“IF WINTER COMES—."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20958, 22 February 1930, Page 7

“IF WINTER COMES—."

Written for the Otago Daily Times. By £. S, It seems so very far away just now as we revel in the glorious sunshine and contemplate with pride the riot of colour in the flower borders. But when the winter really comes and frost has laid its destroying fingers on the last of the gay summer annuals, what kind of appearance will the garden then Resent? Will it tell the melancholy tale of “change and decay in all around I see”? Or will it be austerly tucked away under a warm but somewhat unsightly blanket of fertiliser and lime? The many amateur gardeners ■ who grow flowers simply because they love them, and would somehow feel lonely and desolate without them, will feel that wiutei is a season to be endured with as good grace as possible while they dream dreams and see visions of the coming glory of spring and summer for which they are planning and working during the dreary months. The winter is seldom so severe that we may not find here and there some little flower that is hardy enough to brave the frost and chill winds, and this K my encourage us to experiment just to see how many of summer’s gems we may be able to persuade to adorn the winter garden. Foremost among these would come the golden calendula—personification of the sunshine. If we plant seedlings or even seeds (for they germinate so quickly) at the present time, the young 1 plants will grow quickly during, these warm days, and will gladden our gardens and our rooms all through the winter. Of course we would be ever watchful that

no flower is allowed to set seed, for onpe the main purpose of its life (from v P‘ ant,s point of view) is accomplished the plant retires "from the stage altogether or at best produces only a few straggly and insignificant flowers; We are careful to dip off all withered blooms regularly (daily, in fact) the gallant little plant, will keep up the unequal struggle to do its duty, and thus will provide us With fine blooms all winter. •

, The seed of Virginian stock, if planted at the present time, will also come on in good time to provide a dainty show in winter. The little pink and heliotrope .flowers pass almost unnoticed in the flower borders jus: now, but when they shine like bright stars against the bare earth they are i, .ed precious to ns. This plan* has a comparatively short life in summer, but in winter, when all growth is cither slow or almost at a standstill, Jfc flowers seen, to enjoy an abnormally long life. If a few seeds are sprinkled here ar.d there over the garden, and the individual plants are given an opportunity to develop, the flowers will be finer aud more prolific than if they are huddled closely together as an edging. Near these we could have few plants of perennial The dear silvery heliotrope flowers will be most useful for cutting when flowers are scarce. There are a number of flowers blooming at the present time that may be given a second lease of life in the winter. Where scabias and antirrhinums have flowered in early summer tV may, be cut bach as the season advances, and if growth is encouraged with a few applications of liquid manure they will probably commence to flower, again before the winter, and will continue tthe good work till the season is far advanced.. Violas have been treated generously with liquid manure and always carefully picked over will bear a wealth of flowers till well into the spring. Then there are the cinerarias. I somehow always associate these flowers in my mind with the pampered beauties of the conservatory; it seems as though such intense colour should be shielded from I frost and wind. Yet we find them flower- ; ing bravely in the damp, shady corner where-the frost lingers longest, or I,side il _ narrow, draughty pathway down Which the chill wind'whistles/ It seems as though nothing can discourage them, j anc their vivid blues aud purples p-ovide | a splash of rich colour that no gardener i would be without.

Beside all these purely herbacious flowers there are, of course, numbers of shrubs that bear berries and brilliant foliage during late autumn, and often well on into the winter. The garden would be dull indeed without them, bur the foregoing are a few suggestions foi the flower beds, which. in our equable climate may never be entirclj bereft of bloom and beauty even in the depths of winter.