THE GARDEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27211, 14 October 1949, Page 10

THE GARDEN

f Contributed by f I B. TANNOCK. A.H.R.H.&. f fee-:,: ===== . : ======ll

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS E. M. K., Palmerston.—The name o£ the shrub sent is Cydonia Maulei (dwarf quince). It is a native of Japan, and is one of the most charming of the redflowered shrubs. It bears fruit freely, and this is pleasingly coloured and scented in early winter. Cuttings of young ripened wood can be rooted, but, as it is dwarf,’layering would be more certain. J. W., Clydevale.—There is no doubt that the grubs are the cause of the disappearance of anemones and ranunculus. You could mix in some horticultural naphthalene before planting anything in the infested ground, or arsenate of lead powder. If you want to bring any more soil from the same poddock, skim off the top three inches of grass first. " Wistaria,” Clinton.—There is a pink or rosy-lilac variety of Wistaria multijuga, which is the largest-flowered species. As the ground is poor, a good top-dress-ing of blood and bone or bone meal could be forked in round the plant, and be sure that it gets sufficient water in the spring when it is making its growth. A mulch of stable manure would be an advantage during the summer. Fish manure mixed with an equal quantity of clean loam would be suitable for topdressing a maidenhair fern. THE CAMELLIA This is a very decorative evergreen shrub or small tree sometimes growing to a height of 30 or 40 feet. It is a native of China and was introduced to European gardens about the beginning of the eighteenth century. There are a number of varieties with pink, white and striped flowers, the old-fashioned ones being quite double. Now, the single and semi-double varieties with their golden stamens are the most appreciated, and they are certainly the most decorative. Camellias are quite hardy, but as many flower in early spring, their flowers are liable to be damaged by frost and they should be planted where they do not get the early morning sun. As lawn specimens they are very effective and they are also very suitable for growing in pots and tubs for placing on a veranda or terrace. They like a free loamy soil, with which a considerable quantity .of peat or leafmould has been mixed. Plants turned out of pots or tubs in which the roots have been matted require careful watering until the roots spread into the surrounding soil. Good varieties which I would recommend are gradiflora, which is semi-double and white; Great Eastern, which has large showy crimson blossoms; La Gracioli, a semi-double carmine-red, with central petals intermingled with the stamens: Edward Billing, pink-edged with white; and Nanpariel, a prettv shade of pink with petals bunched in the centre. Camellia reticulata, which was found and introduced by Forrest, is the rarest of the camellias, and also the most beautiful. It has large semi-double flowers with beautifully ruffled pink petals surrounding a cluster of golden stamens. Camellia sasunqua is a shrub or small tree with dark shining leaves and single white flowers, one and a-half to two inches square. Camellia thea, the Tea Plant, Is an evergreen shrub with lance-shaped leaves and dull white flowers. It is not very ornamental, but is interesting as being one of the most important economic plants of the world. It supplies the tea of commerce. HARDY ANNUALS

There are now many very fine varieties of the hardy annuals, which are ihost useful for providing a display during the summer and autumn in the flower garden. They are specially suitable for furnishing the beds and borders in a new garden, and for a comparatively small outlay an assortment of varieties can be obtained which would provide a bright and interesting feature among the newly-planted shrubs and perennials until these become established. They are also very suitable for providing cut flowers for house decoration.

Provided the ground was dug or trenched in the autumn or winter, the preparation for sowing will consist of forking it over, breaking up all lumps, and with the rake making the surface fine to provide a suitable seed bed. It is usually safe to give a dressing of lime, about 4oz to the square yard, and to work it in while preparing for sowing. Some people prefer to raise the hardy annuals in boxes, similar to the halfhardy kinds, but this is not necessary except to get them into flower earlier, and plants raised from seed sown where they are to flower are healthier, stronger and flower for a longer period than transplanted ones. Having made the surface fine, the borders should be marked out in irregular patches, and the taller kinds can "be sown at or near the back of the border, and the dwarf kinds at or near the front. To obtain a satisfactory result, some consideration should be given to the shape of the inflorescence, so that heads like asters and calendulas will not all be together, but distributed among the spike kinds, such as godetias and clarkias. Some attention has also to be given to a distribution of the colours, so that there will be harmony and suitable contrasts.

Sow the seed thinly, for it usually germinates well, rake it into the surface, give a dusting of blood and bone manure and superphosphate, 2oz of each to the square yai\d. Then cover with some fine sifted soil, the depth varying with the size of the seed, but usually not more than an inch for the largest ones, and less for the smaller. KINDS TO SOW Both the single and the ostrich-plume asters can be sown in the open, and from experiments carried out, it was found that they were less liable to wilt than those which were transplanted. They should be obtained in mixed colours. Calendulas are very satisfactory, and either the orange or art shades are good. Clarkias are specially good, the double varieties being the most desirable for decorative work. The salmon and scarlet shades are very bright and attractive. For cornflowers, the tall mixed or the dwarf Jubilee Gem are recommended. Escholtzia (or Californian poppy) is a very good annual for a dry and sunny position, a mixed packet providing many attractive shades. Godetia is also a very good plant, there being both tall double and dwarf single varieties. Sybil Sherwood (double) and Kelvedon Glory are good varieties. The tall varieties are especially suitable for house decorations. Of tlie larkspurs, the tall branching stockflowered kind, mixed, is very good. It can be had in separate colours.

Mignonette and night (lowering stock are both worth growing for their delightful perfume. They can be sown near the front of the border. Nasturtiums are suitable for a warm, sunny, dry position. Golden Gleam and Scarlet Gleam are good varieties. The annual varieties of poppies are worth growing, the double Shirley art shades being very attractive. The tall, large-flowered kinds are also worth growing. Sunflower, Cut-and-come-again and Miniature, are suitable for the back of t.he border.

Two everlasting flowers, the Statice sinuata and Helichrysum, are well worth growing for winter decorations, as well as a show in the border. Mixed colours of both are interesting.