GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 5 October 1926, Page 2

GARDEN NOTES.

(By “IfORNA.") At this time of tlie year every hour’s work in the garden counts for the future display. Fill all available space with hardy annuals aiid herbaceous subjects. Plant rhe beautiful tree phloxes for summer display and Michaelmas daisies for lighting up tho borders with fairylike sp rays during the autumn. These daisies associate well, with delphiniums which usually give a good autumn display of lovely blue spikes of bloom. Do not delay the planting of liliums. A very fine effect is obtained by planting clumps of Tritoma (red-hot poker) with a few bulbs of the double or single tiger lilies planted between. Plant the double for preference, as the , flower spikes last for a much longer period. The leaves of the tritoma provide-, the necessary cool root medium for liliums and tlio effect when in bloom is very fine. ' For ( the background to such a; mass of orange colouring tho perennial shrub, Lio s ii’s Tail (Leonurus) is ideal, which has also tlio advantage of a long flowering season. For a continuous display of bloom among tho annuals during the late summer and autumn months, plant largely of African and French marigolds. Tho definition of - these two is not always clear to the amateur. gardener. Tho African type arc those with huge tight balls of orange and lemon shades, and are not of great value beyond border decoration, where they make a great display; tho French typo is a much smaller bloom with less stiffness in the habit of growth and numerous flowers in tones of yellow, brown and yellow, and numerous variations. Some have brown grounds flecked with yellow or bright, orange; in others the yellow predominates with tintings of brown, grown in masses. These arc among our most effective annuals. Zinnias rank high for effective summer bedding, as also do the red and scarlet Salvias, their intense(colouring lighting up many a dull spot.! These do much better when grown near tho shelter of a‘ wall away from rough winds. Asters are always favourites, but many lovers of these charming annuals have given up growing them on account of the prevalence of ifungus disease, which attacks the root of the plant. A well-trenched and drained plot is recommended, the great thing being to (keep the plants moving unchecked in growth from the time of planting to blooming period. Among the lower growing annuals for bright display, the Nemesia ranks high. , Chorianthus Allonii is also attractive witlfc its intense orange coloured small blooms, resemblng miniature. wallflowers. Where the soil is not too heavy a bed of Phlox Drummondi is a joy, while beds of the satiny flowers of t.lie ; esehscholtzias, with, their many attractive new colourings, are always admired. The orange Dimorphothcca, with their black centres, are fine for all bedding purposes, as nothing flowers over a longer period. Pansies and Violas, Primulas and Cinerarias, are ideal for the shady borders, and Mimulas with their quaint bronze and yellow markings. On margins of . shrubberies plant freely of the gorgeous' coloured Gannas. Seeds to Sow. Hardy annuals may now be sown in the open borders, such as Poppy, Larkspur, Godclia, Stocks, Clarkia and Marigolds. Sow in boxes all choice and haif-hardy subjects. Asters and. Zinnias may with advantage be left to a later date, as any cold snap checks their growth. Tlie Vegetable Garden. Keep the soil stirred with frequent hoeings among the early planted potatoes and peas, which are now showing signs of more vigorous growth. Tho autumn sown onions are ready, for transplanting Lettuce, cabbage and other seasonable plants are commencing to make some Jieadway, and beyond periodical hoeings will need no further attention. Sow carrot seed in drills and select a variety which has the least cere, as that part contains very little nutriment. Sow parsnips in a well-trenched part of the garden where the roots are able to penetrate easily. Prepare all waste ground for rotation sowings of peas, potatoes, etc., prepare beds in readiness for the pumpkins and melons and keep the shoots rubbed off the seed potatoes which are intended for lato plantings. Plant tomato plants, and sow some seed for later use. Bates Market Favourite is specially good for this purpose; very hardy and prolific, the rich colour of the flesh making it one of the very best for domestic uses. Clematises Past ami Present. Can it be said that tlio hardy Clematis has been improved in recent years.' Tho frequent presence of the old Clematis “Jackmanni” in large and small gardens . proves its popularity and suitability for our climate. It would seem that raisers of these fine hardy flowers are in a general way working in a wrong direction. The great aim at present seems to be to produce largeflowered kinds, and very fine some of these are, but as they mostly have much of the lanuginosa type in them they prove too tender to become favoured by tho million. They require too much culture lobe of any great service as outdoor climbers, and many of .them do not flower well unless it bo forthcoming, but the well-known clematis Jackmanni is a typical hardy and continuous bloomer, and always proves eminently satisfactory. G. Jackmanni, with its wealth of beautiful purple blooms, is a perfect 1 model of what an outdoor clematis should be, and of its colour there

