THE GARDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18998, 20 October 1923, Page 3

THE GARDEN.

JS'OTES BY I). TANNOCK; F.R.H.S. WOEK- FOR TRE WEEK. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Most of the bedding annuals should be pricked out by now, and quite a number of the most forward wL'd be outside waiting initil the climatic conditions are more sett led, or until the spring dowers are over, ine ram wo are - hawing' will extend the flou erirnr period of the primrose polyanthus and wallflowers, and it may be a fortnight yet before .they rim be removed. To Jill '{P " a P s i ll the mixed borders, where the clan odds are -at present, it is quite a goocE idea t o-sow a few. of the best of the hardy annuals in boxes and to prick out the seedlings just like tlie -half-hardy kinds. They r;iakc nice bushy plants ready to put out when the daffodil foliage withers up, and they make nioe branching plants which ha' e ample roam to develop side branches, and come into flower quite early. Ihey continue right on to the autumn.” tuberous begonias are making rapid growth now. Those intended for bedding out will soon be sufficiently far advanced to put out into frames to be gradually hardened off, and those for greenhouse decoration can be potted up. Calceolarias are at their best just now, aiul schizanthus are coming on rapidly. Fumigate, once a week to destroy green fly and keep the plants staked out to allow the blooms room to develop Pelargoniums are also coming on rapidly, and they, too, should be staked out a bit, taking care to keep the stakes well hidden among the foliage. Ilydranges are beginning to show their flower buds, .and to encourage growth give applications of liquid manure once a week. (.amelias and azaleas .are very useful for furnishing a large greenhouse, and immediately the flowers wither they should be shifted into the warm greenhouse.. As much of the top soil as possible should be removed- without damaging the- roots, and the drainage should be examined. A topdressing of good loam, peat, and leafmould with a sprinkling of sand and a enisling of hone meal should be applied. Be careful to ram the new soil until it is as firm as the old ball of roots, leaving tlie surface’level and at least an inch from liie rim of the pot- to hold water sufficient to saturate the soil and roots. Prune, if necessary, and syringe twice a day ’to encourage growth. _ Afterwards .they can be placed outside in a warm sunny position, , the pots being plunged in a bed of ashes steady them and keen the roots cool. The young shoots will ripen up and set buds for the next season. Continue to tie down the vines as growth proceeds, and pinch the shoots two leaves beyond the bunches. Ventilate carefully and maintain a moist growing atmosphere by syringing twice a day and damping the paths occasionally during warm, sunny weather. Maintain a growing atmosphere in the fernery and palm house by damping among the pots, the paths, and under the benches. I his should be done early in the morning, and late at nignl,. syringing all round in the forenoon and afternoon except on cold, dull days. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Make all preparations fox- planting out :he summer bedding plants. Continue to noe the rose and shrubbery borders, remove the branchy covering which was placed over the hardy annuals when they were sown, and continue to provide temporary stakes for the soft, young growth of the herbaceous plants. Should greenfly appear on the roses, spray with hot, soapy water, and for mildew spray with liver of sulphur, one ounce in throe gallons of soapy water. Lime sulphur (summer formula) is also good. Buds are appearing already, and to get a few early blooms these can be left, and on all side buds which arise around the main terminal one is rubbed off. 'the rock garden is just about its best at present, and a vigilant watch .should be kept, for slugs. Keep the pockets weeded and the soil stirred up, ami unless it i desired to savo, seed, the old flower stems should bo cut away as soon as the flowers wither. Many of the shrubs are in flower present and if it is the intention to prune them, it should be done at once to proTido cut flower* for house decoration, or imn'cdhvtelr she flowers are past their best. O':ir ysartheTewns which are grown under frum* r.-> pmrtrfo out flowers in the autumn and —o*n ho replanted now. ■ Lift ih.- obi pls.nl*, dig in * libera! dressing of st,i*d» nSMie', Vn-eui the surface soil. r-iii-.f phs-ns of the old plants with ih,".. ... f.;*ir shoot* on each. Failing stable nv.iru**. -’-•Wns of bone meal will do. l-’iai-.tr 1 from cutting* will also do. T-’ r the ■ ,d plant* broken up are quite

