THE GARDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19695, 23 January 1926, Page 3

THE GARDEN.

WORK EOH THE WEEK. NOTES BY D. TANKOCK. F.E.H.S. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. The recent thunder shower enabled us to get the wallflower seedlings lined out, and though they may wilt a bit at first, with overhead sprayings night and morning they will soon recover, and once they start to grow they progress rapidly. Pot up seedling cinerarias into Sin and 4in pots, prick out the later batch, and place them in a cool, moist place. Hippeastiuius should soon be ripening off, and whenever the foliage shows signs of withering, stop watering, lift the pots out of the plunging material, and stand them on a dry, sunny shelf, where they will get a thorough ripening. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Continue to disbud and spray roses, keep the surface soil stirred up, and give water and liquid manure when necessary. Thu young growth is very satisfactory, and there is promise of a continuous crop. Stake and tie up herbaceous plants and stake out the Michaelmas daisies to give the side branches room to develop. Give dahlias liquid manure once a week, thin out the young shoots, and keep all the old flowers picked off. • THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Stake peas and beans, keep the soil stirred among growing crops, and plant out winter cabbage, savoys, broccoli, and leeks. HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. Among the many beautiful hardy herbaceous plants in flower at the present time there are few more useful than the spiraeas, or meadow sweets. Spiraea Ulmaria (meadow sweet) is the common plant, and is very hardy. It is found growing by the sides of streams in Britain, and is very much at home in a moist situation here. It is a strong grower, better suited for the sides of ponds or lakes or the wild garden than the border, but well worth including in a collection of herbaceous perennials.. Tb flowers are creamy white, and there is a variety with double flowers and another with variegated foliage. Plant . in. a moist position and increase by division. Spiraea Filipendula (meadow dropwort) is also a useful species, with yellowish white flowers and neat fern-like foliage. There is a double variety. Spiraea Aruneus (goats-beard) is a tall, vigorous perennial, often growing to a height of from 3ft to sft." Its flowers arc freely produced in gracefully drooping plumes, and though it will thrive in the herbaceous border, it is most effective when grouped in large masses by a lake or stream. . „ There is a variety called Kneiffi, with handsome pinnate called Kneiffi, with handsome innate foliage, and branching plumes of creamy-white flowers. Spiraea gigantea grows to a height oi ironi oft to Oft, with very large foliage and immense heads of small white flowers. All the species already mentioned will, thrive in any kind .of soil provided it is well trenched, well manured, and there is plenty of moisture during the growing season. Spiraea palmata is the best garden plant of the species. It has handsome palmate foliage, and in summer broad clusters of rosy-crimson flowers. When plained in moist, deep,. well-culti-vated loam, which has been enriched with plenty of stable manure, it will grow to a height of 4ft. and will form quite a feature of the herbaceous border or . the bog garden. There is a variety with white flowers but the tvpe is the mot decorative. the Astilbes are closely related to the herbaceous spiraeas and are also valuable plants for a cool, moist border or for pot culture. A japonica is a well known plant, usuallv grown in pots for greenhouse and house ‘decoration, a purpose for which it is emineatlv suited; out- it is quite haid\ and will thrive in a cool, moist place, in any kind of soil. The type has white flowers, produced in largo branching racemose panicles. In addition to the type there are a number of varieties and hybrids with coloured flowers such as Queen Alexandra (deep pink), Peaeh Blossom (bright rosecoloured), and Pink Pear! (with loose plumes of delicate soft pink flowers)._ The coloured varieties are usuallv grown in pots, hut, if planted in a semi-shaded place they are quite a success. itstilbe Dnvidii is a handsome perennial, «Ud, like all the others, it is a thirsty rtaiit. thriving beside ponds or streams, ■gj; is a comparatively new introduction, and should be planted in hold croups beside water, or in a moist part of the herbaceous border. The mauve-coloured flowers are produced on stems about 6ft high, and this is a line plant for grouping beside a pond or lake. All the spiraeas and the astilbes can be increased hv division, and when they are grown for potting no they should he lined out in the nursery for a veer at least f o form firm crowns. The Gaillsrdia, or blanket Power, is an excellent. plant for a drv border, or for the ordinary mixed border in o dry season. It i s a native, of North America, and though there, are about half a dozen snocies. the one most cultivated is G. grandiflora, which is said to be a hybrid hetwen G. picta and G. aristara. Jt can be grown from seed or increased bv division, or by means of cuttings obtained from the base of old plants after flowerThe flowers range in colour from golden yellow to blood crimson, and though

