THE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14925, 24 February 1912, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN.

Tan weather for this season is much cooler than usual and more moist. Recent rains have been sufficient to penetrate the soil, promote growth, and maintain the floral display. Lawns are now beautifully verdant. Dahlias, chrysanthemums, and all the garden plants present a fresh, healthy appearance. Annuals have made a fresh start, and are again flowering profusely. Several perennials are in full flower,, notably Hudbetkia or golden glow, perennial asters, ' phloxes, bouvardias, penstamons, gailiardias, delphiniums, sunflowers, etc. Many varieties of lilies enliven the garden .with their, beautiful flowers. Lilies are amongst the most; popular and ornamental of bulbous plants; and are indispensable for the embellishment of the garden and grounds. Some of the kinds are delightfully fragrant. Most of the species and their varieties grow and thrive well in our climate, some succeeding much better than others. Liliums j should be planted in situations where they I an partially shaded from the direct rays of the sun and sheltered from strong winds. They succeed and show to best advantage I interspersed here and there amongst the shrubs in the mixed borders, arranging the I tailor growers towards the middle and back of tlio borders and the dwarfer nearer the I edges. The soil best.suited for their general ! | requirements is a well-drained sandy loam. The hardier, or what are formed commoner sorts "succeed in almost, any garden soil that is not too dry. In planting lilies the bulbs I should be placed from 4in to 6in beneath ! the surface, as with few exceptions they! derive their nourishment from the roots I I that are produced immediately above the i j scales of the bulbs- By growing a selection ! of tho different varieties that come into/ j flower at various seasons, a long succession i ,• may be kept up._ Home sorts flower in [ spring, Others during the summer. Candii dum and longiflorum are well-known spring- ' | flowering varieties. Tigrinum and its I {varieties are now in full bloom, also the I I different forms of speciosum, erroneously I known under the specific name of lanei- ! folium. The beautiful pure white flowers of I albiflorum are specially attractive and useful. Auratum, the golden-rayed lily 0 f -.Japan, and its sub-varieties are also in flower. This is a well-known and special favourite: its blooms are delightfully fragrant. Lilium elegans and its hub-varieties flower in midsummer. These are of dwarf habit, with large, showy, open blooms arranged on the tops of the flower stems. The Scarborough lily (Vallo'ta purpurea) i*

now most conspicuous, with to, v orange-scarlet, amarvllb-likc M*" 30 ** Lilies mostly enjoy rid*, d«n soil. So , lo *' bo mulched 'will' mn,rp^ P a3Siff,l°watered during tin- wither a M ' ,bc »ty , sweet, peas and any annual* that I, " aw »y pleted their season of flowerim/,,iV 0j «- dig the soil and manure if <*<*!% paraxon should now be made for thV«IT ing of, anemones, ranunculi. narcis!i Pant ; ' tho many other varieties of h arH?' r* Dtl ""• flowering spring? bulbs; also for vi* • fre " few varieties of hardy winter-flowffl 8 . * fluids. The layering of carnation » &'£ | attended to in order to have a «tS* -i young plants to take the places of tho£ *i. of '--become too eld ' ' Answers to Correspondents, "Inquirer." vVaikino: Moras a ]b a ~h ft • white mulberry) is hardy and th e throughout the Dominion. It i,, of I growth, and attains to a heielu of * M 20ft to 30ft, making a spreading and L±? ' .ngly ornamental tree. Them are'SSi varieties ot white mulberry. It will BU «S well in your district. The Jarge-WJ variety is a most rapid grower. The 52 "' are useful for feeding silkworms upon * >J J.J.A., Palmerston A'orth : Murnhv's'vj ' "New Zealand; Gardening." i™! 5 guide, containing full information-iSS various matters pertaining to the gar<w This book may, be purchased from 1«£ • booksellers. Price about, '6s 6d "™ n * J.A.M., Taurariga: Th© small size and withered appearance of peach fruits must"l« chiefly duo to defective root action fftiS spring, when fruits were. in their earliJ? stage., of development. Want of sufficing moisture and unfavourable weather condi turns are probably to blame. Soihe varietip. of apples, notably Irish Peach, Stone Pin. pin, and a few others, sometimes dr-veloa j th,i glassy appearance that you describe The writer is unable to assign a reason fop this defect, which is much more ia evidence some years than others. --/" R.K., .Mount Eden: Mikania scandens is ' the name of the ivy-lib- climber that is such a noxious pest in the natural bush around Mount Eden. It takes possession, smothers I the ferns and other small plants, grows i amongst the rocks, and when once estabI lished is difficult to get rid of. It i 6 also a i breeding-ground for black caterpillars. Maurandyas an- pretty, flowering, slender. growing climbers, suitable for trellis-work. They are natives of Mexico, They. and flower abundantly hero.