Garden & Field

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 4, 6 January 1937, Page 9

Garden & Field

(Specially written for the “Manawatu Daily Times*' by “Lorna.”)

Routine Work in the Borders. The planting season has been unusually prolonged owing to prevailing showers keeping the soil moist. Also it gives a good opportunity for the sowing of many seeds such as anemone, ranunculi, polyanthus primrose, primulas, wallflowers, calendulas, Iceland poppies, etc. Where violets are thick and the blooms small, the state of the soil will permit of them being broken up, well manure the plot before replanting, choosing the strongest looking crowns, these will get well established before the next flowering season. Continue to plant all autumn flowering annuals. Prune rambler roses as they go out of bloom. Continue to plant chrysanthemums and dahlias. Hydrangeas are flowering extremely well, the frequent showers being fully appreciated and responded to, by the increased size of heads and individual flowers. Their long blooming period entitles them to be well catered for and modern varieties are so beautiful. Gladioli corrns planted now will give welcome spikes about Easter. Tidy up the garden generally providing stakes wherever needful. Keep all spent blooms picked off the flowers. Brooms have finished flowering and should bo pruned well back. Plant stylosa irises for winter blooms. The Vegetable Garden. There has not been a great deal of growth during the last few weeks where gardens are exposed, tho weather being too changeable. With the soil in a moist condition seeds of all root crops may still be sown as well as pumpkins, and marrows. Continue to sow all kinds of salad things. Sow more peas and beans. Sow or plant all kinds of winter greens. Keep everything thinned out at :iu early stage, and with the hoe kept going, every incentive will be given to keep the plants moving. Plant celery and leeks in manured trenches. Kale is one of the most useful of winter and spring greens. Iris roetidissima. This Iris, sometimes called tho gladwyn might well be more generally planted in the semi wild parts of the gardon. Not that it has any special claim to beauty during the flowering season, for in general aspect the plant is decidedly sombre, its densely clustered leafage being darker in colour than any other variety, while the flowers produced in October several on a scape, are of a dingy purple or lilac hue, with darker veins, and are sometimes, though very rarely flushed with yellow. Its value however, becomes apparent when the trigonal fruits or berries have succeeded the flowers, for then, in the early winter season, the capsules split open to reveal the clustered lining of rich coral red seeds, which present a most ornamental appearance. If cut and allowed to dry the seed bearing stems are most useful for room decoration, for the seeds remain attached to the capsules for some time without withering. It is a plant well suited for the open woodland or semi wild spots, as it appears to be a lover of woods and pastures. It is quite easy to grow, and easily divided. There is also a type with variegated leaves which is more showy in appearance. Another iris, namely, iris pseudacorus has the same trigonal shaped fruits, but do not have the bright seeds. This is often called the water iris, as it will grow in several feet of water and loves marshy conditions. The flowers however are a beautiful buttercup yellow, very dainty in appearance and after the style of the sibirica irises. It is most useful for growing in ponds. Verbena Venosa. This is a very pleasing and useful plant and can be treated either as an annual or perennial. It comes into flower during the summer and lasts until frost. It is one of the most useful of plants for seaside gardens. It grows to a height of about a foot and is thickly studded with small verbena like beads of bright purple, it stands dry weather conditions and also makes »an effective bed, being often used in parks. Charming Combinations for the Rock Garden. In this part of the garden, full scope is given for the effective setting of plants. Beautiful in association are the gentianella and the hoop petticoat daffodils, the yellow crinolines of this dainty daffodil, swaying and fluttering amid the glorious blue trumpets of gentian acaulus are marvellously lovely, and it is not colour alone which makes the combination of the two plants so charming. The hassocky mats of the gentian and the plump opulence of its blooms make a perfect foil to the delicate, nodding grace of the hoop petticoat so airily poised on their slender stems. Gypsophila repens rosea will cascade in deceiving delicacy along side clumps of viola cornuta. Aubrietia will look well near, but not strangling, the larger silvery saxifragas. Campanulas and pinks will dispute with each other for a place on the top. Linum narbonense and hybrid tufled pinks are pretty in association. The dolicious blue blossoms of the linum, fleeting though they are, float airily above the silvery mats of the pinks, and the two plants grow' happily together although the individual flowers of the linum pass so quickly, others are always opening and the plant is in bloom most of the summer. The spiky mounds of thrift always look well placed with violas, whose habit of growth is so different. Mossy phloxes also show up more effectively when alpine pansies are growing near them. The pretty pink of saponaria, and the mauve of campanula laurii form an ideal combination both flowering over a lengthy period. The carpatica companulas enjoy life in the company of veronica spicata rosea, a ,ioi;ootai-y- gpired gem which grows

to about a foot in height and makes a low mat of dark green foliage. Even in the rock garden it is advisable to study the height of one’s planting. A few moderately tall plants spring up from a mass of low growing i.tuff not only achieve notice for themselves, but also emphaise the dwarf character of their companions. Such effects should however be used very sparingly. We can make endless experiments in planting and in so doing find our garden work more engrossing than ever. At the same time our gardens will become more interesting to other people. Camellias. Camellias are not grown to anything like tho extent they were in bygone years, all really old gardens are famous for their beautiful specimens of these shrubs. There are signs however, that they are returning to favour, and deservedly so, as there is nothing which blooms over such a long period and has such quantities of bloom as the camellia. When once established they are very little trouble and any pruning needful should be attended to as soon as flowering is over. Tho single varieties are beautiful for decorations and they {£st a long time as cut flowers. The eany flowering kinds are valuable, as at thu time of blooming there are very few flowers about. Tho ever green foliage of the camellia is also an asset. Doronicums. No garden where hardy flowers are appreciated should be exempt from doronicums, first because they are among the earliest to bloom that have a special valuo for cutting for table decoration, and secondly owing to their worth as town garden subjects. They are not at all fastidious in regard to soil, hence often in closed in gardens where rooting medium cannot be described as rich, one iinds the golden yellow blossoms opening in profusion in September and October that gives one no qualms in cutting them. Doronicums will give more blossoms in the autumn if, when the first flowers are over they are relieved of their stems and not allowed to exhaust themselves by seeding. Where clumps have been allowed to remain for a few years, opportunity should be taken to split the roots up, as the finest flowers are borne on moderate sized clumps. No plant in a garden is hardier than a doronicum, and the least bit of a root, if put in, in moderately good soil will soon make headway and bloom another year. They are also easily raised from seed. Also it is one of those accomodating plants which will thrive either in full suu or semi shade. When grown in the latter position the stems are much longer.