HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 10

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Bx 3. Gebbib. "

— Primroses and Polyanthuses.— Of ihe genus Primula, I suppose that the two members of this great family primroses ( and polyanthuses are the best known, and being hardy perennials, it is a wonder that they are not more generally cultivated. Flowering- early in spring, they are very | attractive in the shrubberies and other shady .parts of the garden. The primroses are a. host in themselves, producing an almost endless variety of the richest shades of colour, including white, yellow, blue, and red. There are also double varieties of several colours.' These grow best in a cool, moist, but well-drained situation; and prefer a," soil of "light loam intermixed with decayed ' tree leaves. They are increased by seeds or by dividing the tufi? into separate oiowns,with roots attached. Thisjnay be done ,-when the., flowers decay, the young '.plants -being put -out in a cool. shady situation. By the following spring they will become .strong, blooming plants. If increase is not wanted, they may remain undisturbed s for "several years, and if the conditions are fairly suitable they will increase in size and bloom-bearing capacity. Polyanthuses, on the contrary, quickly lose strength, except in exceptionally favourable soils, unless annually transplanted. If allowed to remain undisturbed th& flowers and trusses become small, and lo^e those qualities which make fhis spring flower so ornamental. The Polyanthus requires a heavier soil than the primroses, and to realise their great beauty and worth they should be sheltered from strong sunshine as well as from parching winds. At this ! time of the year there is nothing finer than i-a bed of giant polyanthus in full bloom. Like the primrose they can be increased by dividing the plants ; also by seed, which should be sown in boxes and kept in a cool - frame, shaded arid damp. - They will take a month or more to germinate, and when the seedlings can be handled, "they may be pricked out into boxes to be finally planted out in beds or borders where, they ar© to bloom. Primroses cati also be increased from seeds, .and there is always the chance* of obtaining something new,- and it is exceedingly interesting to watch a bed of seedlings flowering for the 'first time. - - — Dielytra Spcctabilis. — ' This is orte of our most beautiful spring herbaceous plants, known to some by the common name of bleeding heart. It is a- native of Siberia, and was first found growing in gardens in the north of China, and was sent to the London Horticultural Society in 1846. It was first shown in* Dunedin by the late Mr Bsgg, who at the time was curator of the old Botanic ' Gardens, situated in Albany street. It soon became a popular plant, and was seen in many gardens ; but for some years past I have seldom met with it. It is perfectly hardy, but requires to be planted in a sheltered position, as the soft succulent growth is easily destroyed by the wind. It has large fleshy roots, the stalks and leaves rising to 18in or 2ft. The flowers are produced on spikes about 6in long, and hang down gracefully on one side. CrcwJi in pots it is more delicate and lovely- looking than when grown in the open ground. It is readily amenable to pot cultivation, and when introduced into the „ greenhouse or windows during winter is net long before it comes into bloom. In lifting tlie plants from the open care should be taken not to break the roots, which are large, fleshy, and brittle, and if got up intact soon form fresh fibres to feed and push up strong crowns. — Oleanders. — This is a remarkably showy greenhouse evergreen shrub, which is seldom seen flowering freely. Many have grown them for years, and never had an expanded ! bloom. The buds show in abundance, hub , always drop off. There is no difficulty in growing the plant, and they flower freely when scarcely a foot high from cuttings, but M given room they would grow 2QH or more, forming trees. In the Auckland district they grow "nd bloom to perfection in the open air ; but in the South Island they will not flower in the open, atthougl they may exist for years and '

produce flower buds; but these never open. Thero are several varieties, one of the best being Nerium splcndens, or Oleander splendens, the name by which it was at one time known. The roso-coloured flowers come in bunches of 10 or more at th& ends of all the branches, and the individual flowers are as large as a middling-sized rose. They grow best in a compost of loam and peat with about a fomth part of welldcoayed manure, with about a sixth part of sand mixed with it. Although they will grow under almost any conditions, even in the open air, I would advise those wishing to flower them to koop them under glass, give them a light sunny position, and as they delight in moisture, b& sure that the roots never become dry at any time. When the flower buds show, a little manure water given now and again would help them to open. A friend of mine had a plant growing in a 9in pot wliioh was nearly always in bloom. This pot was set in a half kerosene tin, which was kept filled with liquid manure, and in this the flowers altainod a large size. A good drenching of water overhead does them good. The nerium is one of the most virulent of vegetable poisons, but this need not deter anyone from trying its cultivation. There are few gardens without some poisonous plant amongst its inhabitants. — Gelmesias. — Some of these beautiful native plants are flowering profusely just now m the border. I have always admired these when T caw them in bloom in their native habitat. The white flowers, just like a single aster, and about 2in across, look very pretty. One plant has six blooms open just now, and hidden by the leaves are a score or more of buds coming up, so that there will be a continuation of bloom for a long time. There are soino 30 cr more species in the colony; b\ifc many do not succeed well under cultivation, and last only for a few years. Others are so tenacious of life that they will submit to almost any treatment, and thrive for years. Those most suitable for garden decoration are offered by the Dunedin nurserymen who make a specialty of native plants.

Under the' direction of Signor Bragato, the Government VitieulturLst, "special progress has been made with the hothouse grapes at Mr A. M. Wilson's vinery at Birkenhead. The berries have attained their full size, aaid, all being wall, should be fully ripe before the end of next month. Our representative at Birkenhead was shown the same kind of vine, the "Black Hamburg," in a glasshouse not under forced heat, and the contrast was marked. The vines were only just beginning to bloom, whilst in another section a vine named the Lats Coleman had no semblance of life whatever, and will not come into bearing before April next. The native clematis is now to be seen in profusion hanging from the trees on sunny spots in the bush (states the Auckland Herald). The Maori name, "Puawananga," is said to have its origin in a circumstance which illustrates the poetic fancy of the ancient Maori. When their ancestoi's had te'depart from their beloved Hauaiki, their great regret was that the " wananga," a "philosophic discourse engrayed in th& wharekura, or temple, could not. be taken off in the canoes. This circumstance they continued to mourn until, reaching the shores of New Zealand in the early spring, the beautiful festoons of the •white clematis were seen, when they exclaimed, with one accord, " Puawananga " — it is the flower of the wananga.