THE GARDEN WORK FOR THE WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21266, 21 February 1931, Page 7

THE GARDEN WORK FOR THE WEEK

notes by a.h.r.h.s. ~-rs&SPm:

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. The chrysanthemums will require a lot of attention at present. Side shoots have to be removed from day to day, and the buds examined for any traces of caterpillars. Reduce the shoots on the single and decorative varieties to three on each stem and allow these to form their buds. Pot up old corms of cyclamen, put in cuttings of geraniums and pelargoniums, pot or box up bulbs for forcing and start nerines into growth. The flowers a'ppear before the foliage, and these should be developing now. Pot on seedlings of Chinese primulas and prick out seedlings of the second batch as soon as they are large enough to handle. Tomatoes are ripening rapidly now, and the lower leaves can be pruned a bit to allow light to get into the fruit. THE FLOWER GARDEN. The second crop of roses is developing satisfactorily, but there is a little mildew appearing, and the plants showing signs should be sprayed with Cow’s Mildew Destroyer, Clensell, or sulphide of potassium. As the ramblers go over the old flowering stems can be cut away and young ones tied in to take their place. Layer carnations, plant out spring flowering bulbs of • all kinds. "Primrose polyanthus, Sweet William, forget-me-nots, and Canterbury bells can bo planted out now, either as groups in the mixed border or among shrubs. Biennial stocks can also be planted out where they are to, flower, which should be an exceptionally well drained sunny border, or they will damp off during the winter. Keep the dahlias tied up, the growths thinned out if extra large flowers are desired, arid all the old flowers picked off. Liquid manure will help on plants in poor dry ground. J GLOBE ARTICHOKE. The Globe artichoke is a native of Barbary and south Europe. It is a hardy plant and so ornamental that it can be grown in the mixed border or ehrubbery. It has large, rough-looking foliage, .not, unlike a thistle, and flower heads , also very like a thistle. The part used is .the base of the scales, and also the receptacle-or bottom of the flower head, these being eaten either cooked ■or raw. The stems and leaves may also be used when' blanched like those of cardqoris, to which they are in no way inferior, in quality. This should be more used as a vegetable, for it is so hardy and so easy to grow, and, being a good perennial, there is no annual planting or sowing required. On the Continent this is considered a vegetable of the highest value and delicacy when gathered fresh and properly cooked. It ‘ can be propogated by means of either seeds or suckers, but the latter is the most satisfactory method when dealing with the named varieties. To grow this vegetable well a rich, moist soil is required, and the plants are put out at a distance of 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet each way, according to the richness of the soil. Low-lying and valleysoils, black and .rich in organic matter are specially suitable. It is necessary to keep the ground clean by frequent weeding and hoeing, and an application of liquid manure at intervals during the summer is much appreciated.

the plants selected for chards are cut over about six inches from the ground. A few days after this they will need a copious watering if the weather be dry, and this should be repeated weekly if required. By the end of March the plants will have made sufficient growth and be ready for blanching. This is done by drawing the shoots together with bands of hay or straw and then earthing them up neatly. The blanching will take fully six weeks, and as very little growth will take place during the process, it will be seen that it is necessary to encourage rapid growth beforehand. Any chards not used before winter sets in can be lifted and packed in dry sand in a shed. The Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, is also a member of the daisy family, but in this case it is the underground tubers which are valuable. When the stems have made about six feet of growth they can be topped and they should be. earthed up like potatoes to keep the tubers away from the light. They are fit to dig in early winter, and they can either be left and dug as required, or they can be pitted in sand or dry soil in a shed or behind a fence, THE CHINESE ARTICHOKE. The Chinese artichoke is a vegetable which can be grown to provide variety. It is a bushy herbaceous plant with swollen underground stems which are white, watery, tpndcr, and fine skinned. They are eaten fried or as a salad. HIMALAYAN POPPIES. Meconopsis are among the most interesting of hardy plants, arid, where conditions are favourable, they will thrive with little trouble. They like conditions similar to the newer species of rhododendrons, that is a deep, peaty soil or one rich in organic matter over lying clay, with a well-distributed rainfall, and good drainage. Like many of our native alpines, of which Ranunculus Lyallii is a good example, they like moisture but not stagnation. Where the atmosphere is dry deep cultivation is most essential, for, being tap-rooted plants, they can go well down and collect their supplies of moisture from the subsoil. A layer of cow manure well down is a distinct advantage to the strong growing kinds. They also thrive better, at least they stand the winters better on a sloping bed, which will run the surface water off, than on one which is perfectly level. On a level waterlogged surface the plants, at least the evergreen ones, are liable to rot off at the collar. Some of the species are true perennials, but others are biennials which die off after flowering. Fortunately these produce quantities of good seed, and, if a sowing is made every year, supplies of flowering plants are kept up. It is also fortunate that they are fairly easy to raise from seed. If seed is sown in six-inch pots in early spring at the same time as the half-hardy bedding plants, and the seedlings are pricked out into boxes at least four inches deep, as soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle and the plants put out in their flowering positions during the summer they will flower the following year. It is necessary to prick the seedlings into fairly deep boxes to allow room for the tap roots to develop, and it is also very necessary to be careful not to damage these same tap roots when planting out. Suitable positions would be a raised bed or border among peat

