THE HOME GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19292, 3 April 1926, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE HOME GARDEN.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. The ground has received a good soaking, and the planting ol seeds and seedlings may be proceeded with. Stocks, wallflowers, cinerarias, nemesias, dimorphothecas, antirrhinums, annual and perennial delphiniums, aquilegias, and a few others, including winter flowering sweet peas, may be planted. Chrysanthemums havo greatly benefited by recent moist weather conditions. The plants are remarkably free from rust. Superfluous flower buds must be picked off, especially those that surround the terminals. Now is the time to apply manurial waterings; give a weak dose every ton days. Exhibitors intending to show chrysanthemum and flowers at next week's flower show must pay special attention to their plants, even to protecting some of the flowers from the weather. The various flower beds and borders should now receive their annual autumn overhaul. The surface should be lightly hoed to kill seedling weed 3 that have come up so profusely. Verbenas, petunias, and several other plants, should be cut back to produce fresh compact growth. Seedling annuals and biennials sown in clumps in the open ground must be carefully weeded and thinned out to allow each plant ample room to develop. It ace stakes or provide othdr support to winter flowering sweet peas. * Now is a suitable time to plant another batch of hardy flowering bulbs for succession, daffodils; anemones, and ranunculus being most in favour.

MAKING NEW LAWNS.

LEVELLING AND MANURING. The sites of new lawns should have their surfaces relevelled to rectify any subsidences or inequalities and be well raked preparatory to sowing the fertilisers and grass seeds. Any time during this month is about the best for sowing lawns and other grass plots. A well-made and properly-kept lawn is always one of the most important features

in connection with any garden. The more space it co%-ers, the better the effect, providing the work has been well done. Many grounds will only admit of one of the smallest size. The work being of a permanent character, no labour or expenso should bo spared in having it well done at the first. Thorough drainage must be provided for, according to the nature of the soil. Where the subsoil is free and porous, drains will not be necessary. The whole area should be deeply dug over as evenly as possible, and, where excavations and fillings are necessary to produco a level surface, sufficient top soil must be saved to provide a good depth of friable earth : this is important for the permanence and well-being of lawn grasses. After the completion of the construction and rough levelling, apply a liberal dressing of lime and lightly fork it in: SOWING LAWN GRASSES. Allow surface to remain in the rough for ten days, or more, to sweeten, as nothing further need be done until the timo for tho completion of tho work by properly levelling, well raking, and sowing the fertilisers and seed. Any timo during this month is suitable for sowing lawn grass, so as to allow the young grass to take root and become properly established before the winter sets in. Obtain tho best lawn grass mixture, free from coarse ryo grass. Well rake the seed in to properly bury it to prevent tho birds taking too- large a percentage. Finally, well rolL To well rake tho seed in is most important, but is too often neglected. In applying blood and bone with superphosphate as a fertiliser, it should be sown at least 0110 week before the grass seed and raked in.

PROGRAMME OF WORK.

MAINTENANCE OF LAWNS. The starvation of the lawn is a common feature and 100 often accountable for the deterioration of the sward. Week after week the lawn is closely mown and the clippings are removed to mulch some of the shrubs or to be thrown on the rubbish heap. The drain on the soil resulting from this practice is very great, and when the elements removed are not replaced it lias a telling effect upon the finer grasses, eventually accounting for their disappearance. To compensate for this exhaustion and keep the grass in good condition, a certain amount of plant food should be

regularly applied. A liberal top-dressing of new soil, as free as possible from seeds and weeds, should be evenly spread over the whole surface, and, at the same time, 61b. of basic slag and 21b. of kainit for every 40 square yards should be applied. In the spring, apply 31b. of super per 40 square yards, and, separately, lib. of nitrate of soda or jjlb. of sulphate of ammonia per 40 square yards. To encourage clover, a dressing of phosphates without any nitrogen will have the desired effect. But, for a tennis lawn, clover is a disadvantage, being too slippery, especially in damp weather. TRIMMING HEDGES. The clipping of most varieties of evergreen hedges should be done during the autumn, not only to give the garden and grounds a more tidy appearance, but also to admit more air and sunlight. The exceptions are ahelia floribunda, which is in full flower, and tecoma where it is wanted to flower. The conspicuous, bright red flowers of the tecoma are most ornamental, imparting a pleasing effect, and aro the admiration of visitors from the colder districts where this hedge will not succeed on account of frost. Conifer hedges, consisting of cupressus, junipers, etc., must not be trimmed'until the end of June or during July. COMBATING WEEDS. Moist soil conditions, occasioned by recent bountiful warm rains have produced an abundant crop of seedling weeds everywhere throughout the garden. These must bo hood and raked off or dug under. The : latter is the best process, as the digging- , in of harmless weeds returns what they take out of the soil and fertilises it.

