You and Your Garden

Northern Advocate, 24 February 1940, Page 11

You and Your Garden

Not many years ago the first thing that was done on a new section was to level the ground. It was thought that a beautiful garden could not bo made without a level stretch of lawn and the usual, shrubs and flowering plants surrounding the lawn. Now things are reversed. The gardener looks at the flat section, and plans to take away from the flat look by making a wall, a rock garden, a fern-dell, etc. A bank gives slope for artistic design and arrangement of plants. The plants show to such advantage, particularly at a distance. If the bank faces east or north-east, so much the better. All the sun-loving plants may be used; the bank may be terraced, or made into a rock garden. When making a rock garden on a high bank, it is necessary to put in flat stones as stepping stones to enable the gardener to work among the plants; or zig-zag paths are a good idea. Where time is all-important, a mixture ol' shrubs or low-growing plants that will cover the bank and not give too much work is a wise choice. Many banks facing'the sun are being planted with gazanias. The bright-orange flowers can be seen a long way off when the sun is shining. Ice-plants are also effective. Creeping plants, such as Virginian creeper, also ficus, ivy-leaved geranium and common ivy, help to hold the soil on the bank, with just a little training and cutting to make a good mat covering. The ivy is most suitable for a bank facing south or west. Hardy ferns are also suitable provided there is sufficient shelter.

“I .Know a Bank Where the Wild Thyme Grows” reminds me that scent and sentiment are always favoured in the garden. Rosemary, lavender, honeysuckle and jasmine are all oldfashioned sweet-scented plants that will grow on a bank. On a bank within reach of the sea breeze I have seen tamarisk looking very beautiful with its lacy foliage and unusual flowers. The tamarisk was cut to make bushy plants, and completely covered the soil Escallonia pendula made a mass of green on another bank. Most of the ericas are good bank subjects, and so is lantana sellowiana. I want to give readers the idea rather than a list of names. By studying the plants’ 'growth, you will soon find suitable subjects for clothing a bank. Cuttings of many plants may be planted in a nursery now. They should be ready for planting out on the bank before winter. A Veteran of the Garden. The wallflower is a veteran of the garden that has come into favour once more. With many gardeners the wallflower has never been out of favour on account of its perfume as well as for its unusual brown colouring. Some of the newer varieties are winter-flowering, and the dwarf doubles in beautiful shades of yellow and brown are popular for cut flowers. Just a moderately good soil and firm ground are favoured by wallflowers. Partial shade suits them. For best results seed should be sown early either in the open ground or Vn boxes.,

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Seeds and Germination. t Seeds are embryo plants awaiting favourable conditions for germination. These conditions are the presence of moisture, the presence of air, and the presence of a certain amount of heat. These three conditions are essential, and must all prevail if germination is to be successful. In addition to the nucleus, the seed contains a certain amount of nourishment, sufficient to give the young shoot the power to push through the soil to the surface. Once through at the surface, the young seedling at once begins to store up energy from the sunlight, but until then its power is self-contained. Don't sow too deep, particularly' in heavy soii. The effect of direct sunlight on germinating seeds is, as a rule, to retard germination, and in the case of poppies, larkspurs and a few others, sunlight is definitely harmful, To be on the safe side, it is best to exclude direct sunlight until the young seedlings have pushed through. Most seeds, if given a fair chance, germinate freely. Some, however, are slow; for example, those of the umbel - liferae, which includes such vegetables as celery, parsnip, carrot and parsley. Thrips. Thrips is a very tiny pest, and so often escapes notice. But.it is very common in our district. Affected leaves assume a silvery and sickly appearance. The pest is known by its narrow wings that are fringed with long stiff hairs, and the body is transversely striped after the manner of a football jersey. The pest attacks a large number of different plants, as laurustinus, arbutus imedo, waratah, etc. A nicotine spray is the best remedy.

The Grass Grub. The grubs of the grass grub beetle are already making their presence felt, though they do more mischief later on. Like the greasy cutworm, this pest is difficult to control effectively, as it is subterranean in its habits. Arsenate of lead or arsenic pentoxide are recommended. The grub is very common under old lawns, where it often causes a tremendous amount of damage by completely honeycombing the turf. It feeds on the roots of many other plants besides grass.