TABLE DECORATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 24 (Supplement)

TABLE DECORATIONS.

PERENNIAL DELPHINIUMS. Perennial delphiniums are extremely attractive during the early summer months, being already hi flower. The improved hybrids produce tall handsome spikes of flowers of striking beauty, chiefly in various shades of blue from sky-blue to dark shades. Grown in groups, they are most effective dotted here and there in

the mixed border. Slugs are extremely partial to these perennial delphiniums, consequently the seedlings should be kept in plant trays until they are well advanced in growth before bedding them out into the open ground. The annual delphiniums or larkspurs, as they are commonly called, are also handsome subjects for the garden. They include a wide range of tints of singular purity and brightness. The rosy scarlet is a general favourite. Delphiniums are greatly esteemed for outing. The flowers are unequalled for tabic decorations. SWEET SULTANS. Sweet Sultans are not sufficiently grown, being seldom seen to any extent in our gardens. The reason for this is that they do not transplant well out of boxes, consequently are seldom offered for sale by plant vendors. However, they are easily grown from seeds sown where they arc to remain and flower, the flowers of sweet sultans retain their freshness for a long period and are well adapted for cutting. They flower late in the autumn, when such flowers arc much needed. There is still time to grow them if seeds are sown at once. SaJphiglossis is another attractive annual that should be more generally grown. Tho improved large-flowered varieties should be selected. NEPHROLEPIS AND OTHER TERNS. Nephrolepis cordifolia and the variety Bostoniensis arc tho best 01 all ferns to plant for furnishing an unsightly moist hank were partial shade is afforded om the sun and in places were a green cover is wanted. They will also grow in the open, withstanding the sun without having their fronds affected. Many unsightly bare spots might be made exceedingly attractive by planting hardy ferns that, are adapted for tho purpose. Lomarias proccra and discolor, doodia caudata, pteris tremala and others, davallias, microlepias, polystichiiuu augulare, polypodium billarueri, asple'nium lucidum, with ono or two hardy species of udrianturns, are all excellent ferns for tho above purposes, and for moist, shady rock work. BAMBOOS. Tho suckering varitiee of bamboo are very troublesome, throwing up shoots i from their roots that extend a considerable distanco around tho clumps that are growing in different parts of the garden and grounds, and also on either s'Ao of the hedge rows, exhausting tho soil and preventing tho growth of any plants that are within their sphere. By digging a trench around tho clumps and alongside the hedge, and rooting out all suckers by following them to their extremities, no further trouble will bo experienced until next spring. Tho non-suckering varieties are confined to clumps which gradually increase in size from tho now shoots that como up around tho plants, '