THE GARDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20075, 16 April 1927, Page 3

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOB THE WEES. Note* by D. TANNOCK, F.R.H.3. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Tuberous begonias are now about >,n their last legs, and if they last over the Easter holidays thov will have done welt. Chrysanthemums are now showing colour, and aa we may have frost at any time, preparations should be made for getting them under cover. They will take the place of the begonias in the cool house, and as they wilf require all the air and light we can ?:ive them-, the overhead climbers, such as uchsias, will require to be thinned out or pruned right back. It is not too soon to give fuchsias a good pruning, cutting them back to within an inch of the old wood. Any shading put on for the summer should be washed off the outside of the glass, and it is also desirable to wash down the wood and glass inside, leaving the . ventilators open to allow the house to dry before putting the plants in. Weed and clean the tins or pots, remove all withered leaves, lay the plants down on their sides, and spray them with sulphide of potassirn (2oz dissolved in three gallons of warm water) and' allow them to dry before housing. It will also bo necessary to stake out the single and decorative kinds a bit. and to examine all the biidl carefully for caterpillars. Where a greenhouse is not available, they will open quite well in a sunny verandah or frame-house covered with canvas to keep them dry. Chrysanthemums are also excellent for filling up the tomato house after the crop has been picked, and though it is better to grow them in pots or tins, they can bo grown on in the open border, and transplanted into the borders in which the tomatoes were growing. Before transplanting them, tramp the soil all round to make it firm, give a good watering if the soil is dry, lift carefully with a good ball of soil, and after planting in the border give a good watering. Shade them from bright sunshine for a few davs and spray overhead in the mornings. In about a week's time they will have got over the effects of the shift. They may lose ft few of the lower leaves, but this will not interfere with the opening of the flowers. Cinerarias and primulas can bo brought on in frames to follow, but if it is intended t 6 use the tomato house for profit, it will bo better to have a quantitv of narcissi and freesias m boxes. They will flower at a time when flowers are very scarce and command good prices. As soon as the geranium cuttings are 'n, a start can bo made with those of pentstomens, calceolarias, violas, and pansies. Penstscmons are very useful border plants, and are very hardy, and if left tong enough they develop into sub-shrubs. They can also be grown worn seed, but a? a rule the seed of good varieties does not perminate very we!!, and those raised from cuttings are true to colour. Select nice voting ripened shoots about three inches in length, those which arise up the stem and can. be taken off with a heel being preferred Trim off the lower leaves, and those which have no' heel are cut across immediately below a node or joint Keep them fresh by wrapping them up in a piece of damp cloth or placing tbe, m , in » among some damp moss. Mark out the rows in the frame about two inches apart, and with a propagating stick make a hole about an inch deep. Pul in the cutting so that it rests on the particles of sand in the bottom of the hole, then press the soil in firmly all round it. Put the cutting* in at two inches apart in tho row, and. as soon ns two or three rows are in water well, and shado from the sun. It is most important when putting in ?oft bo kept from wilting both when being made and after they are nut in. Calceolaria cuttings are very like pentstemons, and should be taken and put in in the same way, but violas and pansies are dilterent. After filling tho frame it is the practice to cover all over with a piece of scrim, to tack it on and leave it undisturbed until the spring. In districts, however, where frost* are severe, it rnav be better to cover with a frame and to put the sashes on, painting the glass to provide shade. . Inc cuttings of violas and pansies are made from tho young shoots which arise directly from the ground round the base of the old stems,which have flowered. If taken early they are usually about two or three inches long, thev can be pul'ed off with a heel, and ' >f they have a few young roots so much the better. When more than three inches long, it is better to cut them across immediately below a joint and to remove

the lower leave*. Dibble them in a* described for pentstemons, water, and shade, but as they are quite hardy a frame with glass sashes is not necessary. The scrim should be tacked on as usual. Cuttings of pentstemons, calceolarias, violas, and pansies can be put into boxes, but they are lass troublesome in bods and are likely to make better plants. In the warm house the gloxinias and streptoonrpus will be going to rest, and thov can be placed on a shelf out of the way in the meantime. Poinsettias, Begonia Gloire de Lorraine, and Cypripcdiums will be coming on to take their place, and these should receive applications of weakliquid manure once a week to stimulate their development. THE FLOWER GARDEN. The main work in the flower gaiden will be raking or sweeping up leaves, scuffle-hoeing the beds and borders, and clipping the verges or clearing off annuals when they are past their best and cutting over the perennials. Among the strictly autumn flowering hardy flowers there are none better than the perennial lobelias. Lobelia cardinallia (Cardinal flower) is a native of North America, where it is found in wet