GARDENING NOTES

Northern Advocate, 19 June 1926, Page 9

GARDENING NOTES

(By “Tainui. ”)

KERRIA. Kerria, or Jew’s Mallow, has been called the cottager’s shrub. It is a quaintly neat and prim plant, thin stemmed and lightly foliagcd; and a feature of the plant is that it is not aggressive or unduly obtrusive in a small space. In its native home — Japan- it is prevalent both on the ■mountains and cultivated in the gardens; but when in 1700 it was first brought to England, ii came in its cultivated double-flowered form, now inown as Kerria Japonica flore pleno, where the blooms are thick little rosettes of orange-yellow petals. When first introduced into England it was treated as a . greenhouse plant and peddled with extra warmth, and not for'some time was its hardiness realised. It was at first wrongly classed as a mallow, and called Jew’s mallow on account of its yellow colour. It was only when its natural simple form was introduced into England that it came to be placed in the same family as the rose. The single-flowered Kerria;. was not introduced into England until 1835, but it has never become really popular, jts flowers, though daintier, being not quite so showy.

The shrub reaches a height of four of five feet, or more under favourable conditions. The thin branches are coated with the greenest of barks. In certain varieties of the plant the leaves are variegated and show white, yellow and pale-green colouring, and

this mottled appearance—punctuated \by the orange-yellow flowers—produces a very gay shrub. The Kerria may he put as a climber or to grow by a wall, though it is seen to even more advantage as a bush. Since it is not a very solid individual, it serves admirably in the foreground of a . shrubbery. It is perfectly hardy here. In the Old Country, Iterria is frequently grown, as a hedge plant either alone or mixed with stiffen shrubs. The Kerria is not fastidious, and will thrive even in second-grade soil. Propagated by layers or cuttings, or the' whole shrub can be divided. It requires little attention beyond perhaps a little pruning of the old wood after flowering. The peak of its flowering season is perhaps near middle spring. . FLOWERING SHRUBS; It is generally true that flowering shrubs do not get the consideration that is warranted by their general usefulness as garden subjects. The chief reason for this neglect lies probably in the fact that a restless impatience demands that we take the line of least resistance, so to speak, bv pursuing those lines which ■ yield results in the shortest possible time. This in a measure must account for the great popularity of the herbaceous border, which, planted in spring, will provide a wealth of bloom the flrst summer. Hut the case for the flowering shrub is improving with the increasing popularity of gardening, and there have been introduced during the last decade a vast number of most beautiful flowering shrubs that have simply copipelled attention and admiration. It is unthinkable that the many beautiful kalmias, berbens,

brooms, escallonias, rhododendrons, azaleas, heaths, eistuses, dieroillas, -*»deutzias, *ete., can be regarded as other than most desirable subjects.

■Apart from their beauty as flowering"ihdividuals, well-placed flowering shrubs, from their great diversity in habit and bloom, height, etc., give just sufficient variation to the general colour line as to break up the flat monopony that too often spoils a

