THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 19897, 16 June 1926, Page 15

THE GARDEN

NOTES FOR THE AMATEUR.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. (By “Horticola.”) The routine work for June has already been fully described in these columns. Apart from the manuring and trenching of the ground very little remains to be done until springtime. There are, of course, always a number of small jobs which have to be done sooner or later. When the soil is in too wet a condition to be worked, for instance, a profitable hour can usually be spent in preparing pea and bean stakes, repairing fences and paths and generally clearing up rubbish. Continue to prune fruit trees and bushes, and plant and transplant fruit trees and ' bushes. Provide twiggy sticks for peas which have just germinated. These will protect the young growths and support the stems later on. Set up seed potatoes in i ehallow boxes, and place them in a cool, dry, airy shed or cellar. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Though at its most unattractive period just now, the flower garden should by no i means be neglected. The opportunity should ibe taken to dig and manure all beds and ' borders, while attention should also be paid , to the planning of next year’s flower garden. I Herbaceous borders should be renovated, ' overgrown plants should be divided up, and new designs made or thought out. Rotation should also be considered, for flowering plants require a change of soil quite as much as vegetables and other plants. Not only u» this beneficial to the plants, but it gives a great amount of pleasure in watching developments during the next season. All dead stalks, stems and flowers that have ripened off or been cut down by frosts should be cleared away, and the roots of dahlias and gladiolas lifted and stored in some shed for the winter. The ground should be worked up in readiness for next season’s planting. The planting of bulbs, advised some time ago, should not be delayed any longer than is necessary. All bulbous or tuberous-rooted plants should be got into the ground as speedily as possible. Clip hedges and prune or cut out dead wood or unshapely branches from flowering trees and shrubs. Collect and store all leaves. None of these should be wasted, as they are valuable for making leaf mould, an article almost essential for a perfect | mixture for potting soil. | Very few lawns locally have made any 1 i growth for a considerable time now. They should not be neglected, however, and dead , leaves and patches of long grass should be ’ removed, as these are liable to be harmful [to the lawns. It is advisable to give the I lawns a good rolling before the spring growth commences. The borders of lawns, ’ which are liable to become unsightly, should be clipped. Bare patches should be replaced with fresh turf. Take advantage of frosty mornings to prune and thin out shrubberies, while afternoons can be spent in forking or digging the soil about the shrubs. BORDER CARNATIONS. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. PLANTING AND LAYERING. To most people a carnation is just that—a beautiful flower which for decorative pur- ■ poses is unsurpassed—but to the border enI thusiast there is, rightly, all the difference iin the world between the bloom which he I cultivates, with its distinguishing feature, | the smooth-edged petals, at once his pride i and despair, and the fimbriated flowers of j any other type of carnations, lovely though I they be (writes Mrs Julia B. Welk, F.R.H.S., ■ in an American journal). Those who grow the hardy border carnation will understand the feeling on the subject, and why the old National Carnation and Picotee Society is so careful to include nothing in its schedule that would tend to destroy the pure-bred characteristics of this old florist’s flower, which, by the way, is eminently suitable for town gardens (where it is seen far too seldom!), owing to its hardiness and complete indifference to a smoky atmosphere. There seems to be an idea that it is difficult to cultivate, and that it requires any amount of attention during growth. This is quite a wrong impression, and probably due to the fact that until a few years ago, when I was instrumental in having classes included for flowers grown in the open border, all blooms shown at the big yearly show were from glass, the people j naturally concluded it was hopeless to try I to emulate them. Any good garden soil which is not too heavy and which contains lime is suitable for growing carnations. If the soil is not naturally calcareous lime must be incorporated. An open, sunny position and good drainage are other esesntials. Damp h the greatest enemy of the carnation; cold does not affect it appreciably. If the situation is at all likely to be waterlogged it is best to raise the beds and add a liberal quantity of old mortar rubble, thus enabling the water to drain off effectively. This plant is not a gross feeder, and it is far better to use no manure at all than too much, or you will certainly kill your plants. If a new bed or border intended for its reception is in good heart, the ground should be turned up and left in the rough a week or two before planting to aerate the soil thoroughly. A good dressing of old soot should be worked in, as it helps to get rid of pests, and is most beneficial to carnations. Bonemeal, which is a slow but reliable fertiliser, should be odded and any other material incorporated which the nature of the soil requires for the well-being of the plant. Heavy soils are lightened by the addition of leaf mould, wood ashes, sand, and mortar rubble; while light soils are improved by adding some yellow fibrous loam to give consistency. The ground should be firmed before planting, and a little agricultural salt scattered on the surface is helpful. Although in some parts of the kingdom it is found advisable to plant out in spring from layers potted up and kept in a cold frame during the winter, wherever possible plants should be put in their permanent quarters out of doors, in the autumn. The best time is from the last week in September (March here) to the first in November (May), the advantage of early planting enabling the roots to get a firm hold in the soil before winter sets in; but in open weather this period may be extended two or three weeks longer. Very firm planting is necessary, and about 14in. should be allowed between each plant, a thin bamboo cane or stick being placed at each at the same time, thus avoiding injury to the roots later on. Weeds should be exterminated, and the soil kept open round the plants by the aid of a small hand-fork, as aeration is essential to successful cultivation. Weak manure and soot water should be given periodically when the plants are coming into bloom. There is such a range of colouring from which to choose, both in selfs—which include the cloves with their delightful perfume—and the white and yellow-ground fancies, that every taste can be gratified.

