THE GARDEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 11

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

By

D. Tannock.

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY. The raising and hardening off of the bedding plants will still require attention, and the chrysanthemum cuttings which were put in some time ago can be potted up into three inch pots, using a soil composed of loam two parts, leaf mould half a part, well-rotted manure half a part, sand and lime rubble half » part, and a dusting of bone meal. Do not pot too firmly, and stand on the bench of a warm greenhouse until the plants take to the new soil. Tuberous begonias, both those used for the greenhouse and those foi’ bedding out in the flower garden, should now be brought into the greenhouse and watered to start them into growth. They can be started in the boxes in which they were stored away for the winter, but as soon as growth commences they will be boxed up in a richer soil, allowing them room to develop into well grown plants.

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

Bjeak down the soil in the rose beds in preparation for planting violas and pansies, scuffle hoe both herbaceous and shrubbery borders, and plant out perennials. Violets will soon be past, and no time should be lost in dividing up the old plants and making fresh plantations of the runners.

Gladioli.—The modern types of gladioli are useful for cutting, for house decoration, for displays in the garden, and for exhibitions, and no doubt much of their popularity is due to the wonderful range of colours we now have, as a result of the introduction of the primulinus hybrids, and the more graceful arrangement of the flowers on the stalk. The present is the main season for planting, and though they like a rich, light, well-drained soil they will thrive under most conditions. For garden decoration they can be grown in beds associated with some suitable carpeting plant, in group? in the mixed border or in beds again associated with some other plant. They agree very well with bearded iris, providing a display after these beautiful flowers are past. When grown for cut flowers they are better planted in beds or in rows in the kitchen or reserve garden, where it is possible to stretch wires along the rows to which the flower stems can be tied. When planting in very stiff soil liable to become too wet, it is an advantage to put a handful of sand in the bottom of each hole, resting the base of the corm on it, but in ordinary well cultivated soil the corms can be planted about three inches deep and from nine to 12 inches apart. The small corms can be in flat drills about three inches apart, and the very small ones, usually called spawn, are sown in flat, shallow drills like garden peas. Many will flower, and all will grow into corms large enough to plant next year. Spring Flowers.—The display in the spring garden is provided by three dis tinct types of hardy plants:—(l) Trees and shrubs; (2) herbaceous perennials and biennials; (3) bulbs and tuberous rooted plants. All these different kinds are able to flower early in the season as a result of their iabours the previous year, when they prepared and stored plant food to be used up quickly in the spring, and .in many cases the buds were formed, all being in readiness for a rapid developmen. whenever weather conditions were favourable.

Among the many beautiful flowering trees and shrubs, none are more beautiful than the Forsythias. This genus consists of three species, one hybrid, and several garden forms, and was named after Mr W. Forsyt!, superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kensington from 1737 to 1804. Forsythia suspensa is the most graceful of the species, forming a mass of interlacing pendulous branches eight to ten feet high. It is sometimes called golden bell or golden rain, and is a native of China. Tbi’ plant can be used effectively in several ways: it makes . good specimen in the shrubbery or group on the lawn, it is most effective when planted on a sloping bank, it can

be trained as a climber on a fence or wall, and is excellent for covering an arbour. There is a Forsythia arch over ai entrance gate in the north end of Dunedin, which is a feature every spring. Forsythia viridissima is also a native of China, and is a semi-deciduous shrub five to eight feet high, with stiff erect branches. Though this is not such a fine garden plant- as suspensa it flowers one or two weeks later. F. intermedia is supposed to be a hybrid between F. suspensa and F. viridissima. k Its time of flowering and form of branching is in termediate between the two, and it is the most suitable variety for groups or single specimens on the lawn. There are several forms, and var. spectabilis has larger, deeper yellow, and more abundant flowers than the type, and in many respects is the most beautiful of the Forsy thias. F. europcea, Albanian Forsythia, is also a deciduous shrub somewhat like F. viridissima, but the least ornamental of the genus. Arctostaphylos Manzanita is a beautiful evergreen shrub growing from four to eight feet ih gardens, but a small tree 20 feet high in its native country, Cali fornia. It requires a sunny position and a soil similar to that required by rhododendrons. Its flowers are borne in ahcrt terminal panicles, and are somewhat like the lily of the valley bush,

