IN THE GARDEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 25 October 1940, Page 8

IN THE GARDEN

SEASONAL OPERATIONS FOR AMATEURS THE VEGETABLE PLOT Keep the hoe moving. The soil should receive frequent furface cultivation—once a week being the minimum. It pays to look over all growing crops once a week. Lettuce and radish should be sown at frequent intervals. Cabbage and cauliflower may become loosened by wind. When this occurs they need immediate attention; hoe the soil up and around them to give a firmer anchorage. Peas should be staked as early as possible and succession crops should be sown; the aim should be to maintain successions that can be harvested up till April. The last of these would be an early variety sown the week before Christmas. Peas make better growth when they have something to cling to. There is still time for the sowing of all crops except perhaps parsnips which must be sown early. Runner beans, butter beans, marrows and pumpkins may be sown out of doors in suitable sites. Seeds of all varieties of winter greens should be sown and all sjiould be pricked out into nursery rows as early as possible. Give cauliflower shelter from any violent drop in temperature, covering with boxes should this become necessary. Once cauliflowers become blue and torpid there is little chance of a good harvest. Plant main-crop potatoes, allowing three feet between the rows. Earth up early potatoes and apply potato fertiliser before doing so. Keep the hoe going between rows of young onions and give an occasional dressing of old soot. ’MIDST THE FLOWERS. All areas for the sowing of hardy annuals should now be worked down to a fine tilth and a light dressing of superphosphate should be given. Seed may be sown at any time from now on till mid-November. Half hardy annuals may be planted from their boxes provided they have first been well hardened off. The boxes should be well soaked the day before, and the seedlings should be watered again after transplanting if the weather is at all dry. Seeds of perennials should be sown as outlined in last week’s notes.

It is time that gladioli were in; complete planting as soon as possible. Stake perennials before wind does irreparable damage. Remove spent flowers from all spring flowering subjects, includinb daffodils. Be most careful not to damage or cut away leaves from daffodils or othei bulbs until they have ripened off. The rock garden also requires attention now that the first flush of bloom ir. on the wane; loosen up the surface with a weeding fork, trim back anything too rampant and remove faded blooms. Sweet peas should receive careful attention from week to week. They require ample moisture and at the same time perfect drainage. Violets may now be increased by division. Dahlias should be planted in a rich, well-prepared border that has been well limed. The rose beds should be hoed over every week. The sowing down of lawns. Such work should be done only after thorough preparation and only the highest quality lawn grass seed should be used. If preparations are not complete postpone sowing till next month. If the lawn is not sown down then it is wise to defer sowing until March next. Stems of clematis should be tied into place before they become a tangle of growth. Following are lists of some popular plants flowering in the various seasons, with their approximate heights and colours: — To Flower in the Spring Aquilegia, height from one to three feet: colours various. Dicentra (bleeding heart), one to two feet; crimson or reddish purple. Doronicum, height one to four feet; bright yellow. Bearded irises, one to three feet; ranging through blue to deep purple, white and yellow. Lupins, three to five feet; white, blue, pink, and yellow. Peonies, two to four feet; in a wide range of colours. Pyrethrums, 12 to 18 inches, double or single; white, pink, or red. Trollius .one to three feet: colour yellow or orange. Pansies, violas, primroses, polyanthuses, and aubretias are springflowering and suitable for edgings. To Flower in Summer Campanula, two to there feet; shades of blue, violet, purple, and white. Delphiniums, three to six feet; all shades of blue, purple, lavender, and red. Gaillardias, one to two feet; orange, red and yellow. Geums, one to two feet; crimson or yellow. Eniphofia (red hot pokers), four to five feet: red, orange, and yellow. To Flower in Autumn Anemone japonica, two to three feet; white, pink, rose. Michaelmas daisies, various heights and colours. Henialthus (perennial sunflowers), four to five feet; yellow. Hollyhocks, 6 to 12 feet; pinks, reds, yellow and white. Phlox, 4 to 6 feet; all colours except yellow. Rudbeckia, 4 to 6 feet; yellow, rose, and reddish purple. Solidago (golden rod), 4 to 5 feet; yellow. Helenium, 5 to 6 feet; yellow or brown. BEDDING PLANTS OBTAIN . our requirements ot Flower Plants from Branford s Nurseries. Strong, well-seasoned Plants from English Seeds G. BRANFORD, 51 GROVE STREET