tho Dutch is a useful old lavender. Lavender stoechas is a distinct specie with light green foliago and dense spikes of dark purple flowers, while there is a white flowerea variety which goes under the name of lavender spica alba. Lavender should be cut for drying when the flowers are fully expanded. Tho spikes should be spread out thinly and dried slowly in a cool, shady position and be then hung up or stored in a perfectly dry place. Pyrethrums. Whether grown for its value as a cut flower or for its offeot in. the mixeu border, the pyrethrum possesses a uistinot charm of its own. Thousands of these useful perennials are grown with no other object than to supply blooms for the market. Flowering at this season they are particularly useful for the purpose, their daisy-like flowers being light, dainty and long lasting. Although not fastidious plants in the matter of soil, they revel in a moderately rich and deep loam. Good rosnlts aro obtained in light soils if the ground is well dug and plonty of well rotted manure mixed in. In planting do not bury too deeply or losses will result. Merely cover the roots. It is characteristic of pyrothrums in common with delphiniums that if the old stems are cut down after flowering they will produce a second crop during the autumn. There are both double and single varieties, the brighter shades being tbe most popular for market purposes.