and boggy ground, and it thrives beat here where it can get plenty of moisture. The flower stems grow to a height of from 3ft to 4ft, the flowers are a vivid scarlet, and they last a long time in bloom. This species is quite hardy and will stand through the winter without protection, but it £* better when lifted and. divided up either in the autumn or spring and reS’ ‘ ad in a well-manured piece of ground, ia fulgcns is a still more brilliant plant than L. cardinalis. Its leaves are long and narrow, and the flower stalks, which grow to a height of sft, where it is doing well, are stouter than those of L. cardinalis. The best known variety is Queen Victoria; its leaves are a deep purple colour and the flowers a brilliant crimson-red. There are several other named varieties of L. fulsrens all with some distinctive and desirable characteristic. L. fulgens is not quite as hardy as L. cardinalis and in parts of Canterbury and Central Otago it may be necessary to lift the plants in the autumn, put them in boxes of light soil, and stand them in cold frames. In the spring, when' growth commences, the old plants, can be divided up, the pieces being again placed in boxes, and after being hardened off they can be planted out in a well-manured moist position. Both these lobelias are very suitable for planting in the bog garden or in bold groups beside ponds or a stream. Another very striking hardy perennial, lobelia is L. Tupa, also known as Xupa Fuelli, a native of Chili. It is not considered to bo quite as hardy as either of the two species and their varieties which have already been mentioned, but with us it comes through the winter quite safely. In very frosty districts it could be lifted and wintered in a frame, or it could be protected with sifted ashes or fine coke spread over the surface in autumn, or a few pieces of twiggy branches could bo stuck in round it. It likes a "ood. rich soil, and when doing extra well will grow to a height of from 6ft to Bft. The flowers which are brick red, are borne in large racemes, and it is altogether a good plant for the mixed herbaceous border, or the ■front of the shrubbery. Lobelia syphilitca is a native of North America, and is quite hardy. It will grow in an ordinary herbaceous border, but likes a cool, moist place, and a rich soil. It grows to a height of from lit to 2ft, and has light blue flowers. There are a number of hybrids between this species and the scar-let-flowered kinds, which are highly recommended. Lsonotis Leonoris (Lion* Tail), is a very handsome sub-shrub flowering at the present time near the back of the shrubbery, but it would be quite as suitable for the herbaceous border. It grows to a height of from 4ft to 6ft, and bears whorls of orange-scarlet flowers at intervals up the flower stems. When established these are produced in great abundance. It can be grown from cuttings if pieces of the young wood which spring from near the base of the flower stems are put into, pots and stood in a cool house. Aconitym, or Monk’s Hood, is a hardy herbaceous plant, belonging to the buttercup family. The flowers, which are blue and very ornamental, are, borne in terminal racemes the stems growing to a height of from 4ft to 6ft. This plant has the advantage of growing under the shade of trees but as the roots are very poisonous, it should not bo planted anywhere near the kitchen garden. or where food plants are cultivated. A. NapoJlus is the common Monk’s Hood, which grows to a height of from 3ft to 4ft. but A. Wilsoni is a much, stronger and more handsome species growing to a height of from 6ft to Bft. It is a native of China, and thrives well in a cool, moist position. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN. As soon as the crop of apples and -oars has been gathered and stores all the biighty and insect-infested fruits and leaves should be raked up and burned, and the surface soil hoed or otherwise cultivated. Though a start can bo made with the pruning as soon as the loaves fall, it is better to do the root-pruning first, and to prepare the ground for planting out fruit trees and bushes. It will soon bo too late to plant or bow any vegetable crops, but there will bo plenty to do, earthing up celery and leeks and lifting and storing such root crops as parsnips, carrots, and turnips, if the ground they occupy is to be trenched or used for further planting. In light, dry soils these crops can be left, and dug as required until the spring, when it is necessary te lift them to check growth. Collect and dry seeds of peas and beans, and on wet days pick over the potatoes, selecting the tubers to be used for sets, if this has not already been done. answers to correspondents. Milton.—The name of the plant is Monk’s Hood, and it is quite hardy and suitable for your district. “Carrots,” Abbotsford.—Lift your carrots when the soil is dry, trim off the tops, but do not bruise the roots. In a dry convenient spot lay down a layer of sand, pick the roots on top, gradually drawing in the rows until they reach a narrow ridge. Spread a layer of sand over each layer of carrots, and thatch with straw or grass to keep them dry. “M.M.,” Mataura.—This is a suitable season for pruning the lower branches off a monkey puzzle. “Inquirer,” Clydevale.—Liliutn auratura likes a nice light sandy soil, with a quantity of organic matter, either well rotted manure or leaf mould. Plant fairly deep, for it is a stem-rooter, and early spring is the best season. Lilium, regale will require similar treatment, but it is not so exacting as auratum, and will thrive in an ordinary border. Gladioli can be lifted, dried off, and stored in boxes in a cool, any shed or cellar. Replant in spring. “Arbor.”—The name of the plant ia Lilium bulbiferum.