GARDENING NOTES

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1930, Page 7

GARDENING NOTES

[By “TAINUI.”]

THE SEASON. September this year has been so wet that we will not regret seeing the last of it, and hope for brighter days in October. The cold wet weather has done harm to many young seedlings that have been planted out, also to many annuals just coming out into bloom. By watching closely we learn quite a lot in an extra dry or extra wot season. The season will always spit some plants better than others, and this gives us an idea of the plants’ requirements. . It is the annuals that have suffered this year. Most bulbs and j perennial plants are looking well. It should be a good season for roses, provided the weather remains cbol. The rose bushes are a picture with theii strong healthy growth. Delphiniums that have escaped the slugs are looking wonder* fully well. Liliums are well forward and should reach a fair height this season. Most shrubs and trees are making exceptionally strong growth, but. a few have suffered from cold winds.

Of the plants in bloom, ranunculi are in full bloom in many gardens and looking wonderfully strong and well. These plants have been improved and are coming in for quite a lot of attention. Many nurserymen advertise theirs as the very best in the country, and they are all good. I consider ranunculi the most showy of all the spring flowers, but they do not. have quite such a long flowering season as anemones and poppies. Another flower that is making a beautiful show is the polyanthus. Generally the weather is too hot and dry when these are in bloom, when they look wilted and uncomfortable, but this season they are giving us their best, and it is worth while standing in the rain to see the blooms.

All those charming little bulbs that are so spring-like have been a picture. The narcissus bulbicodium, that dainty little so-called hoop norcissus or petticoat narcissus, etc., has enjoyed the cool and wet, lasting in bloom longer than usual. When I hear all the pet names for this little bulb I think that it matters little what you call it, provided you grow it. kkdllas, hyacinths (including grape hyacinths) have enjoyed the season. The lachenalias have suffered from frost, but where they have escaped, they have been good. Violas and pansies are a little late coming into bloom, bat these promise well. Violets are going over new. They came into bloom early and have had a very good season. '

LOOKINGr AHEAD. Now I am going to say “.Prepare for the future in your garden. ” I sny it so often indeed that my readers will, I hope, take it seriously. So far this has been a beautiful spring for getting permanent plants established. Those who have made new violet bods will find the plants well established. There is still time to plant violets. Good soil made firm is necessary. .lust press the ground after planting. One grower has a good idea. He lias a board a foot wide, and lie puts this dose up to a row after planting. This firms the row just planted and marks the place for the next row. Only new short pieces of growth should, be planted; the old plants should he burned.

Polyanthus and primroses may be planted now. They like partial shade for preference facing the morning sun. Polyanthus like a good deep iieh soil. Now while the plants are in bloom colour schemes may be arranged for

: j OPERATIONS FOR OCTOBER. | I THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 1 j __ | j Spw pumpkins, vegetable marrows, cucumbers, melons, dwarf j ( and runner beans, parsnips, carrots, turnips, silver beet, | a spinach. j | Sow peas for succession. | | Make a sowing of early celery. I I Cut asparagus close and keep the bed weeded. \ | Sow Brussels sprouts and other winter greens, | 11 Plant tomatoes; also sow seed for* later crop. I 1 1 Earth’ up potatoes, and spray. Use Bordeaux mixture. | 1 2 A sowing of Lima beans, may be made. 1, I Plant chokos. I Late maturing cauliflowers may be sown if you care to take a lot of trouble looking .after them, hosing and spraying during the hot months. Lettuce will appreciate a mulch of old manure as the weather gets drier. FLOWER GARDEN. Seed of the following perennial plants may be sown during October and November: —Polyanthus, primroses, henchera, | anemone, ranunculus, aquilegia, cyclamen, freesia, gerbera, | | . thalictrum, Canterbury bells, hollyhock, pentstemon, | acacias, brooms, Argentine pea, Kennedya; also many I trees, shrubs, climbing and rock garden plants. I Bulbs that are looking untidy, may have the leaves tied in | knots, but these should not be cut off or they will not bloom | next spring. j | Bulbs should never be lifted until their foliage has died down. I I Much can be done to kill slugs and snails if lime is dusted I I about the plants at weeding time. 1 I Aphis has made its appearance; wash off with warm soapy \ \ water. I | Dahlias may be grown from seed; also from cuttings taken | | now. i : Chrysanthemums are not deep-rooting plants; the manure | 1 should be in the top nine inches of soil. I | Slips or rooted pieces of chrysanthemums should be put in | I now. Slips are, best putjn boxes until rooted. * | 1 Dahlias that are shooting ntay be lifted and the shoots cut off | I with a piece of tuber attached. These should be planted | i out. .1 I Beds in the lawn that are vacant now may be filled with j | verbena, phlox Drummondii, bedding carnations, and | \ antirrhinums. | I Other seedlings to plant out now for early summer bloom are:— | | Saipiglossis, larkspur, dianthus, gypsophila, calliopsis, | j scabiosa, gaillardia. | | Seed to sow now are:—Aster, petunia, zinnia, dahlia, sun- | I flower, French and African marigolds, pqrtulaca, salvia, I | helichrysum, celosia, balsam, kochia, sweet sultan. | I Plants for the mixed border and rock garden to plant now are:—> - | Bouvardia, delphinium, carnation, gerbera, campanulas, = I heleniums, Michaelmas daisy, thaltictrum, statice, | j perennial sunflower, ageratum, alonsoa, begonia, crassula. | \ echeveria, gazania, sedum, etc. •