they '"’ill slightly on warm days, they soon recover when cat and placed in water. They are better planted in generous groups in the mixed border or as edgings to the path though tho vegetable garden. Though there are quite a number of species of pent- [ Siemens, some suitable for the. rock garden I and others for the mixed border, those most commonly grown are hybrids supposed to have come from gentianoides crossed with Hartwegi and probably also Cobea. The garden pentstemons will thrive on any good loamy soil, provided it ia well drained and liberally manured. As they flower for such a long time they are suitable for filling beds in the flower garden, for grouping in the mixed and shrubbery borders, and for lines in the ribbon border. The old plants left in from last year have been flowering with us for months, plants which were cut back iu the spring are coming into flower, and those which were raised |rom cuttings last autumn are sending up their first flovverin<T stems. Pentstemons are excellent for covering a bank", and if out over in the spring every year they eventually develop into sub-shrubs. They are easily raised from seed, which can be sown in gentle heat in spring along with the half hardy annuals, and the seedlings will flower nicely in the autumn, when cuttings can ho taken from the host varieties. These cuttings can be. put into boxes of sandy soil and stood in the cool greenhouse or a cold frame, or they can be dibbled into specially prepared beds in a cold frame. Though pentstemons are excellent for garden decoration, they do not last very well when picked, and consequently are not so suitable for house decoration. The Watsonias, or bugle lilies, are a beautiful and very decorative family of bulbous plants, belonging, to the Iris family and natives of South Africa. Their tall foliage and flower spikes help to remove the flat, appearance of the mixed or herbaceous border when they are planted in generous groups. TV. iridifolia var O’Brieni has pure white flowers, and there are varities with pink and rose-oolcvured flowers. They arc not at all particular as to soil, but like a position which is well-drained in winter when they are resting. Galega (Goats Rue) is a. strong growing herbaceous plant belonging to' the pea family and is a native of Europe. It grows to a' height of from 2tt to sft, bearing dense clusters of pretty rhik or white flowers. Like most of the plants T have mentioned in this week’s notes, this is a very hardy plant, suitable for the shrubbery, tho wild garden or tne large herbaceous border. Perennials are useful in a backward spring, and they are also useful in a backward summer, for they grow and flower at their appointed time, regardless of tho weather. ANSWERS' TO CORRESPONDENTS. ‘‘o. L. T.,” Roslyn.—American Pillar is a mass of h loom in most gardens at present which indicates that it is quite easy to manage, and not difficult to prune. It flowers on the young wood, and when pruning we remove all the old wood which has flowered, and tie in the young growths which are often from 6ft to Bft long. The buds in the axils of the leaves grow out and flower. American Pillar should not take mildew and it will bo better for you to throw away your plant, and start with a young one. "V. G.,” Christchurch.—The rata eventually grows into a large, bare-stemmed tree, but when young it forms a many-stemmed shrub. In cultivation it is always found as a bushy shrub and plants of considerable age still retain this habit. The foliage is the same at all stages, and it is not usual difficult to find young plants springing up round the old ones. These lift quite readily and transplant with ease. The rata is not at all particular and thrives quite well in a peaty soil. Any of the Christchurch nurserymen could supply you with a young plant, which will retain the bushy form. "Grower,” Temuka. —You should plant your strawberries in the autumn as soon as you have sufficient rain to moisten the soil. About tho beginning of March will do. Get the ground prepared now by digging in a good dressing or stable manure, breaking up the surface soil and consolidating it. The varieties to plant are Laxton’s Noble, Melba and Pillbasket.