THE GARDEN

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 11

THE GARDEN

y/ORK. FOR THE NOTBS BY

D.TANNOCK, A.H.R.H.S

THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY.

Most of the bedding plants will be out in the frames, or in the open altogether now, and there will be no more room for the begonias, pelargoniums, calceolarias, and hydrangeas, which are coming on rapidly. This is the time to take cuttings of hydrangeas to provide plants which are sure to flower next year. It is better to pot up one or two of the old plants of each variety to provide cuttings, and these soon appear as young growths all up the stems. They can be taken off when about three inches long, cut across immediately below a joint,, and put into small pots of sandy soil and plunged in a propagating bed or stood on a bed of ashes in the warm house. They soon root, and can be potted up into small pots and grown on steadily. The hippeastrums are providing a gorgeous display in the warm greenhouse at present. These are hybrids of several species of hippeastrums, sometimes called amaryllis, and raising new varieties from seed is most interesting. The varieties have now breadth of petal, size, substance, and perfect form, and the colours are deepest crimson and blood-red, some are nearly white, while others are striped, mottled, and blended in a most effective manner. They are not at all exacting, but should be plunged in a bed of tan after flowering and fed and watered regularly until the foliage shows signs of ripening off. During the winter they can be kept perfectly dry and baked up a bit. In spring when root action again commences they can be shaken out and repotted in a soil composed of good heavy loam, with some crushed charcoal, sand, and bone dust. Pot firmly and plunge up to the rim of the pots in a bed of tan or leafmould. In a short time the flower buds begin to push, and watering has to be done very carefully until the foliage develops which is usually a little behind the flowers. Seed should be sown as soon

as ripe, and the seedlings pricked out into boxes of rich soil. After a year in the boxes they can be planted out in a

bed in the warm greenhouse, where they will develop into flowering bulbs in three or four years. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Spring flowers are about their best now; they have come on rapidly during the past few days and are not so very late after all. Now is the time to make notes of desirable effects and colour combinations with a view to reproducing them next spring. Daffodils are still as satisfactory as ever, and as the fine varieties raised by the late Mr Lowe and others become more plentiful we may look forward to still better effects. Those who desire to raise seedlings should set about pollenating some of the most desirable varieties, making notes of the names of the pollen bearing and the seed bearing parents. We may not get anything better than the varieties now in existence, but

they will be no worse, and we can increase our stocks 6f the good varieties quickly in this way. I find that the daffodils planted in the grass continue to retain their vigour, and that selfsown seedlings are coming up all round the groups of flowering bulbs. Roses are making satisfactory growth, and those who intend to produce exhibition blooms should do a little disbud-

ding, removing shoots which grow inwards and those which are badly placed. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. There has not been much growth in the newly-sown vegetables yet, but the I warmer weather will soon work wonders. I If the germination of seeds is not satis- ■ factory it will be better to hoe them up j and start again, for stunted plants will never be much good. Continue to plant the second early and main crop potatoes, j and to make sowings of peas, beans, I spinach, lettuce, and radish. Though • we can buy quite good cabbage, cauli- I flower, and broccoli plants from the | seedsmen, they can never be as good as ' those which are lifted from the seed bed • with a ball of soil attached to their roots, and their root system practically j intact. It is, therefore, a good idea to make small sowings of cabbage, cauliflower, Brussells sprouts, and leeks on a sunny open border. Make the soil fine with the rake, sow the seed thinly, give a dusting of blood and bone manure and cover lightly with clean soil. Put some twiggy branches on top to keep away birds and keep the soil moist, but ■ remove them as soon as germination ! takes place, and fix some strands of black cotton over the seedlings to keep away birds, or cover them with fine wire netting. THE ROCK GARDEN. Rock gardens are looking gay at present, and there is no doubt they can be made a very attractive feature of the garden when properly constructed and planted with a representative collection of dwarf growing and alpine plants. A few shrubs assist in relieving tlie somewhat flat surface and form a satisfactory background. Among the most suitable are many of the dwarf-growing native veronicas, especially the whipcord kinds, and the various species and varieties of the rock rose (Cistus). They are natives of the shores of Spain,

Portugal, and the shores of the Medi-

terranean, where they revel in the fullest sunshine. They are evergreen, some varieties have a pungent smell, and the colour of the flowers varies from pure white to deep purplish-red. They are very suitable for a dry, sunny, rock garden, and they are all hardy with us. Cistus villosus, called the Gallipoli rhododendron, is a very accommodating species, with rose-purple flowers and crimped petals. C. silver pink is probably a seedling from C. villosus with clear pink flowers ’without a trace of mauve. Quite distinct from the species, Cistus laurifolius is a robust evergreen forming a dense shrub sometimes seven feet high. Flowers are white tinged with yellow at the base. C. Ladaniferus is considered to be the most handsome of all the cistus. Flowers are three to four inches across, with a rich crimson blotch at the base of the petals, which are curiously crimped. Cistus formosum is a slender, twiggy species with yellow flowers marked with a blotch at the base of each petal. Helianthemums, or sun roses, are closely related to the Cistus, but they are not so shrubby, and spread over the surface more. As ground carpeters, for planting on dry banks, in the crevices of a dry wall, or, in fact, in any place whe-c they are exposed to full sunshine, sun roses will thrive, and during late spring and early summer give a most brilliant display of blossom. H. vulgare is the common British sun rose, a dwarf creep ing evergreen shrub with yellow flowers. This species is remarkable for producing many brilliantly-coloured varieties which are far more desirable than the species. The azaleas and dwarf rhododendrons are also very suitable for the rock garden, R. racemosum and R. impeditum being* in flower at the present time. Aubretia or purple rock cress is forming a feature of most rock gardens at present. There are a number of named varieties sucn as Dr Mules, Fire King, Letehworto

