THE GARDEN

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 11

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

By

D. Tannock.

The Greenhouse and Nursery. Owing to the recent wet weather and the need to do gardening under shelter, the work in the greenhouse and propagating houses will be well forward. Potting of ferns and foliage plants can still be carried out, cuttings of fuchsias and hydrangeas put in, and later sowings of half-hardy annuals made to provide plants for filling blanks in the mixed borders when the spring-flowering 1 ulbs are past. Continue to prick out seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle, and to make room for them in the warm house. The geraniums can be put out into frames. There should not be any more hard frosts, but it is not safe to place any tender plants outside unless some arrangement is made for covering them with scrim at night. The tuberous begonias should be taken down from their winter quarters, and a few can be started to provide early flowers. It is too early to start the bedding tubers yet, but it is advisable to look them over and to remove any which may have rotted. It is also advisable to look over the dahlia tubers and the gladioli corms.

The Flower Garden. As soon as the roses are pruned, the beds and borders dug, and the plants sprayed, attention should be given to any planting or transplanting of trees and shrubs which has still to be led out. It is not too late yet; in fact, August and September are often very satisfactory months for planting both herbaceous and hardwood plants. The heavy rains ’ ave .again beaten down the f 'ice soil, and advantage should be taken of dry days to prick or stir it up with a fork or scuffle hoe. Vllip the grass edges of bode and paths, mow lawns, and roll them occasionally. Plant out carnations, placing a few strands of black cotton over them to frighten away birds, plant o ‘ ’taelmas daisies and other hardy perennials, and prepare trenches for sweet peas. During wet weather make stakes, sorting them out into bundles of different sizes, repair paths, clear drains and ditches, and lay new drains where they are required.

The Vegetable and Fruit Garden. Unless in well-drained positions, and shingly or sandy soils, it is little use making any very extensive so-- : -igs or plantings of vegetables. Make up a gentle hotbed in a frame on which lettuce, radish, and carrots can be brought on, and when these are used i* will be ready for planting out vegetable marrows. It is surprising how well things come on in the spring when sown in a frame in gentle heat, and as fresh vegetables are usually scarce it is well worth while getting a frame and bringing on early supplies. As soon as the soil is fit to work it should be hoed or lOrked up among the autumn-sown crops, weeds can be removed, and after dusting the peas with lime or basic phosphate they can be staked.

Continue to prune peaches and- apricots growing on walls or fences, afterwards spraying them with Bordeaux mixture. Spray apples and clean and cultivate among the strawberries. Make fresh plantations of rhubarb, and mulch the established plants -ith farmyard manure. Edgings.

Edgings of some kind are required to mark off the margins of beds ar.c borders and to define paths. These are often made of concrete, which is quite good though rather formal, but this can be altered by growing various spreading plants immediately behind them, which will grow over and hide them in places. Very satisfactory effects can also be obtained by placing bricks on end, or flat stones will do provided they are buried two-thirds of their height in the ground to keep them firm. Hardwood is also used occasionally, but it cannot be considered as permanent, and should be replaced by something more lasting as soon as possible. To secure good drainage it is usual to have the soil in the borders a little higher than the paths, and as these also slope upwards, unless there is an edging of some kind the soil is constantly washing down on to the paths.

Of living edgings turf is quite suitable, and when mown and rolled regularly, it makes quite a good frame for a longstraight border, and in private gardens it may be wide enough to serve as a soft path in dry weather. Boxwood, which was at one time the most popular of the living edgings, is the least satisfactory. It is certainly neat and tidy when trimmed regularly, but it dies when tramped on, and is a -splendid shelter for slugs. There are quite a number of perennial edgings as neat as box when trimmed, and they add to the attractions of the garden when in flower..

Erica carnea, is a neat growing little plant, in flower at the present time, its bright rosy red flowers being appreciated at a time when most flowers are yellow, white, or blue. It can be increased by division, and kept neat and within bounds by clipping it over after the flowers lose their colour. Erica tatralix can also be used, but it is not such a good plant, and is not to be recommended.

The Scotch Heather, Calluna vulgaris, is a good plant for large rhododendron or shrubbery borders, and it is very attractive when in flower in late summer or autumn. It can also be kept low by clipping it after the flowering season is over.

Heaths are much more accommodating than many people think, and, though they like a peaty soil, they thrive quite well in ordinary garden loam so long as they are kept watered during dry autumns and away from lime.

Lavender makes an excellent edging for a large shrubbery or herbaceous border, but is rather too tall for an ordinary ribbon or bedding-out border. It is beautiful when in flower and can be kept within reasonable bounds by pruning in the autumn, either when in flower or immediately afterwards. Lavender can be grown from seed, or it can be increased by means of cuttings inserted in boxes of sandy soil in the autumn, and placed in a cool shady frame, or larger pieces can be rooted in the open if put in as recommended for hardwood cuttings. One of the most popular dwarf edgings for rose beds and mixed flower borders is the catmint (Nepeta niussini), a dwarf plant with grey foliage and pale lavender flowers, easily increased by division in the autumn. For a blue edging the gentianella (Gentiana acaulis) is very satisfactory in soils containing lime, and it is stated that it likes to be walked on occasionally. The mossy phlox (Phlox subulata) is an excellent plant to grow over a brick or stone ending, and is most effective where it can wander on to the path. Violets make an excellent edging for a cool, moist border, and can be grown either with or without a permanent stone edging. They are better when divided up each season after flowering when the soil can be enriched with well-rotted farmyard manure. Violas and pansies are also favourites, the blue or white varieties of Viola cornuta, and the purple Viola gracilis being the most suitable. For a neat formal edging in a dry, sunny position the house leek (Echeveria secunda) is very useful. It increases rapidly, and when well established will stand ‘most winters, but as there is a danger of its being killed bv frost it is better to lift a number and winter them in frames. Sedum Ewersi and Sedum Sieboldi are also plants which can stand considerable drought and sunshine.

The- various alpine and border pinks make good edgings, and when planted behind a rock edging on an elevated border they make a fine display when in flower, and their grey foliage is always interesting. Dianthus alpinus and D neglectus and D. caesius are the best for a neat dwarf edging, but D. plumarius and the various varieties of Allwoodii are more suitable where a broad band or an irregular outline is desired All can be raised from seeds or cuttings and will last for several years without transplanting. For a cool, moist, shady position under frees or shrubs the Foam flow flowers (Tiarella cordifolia) will make a neat dwarf edging, and for larger borders the various varieties of Plantain lily Funkias) are quite suitable. Foi dry edging under trees the large-leaved saxifrages are suitable: most of the varieties are bright when in flower and their foliage is also attractive. For a cool, moist, open nosition. the mossy saxifrages are suitable, and in well-drained open nositions the encrusted section can be grown behind and over stones. Other suitable edging nlants are London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosa), dwarf native veronicas. Gypsophila repens, double arabis, purple aubrietia, wild

thyme, Plumbago larpente (the lead wort), gazanias, and the dwarf iris.

Though it is usual to plant edgings of one kind of plant for each bed or border, a very interesting edging for a mixed border can be formed by planting an assortment of dwarf or alpine plants. For this purpose it is advisable to build up a double row of stones with a welldrained border in between, and, if carefully constructed, such a border can be a very good substitute for a rock garden, and most of the alpine plants will thrive on it.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

“Apricot” (Christchurch). —I would not recommend using old oil from motor cars for spraying fruit tree:. It would be better to use the commercial red oil, which mixes readily with water for apple trees, and Bordeaux mixture (winter formula) for peach and apricot trees.