GARDEN & FIELD

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 67, 21 March 1935, Page 5

GARDEN & FIELD

(Specially written for tlio ‘‘Mans Routine Work in tke Borders Continuo to plant bulbs of all kinds, work in bone meal or bcfcic slag around existing beds of bulbs which have not been disturbed. The winter rains will wash it well down and provide much nourishment for the roots. Plant anemoue and ranunculi corms in slightly raised and well drained beds. Continue to sow sweet-peas, the winter flowering varieties are good for a sunny corner whero frosts aro not felt too much, these bloom very early. Sow seeds of all hardy annuals for spring blooming. Divide and replant polyanthus roses. Plant violets and top dress existing beds or borders with a good fertiliser, such as blood and bone, boncmeal, or basic slag is useful where the soil is heavy.

Keep all dead blooms removed from the dahlias and all superfluous growth. Disbud chrysanthemums as soon as the tiny cluster can bo handled, and feed weekly with liquid manure where largo blooms are wanted. Take cuttings of carnations and pinks.

Continuo to plant bulbs iu pots and baskets. Golden Spur Daffodils are ideal for the purpose, also crocus, hoop petticoat Daffodil's, hyacinths,

Prepare all plots for early flowering subjects well, by digging iu plenty of strawy manure. Partly decayed lawn grass clippings are useful, t iu anything that will help to keep the soii warmer and better drained is advantageous. Rake down soil for tho new lawn very finely and procure seed in readiness for sowing. The plot should bo well drained. The Vegetable Garden. Sow onion seed in ground that has been liberally dressed with wood ashes, cr potash in some form or other; also sow seed of spring cabbage, early cauliflower, lettuce, beetroot, early turnip, spinach, silverbeet, and broad beans. Prepare new strawberry beds and cut off all runners from existing ones forking in well rotted manure, or basic slag. Prepare beds for asparagus and rhubarb, both of which like plenty of food provided for them. Lift all ripened off potatoes while the weather is open. Remove some of tho large leaves from tomato and pumpkin or marrow plants to'admit more sunlight. Sow blue lupin on impoverished plot digging them in when tall enough. Spring Beauty. With autumn reminders to hand in the way of attractive catalogues, featuring all the beauties and delights of spring flowering subjects, it behoves the gardener to be up and doing, in order to prepare the way for the_ introduction of as many as possible into tho general garden scheme. Space is the problem many have to face, and a careful survey of tho garden is necessary in order to make the best use of what one has. Perchance some things aro growing in full sun that might with advantage be removed to partial shade. Beneath a deciduous tree for instance, an ideal spot is afforded for groupings of the early grape hyacinths and seillas. Dripts of lily-of-the-vallcy, primulas, forget-me-nots, primroses, and daffodils. There are many such spots near shrubs and trees where nothing will grow satisfactorily during summer which might well be given over to little spring beauties. Hoop petticoat daffodils, crocuses, and lachenalias are all charming and easily managed. In tho borders too, much space is often occupied by tritomas (red hotpokers,) and agapanthus, and these arc too things which requiro much space and which will do much to brighten up tho rough spots of the garden as they will grow and thrive without being specially catered for and weeded continuously. The Tiger lily family may with advantage be removed to spaces among the shrubs where the background lends effectiveness to the gay spikes. The noble spikes of Liiium Auratum are enhanced when planted in tho vicinity of the dark leaved primus family, and these trees ean always be pruned back to keep them the right height to furnish an ideal setting for liliums. If thero is a small rock garden, all tho Ncrinc family thrive wonderfully well there and bloom freely, and small bulbs of all kinds may be planted beneath carpeting plants where no danger is incurred from the use of the hoc. Michaelmas daisies, and aqiulegias succeed well' within the shade and shelter of trees and as long as tho soil is kept rich they will flourish. Raising the Polyanthus Primrose. It is often advised to increase the stock of these charming spring flowering plants by division of tho roots in spring or autumn, but unless to perpetuuate some very fine form or colour a much more satisfactory method or abundance of tlicso plants is by means of seed. Few plants are more difficult to keep up to standard, and it is therefore necessary to make a careful selection in order to keep up the quality. Seed must be produced from a trustworthy source if the best results are to be looked for. If seeds are harvested in a haphazard manner, within a few years the strain, iio matter how flne it was originally, will bo ruined, tho yellows and whites, as producing the best and most abundant crop of seed, very effectively ousting the colour varieties, and so within a short time are alone in evidence.

