THE GARDEN WORK FOR THE WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20906, 21 December 1929, Page 7

THE GARDEN WORK FOR THE WEEK

$ m NOTES BY . TANNOCK, F.R.H S

GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. Tuberous begonias are now making rapid growth, and beginning to show their fret flowers. If they are grown for exhibition purposes it will be desirable to pinch oat the first buds, but if for ordin cry garden decoration they can be allowed to develop. Water them with great care, and maintain a moist atmosphere by damping the paths and benches regularly. Seedlings of cinerarias and primulas should be 'pricked out into boxes of rich, right soil as soon as they are large enough to handle, and Canter bury bells, sweet williams, and forget-me-nots should all be picked out and placed out in frames, where they can be shaded during sunny weather. Biennial stocks and dohble wallflowers can be sown now and if these are treated-'like the other biennials just mentioned, they will be rriost useful for providing cut flowers during the winter and spring. I strongly recommend hardy biennials for providing a display in the flower garden- during spring and early summer, and also for cutting. Chrysanthemums are growing rapidly, and these should receive their last pinching now, unless very late flowers are required. Shortly, they can be staked out, and set in their summer quarters, which should be sheltered from cold winds, but still open and sunny. Tomatoes are growing rapidly, and it may bo necessary to remove ii few of the lower leaves to allow the sun and air into the fruit. Very little leaf pruning is necessary, for this weakens the plants. THE FLOWER GARDEN.

' The main work in the flower garden'at present -will be hoeing and weeding, mowing and rolling lawns, ahd ' staking. Staking is most important, and should be carried out early, -' before the plantstumble over and become twisted. Even such comparatively dwarf plants as antirrhinums, stocks, and should be protitled with a neat stake. This need not be tall, but just sufficient to keep the plants upright and to prevent them from

being broken out at the ground level by strong winds. Dahlias and chrysanthe mums will require taller and stouter stakes, but stakes are never ornamental: in fact, they are a necessary evil, and should be as inconspicuous as possible.

THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN.

Continue to make sowings of the quickmaturing vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, and radish, and make another sowing of French and butter beans and peas. Protect strawberries and bush fruits from the birds, and spray apples for mildew and black spot.

