THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23637, 22 October 1938, Page 24

THE GARDEN

FOR THE WEEK'*!

NOTES BY d. TAN-NOCK, AH R,H.S « ! «K

THE GREENHOUSE AND THE NURSERY

visit a nursery when the plants are in flower and pick and transplant their an is then. As large specimens can be shifted with ease they are useful for giving an established effect in a new garden. Autumn or early spring is the best time to transplant rhododendrons and if they are planted firmly, well watered and mulched, they will not receive the slightest check. Among the. dwarf kinds suitable for the rock garden or the front of the shrubbery we have Impeditum and Racennosym, both of which are in flower at the present time. For small gardens and also the front of the shrubbery there are a great many species, but Ciliatum and Keysii, with the Chinese forms of arboreum, are among the best. Most •of the others are in shades of purple and pink, and. while interesting, are not so desirable as the more decided colours. The next section includes those suitable for small gardens, but which do not grow rapidly. The following are among the best of the species in this section. Barbatum, bright scarlet, rather difficult to accommodate; Cinnabarinum, cinnibar-red,. tubular flowers, and glaccous foliage"; Croceum, bright yellow; Glischrum, beautiful pink with crimson blotch; Griersonianum, geranium-scarlet flowers and the parent of many of the i ewer hybrids: Thomson!, brilliant bloodscarlet. Medium growing hybrids are Fragrantissimum. white and sweetly scented; Countess of Haddington, white blush rose and very free; Smithii aureum, primrose yellow; and Cornubia, blood-red. Of the strong growing species there are quite a number and foremost among them art the various forms of Arboreum, these developing into a shapely small tree with flowers varying from pure white to the deepest crimson and including many beautiful pink shades. Aucklanaii has large white flowers; Falconer! has very large leaves, brown underneath with large trusses of creamy white flowers with a purple blotch; Sino-grand has also large leaves sometimes two feet and a-half long, creamy-white flowers with a crimson blotch: Kingianum, a form of Arboreum with crimson flowers: and Fictolactum, with large, leathery leaves and creamy-white flowers, with crimson blotch. Of the larger growing hybrids the best is the Marquis of Lothian, with large flowers: Loderi, with white or pale flesh; and Coder’s White Beautv of Tremough. Of the hardier kinds there is no end of good hybrids such as Pink Pearl, which starts pink and dies off white; Alice, a beautiful pink which does not burn; Bagshot Ruby, intense red; Gomer Waterer, lilac-pink; Fastuusum, double rose-lavender; John Waterer, carmine: Unknown Warrior, bright rose-red; and Charles Lawson, pink. There are many more varieties, but these are among the best which can be obtained from New Zealand nurserymen. RUNNER BEANS (PHASEOLUS MULTIFLORUS The runner beans are natives of South America and consequently are sensitive to cold winds and light frosts, hence the reason why it is not safe to sow the seed outside before about the end of the present month. Though this plant has perennial forming tuberous roots, from which new growths start in the spring like dahlias, it is far more satisfactory to grow them from seed every year. Runner beans are not only one of the most productive of summer vegetables, but they are very accommodating and can be grown in the smallest garden, trained up strings or sticks against the wall of the house or against a fence. Even in a back yard where there is no good soil they can be grown in boxes or tins, and in this way they can beautify the surroundings and form a screen to hide any undesirable feature. There is a variety with white flowers, and by planting the two together the effect is quite decorative. Another advantage of runner beans Is that if there are more pods available than are necessary for the kitchen at any one time, they can be salted down with ease and preserved for winter use.

