Enjoy Your GARDEN

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

Enjoy Your GARDEN

Spend the Leisure Hours of Daylight wit the Flowers

At the moment there are two things in my mind. One is a paragraph from one of Conan Doyle’s books, where he says “One lesson I have learned in my life, my friends, is never to call anything a misfortune until you have seen the end of it.” The other is the memory of a trip I have just made around our residential areas. The connection as I see it is just this, that whereas winter," even our winter, is drab enough if left to itself and to chance, it can, in virtue of our generally mild seasons, be made far less drab, provided we choose, among our plants, a fair sprinkling of those that obligingly flower at this season to give life and colour where it is most wanted and when it is most appreciated.

Things Seen Several plants of Bignonia venusta, that magnificent climber from Brazil. Flowering at this season, this plant, with its profuse clusters of tubular orange blooms, looks particularly bright and striking. The plant does not hide its shining light. There is no reason why it should. The bloom clusters are always well displayed so that the passer-by cannot help being attracted by them. We could well do with more of these plants for our winter gardens.

Magnolia stellata, from Japan is in full bloom. A gem among the shrubby magnolias has white, very white, flowers. Each flower has quite a number of rather long strap-like petals. These are arranged in a carefree fahion that only serves to make the blooms more attractive. And they are very fragrant. The plant is quite hardy, but not always easy to establish.

Luculia gratissima, from the temperate Himalaya region, is well known here as one of our best winter flowering shrubs. The pink or rose blooms generally arrange themselves in rounded masses. I noticed one plant of an unusually deep rose colour; it was very striking. Luculias like shelter from wind and frost as they are rather tender.

Datura sanguinea, from Peru, is at time of writing in bloom in at least one of our gardens. The funnel-shaped blooms are coloured a line orange red. and are up to eight inches in length. They are vei’y attractive and not quite like anything else we have. The nearest relative is the Br'ugmansin knighlii, a rather common plant with large white hanging funnel-shaped blooms.

Acmona floribunda, of Eastern Australia, is a myrtle profuse with white (or sometimes pinkish) berries al this season. This plant is a myrtle, and is very attractive when in flower, Acmena quite evidently likes our climate for it seldom fails to give of its best here.

Drab Winter Has Its Bright Spots

Several cotoneasters that have been making a bright display with their berry clusters. Two of the more conspicuous were C. pannosa and C. serotina. These, particularly the last mentioned, make fine colourful winter hedge plants, provided they are allowed to berry. C. serotina bears fine clusters of scarlet berries.

Azalea kurume, at time of writing, is in full flower, making a bold show with its numerous small purplish blooms.

Heterocentron roseum, from Central America, bearing numerous bright rose flowers. This plant, which reaches a height of about 18 inches, evidently likes life here, where it is very little trouble to grow.

A bed of nemesias. They are early, but they are’ obliging provided you give them a little bottom heat, a sunny position, and shelter from cold winds.

Quite a number of capsicums (dailies) in fruit. The large bright red fruits are brilliant at this lime.

Japanese balsam. This plant is much used in shady places. It is frost tender, and wants shelter from wind and frost. It Qaould do well in window boxes.

Hedges of Jasrninum primulinum, making a lively display of their clear yellow blooms. The plant is no stranger to our district, and I am sure it likes us.

• Euonymus Japcnica profuse in red berries. This plant berries beautifully when the fit takes it, but it is just a little capricious.

Blue and yellow violas, pansies and primula malacoides, making a very attractive edging to the path at the end of Caller's Avenue.

Rosemary used as hedge plant. This attracted my attention as something rather different. The neat and attractive foliage with its grey-green colouring was unusual. The scented leaf of this is well known. Rosemary stands for remembrance.

Oestrum flowering in an old-fash' ioned garden. I am often asked the name of this shrub. The tubular flowers, clustered at the ends of the branches, are ruby red. The shrub has a long (lowering season.

What Is a Laurel? I was recently asked this question. I could only reply that the question was ambiguous, for there arc a number of so-called laurels. When we say “laurel” we mean the common English plant, with the glossy leaves. This plant, also called cherry laurel, is Primus laurocorasus. II is well known. The New Zealand laurel is the

karaka, corynocarpus laevigata. The leaves, particularly the younger ones, strongly resemble those of the English laurel. The plants belong to different families.

The Bay laurel, or Sweet Bay, is a popular tub plant in North America and in Europe. It is a small tree bearing rather stiff apposite leaves. The flowers are yellowish and the fruit is purple and cherry-like. It cuts well. The leaves are sometimes used in cookery, and in the making of confections, because of their pleasant flavour. Laurus nobilis, to give it its real name, is the laurel of history and poetry. The plant stands abuse and neglect remarkably well, and it can be kept within surprisingly small limits by cutting.

Another is the Portugal laurel, Prunus lusitanica. The leaves are rather thick and leathery, and the white flowers are arranged in racemes or elongated clusters. I know of no speemens in our district, but have seen them frequently in the South Island.

A well-known laurel is'the camphor laurel, Cinnamomum camphora. Its glossy leaves and general freedom from disease make it a most, desirable small tree.

Still another is the American laurel, Kalmia latifolia. This plant is well known locally. The plant dislikes clay and limestone, preferring a peaty or loamy soil.

There are other so-called laurels, but they are of little local interest.