Pieris japonica. It has stiff, somewhat gaunt branches, and like its near relative Arbutus Menziesii its bark peels of. disclosing reddish brown stems. The common flowering currant is worth a place in any large garden, but it is a poor thing compared with the dark red variety. This is simply covered with flowers at the present time, forming quite a feature in the shrubbery, and as it is such an easj plant to grow it should b in every garden. Epacris pauciflora is a neat, twiggy, heath-like shrub growing to a height of four feet. The flowers, which are white, are collected at he tip of the branches, and it is one of the most beautiful of the native heaths. It is found in heath-like country from Auckland to Nelson, but is quite hardy with us, and thrives in ordinary learn. Daffodils are making a fine show, but the primrose polyanthus is more satis factory for a massed effect, and, as they are so easily raised from seed and so accommodating, they are far more suitable for the smaller gardens. To get good seed, which will produce varieties of outstanding merit, it is necessary to pollenate a few of the most desirable kinds, and this should be done now before the plants exhaust themselves with flowering. It will be noted that there are two kinds of flowers, one with the style sticking up above the stamens, usually called the pin eye, and another with the stamens showing at the top of the tube called the thrum eye. To get the best results it is necessary to pollenate the pin-eyed flowers with pollen taken from the thrum-eyed flowers. Examine the flowers from time to time, and when the stigmas are sticky, lift some pollen from a selected plant of the right type on a little brush and dust it over the stigmas which are ready. This is done to all the flowers which are ready for tv •> or three weeks, and enough seed will be provided to supply ordinary requirements. It is possible for some of the flowers to be pollenated without our aid, but it is better to make sure, and we find that varieties come remarkably true when hand pollenated. It is not necessary to enclose the flowers in muslin bags or to take other precautions to prevent chance pollenation from taking place. It is necessary to mark the plants which have been selected for seed bearing with a large label, with the colours of the-pollen-bearing variety and the seed parent written on it. Later on, when the seed vessels are nearly ripe, tney should be collected and placed in a paper bag, when the ripening process will be completed and the seeds collected when they fall out.

Primrose polyanthus seedlings raised from seed sown as soon as ripe last year will now be showing flower buds, and these will develop into fine flowering specimens by next season. They can be lined out in rows in the nursery or they can he planted in their permanent positions now. They can also be increased by division, and plants which are lifted from the beds after the flowering season is over and lined out in a cool moist position, can be planted back in the beds in the autumn, and they will flower in the spring. The other plant of outstanding merit for spring bedding is the wallflower, and this season it promises to be particularly good. The plant is a well branched one, and reasonably dwarf. • At one time we had only brown, blood red, and yellow varieties, but we have now Fire King, a vivid orange; Orange Bidder, rich orange shaded off to apricot; Primrose Monarch, a pale yellow variety; Giant Vulcan, brilliant crimson; Ivory White; Eastern Queen, a pleasing apricot colour; and Ellen Wilmott, a bright pure ruby. As the varieties can be depended upon to come true to colour from seed they can be planted in beds of one variety or massed in large beds and borders of mixed colours. Though a true perennial we treat wallflowers as a biennial, throwing away the old plants after they are past their best and raising a new lot of plants from seed sown about the end of November in beds of good clean soil in which no members of the crucifer family have been growing. They are just as susceptible to attacks of club root as any other member of the family, and all reasonable precautions should be taken. There is no use planting out little seedling wallflowers from boxes now, they are too late for this season and too early for next. THE VEGETABLE AND FRUIT , GARDEN. Continue to plant potatoes, cabbage, and cauliflower, and to sow seeds of onions, leeks, beetroot, golden ball turnips, carrots, lettuce, and spinach. Peas should be sown at intervals of a fort-

night, and though too soon to make the main sowing of runner and french beans a few could be put in on the chance that we won’t have any more frost. Con tinuc to cultivate the soil among the fruit trees and bushes, and apply chemical manures where necessary. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “ Rose Neil.”—Name of plant is saxifrage crassifolia. Marechai Neil is a very delicate rose, and it is probably due to cold weather that the flowers have become deformed. You should thin out the buds a bit, and give liquid manure before they open. “ E. R. R.,” Mornington.—The names of reliable bulb growers in Holland are: Ant. Roozen and Son, Overbeen, Haarlem, Holland; Sassenheim-Vandervoet, Sassenheim. Holland.