three uncommon flowering TREES. Arbutus Menziesii, one of trfie lily of the valley trees, is flowering with us for the first lime, ami is making a. good display. Ji is an evergreen native of North California, where it grows to a 'height of from 20ft to 100 ft, and it is said that no other tree make? so strong an appeal to man’s imagination, with its pan.idles of white flowers, masses of red fruits, its terra-cotta hark and burnished folia/ge. Our tree is about 20ft in height, Ixat it ha? grown fairly rapidly and overtopped the other strawberry trees in the same group. Its young shots are quite smooth, the bark peeling, and. on the oHrler branches and trunk, leaving the wood perfectly clean, and of a striking oinmrmon colour. Apart altogether from its flowers, this tree is well worlh growing. It is easily raised from seed, but as the plants do not transplant well, they should be put in their permanent positions When quite young. Emhothrium cocciincuin (Chilian Fire Rush). This small tree is not quite hardv in England except iji Cornwell, but perfectly hardy in Dunedin, and though still quite small with is.-. it grows to a height of 40ft, with a trunk lift through. It has dark, glossy, evergreen foliage, and its flowers, which are produced in great abundance, are a brilliant crimson-scarlet. Each flower is borne on a short stalk Jin to Jin long, and is at first a slender tube lin to IJin long: afterwards the four strap-shaped lobes curl back, exposing the long, erect style. This tree, which is a rapid grower, is easily raised from seed, and should be in every collection of rare trees and shruts. The other Dee is Halesia Carolina, Snowdrop or Silver Bell Tree. It is a deciduous tree, growinjg to a height of 20ft to 50ft in gardens, and to twice that height in its native country (Southern United States). The flowers, which are produced in October, on slender clusters of from three to five from the joints of the naked, year-old wood, arei white, hell-shaped, Jin to Jin long, and are produced in great abundance. It lik es a moist soil, and a warm, sheltered, sunny position. Can be propogated by means of seeds and layers. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. This is a busy season in the vegetable garden. Potatoes should be earthed up as they grow to support the stems, and to cover -the young developing tubers, but the greatest care should be taken not to cover up the leaves. The early ones can be sprayed before they are earthed up, but as tlaey arc usually dug when quite green there is little danger of blight attacking theip. The second early and late varieties should be sprayed. Make further sowings of salad plants, pcavs, and spinach. Get the main crop kinds in as soon as possible, and plant cabbage, carliflower, and brussels sprouts. Runner Wans, French beans, and butter beans can he sown with safety now, and these crops should be got in at once. Runner beans are often grown against a fence or hedge, and when provided with strings to climb up they make quite au ornamental and useful screen. They are also planted in a double row. the seeds being placed 6in apart, and it will he necessary to provide them with stakes at least 6ft high. French and butter beaus are sown in drills about Sin in depth and 2ft apart,. The seeds are placed from 3in to 4in apart, and if they all germinate I hey are thinned out to from 6m to Sin apart. All of these beau crops are rather tender, and should be given a warm, sheltered position. They also like . a welldrained soil, and should have lime. Keep the scuffle hoe at work among all growing crops, thin out seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle, and fork oi er all vacant land in preparation for planting or sowing later on.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A. 11., Waimate.—lvy would be quite suitable for growing over the rocks in front of your shrubbery border, but either periwinkle (Vinca minor), Euonyrrrus ridicans, or Hypericum calycinum would be better. You should try a patch of each.' D. J., Raversbourne.—The malformations on the shoots of your olearia hedge are caused by a small insect which penetrates the tissue of the young twigs. By cutting the hedge hard back and burning all clippings you will get rid of the insects tn the meantime, and by clipping off the young growths after they lay their eggs in January the pest can be kept in check. Well-kept hedges which are • clipped in spring show blue or no signs of the trouble so far. Fork out as much of the sorrel as possible, g-ive the ground a good liming, and keen it Jscufl'lp-hoed regularly. If you can prevent the Iqa-yes from developing the underground stems and roots will soon die. "Maple,” Arrowlown.—lt is very likely that your pittosorurn hedge has been frosted', and if the branches and main sterns are still'«dive'new growths will corpe away when it is cut back. Spraying it in the afternoons will, help to bring away the young - ' growth. S. NT., Milton.—To get cabbages ready to cut during the winfo" sow the seed about the middle of Novem6»qr, and for spring use about the middle of February. Blair’s Phenomenal is quite a good winter sort. “Rocky,” Invercargill.—The blue flower is a scilla. a very robust form of Scilla nutans probably, and the rhododendrons appear to be varieties of E. Thomson!, though it is usually blood-red. I do not think there is anything serious the matter with the rhododendron foliage; probably the frost and cold weather is the cause. The young growths will be all right. Well-ripened shoots of Viburnums, if put in in the autumn, will root.