and moisture-loving shrubs, such as heaths and rhododendrons near the bottom of the rock garden or on a raised bed near a pond or stream. Mecenopsis Baileyi and some of the other attractive species can be grown in pots in the cool greenhouse, but they are really more satisfactory in the open.

Meconopsis integrifolia is one of the plants which Mr Wilson went out to China to collect. Though an attractive plant it is not by any means the best of the plants which he introduced to cultivation. For a long time we had great difficulty in obtaining good seed, and many packets were sown without obtaining many seedlings, but now that we can get our own seed there is no difficulty. There are really two forms of this plant, but the one with the large saucer-shaped golden yellow flowers from 7 inches to 8 inches in diameter is the best. It flowers in early summer, and a well-grown plant may have as many as 38 flowers. It is also a true biennial. Seeds sown in August will produce plants fifr to put out in November, and these will flower the following summer.

Mecenopsis Baileyi has been described as the most wonderful and most beautiful hardy blue flower in existence, and much has been written about it, but I am not prepared to support this statement; though it certainly is a very striking plant. It has flower stems up to 4 feet in height and lovely sky blue flowers with golden anthers. It was raised from seed sent to Scotland by Captain Kingdon Ward in 1924, and, though a true perennial, it may die out after flowering. It is easy to raise from seed, and good seed is usually available.

Meconopsis Wallichii is a handsome plant, growing to a height of from 5 feet to 6 feet, with leaves often from 10 inches to 15 inches long, both the leaves and flower stem being covered with reddish brown hairs. The flowers begin to open at the top of the flower stem, and at the ends of the lateral branches, thus forming an erect pyramid. Though they do not last very long they keep on opening a few at a time, and it may be fully a month before they are all expanded. The colour varies from a reddish slate to a pale sky-blue, and among seedlings there are often a few with pure white flowers, though these never set seeds. This is a true biennial.

M. Prattii is a biennial growing to a heiglit of 15 inches to 18 inches, the stems, foliage, and seed capsules being coated with prickles. The flowers vary very much in colour from a pretty shade of blue to purple, but while some are well worth growing others are practically worthless. The best forms should be marked when in flower for seed saving. M. quintuplinervis is a perennial species, with single, bell-shaped flowers of a lavender-blue colour on stems about 18 inches high. The late Mr Farrer called this the harebell poppy, and, as it is a true perennial, it is well worth growing in a collection of hardy plants. M. rudis is a biennial very much like M. Prattii, with clear blue flowers. It is a very free seeder. Meconopsis cambrica (the Welosh poppy) is a very hardy and very accommodating plant, suitable either for the . rock garden or the mixed border. It is a cheerful plant, and self-sown seedlings will spring up on an old wall or a gravel path or anywhere they can find room, soil not being a special requirement. The flower is not unlike an Iceland poppy, being orange yellow with a more decided orange fringe. There is a double variety which is well worth having. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “ Producer,” Waimate. —Strawberry Bennet’s Prolific should meet your requirements. It has all the good qualities you mention. “ Belsdean,” Waikouaiti.—You can clip your privet hedge any time now. Do not cut much off the top, just bring the strong growths down, but trim in the sides a good bit. You could cut back your tulip tree and scarlet oak and allow them, to come away again from the bottom. The tulip tree should be planted in a sheltered position. “ Anderson’s Bay.”—Your tomatoes arc attacked by black leg, and I am afraid there is no cure except sterilised soil. “ Tulip,” Dunedin.—The tulip bulb sent was quite rotten, and if the others are the same they are no good. If any are good, plant them at once. Tulip bulbs can be kept in a cool, dry, airy shed quite well. W. J. H., Dunedin. —Plants in an oleria hedge frequently go off as described. If the soil is limed and dug over, and new plants are put in they come on all right. “ Tomato,” Oamaru. —The tomato is attacked by black scab. Diseased fruits should be removed, and the plants sprayed at intervals of a fortnight with .sulphide of potassium at the rate of 2oz a gallon of water.

Chards are the blanched summer shoots of the globe artichoke, and are by many prefefred to the blanched cardoons. In the early part.. of January