OPERATIONS FOR JUNE THE. VEGETABLE GARDEN Sow broad beans and early peas. Sow tomatoes for early planting into favourable positions. Plant a few early potatoes in well drained ground in a frost-free position. The “seed” should be sprouted and greened before planting. This may be done by exposing the tubers to full light. Indeed, once the sprouts have started the tubers should be well exposed, otherwise the sprouts become drawn and delicate, and useless. Potatoes for later planting should be packed in a single layer in shallow boxes, with the rose end up. If the tubers are larger than an ordinary hen’s egg, they will require cutting into blocky slices, retaining eyes at the rose end, as | these are the strongest. The development of sturdy sprouts, I and the greening of the tubers make for a quicker start I into growth and for a hotter crop. | Plant onions for early maturing. Plant shallow in single rows, I running north and south, and space well. j THE FLOWER GARDEN | Continue to plant out annual and perennial seedlings. | Hard-wooded cuttings may he put in. I Lift dahlias and wash tubers before storing in sheds or under 1 hedges. Keep slaters away as they sometimes eat out the | eyes. | Plant roses, and manure the beds with animal manure, bone- | dust, or 'basic slag. | Prune roses. 1 Rose slips may be put in now. Ripe, but not old wood is best, | about 9 inches long, cut off just below an eye, or taken off f with a heel. Place two-thirds under the ground, and make | quite firm. The drainage must be good, j The following plants are very pretty in hanging baskets: The I lobelias and campanulas that have spreading lax growth, | convolvulus, Mauritanicus, and other small trailing rockery [ plants. ? For stocks, the drainage must be good. In damp positions it is | best to dig a small temporary drain to take away surplus | water during winter. | Shrubs, roses, etc., that arrive during wet weather may be I heeled in and planted out when the soil is in better con--1 dition. | Collect all leaves, decaying foliage, primings, etc., and keep the I garden as clean as possible, to allow plenty of light and [ air .to reach the soil, and to-remove shelter for insect pests. | Violets may be given weak liquid manure or a dusting with | * super; they should be commencing to bloom now. | To get the best results from gladioli, the soil should be deeply I dug, and old manure or rotted rubbish mixed in, but tbia | should not be near the conn. Gladioli like water when I they are growing. The ground should be left to settle and | become firm before planting. Fowl manure may be used on i top of the soil—mix with soil and spread evenly on the I 1 surface.

small patch of ground, nor Lave they any of the overshadowing effects and abruptness of trees. Still another great point in their favour is that once established in a congenial position they require far less attention than do the shorter lived annuals or herbaceous plants.

There has of late years been a growing appeal to many in the making of a collection of species and varieties of any class of plant they may take up as a specialty, and one who gathers together a collection of flowering shrubs after the manner of a connoisseur derives enjoyment from each individual unit of the collection. An excellent example of such collections is to be seen in the Dunedin Public Gardens, where groupings of the berberis, veronicas, seneeios, olearias, rhododendrons, azaleas, etc., are both most attractive and instructive, further variety being furnished by intervals of mixed shrubberies. Such an arrangement might well be followed by those fortunate enough to have the necessary area. For general purposes, a few- remarks may be made about’some of our best flowering shrubs. RHODODENDRONS. These are among our best shrubs for partially shaded positions where they may get a good, deal of moisture. No lime should be given; a mulch of decayed leaves or old manure applied occasionally is all they require. The Himalayan rhododendrons are very beautiful; they need shelter from wind, as their delicate flowers are easily bruised. They are not very tall growers, so that they are suitable for small and large gardens alike. The Countess of Haddington and Fragrantissima are two of the best. Of the hybrid rhododendrons, Pink Pearl is very charming; it is rather a ; slow grower. There are quite a -number of bright-red and rose varieties that quickly make a show. The azalea might be mentioned along with the rhododendron, as the two are intimately related and require much the same treatment. There are generally many odd corners in the garden well suited for azaleas. The leaves should be hosed in the summer as a- measure against red spider.

HYDRANGEA. I These have been frequently referred to. They too do well in partial shade; particularly the white varieties. Hortensis is the variety generally seen; it changes its colour according to soil. Child's Red Stem is a variety that generally comes a good deep blue. Ajisai is a variety that has round petals in the flowers, making a neat compact head; it is in blue or pink. Panieilata grandiflora is a beautiful shrub in a partially shaded position, and where it will get plenty of moisture, It is deciduous and quite different in habit from the others. The flowers are white,turning pale pink as they fade and borne in pyramidal trusses —another distinguishing feature. ERICAS. These dwarf evergreen flowering shrubs are becoming more and more popular, and grown with certain precautions which they insist on, they thrive well with little further attention, showing great variety in bloom. The dwarf kinds especially are seen to good advantage when grown in masses, but in small gardens they may be grown to good, effect as edgings to beds or borders or on the rockery. White sandy peat is the ideal soil for heaths (erioa). They will, never-

theless, do well in sandy or gravelly loams; indeed, in any soil except a heavy clay. - When first planted it will be beneficial to work in plenty of leaf mould or decayed vegetable matter with the soil, and in subscqueiM*.ycars to top-dress with leaf mould. Otherwise manure should not be used, and lime should on no account be used. (To be Continued.)