THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9307, 16 September 1893, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

THb FLOWER GARDEN. Anemones, cyclamens, and narcissus: These three moat useful and easily cultivated species of hardy ornamental flowering plants, with the numerous varieties belonging to each, art) special objects of attraction in our gardens at. the present time. Anemones will thrive in any ordinary garden soil, but succeed best where it is rich and well drained. The tubers should be planted in April or May, about two inches deep, and six inches apart. Arranged in beds or clumps, with a good variety of colours, splendid effects may be produced. A visit to our Albert Park on a fine, bright morning affords a rare floral treat to lovers of these beautiful early flowering favourites. After the blooming is past, and the foliage ripened off, the tubers should be taken up and stowed away in pots or boxes, mixing dry sand with them, and placed in a cool, airy situation until required for planting again next autumn. The beds they occupied will be available for planting again with euitable varieties of showy summer flowering annuals. Cyclamens have of late years become such general favourites as to be represented in almost every garden. Too much can scarcely be said in favour of these charming dwarf-growing and profuse flowering little plants. They are suitable for planting along near the edges of flower beds and borders, and on rockeries, or introducing here and there along the edges of shady walks. Propagation is effected from seed, the seedlings being raised in pots or pans placed in a frame, and are grown until they are sufficiently large for bedding out in the garden where required. Fair sized bulbs, planted out in the autumn, produce an abundance of bloom the following winter and spring. During dry weather they should be mulched with manure, and given good soakings of water. They succeed best in a moderately cool, sheltered situation, and where partial shade is afforded the flowers last longer and keep their colour better. In addition to the flowers, cyclamens are most attractive on account of their prettily market foliage. After being once planted, the bulbs may be left in the ground, a mark being placed to each to denote their whereabouts when the leaves have died off. Cyclamens are not injured by slugs, another great recommendation in their favour. Narcissus are another deservedly popular genus of easy culture. The many beautiful varieties exhibited in our seedsmen's windows are evidences that groat advancement has been made during the last year or two in the introduction of the choicest novelties. Hyacinths, tulips, and ranunculus are much more difficult to cultivate successfully than any of the preceding; _ but where well-pjVown make a very beautiful display. General work in the flower garden this week has been greatly retarded by frequent and heavy showers, and wet state of the soil. KITCHEN GARDEN. Seedling crops require constant care and attention at the present time to save them from slugs. This is a most difficult matter, as the frequent rains soon render lime useless ; besides the ground is too wet to admit of ib being trodden upon. Under these circumstances, failures are likely to result, and re-sowings will have to be made. Pumpkins and marrows may now be sown, also cucumbers, selecting an early, warm situation for the latter. Pumpkins are generally sown upon land that has become overgrown with weeds, and requires a rest. An opportunity is afforded later in the season for digging or forking the ground between the sowings before the plants start to run the dense growth ; keep weeds down during the summer, and the crop is ready to harvest in time to allow the land to be manured and dug in the autumn preparatory to future cropping. Tomato plants should now be planted out for early crop. Those that are planted now will soon overtake the earlier set plants. THE GREENHOUSE. All work in this department should now be well advanced. The continuous wet weather has retarded all outdoor operations, and afforded every opportunity for pushing on with all indoor work. In addition to the general work of potting all stock plants that have stood the winter, cuttings require 1 to be struck,, and the sowing and pricking out of annuals must be attended to. To keep up a succession of bloom throughout the season a variety of plants are required, and cuttings of all suitable subjects should be put in. Early spring I flowering plants are growing rapidly—pr;-

mulas, cyclamen, cinerarias, and herbaceous calceolaria mostly follow each other in succession, and make a grand display during the early spring. As soon as the flowering period is over a great blank is caused in the house unless a variety of suitable flowering I plants are.grown on to take their place. | Pelargoniums, fuchsias, petunias, salvias, j and numbers of flowering plants that are easily grown may be kept in stock to be in readiness for filling up blanks. Primulas and cyclamens are already flowering profusely, while some of the early plants of cinerarias are commencing to show flower. These require a good deal of watching at this stage, or the green fly soon renders the plants quite useless. Give the plants abundance of water ; apply manure water two or three times a week, and keep them in a cool shady part of the house. Later plants must be potted on from time to time as they advance in growth, and kept plunged in a cool shady frame until they commence to show flower, when they may betaken inside. Herbaceous calceolarias require similar treatment to the above. These are even more subject to the attack of green fly than the. cineraria. The best prevention is to keep the plants in a thoroughly healthy condition, and grow them on until they commence to flower in a cool shady situation. The plants should be frequently looked over, and any of the leaves having a sickly appearance should be at once examined and removed, or the fly can be effectually killed by fumigating with tobacco smoke. Gloxinias are again pushing into growth and need repotting. Tuberous begonias that have been stored away in pots should be taken out and occasionally watered to start the plants into growth. Ferns that have been almost at a standstill throughout the winter are now rapidly developing their young fronds, and are very interesting. They require a good deal of watching at this stage, email slugs being very troublesome, and soon destroy every frond unless precautionary measures are taken. The potting of these should be done as soon as possible. In potting use plenty of drainage. The soil is required to vary according to the variety. All the adiantums and other fine rooting sorts thrive best ; n a light sandy soil, while lomaria, blechnum, aspleniums, and other stronger varieties grow best when potted in stiffer soils. * Kkfos.