ROSES. Roses are opening up very well, and 1 do not think I have ever seen better colour and substance in the petals in the first crop. Growth was very satisfactory in the early part of the season, and during the past month, when the weather was changeable, with occasional cold nights, the petals were safely tucked away within the protecting calyx. The early varieties, which exposed a few of their outer petals, suffered a little, but the blooms on the whole opened satisfactorily. Most of the novelties haVe developed their first flowers, but as a rule they are not up to their best form the first season. This year they made excellent growth, and we are able to determine their suitability for garden decoration and bedding. Last year’s novelties have also done well, and made up for the slight disappointment on their first year’s performance. New rosea receive such a glowing description in the nurserymen’s catalogues that it is hard for them to come up to it at first, and growers who pay big prices are apt. to be disappointed. ' The following are a few of the novelties:—Adele Crofton (H.T.), Alex. Dickson and Son: The bud and young flower are cadmium yellow, richly overlaid with orange and scarlet. The elegant bud is carried on a rigid stem. It makes a good buttonhole. Cherry (H.T.), S. M'Gredy and Son: Sunflower yellow os outside, inner side bright rose, heavily veined in deeper shade of rose—a fine bedding variety. Duchess of Athol (H.T.), Dobbie and Co.: Colour a vivid shade of orange, the petals being suffused with - a ruddy glow—superior to Angele Pernet. Marie Dot. (Pemet): Flowers cadmimum yellow, suffused dark red passing to rosy, salmon yellow. Fragrant (a gold medal rose). Rose Berkley (H.T.); Deep rosy, salmon pink, suffused with orange—a fine garden, bedding, and exhibition rose, Royal Scot (H.T.): Semidouble, yellow margined on edges with crimson—a good bedding rose. Those who intend to add to their collection of roses or to replace old worn-out varieties should visit a garden,.or nursery where an up-to-date collection is cultivated, and there select the colours they like, taking care to note if the' habit is all right and the plaints Vigorous and healthy. The following are some of last year’s novelties which have, done well :■—Desmond Johnson, a remarkable combination of colours very pleasing in the.bud stage, and in the fully developed flower. The colour is brilliant scarlet, heavily flushed with orange and claret, with a deep orange,; base. . It has a faint tea scent, and its foliage is large, glassy dark green, leathery and mildew proof. Dainty Bess, much better than last year, but not up to gold medal standard with us. Joyous Cavalier, sent out by the same raiser as Dainty Bess (W. E. B. Archer and daughter). Its colour.is glowing scarlet; fragrant, vigorous, and free flowering. Lord Castlereagh is a remarkable rose, and the darkest in the garden. Its colour is very rich deep crimson, the flowers are of a good shape, and the habit of the plant is bushy and vigorous. It is also fragrant. Mabel Lynas (Pern) is a dark crimson rose with a yellow base. Its growth is free and vigorous, and, unlike some Pernetianas,, it does not die back, and is very hardy. Margaret M’Gredy, a fragrant rose, soloue geranium lake, vigorous and fragrant. In the general list—that is, varieties sold at the usual rate, but still excellent varieties, there are a number of outstand inc kinds, and amongst there are Angele Pemet, a hardy, vigorous variety, with orange yellow flowers, shaded with apricot—a good garden and bedding variety Barbara has small, very bright red flowers, with yellow base. The reverse of the petals are pale yellow. This variety would be fine for massing in a small bed, to provide a distinct effect. Covent Garden, a deep rich crimson well formed rose borne on stiff stems, fine for cutting and bedding. Barbara Robinson, a cream rose, very vigorous and branching and ■ sweetly scented. Betty Uprichard, a coppery pink, shaded salmon, very vigorous, and suitable for the garden and bedding. C. V. Haworth, scarlet crimson, blooms of good size, with fragrant foliage, mildew-proof. Emma Wright, pure orange on the lines of Old Gold, foliage mildew-proof. Golden Emblem, a strong and vigorous rose, and producing quantities of its deep, rich, golden yellow flowers. Its glossy, mil-dew-proof foliage is also a feature. Golden Gleam has bright buttercup yellow flowers not unlike Golden Emblem, and probably it will succeed where the latter is not quite satisfactory. Gwyneth Jones, a splendid bedding rose, its colour being brilliant carmine orange, without shading. The foliage is mildewproof. John Henry, another good ed ding rose, very free, rosy scarlet opening to good pink. Mabel Morse, an idea) exhibition rose, the flowers being full, of good substance and fine shape. Colour: bright golden yellow The foliage is mildew-proof. Madam Butterfly, a bright pink, apricot and gold, fragrant an' of fine form. Mrs Henry Morse, a silvery rose pink, and good for exhibition and garden.

Padre, a pale orange cerise, and a good bedding rose. Flowers a bit thin, but colour good. Shot Silk, a cerise-shaded, orange-salmon rose. Growth moderate, but bushy, foliage glossy and mildewproof. It is very fragrant. If I were asked to name the most desirable rose for all purposes, I should recommend Shot Silk. Other fine roses arc: Souv. de Georges Pernet, a wonder ful bedding rose, with large coral pink flowers, which retain their colour until they drop. The Queen Alexandra, vermilion rose, the reverse of the petals being old gold. It is very fragrant Ville de Paris, a vigorous, free-flowering variety. The colour is sunflower ycl low.

I know there are ever so many fine roses • which I have not mentioned, but these are among the best this season, a id those which I consider would be most suitable for an amateur’s garden.

MANUKA. There are two species of the native manuka, Leptospermum ericoides (manuka, white manuka, or tree manuka), which begins as a shrub and grows into a tree of considerable dimensions, and Leptospermum scoparium (manuka, rr ! tea-tree or scrubby manuka), which retains its scrubby growth. The ordinary species have white flowers, which are very beautiful, but they are so common that no one ever thinks of planting them in a garden, but there are varieties with coloured and double flowers, which are well worth a place in any garden. Leptospermum scoparium yar Nichollaii has brilliant

imson flowers and dark purple leaves. It is a very desirable variety. B. scoparium var Chapnianii is also a very desirable variety, with rosy pink flowers. Its growth is more dense than L. Nicholsii. In addition to these two types there are a great many intermediate forms, varying from pink to deep crimson, and a batch of seedlings raised from seed collected from Nicholsii will produce all sorts of variations. There are two good double white forms. One called Leonard Wilson'shows a little green in the centre of the flower, but the one exhibited at the Horticultural Society’s rose show in Dunedin was a good white throughout, and a very desirable plant. There is a dwarf variety called pygmeum, with dark red foliage and flowers, which only grows ' about two feet' high. It is suitable for the rock garden. There is another variety with double rose flowers. All manukas are easy to grow. They will thrive in the poorest soils or on dry banks, and they also make an interesting and ornamental hedge.