THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22742, 30 November 1935, Page 23

THE GARDEN

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS "Puzzled," Lovell’s Flat.—The ornamental gourds ■will not in way affect the crop of marrows, but they might affect the seed. Better not to keen your own. All the old growths of loganberries should be cut out it they have made plenty of new ones, “Escallonia," Clinton—Your apples are affected with mildew. Spray with lime sulphur, 1 in 100. or Bordeaux mixture, summer formula. In winter cut out and burn all affected parts. “Seed," Roxburgh—Your macrocarpa and bluegum seed will germinate. You have , given it the right treatment. Tree seeds are a bit slow in coming up this season, no doubt due to lack of heat. “ Milton."—The veronica is Hulkeana, and the broom Dorothy Walpole, or one of the seedlings from it. The hollyhock disease can be kept in check by spraying the plants with Bordeaux mixture or some form oi sulphur compound. THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY The greenhouse should be gay with scbizantnus, calceolarias, Primula obconica and atreptocarpuSj with hydrangeas and pelargoniums coming on. In the warm greenhouse gloxinias and gesnerias are coming on, and they, with the various foliage plants,, make this section interesting and ornamental. The first of the chrysanthemums will be ready to pot on to their flowering pots

which will be nine or 10-inch sizes. The soil should consist of good turfy loam three-parts, horse droppings half a part, luafmould half a part, half a part lime rubble and sharp sand and a five-inch potful of bone meal, and the same ot oyster grit, wood ashes, and soot if it is available. The loam should be chopped up roughly or torn to pieces with the hands, but never sieved. It is really better to have the soil mixed a fortnight or three weeks before it is required, to keep it in a dry shed, and to turn it frequently. Crock the pots liberally, put some rough loam or leaves over the drainage, and then put in some of the soil, ramming it firmly with the potting stick. Take the plants out of the pot, remove the crocks, open out the roots a little bit round the top, and put into the large pot just a little deeper than it was before, fill in with soil evenly all round, and ram firmly. It is most important to pot chrysanthemums firmly to secure ‘ firm, short-jointed growth. After potting, give one good watering and stand on a bed of ashes in an open, sheltered place until fixed properly in their summer quarters. Continue to f-ee'd the hydrangeas, to pot up or basket the tuberous begonias, and to repot or top-dress the orchids. All dahlias, zinnias, and salvias should by now be out in a cold frame to be gradually hardened off, and all other-bedding plants should be outside. Make a small sowing of Primula obconica, Kewensis and malacoides, and make the first sowing of wallflower seed, either in boxes or in a specially prepared bed in the open. THE FLOWER GARDEN Though the sleet and snow showers have come a bit late, all the more tender bedding plants, such as salvias and zinnias, can be planted out in their permanent positions now, and all other bedding should be completed as soon as possible. Continue to stake delphiniums, perennial phlox, miehaelmas daisies, and other herbaceous plants, even the Sweet William is better of a short stake to keep the stems upright,’when they are in flower. Prune and tie up sweet peas grown as cordons, keep the soil around them stirred with the, scuffle hoe and dust with lime occasionally. Keep the rose' beds and borders edged and hoed, thin hardy annuals and keep the soil among all growing plants stirred with the fork or scuffle hoe. The plants on the rock garden are growing rapidly now and care should be taken to keep the stronger kinds cut back to prevent them from smothering the more choice and delicate kinds. . Bulbs of all kinds can be lifted' and spread out in boxes in a cool airy shed to dry. Keep the lawns mowed and rolled and as there are usually a number of flatleaved weeds in a new lawn which the mower will not catch these should be dug out or killed with sulphate of ammonia. Five pounds of sulphate of ammonia, s’b of beach sand and half a pound of sulphate of iron is a good weed killer and it stimulates ’he growth of .the gass. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN Sow small patches of cabbage, broccoli, leeks, kale, and Savoys to provide plants to put out in January or February for winter use. Continue to sow peas, broad beans, French and runner beans, also lettuce, radish and spinach to provide a succession. Make sowings of maincrop beet carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Eaith up and spray potatoes, stick peas and beans, top broad beans, and cultivate among all growing crops. Plant out vegetable marrows, pumpkins, and ridge cucumbers. Thin the new growths of peaches and gooseberries spray for leaf curl, mildew and codhn moth. THE ROCK GARDEN The , cool, moist weather is just the thing for the rock plants, and they are making a good display, which promises to continue for some time yet. A different lot of plants are in flower now, and whereas a few weeks ago we. depended mainly on mossy phlox, alyesums, arabis, and aubretia, the most attractive plants at the present time are dianthus, helianthemums, and saxifrages, with a few gentians and other kinds. The dianthus are a large and very attractive family belonging to the same order as carnation's and Sweet Williams, which are easy to accommodate provided they have good drainage and lime in the soil. They can be used effectively as edgings for paths, furnishing dry walls, groups in the mixed border, and, of course, on the rock garden. Two of the most suitable for the rock garden are D. alpinus and D. neglectus. The former forms neat tufts of foliage, with comparatively large deep rose flowers on twoinch stalks, and D. neglectus has grassylike foliage with bright pink flowers, also comparatively large for the size of the plant. In fact it is rather remarkable that the two dwarf species have really the largest" flowers. Recently a new race of dwarf pinks has been raised bv crossing D. Alwoodii pinks with D. alpinus. ca*ius. etc. These retain the dwarf habit of alpinus with the perpetual flowering characteristics of the Allwoodii, they flower from spring to winter, retaining their silvery moss-like foliage at all seasons, and not exceeding from four to six inches in height, whilst a two-year-old plant would not spread more than six inches in diameter. Varieties are Good News. Puck, Pam. Charming Titania, and Cobweb.