’Ruby, and others which are grown from cuttings, but the varieties come fairly true from seed and by selecting the best

a good collection is soon obtained. The double white arabis is a very satisfactory plant forming white carpets of pure white flowers like small stocks. It has to be propagated by cuttings. There is a pink species A. Billardieri (rosea). Alyssum saxatile (Rock Madwort) is a very desirable plant for the rock garden and iior covering dry banks, where it produces sheets of bright golden flowers. There is a variety citrinum with self lemon yellow flowers and a double variety. Anemones are very interesting and very remarkable in the way they pop up and come into flower so quickly. Anemone pulsatilla has large purple flowers, and both the foliage and flower stalk are covered with silky hairs. A. nemerosa, the Wood anemone, is a neat little flower which prefers a semi-shaded place, but will thrive in the open. It is a great spreader, and if left alone would soon

occupy a whole rock garden. There was a double variety, and A. Nemerosa Robinsoniana and Blue Bonnet have soft blue flowers. A. fulgens is a beautiful species with dazzling vermilion or scarlet flowers havin o a black central patch of stamens. A good patch on the rock garden or in the front of a mixed border is a fine feature. The Alpine Auricula or Dusty Miller is an excellent plant for the rock

garden. It will grow and flower as an edging for the mixed border or planted in groups in the front of it, but is seen to greater advantage in the rock garden. •By . pollenating the best varieties and raising plants from seed a very fine strain I can be established. Soldanella alpina is • a choice little plant suitable for a semi- ■ shaded position, with nodding, fringed lilac flowers. The mossy section of the ■ Saxifrages provides us with a great many i beautiful plants suitable for semi-shaded ■or moist positions. Their flowers vary j from pure white, pink, or red. Red AdI miral is a good crimson variety. The ■ Mossy Phlox (Moss Pink) Phlox subui lata forms lovely cataracts of colour on i the steeper parts of the rock garden, i Nelsoni has pure white f wers. Newery j Seedling is soft mauve, and Vivid an intense pink. P. divaritca Canadensis has lavender flowers borne in loose heads.

Epimedium Barrenwort is a charming plant with ornamental foliage suitable for semi-shaded positions. E. alphinum has rose-coloured flowers, and E. pinnatum is sulphur yellow. The perennial candytufts are useful rock garden plants, i Iberis Gibraltariea has large heads of lilac flowers, and I. sempervirens forms solid sheets of white. Amelia Sea Pink or Thrift forms low-growing tufts of foliage bearing clusters of pink flowers. A. baespitosa is the pygmy of the race, i forming hummocks of tender needle-like" leaves. Omphalodes verna (Blue-eyed Mary) has forget-me-not like flowers of intense blue. It will thrive in a shady position. Erythronium dens-canis (Dog-tooth Violet) is a very fine plant for a semi shaded part of the rock garden. The leaves are blotched with purple-brown and white and the flowers are purplishrose or whiteish. Fritillar Meleagris (Snakes Head) is a dainty little plant > with drooping flowers chequered with pale and dark purple. There is also a white and double-flowered Fritillarias

variety of this species, which can be raised from seed quite easily. The plants I have mentioned are comparatively common, but they are very showy and can be recommended for producing a fine display either on the rock garden, the dry wall or the raised border.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

J. T., Lawrence. —Christmas lilies like a soil rich in organic matter, leafmould or compost heap. You should cut back winter cherry now. 1 am afraid Korake won’t thrive in your district; it is frost tender. The native plant you describe would be an orchid. “ Amateur,” Cromwell. —You should sow down your lawn now; the grubs, are not likely to damage the young grass. Pine needles don’t poison the ground, but as they take a long time to rot should not be dug in. Lignite ashes are not good for the soil. R. K., Palmerston.—lt is difficult to state what is wrong with your escallonia hedge. Probably it was damaged by frost. It will probably recover now. R. M., Timaru.—An oliaria hedge can be cut hard back, and grow away again Both Olearia Trinersu and Pittosporuin crossifolium are grub hardy and they should be suitable for your purpose. Some of the ribbonwoods are quite deciduous, and others lose a number of their leaves during the winter. E. J. 8.. Cromwell.—lt isn’t necessary to spray strawberries when coming into flower.