THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22284, 9 June 1934, Page 17

THE GARDEN

mRSSSmJv* notes by TANNOCK. a.H.R.H.S.

FOR THE WEEK^fe a*

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY

Though we lire: not yet part the ghortI - est day .there are- indications of growth / both "in the open and junder- glass, and preparations have to be' made, for seed sowing arid potting! Soil," leaf mould, and sand should be procured and stored in a \ dry shed. --, • , | Continue to potior,box up- the rooted i geraniums, .and to, pot on the pelargoniums and greenhouse* geraniums to their i flowering pots.. •■;' a > ; ; ... ■.'" , " ..-' I v Sow seeds of perennials, alpine j plants, ' trees* and shrubs., ■. '. I . Give forced bulbs growing in pow. a s little liquid manure knee's week. This I applies specially to freeaias.' and lacnen- « alias.; ■.'•'%•'.:'' '•.••••.-:.'. , I I Prune and-clean vines and vineries., i Puti in cuttings of : chrysanthemums as they; develop. '- ' "■ ;.<■ • ~.■: Ventilate all' houses and frames' freely 'whenever weather conditions are favourl. able outside, but do not try to force on growth" with too much f fire heat. ■; We often have-sunny weather in the winter, and it is better, to close the ventilators \j early in the: afternoon to shut in the sun ,'-' heat. .'.',-..'■'. - r -■:!.■' ~'V--\ ' ' 5i Cinerarias will be showing colour now, and'these should'have weak liquid manure once a week. * Keep them in the frames as long as possible- covering the sashes. With"' scrim or. sacks on frosty nights. uk Continue to make and put in cuttings, of "'■• fruitX'bushes "and; ornamental .trees and shrubs.;- ' . "'" ;*"' . • Pfiine ' climbers* growing on the root or. •walls: of the greenhouse to admit suni shine.' and bougainvillas can be cut hard back to the old wood. <M°st others are thinned and regulated.,- When • they are.down, wash the glass and woodr work with'warm, soapy water, and sponge and clean the plants. , '{ .1 THE 'FLOWER GARDEN t' Oontmue to plant and transplant 'roses I and all ■ kinds : of hardy trees arid shrubs.' ■Divide up the rampant herbaceous perennials, and'manure and die the'bordere. Fork over the -bulb ; beds arid give a y .dressing of basic super, or bashrslag. • , Daffodils are now showing through the £ ground, and ranunculus' and .anemones are well up; . '-' : - '■' ■ ~'",": ' ' ... It is not-too late to plant, out.wallr ; flowers,' forget-nie-nots, primrose polyanthus, and such .bienniils as sweet Williams : and.'Bromptorilarid East.Lothian stocks.' Carry out- the .work of repairing old . paths' and 1 laying down'new ones. .__ ' Level'the site for new lawns. Where : there 'k much' excavating and filling m | the "soil has time to settle before sowI irig down-time in the spring. ~. ' : ; Prune ornamental shrubs and dig or I fork over the borders.. I THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT: '''GARDEN. ' 1 'Owing to wet weather it has not been possible to do much in the vegetable garden, and fortunately there is not much. -.' •to do. ";.'"' :,.- . •", ~. ■• •'. ■

i Root crops can be lifted and stored in sand or buried near a hedge or footpath where they can be'obtained easily when required. . . ' i Potato sets can be put on end in sprouting boxes. .;. ' ■ . ~, ■ Braining and formation of paths should receive attention. ' Remoye all spent crops and store'away pea arid bean sticks in some convenient place, under cover if possible. , "i 'Continue to prune bush fruits and apples, pears, and pluriis. Spray fruit trees and bushes with a suitable winter'wash. ■Do not do/any planting or. transplanting until the soil is in good vorking order. ' ' - ..,, Cover seakaleand rhubarb with pots, boxes, or barrels arid, heap fermenting manure and leaves round these to force growth. , : ,v", -i : Lift seakale, chickpry, rhubarb,, and asparagus for forcing in the greenhouse. PRUNING FLOWERING SHRUBS Most flowering' shrubs require some pruning to keep them within.' reasonable bounds, to keep the branches off the ground, to prevent theih from, becoming a-thicket of dead and twiggy branches, and to allow the flowers room to develop. Some such as azaleas, rhododendrons, heaths, and camellias require very little pruning as a. rule, but as they flower ori the young wood of the previous season s growth, any. cutting;- back which may b« necessary should be done when the plants are in flower or immediately afterwards, so that the young growth may have a "long season to grow, ripen, and set-buds for the.next season's display.- This treat- . ment also applies to such deciduous -kinds as : lilacs,; weigelias, deutzias, spiraeas, amelanchiers, forsythias, etc., which flower on ripened branches of the previous seasons growth, or little twiggy lateral branches not unlike spurs all. along the stronger branches. These, are better cut ,back immediately after, flowering if they need to be shortened back' at all. A thinning out -of the thin, and weaker branches is all that is necessary in most years, and occasionally the older branches can be cut. right back,to make room for youiig ones brought ;up from the centre of the plant. .Thinning and. regulating the shoots to prevent overcrowding is all that is necessary as a rule, and'when cutting back is required it is better to be rather drastic, even if you have to sacrifice the flowers for one season. Those like cydonias (japonicas), which flower on spurs, should be treated somewhat like apples. The young growtns should be spurred back, or if there is room for. extension' six inches to. a foot of young wood can be left on the end of each branch. As a rule the cydonias become very much overcrowded in the centres, and to secure ripening of the spurs and the . production of-flowers the branches should be thinned out, an operation which can be done when the plants are 'in flower to provide house decorations. . . »