The Alwoodii pinks are half carnation and half pink, perpetual flowering, commencing in spring and continuing during the entire summer and autumn. Even when not in flower their healthy glaucous foliage is attractive, and they have also the delightful pink perfume, and are perfectly hardy. There are a great number of named varieties, such as Alice, Barbara, Dorothy, Mary. Harold and Esther. Of the old-fashioned garden pinks Mrs Sinicins is one of the most popular, its snow-white flowers, which are so freely produced, being strongly perfumed, and another good pink suitable for the rock garden is Miss Gladys Cranfield, which has large, deep rose-pink flowers on rigid stems. Pinks are easily propagated by means of cuttings which are put into beds or boxes of sandy soil in the autumn, and the species are easily raised from seed. Heliantbemums or rock roses or sun roses are very hardy and very accommodating dwarf shrubs, with thin, wiry stems which creep along the ground, rendering them very suitable for the rock garden, for rocky banks and dry walls. The colour of the flowers, which open full in sunlight and close at night and on dull days, is very varied, remarkably brilliant, of almost every shade, and both single and double. They are easily raised from seed or cuttings, or the old plants which root along the stems can be divided up. They like full sun and can stand a considerable amount of drought. Ramondia pvrenaica is a very desirable rock plant 'which thrives under conditions directly opposite to the dianthus and rock roses, it'likes a cool, shady position in a chink befcveen two rocks or at the base of a large one, and has rosettes of dark green hairy leaves from which spring large violet-purple flowers. Bearded iris is sometimes called the poor man’s orchid because of its remarkable shape, its varied and beautiful colours, and the ease with which it can be grown.

-%ORK FOR THE WEEK|

NOTES BY TANNOCR, AJULIia.

Though the bearded iris will live under almost any condition, it really likes the open sunnv one, a deeply trenched and well-drained soil, lime and bone meal, or superphosphate, but no animal manure. Though they will live for years without division, they are better when lilted, divided up, and replanted every three or four years. The most suitable time for this operation is early autumn, though they can be lifted any time until spring. It is essential to plant quite shallow, just below the surface, and to make them firm. New and expensive varieties appear every year, but they do not appear to be so very much better than some of the older and well-tried varieties such as Alcazar, which is a strong grower, bearing many gigantic flowers, standards, soft mauve flushed with bronze, falls brilliant purple with an orange beard. Iris King has massive, well-built flowers of great texture, freely produced. THE ROSE GARDEN So far roses are promising very well, their growth is strong, their foliage clean and healthy, and the flowers which have opened so far have been of excellent colour. The climbers are the first to open, and though their flowers may not have very long stalks, they can be arranged quite artistically in _ shallow bowls. Climbing Shot Silk and Climbing Madame Edouard Harriot have both done well. The buds of the bush varieties should be thinned downs to one on each stem it good flowers are desired, and during the process of thinning any green fly which may be sheltering amojig the buds can be squashed between the finger and thumb. Green fly usually appears on the ramblers first, and unless it is checked the buds will drop off and the plant become partly defoliated. Spraying with soapy water to which a little blackleaf 40 has been added will be an effective cure, this being applied when as hot as the hand will stand and care taken to see that both the under and the upper sides of the leaves be moistened. Greeqfly SO is also a good spray. Should mildew appear, spray with formaldehyde one tablespoonful to a gallon of water while in flower, for it does not stain the flowers or foliage, or with lime sulphur, clensel or some other sulphur compound after the first flowering is over. Feeding can also be carried out now, liquid manure made from horse, cow, or sheep manure being given or, three occasions at weekly intervals. Should weather be cold and the soil wet, it is better to give a dry manure of 121 b superphosphate, 101 b kainit, 21b sulphate of magnesia, lib sulphate of iron, and 81b gypsum. Apply at the rate of 4oz to the square yard, and hoe it in.