It is therefore necessary to isolate all tho line coloured sorts if it is intended to save seed, and usually the finer tho colour the less seed there is. Seeds can be sown as soon as ripe or in tho spring or autumn, and the soil should be kept very damp. If this last item is attended to thsre will be no reason to grumble over germination. Germinatiou is usually very uneven, but the later and weaker plants should be every case be retained, as being almost certain to produce specially fine varieties. When they are too thick in the boxes they will' need pricking off into other boxes, but thinly sown, they may be

watu Daily Times” by “Lorna.”) left until largo enough to transplant into their permanent quarters. Plants raised iu this way •will give a good display for some four years, when they will need breaking up and replanting in well conditioned soil or replaced with other seedling plants. Lupins from Seed. Few plants contribute so much to the beauty of the spring garden as the lupin. Thero aro many kinds in cultivation, both annual and perennial, but tho most important from a gardner’s point of view, aro the hybrid perennials. When well planted and placed in gardens th 9 effect is superb, their profession of bloom and happy colour blending creating a fine mass when most needed. New varieties are rather expensive, but the keen lover of these plants will find no more interesting plants in their cultivation than the raising of an army of young plants from seeds. Not only can a vast number of plants bo thus secured easily and quickly, but frequently they possess greater vigour and produce larger flowers spikes than those secured by the system of division. With the extra vigour that they possess these seedlings are better adapted for resisting the ravages of insect pests. It is a good plan to sow the seeds at this season in a row or seed bed in the open ground. Plenty of moisture is needed for germination and it is as well to soak the seeds in water for some hours before. If germination is helped along, resultant plants will all bloom during the early summer months. Plax and Toi-Tois How. useful a clump of flax is in the garden, It is a plant of beauty and utility. Its older leaves' aro always handy for tying up plants and other purposes. Its long spikes of brown, tubular flowers have a beauty of their own and are often the means of encouraging our native Tuis to visit the garden, for they delight in the nectar obtained from the blooms. Flax plants are useful for filling in the rough parts of the garden and is also ono of the best things to grow to produco quick and effective shelter. There are many varieties too, some with bronze foliage and some with variegated, while the variety termed mountain flax has a,, pretty drooping habit of foliage and' 'brighter tintings in its bloosoms. The;native toi toi is a graceful plant and this season has been very lavish in its display of deep cream plumes. The pampas gran with its thicker, white, and more upright plumes has a much more dense habit of growth and blooms at a different period of the year. All three are very useful' and effective for grouping around largo ponds or running streams and for growing as a screen for blocking out some undesirable portion of tho surroundings. Both the flax and tho toi-toi aro among the best of things for growing at seaside cottages where a little shelter is desired and something to take away the bare aspect from the landseapo and the cost of planting is very slight. Flax is so denso at its base that it provides good shelter from draughts which would otherwise sweep the borders and best of all, its roots do not take overmuch nourishment from tho surrounding soil. Rotted Turf for Potting Plants Tho majority of plants grown in pots by amateurs may bo successfully cultivated in rotted turves as a medium for tho roots. Caro should bo taken to choose tho right kind of turf, that from poor clay or sandy land not being suitable. But if it is taken from a soil that is of a medium character, the ordinary cultivator need not trouble to procure any other ingredients beyond a little sharp sand for lightening it. The great merit of this material consists in its containing a great amount of plant food in a given space than in any other soil, however ingeneuously a greater number of ingredients may bo selected. This is accounted for by tho fact that the fibrous matter which it contains furnishes all that is'~esseutial to plant life, and as it is the nature of this fibrous matter to decompose slowly its sustaining properties last longer than the mot elaborate mixtures of different sorts of soil, and this is not all'. The material does not run together into such a compact mass as an ordinary mixture of loan does after it has been somo time in a flower pot. Tho fibrous character of the material iu question keeps it open, which prevents the accumulation of an excessive amount of moisture about the roots of plants potted in it, thus keeping tho soil sweet and healthy. For strawberries grown iu pots or barrels ono could not wish for a better soil, as it promates a good growth without any tendency to over lusxuriance. Tho present is a good time to get in a supply of this valuable material which should be stacked grass downwards in a heap to rot. Hyacinths in Bowls With Fibre After well soaking the fibre in water, plant tho bulbs with the crown just at the fibro level. No drainage is necessary. Place the bowls in an open frame looking south for preference, or if this is not to hard, any spot sheltered by a surrounding of woodwork would do. Care should bo taken to drain the water out of the bowl's after any heavy rains. Here they may stay until the buds are just commencing to show colour when they may be moved into the glass house, window, or conseryatory. By doing this the blooms aro made perfect when fully open and are not marked by tho weather as is often the trouble when they are left to flower outside. Where slugs are troublesome and the soil is heavy, the culture of a few of these popular bulbs iu pots or bowls is a much, more reliable way than consigning them to tho open border. They love light, but rich soil.