Practically all the bedding annuals should be out in frames, and the most forward outside altogether. Continue to pot up the chrysanthemums into five-inch pots, to pot up tuberous begonias and gloxinias and rooted cuttings of hydranges. Tomatoes will be growing rapidly now. and. though it is desirable to maintain a moist atmosphere, they should be given plenty of water at the roots. Seeds of'primula obconica can be sown now. THE FLOWER GARDEN The hot, dry weather has been rather hard on polyanthus primroses, but the wallflower is lasting well and making a great show. Continue to plant out bedding plants of all kinds except dahlias, salvias and zinnias. Pollenate and mark the polyanthus primroses from which it is intended to save seed, and mark the most desirable varieties of ranunculus and anemones. : THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Plant main-crop potatoes and fork and earth up the early kinds. Make sowings of main-crop carrots and beet, and make further sowings of Golden Ball turnips, lettuce, peas, broad beans, radish and spinach. Make a first sowing of French and runner beans. Plant out cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Make a small sowing of leeks, cabbage, savoys and autumn cauliflowers to provide plants to put out later on. Cultivate among strawberries and mulch them with. strawy manure. Keep the soil among fruit trees cultivated and weeded, and cultivate among all growing crops. Rhododendrons The rhododendrons are amongst the most beautiful of our hardy trees and shrubs and being perfectly hardy in this district, are desirable for either the large or small garden. As a matter of fact there are species only a few inches in height, and others which grow into trees from 40 to 50 feet. Though the plants are perfectly hardy, some of the species and varieties which flower early are liable to have their buds and flowers damaged by late frosts, but this difficulty can be overcome by planting in a position where they do not get the morning sun, or by providing some kind of overhead shade which will keep it off. Though late spring and early summer is the chief rhododendron season, there are varieties such as Nebleanum which flower in the autumn and continue through the winter; to be followed by the various forms of Arboreum and Maddeni, the last to flower being about its best at Christmas. The main home of rhododendrons is the mountains of India and China, where they extend from the margin of the jungle, where they intermingle with conifers and oaks right up to the limits of vegetation. Those on the margins of the jungle have large leaves like Falconen and the foliage of the various species decreases in size as the elevation increases, until they are almost like They enjoy alpine conditions with plenty of moisture during the growing season and excellent drainage, and to grow many at our elevation it is necessary to provide some kind of thin overhead shade, such as we get from oaks and the native fuchsia, with a good mulch to keep the roots moist during excessively dry weather. There are species and varieties which will grow in any garden and m any kind of soil except that in which there is free lime. They do like bush soil overlying clay and, along with azaleas and heaths, they can be grown m soils which are too sour for other trees and shrubs. When planting on banks, wide but not deep holes are suitable, with an outlet for drainage. In the garden it is better to trench the ground, adding quantities of organic matter such as leafmould, compost heat, spent hops, or well-rotted manure. They form a compact root system, and should not be planted for the roots like to be near the surface, where they enjoy an annual mulch of leaves, lawn mowings, or well-rotted manure, grass, weeds, or anything which will keep in moisture, keep the roots cool and rot. Owing to their compact root, system. It is possible to transplant large specimens with ease at any time, and those who are particular as to colours and do not know the plants by name should

In every case, unless seed is desired, the pods should be picked before the seeds form properly, and. by doing this and giving plenty of water during dry weather, covering with liauid manure occasionally, the plants will bear right up to the time they are cut down byfrost.

To grow good beans it Is necessary to go to some trouble in preparing the soil, for it must be rich, deep, well drained, and well cultivated, and the site of last year’s celery trench is suitable.

In ordinary soil a trench two feet deep and two feet wide should be thrown out and the bottom broken up to the depth of another nine to 12 inches. Put in 18 inches of well-rotted manure or compost heap, dusting it well with lime and superphosphate. Put back the soil and tramp to firm. With the spade, take out a flat drill six inches wide and three inches deep, and sow the seeds in a double row

along the sides of this drill at six inches apart. If they all germinate, every second plant can be pulled out to give the remainder room to develop. To get a few early pickings, it is better to sow some seed in boxes of light, rich soil. Place these in a frame, and when well, hardened off and all danger of frost is past, they are planted out in a double row at a foot apart. ... . . Though they can be grown without stakes by pinching out the tips of the shoots from time to time, the pods become dirty and the crop is never so satisfactory. Sticks should be provided at an early stage, aim these, should be no less than six feet in height. Manuka sticks with the scrubby part removed are suitable, and these are easy enough to get from round Dunedin. When growing against a wall or fence, strings are suitable and should be fixed to a rod at the bottom and to another rod or nails at the top. When, sticks are used these should be secured to a rod or wire stretched between stout poles at each end, with other poles at intervals of nine feet, each stick being tied securely to this wire or rod. During the growing season they should never be allowed to lack moisture, and liquid manure can be given once a fortnight, with a dusting of Humber fish manure or blood and bone manure dusted along the rows and worked in with the hoe once a month. Slugs are fond of young beans, and during moist weather it will be necessary to dust along the rows with freshly slaked lime at intervals. Only the best varieties are worth growing, and Prizewinner has pods 21 inches in length and Best of All pods 17 inches.