In The Garden

Northern Advocate, 19 January 1944, Page 6

In The Garden

Vegetables

Sowings may be made of cabbage, cauliflower, swedes, white turnips, round beet, lettuce, carrots, dwarf beans. On vacant plots sow oats or other soiling crop for digging in later. Mustard is not advised as it is too readily attacked by the cabbage fly which is at its height. Put out celery and leeks for further supplies. Put in a few greened and sprouted potatoes for seed-for later planting. . Side shoots of tomatoes may be set in for late crops, or •young plants may be put out. Don’t pull up peas and beans when these have finished their work. Turn them in tops and all provided they are not diseased. Diseased tops should be burnt and the ashes used. Runner beans that are exhausted by the dry weather should be cut hard back. If yf>\\ are sowing seed make a trench and dig in good compost. Then cover with soil, and pour in quantities of water until it stops draining away. Fill up with dry soil and sow seed. Early and late vegetables present some difficulties, but they are worth while, indeed necessary, in wartime. Flowers The most important work this month is the sowing of seed of Iceland poppies and primula malacoides for winter flowers. New ground may be turned over and left in the rough ready for the early autumn planting of anemones, Iceland poppies, etc. A good time to make a fei’nery or rock garden. The ground will have time to settle for the autumn planting. Many shrubs and trees may have the borer. Squirt kerosene into the holes and plug up with soap, putty or other suitable material. Seedling cyclamen should bo kept growing during the hot weather. January Specials Have you climbed the hills and looked down on Whangarei? If so you must have been impressed by the fact that the town is well backed by hills covered with native bush reserves. Another thing that cannot fail to impress is the green touches everywhere. Trees and shrubs make a nice break among the bright houses. Were you a stranger to the district; you would at once realise that the people are proud of their town, interested in their surroundings and gardeners. The recent hot spell has again impressed on us the need for a few permanent plants to keep the garden going before the annuals are at their best after the autumn rains. j

January is considered one of the slackest months of the year for flowers, but I have never seen Whangarei looking better than at the present time, thanks very largely to established plants. Among these the following are specially noted. Jacaranda ovalifolia, native cf Brazil, may well be called our exotic Christmas tree. In full bloom just as the Pohutukawas are going off, it continues to grace many of our gardens for over a month. It has done particularly well this season, making a beautiful display with its myriads of soft, rich blue tubular flowers. Belonging to the same family as. the Jacaranda are several bignonias making a bold show just now. These are climbers, B. cherere and B. grandiffora, both in full bloom, are very much alike in habit and size of bloom, with dominantly shades of rich red, and very large. B. rosea has longer and narrower tubes tinted light rose. All three are looking very beautiful and very showy. The flowering gums are not in full bloom yet, but many are already well coloured. These plants, which belong to the same family as the pohutukawa are in a perfect gamat . of shades from soft pinks to rich strong reds. It is pleasing to see so many of these exquisite flowering plants in our town. The Australian Christmas bush, ceratopetalum gummiferum, from the rich gullies of the coast and dividing range in New South Wales, is as beautiful as it is uncommon, in respect to other flowering trees. It is particularly beautiful at present, being in the transition stage from the cream to the rosy tint. It does very well here and might well be more generally grown.