IN THE GARDEN

Northern Advocate, 15 September 1934, Page 7

IN THE GARDEN

Work In The Garden. Our gardens are full of bloom just now. It is hard to imagine that these flowers will not last long without attention, and that we must attend to seed-sowing and planting to secure the next lot of flowers. Flowers must be cut off as they fade, or the garden becomes untidylooking, and the plants stop flowering. Diseased plants should be pulled up and burnt. Keep the garden forked over, and keep a sharp look-out for slugs and snails. Weeds of ail kinds will be showing, and if pulled out before they seed, there will be less work for next season. The compost heap from the general clean-up in the late autumn will have rotted sufficiently to dig in. Such plants as Dahlias, Zinnias, Salvias, Asters, Delphiniums, etc., will need greenstuff, rotted com-post,-or. rotted manure dug in. This will encourage the roots to go down, and will feed the roots, as well as hold the moisture which is so necessary during the summer months. Wellrotted manure, leaves gathered in the winter, or really old compost may be used for a. mulch about lilies and shrubs. If plenty of this material, is available, it piay also be used as a top-dressing for Pansies, Ranunculi, Anemones and Stock that are coming into flower.

Hydrangeas are making rapid growth, and will also benefit by a mulch. Mixtures intended to change the colours of Hydrangea blooms should be used now.

There is plenty of work to do in the rock garden, dividing plants that flower later, giving some a top-dressing of new soil, and others well-rotted manure. In some cases, plants may need pulling up, and the soil, replaced before fresh plants are put in.

Carnations. Treating Carnations as annuals, and planting them in beds is quite a new idea. Plants of the new varieties that are used for bedding are on sale, and are among the best of garden investments just now. A good strain of seed will produce mostly double flowers. The plants are sturdy, compact, and are most profuse bloomers. The colours are mostly bright reds and pinks, making a good show in the garden. All varieties of Carnations like a deep, moderately rich, firm soil. Lime must be freely used. The tall-growing, perpetual-flower-ing varieties will need staking. Slips of the perpetuals may be put.in now; they should bloom in the autumn, after which they should be cut back slightly, when they will make good strong plants with plenty of bloom the following spring and summer.

Gypsophila. This plant also should be put out this month.' The perennial variety Paniculata should be more generally grown. It is a plant that is used more as a foliage to set off other flowers than for drawing attention to itself. For picking, it is a favourite for bouquets, also for vases, where it is beautiful with Gladioli, Gerberas, Delphiniums, Carnations, etc. The plants are best set in threes about 12 inches apart to form a triangle. When the plants bloom, the effect will be cloud-like.

The Gypsophila looks wonderful planted between clumps of the skyblue Belladonna Delphinium. In the mixed border it looks well; and it is really good in the rock-garden. Gypsophila Paniculata has very large, deep roots. It must have a fairly rich, very deep soil. Lime is necessary for this plant, which is a good thing, because the chief enemies are slugs and

[BY “TAINUI”]

OPERATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER. ? * THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. % f Sow tomatoes for later planting. Sow in boxes and place in a v warm position. »!♦ Prick seedling tomatoes into other boxes of better soil. Repeat this operation for best results. % Plant out tomatoes in sheltered, sunny positions. See that the »*. drainage is good, but do not over-manure to begin with. £ Plant asparagus, if not already done. ,*« Plant rhubarb, and manure established roots. A Lay down new lawns; also manure established lawns. y Sowings may be made of all vegetables. Tender vegetables may X miss, but it would be little hardship to re-sow or re-plant, provided the ground has been put in order. V $ THE FLOWER GARDEN. X Carnations have suffered from wet weather. Carefully pull off v all blighted leaves. Tie the plants to stakes, and give the v foliage a dusting with lime that has beeri exposed to the air. A handful of bonedust may be given to each carnation plant now. £ Fork it in lightly about the plants. $ Plants of primula malacoides may be lifted while in bloom, and planted where plants are wanted next season. The seed will £ drop arid germinate about December or January. A Cut back Luculia, Bouvardia, Poinsettia and other winter flower- • ing shrubs that need trimming. X Carnations from slips and sometimes seedlings need the centre A pinched out to make the plants send out growth at the base, ❖ making a better shaped plant. *£ Flag irises are coming into flower between now and the end of November, They should not become too dry at this stage of *,♦ their gr'bwth. A Spanish irises will flower next month. They will benefit by a ♦*. dusting of lime. X Continue to plant shrubs, rock-garden plants, climbing and perennial plants. Cannas should be lifted and divided. Plant, not too deep, in firm ground. ... ❖ Plants of gerberas, delphiniums, carnations, lobelia, gypsophila, • statice, verbena, alonsoa, pansy, gaillardia, ageratum, cal- X liopsis, salpiglossis, larkspur, antirrhinum, etc., may be planted now. X Sow seed of Phlox Drummondii, salvia, zinnia, aster, petunia, a sunflower, portulaca, celosia, and others to flower in summer ♦♦♦ and autumn. X Dahlia tubers will be starting into growth now. Look over them .i. for slugs and snails. V Dahlias may be grown from seed sown now. Particularly good | results are had from the dwarf bedding varieties. Put in cuttings of chrysanthemums. * Plant gladioli.

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snails. Lime should be freely used to keep these pests away. There is a double variety. It is very pretty, but is not such a profuse bloomer as the single. The annual Gypsophila should be planted now. The flowers are like the perennial, only larger, and are white, pink, and rose. Give them a fairly rich soil in partial shade. The plants are straggling, and should be put fairly close together—about 6 inches to 8 inches apart so as to form a mass when in flower. It is a useful little annual for planting under shrubs or trees provided the soil is good and not too dry. Phlox Drummondii. Seed of this plant should be put in as soon as possible now. If plenty of seed is available, it' may be sown in the open ground, being shaded with fern until established. Quite a good plan is to sow the seed rather thinly in boxes, then transplant into their permanent quarters when a little more than an inch high. These small seedlings will need to be shaded for a few days until established. Or the seedlings may be treated in the usual way, being pricked out into boxes as soon as big enough to handle. Put out into their permanent quarters as soon as they have developed into good strong plants. The chief causes of failure with Phlox Drummondii are fresh manure anywhere near the plants, too much exposure to wind, poor drainage, and a check, from any cause, to their growth. They do not transplant very well, and when purchased from the seedsman, it is better to buy them by the box. Water before lifting, so as to take up soil with the roots, thus avoiding the big check of transplanting. Sometimes the seedlings are left too long in the boxes, and fail to hold their own when transplanted.

Choko. Choko has some use as a vegetable, and it is also useful as a summer covering for a fence. It grows quickly, once started, and is very prolific, one vine producing perhaps a hundred fruits in a single season. A rich deep soil is necessary for such a gross feeder. The fruits may be set in towards the end of the month. They do best if sprouted before planting. Place a whole fruit in a jar 'and place in a warm humid atmosphere. As soon as sprouting has commenced, set in the ground in soil prepared as for pumpkins or marrows, giving any amount of rotted animal manure. Weeds. Spring weeds are coming on apace. They should be taken out as soon as they show up. One of the worst is Fumitory, the soft trailing weed with short racemes of pink flowers. It is doubly bad because it flowers and seeds when very young. Once it gets a good start in our vegetable rows, it is then almost impossible to get rid of it. If the ground is in good order, hoe the weeds out by shallow cultivation, otherwise another crop will be brought to the surface.