is no other variety, and it is difficult to sec how there can ever be another to surpass, or even equal it. There are three good varieties which go under the heading of C. Jackmanni—the dark violet-purple already described, Alba (a white counterpart), and the newer and . lesser known Rubra, a beautiful red variety of the same habit and as floriferous as its parent. This new red variety is not an entirely fresh departure in colour, as we have in C. Vitieella Rubra Grandiflora, quite a lovely shade in red, which under the hybridist’s hands should eventually. result in something oven more intensified. This variety is one of the very best that can bo planted for outdoor purposes. It is strange how rarely one sees this showy and most distinct clematis; it certainly has not been made much of, possibly on account of its comparatively small blooms. But after all, what has size of bloom to do with effectiveness? Very little, as we may every, day see in the flower garden. Can anything bo - much more brilliant than a bed of Nemesia or Phlox Drummondi, and yet as compared with many things, x tho individual blooms are small indeed. It is just the same with tho clematis we want in our gardens. We want masses of effective colour, and this is just as well furnished by flowers four inches or less across as by those double that size. For indoor cultivation - it is rather different. There we are more apt to look for size and beauty of form in individual flowers, and even tho tenderesv of kinds will thrive well with very littlo trouble under .glass. There should bo two distinct classes, the \ one really hardy, vigorous,' froeflowering and thoroughly ' trustworthy. for outdoor culture, the other suitable only for indoors or favoured sheltered spots in tho garden. The amateur who has littlo knowledge of the varieties which’ are usually catalogued together, often chooses something quite unsuitable for his or her purpose, with inevitable disappointment. The tender varieties are very subject to rhildew, arid need constant attntion to keep them in a healthy, condition. The varieties which should be grown on pergolas and similar exposed parts of the garden should bo able to hold their own among'any other rampant vegetation. increasing in beauty from year to year. The clematis always gro\\;« better on its own roots, and when cultivating it is a good plan to bury a portion of the stem immediately aboVe the point where the plant has been worked to encourage it to make roots. Propagation may bo done to increase stock during tho winter and spring months, ; selecting a few of the well-ripened growths for tho purpose. Choose those which have their 1 base nearest to the ground in order that you may bend them easily. Fiil a six-inch pot with sandy soil, and after preparing your clematis shoot., like jmu would a carnation, i e., making an incision an inch beneath the bud at the centre of the wood, open slightly and peg it firmly down upon the pot of soil, which must bo sunk into the ground and be slightly below the average level. Only permit two eyes beyond, the pot, and as soon-as these commence to develop they must be kept / steady by a small stake, swaying by the wind being latal. Water during dry weather, and your pot should be full of roots by autumn. Our beautiful native clematis has often boon propagated by cutting a length of vine, inserting each end. into the soil, forming a half-hoop. This experiment is worth trying on the named varieties in cultivation. 5 Iris Black Prince. This is a fine I ris for tho border, which by reason of its good constitution and unusually dark velvety purple falls, rarely fails to excite admiration. It grows about 30 inches high, and is supposed to have been raised by Arnos Perry, of Enfield, about 1900. The blooms are very effective, the 1 flowers being large and freely produced, *the standards lilac-purple, falls as stated above, rendering the plant quite conspicuous among others.