Shrubs whieh flower on the young'wood, such as hydrangeas, buddleias, and caeonothus, should be cut hard back just now to encourage the formation of strong young shoots, on the ends of which the flowers are produced in summer or autumn. The ordinary hydrangea (H. hoftensis) in its many varieties can be thinned out and the branches shortened back to 18 inches or two feet.. If they are growing strongly care should be taken to cut back to two stout, well-developel buds. If the plants are young, thinning out of thin and twiggy 'growths and the removal of old flower heads may be all that is necessary- H. pancultata should be spurred back to about two inches from the old wood, and the same drastic treatment can be meted out to the buddleias. Broom of the various types, the Spanish and the various varieties of the common broom and its hybrids, can be cut hard back after flowering should the plants become lanky and bare below. Of course, like others, if cut back when in flower they will have a longer season in which to grop and ripen their wood for the following year. . CLIMBERS Vines of''the clinging ampelopsis type require* very little pruning unless the shoots get away from the Avail and hang down. In time they would drag the whole plant away, and these should be cut away, or if space is available nailed up. The stronger growing kinds which do'not hang on well have to be regulated and much of the young growth cut off. Wistarias growing on walls or arbour s should have all the young growths pruned off once they occupy the space alloted to them, but while there is still room for extension some "of the strongest of the young shoots should be left and the weak and surplus ones cut away. Wistarias are excellent climbers for growing over verandas or over the walls of wooden houses. Ihey provide a.beautiful display of, flowers in early summer, the foliage shades the house during the heat of summer and autumn, and in the winter the leaves drop and the sun gets in to the walls. They are also quite easy to take down when painting is necessary. The 'strong growing clematis, such as montana and its variety rubens and Solanum jasminoides soon become a tangle of twiggy shoots and dead leaves unless they are cut fairly hard back occasionally. They should be allowed their full freedom for a few years and then be cut hard back, or they can be pruned every year immediately after flowering to allow them time to make strong young growths for the following season. Clematis Jackmanii and the other large flowered hybrids are excellent climbers for growing on houses, and as they have to he cut back to within about 18 inches of the ground every year they do not become a tangle, nor do they occupy too much space. Pruning in. autumn can be carried out in most districts, but where frosts are severe it woujd be better left to the spring. Varieties of the Jackmanii type

are Madam Edouard Andre, Jackmann alba,. and Gipsy Queen. The lanuginosa group is also very popular. Their blooms are larger and more handsome than the Jackmanii types, and though they, flower on the young growths they should not be cut quite so hard back. The shoots need not be cut back more than half way, thip spindly ones being cut out altogether. Varieties of this group are Beauty of Worcester, Lady Caroline Neville, George Jackman, Mme. Van Houtte, and Marcel Moser. Cobea scandens is an excellent, quick-growing creeper, which will not :cling to a brick wall, but can be trained on netting or tied to wires. For, quick results I know nothing more satisfactory, and if it is killed off in-frosty districts it is easily raised from seed. The native clematis' C. indivisa is excellent for cover ing a rustic fence, or,an abour <or for growing up through trees. It does not re-_ quire any pruning beyond the removal of dead shoots and a- little -regulating. All the strong growing clematis are excellent for- growing up through trees which they clothe with festoons of flower in spring and summer, and the small flowered types have ornamental fruits in the autumn. The various members of the vine family make excellent climbers for growing on walls, covering arbours or pergolas, and for growing up through the 'branches of trees. In the latter positions they can be; allowed the freedom of their own will and require little or no pruning, but when growing against walls or on pergolas when they have occupied the space allotted to them they should be spurred back to within two inches of the old wood like the fruiting vine. They will then make long, voung . growths. which hang down gracefully and colour beautifully m the autumn. Most of thehi bear bunches of little gripes which are also very ornamental. The hardier varieties of the fruiting vine can be grown on a warm wall, where thev will ripen their fruit in most seasons. The best of the vines are V. coignetia? (crimson Glory vine), a vigorous grower with very large leaves, V. Henryana has-deep green leaves cut into five leaflets threaded by silvery ribs and veins; V. armata has large heart-shaped leaves, bronze-green, set on spiny stems. V. quinqofolia is the true Virginian creeper suitable for arbours, pergolas andgrowing through trees, but not for clothing buildings. The bougainvilla, which will grow and flower on warm, sheltered walls, is pruned hard back to the old wood every year. Polygonum bald schuanieum is suitable for draping low trees, and bushes and covering arbours and rustic and scrub fences. It requires little pruning except to cut away old flowers and thin out the weak growths. The question how to attach climbers to walls is often a problem, and the best way of all is to fix either wire or wooden trellis work permanently on to the walls. , Another way suitable for straight stems is the use of galvanised wires fixed to nails or pins, and another way is buy using shreds and nails, . but the latter, though satisfactory for fruit trees, is too conspicuous to be ornamental. On wooden houses, pergolas, etc., nails and twine are suitable. ~ Seeing a yellow cobra about to attack a little boy at Worcester, Cape Province, a turkey rushed to the rescue and pecked the, creature to death. Among the skeletons of whales in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London, is one the head alone of which weighs six tons.