next year.. The- Apricot Queen [Viola is a groat favourite; so also is the light bronze polyanthus. These would look well together. In a small bed, polyanthus for the centre and viola edgings; in a large bed, the viola centre and polyanthus edging. This polyanthus would look equally well with the brown shades of pansies and violas. Then the yellow shades of polyanthus and violas would-look well together. The polyanthus may b-3 planted in their position now, or in autumn. The violas will not be planted until autumn. The bed may be filled with summer annuals.

It is surprising how well many small bulbs do under trees —particularly deciduous trees. As many of these "bulbs will have died down ready for transplanting before Christmas, their future positions may bo decided now. ,We do not seem to mind the bare patches under trees in summer when the leaf is green and beautiful. Imagine an avenue of trees set In lawns with just the round ring under the trees filled with the following: Freezias, lachenalias, early primroses, narcissus, bulbicodium, hardy daffodils, sparaxis, Ixias, tritonias, double violets; and in sheltered positions, hardy cyclamen. Each tree would be surrounded by just one variety. Any of these too, are suitable for pockets in the rockery, and most are good for edging .borders. Many gardeners imagine that nothing will'grow under trees. Indeed with trees that have a mass of fibrous roots nothing much can bo planted, but sometimes the gran will grow. Conifers and a few evergreens are like this. With most trees, particularly the deciduous varieties there are very comfortable nestling places among the roots for many plants which do not mind sharing their food with the tree. Many plant roots like to have to force their way and to be thus held firmly in the ground. The natural mulch of leaves is often just what is wanted, provided it is not allowed to become too thick and so smother the plants. With bulbs this mulch is particularly beneficial. Sowing Seeds of Perennials.

Gardeners have discovered that seedlings give hardier, stronger plants and are more profust! .bloomers than divided plants. Moreover there is an added interest in not knowing quite what you will get. Always procure the best seed obtainable. Good seed is no more trouble than poor seed to sow, and the results will more, than pay for the extra expense, hived of.' perennlal plants generally like a long time to germinate, so do not give np hope for a month or perhaps even two months, Feed may bo sown in boxes' or in the open ground, but in either case they should be sown thinly and kept cool and well watered through summer. Tu the open ground the seed should be sown in rows, and the bed shaded by tea-tree, fern, or wirenetting covered with scrim. If the last mentioned, it should be about n foot from the ground. The tea-trep or fern may he stuck in the ground between the rows, a lookout should be kept for slugs and snails, and’ the ground should of course be made firm .before sowing the seed- —a board does well for the purpose. The seedlings should be planted into their permanent positions in autumn, and they should bloom next spring and early .summer, according to the flowering season. -Seed of many shrubs and climbing plants may also be sown between now and Christmas. A list of seed to-sow is given at the top of these notes.