THE VEGETABLE GABDE2T. Before sowing seeds the soil should be deeply and well worked, the surface, especially, being made fine and placed in the best possible condition to ensure quick germination. Seeds, when sown, absorb moisture from the soil and, as a result, begin to swell. At this stage the embryo begins to breathe, and the oxygen contained in the air acts upon the stored-up plant food in the seed, rendering it soluble and available for the use of the young plants. In preparing the ground for sowing late crops of carrots, turnips, parsnips, onions, lettuce, spinach, and such like raised beds are, at this season, preferable, especially if the soil is at all of a retentive nature. The top six or eight inches of the average garden soil is the most fertile, as a rule, and should not be buried when digging. lik preparing new beds for vegetables bastard-trenching is usually sufficient. This means merely turning over the first spit and breaking the sub-soil with a strong fork. All soils should be well-manured il good vegetables are wanted. Blood and bone, nitrate of soda, sulphate of potash, kainit, basic slag, superphosphate, basic super, are all useful fertilisers and should be kept on hand by all gardeners. All vegetable crops put in now should be supplied with an abundance of manure, and the soil, at the same time, should be well and deeply worked so as tQ allow of free drainage and aeration.

ASPARAGUS BEDS.

PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. During the present months intending planters to new asparagus beds should set about preparing the soil so as to have everything in readiness by the time the season of planting arrives. Soil broken up at this time has time to sweeten and sink to its proper level before the plants aro ready for lifting. In preparing the ground much depends upon

the quality of the soil, and the object of the growers. If grown for market purposes, and large plots are to be planted, it may not be always convenient or necessary to form the ground into raised beds, especially if the land is of a deep alluvial nature, and provided with a free outlet for superfluous moisture. / RAISED ASPARAGUS BEDS. If grown for home consumption, raised beds are a decided advantage. Asparagus is essentially an early vegetable, 'and is ready for cutting almost immediately after heavy spring rains have been experienced, and .in some seasons the soil is sodden up to the time of cutting. In such cases raised beds not only provide for a more ready outlet for surplus moisture, but the fact of the soil being raised above the surrounding surface allows more air and warmth to penetrate the soil, and invigorate root growth. ASPARAGUS AND SOILS. The amount of preparation needed will depend upon the nature of the soil. If

! composed of a deep rich, sandy loam simply trenching to a depth of from 20in to 2ft., and incorporating a plenhfu supply of well-rotted manure throughou the whole bed, will be sufficient until tin plants become established. Asparagus however, can bo successfully grown in al most any reasonably good garden soil provided! the necessary preparation i' made. \ IMPROVING ASPARAGUS BEDS, If the soil is inclined to be of a stiff retentive nature, sufficient gritty matte must bo supplied to keep it open am porous. In such case burnt refuse, coars< sand, charcoal or other gritty substanc should bo added. Efficient drainage i in every case most essential, as stagnan water at the roots is fatal to the plants In preparing the soil, tire ground shoul< be trenched to a good depth, and as th work proceeds, and the bottom of th trench is reached, a thick layer of manur or other decayed vegetable manure shoul< bo put in. In adding the gritty material a portion should be put in with ever; layer of soil; besides this, manuro shouli be well incorporated with the soiL SAND FOR ASPARAGUS BEDS. Sea-sand as well as sea-weed is ex ceUent for mixing in the soil, but failin: ■this, burnt refuse, wood ashes, lim nibble are all useful, and assist to kee; the soil open and porous. Providing th beds are well made, there will be ampl material in tho soil to ensure health growth the first season, without the ad dition of further stimulants. Tho follow ing season, however, the growth can b considerably enhanced by the judiciou application of artificial fertilisers, such a superphosphate, nitrato of soda, or coars salt. The time for planting is spring.