THE KALMAIS. Kalmia latifolia is one of our most beautiful shrubs, and should have a place in every garden. It is very suitable for positions where small evergreens are desired, as it attains a height of only four or five feet. It is something like a minature Rhododendron but the flowers are much smaller, and borne more profusely. They are a lovely pink in colour and wax-like in texture. The typical variety is probably the best and also the easiest to grow, but there are others offered by the trade. Some worthy of consideration are K. glauta, a very dwarf bush, with flowers of a lilac purple colour; K. rubra, with small red flowers; and K. augusfolia, with narrow leaves and flowers smaller than K. latifolia. Although the plants will secceed in sun, if not subjected to drought, they are safer in a partially shaded position. If the shade of tall trees falls across them for part of the day, so much the better. They succeed well if planted with Rhododendrons and Azaleas, and treated in the same manner. It is a mistake to suppose these beautiful shrubs can be grown only when peat is available. Their success is assured, even on clay land, if they can be given eighteen inches of good loam from an old pasture, with a fair admixture of decayed manure and any old leaves or leaf mould that may be at hand. Mulching with leaves or stable manure will help to keep them moist in summer and furnish them with good buds for the coming season. They are also very valuable plants for pot work and will bear a moderate amount of forcing. After flowering indoors they should be kept under glass for a time and encouraged to make new growth for a time. When severe frost is over they may be gradually hardened and planted out in the borders. After a year’s rest they will again be ready to do duty indoors. Propagation may be effected by seeds or cuttings, the latter being put in sandy peat under a handlight in a shady place, but they are slow growing, and it is far better to purchase plants for making a start. THE SNOWDROP ANEMONE. Anemone Sylvestris, kn wn popularly as the Snowdrop Anemone, is a charming plant where it does well. In soirte places it thrives so luxuriantly that it spreads freely about a bed or other position in the enclosed or wild garden, but in some other places does not condescend to live for many years. It is a woodland plant, and a certain amount of moisture appears to be essential to its welfare. A well-known authority recommends for it a light, moist loam. It is a charming plant with pure white flowers borne gracefully on slender stems. The best varieties are grandiflora, a large-flowered variety of much beauty; Spring Charm, a distinct variety with bellshaped flowers of large size; and flore pleno, a double one which has been a good deal admired, and which attracted considerable notice when first exhibited in London many years ago. Such a lovely Windflower as Anemont sylvestris should be borne in mind when ordering additional flowers for the garden. HYBRIDISED FLOWERS. The Gardeners’ Chronicle (England) states that a new class of special interest will be added to this year’s schedule of the Staffordshire and Midland Counties Floral Fete. Messrs Abol, Ltd., are providing a handsome challenge trophy, value 70gs, for the exhibit which demonstrates the greatest post-war development or advance in any one family of plants. Hybridists, plant breeders, and selectors, and also collectors, have been distinctly successful in their activities in many directions since the enforced suspension of such labours during the period of the war, and it is a happy thought that as many as possible of these recent developments should be brought together with a view to paying just tribute to the most notable extension of either ornamental or utilitarian value. It is obvious that at any one show some important subjects must be barred by seasonal limitations, but it is understood that the generous donors, realising this, intend that in due time the trophy shall be offered at spring and autumn shows, so that modern developments in all directions shall in turn receive due recognition. The conditions of the competition are to be as simple as they can possibly be made, and families of strains of plants which were in process of evolution or development prior to the war, but which have shown their greatest advance since that period, will be eligible. Moreover, the subjects entered for this competition may form part of an exhibit in any other class, provided they axe |so staged as to be readily identified by both judges and visitors. The donors of this interesting and covetable trophy will also present the winner with a permanent memento of the triumph. PLANTS UNDER GLASS The last of the autumn flowers are now dying down in the green house, although some gardeners still have quite a striking display of late chrysanthemums. As the busy time in the greenhouse and propagating houses is coming on it is advisable to get a good heap of turfy loam chopped up and put into a shed or covered up to keep it dry, also to get a lot of leafmould and well rotted manure sifted and put under cover. Seed boxes can. also be made during wet weather, and all dirty pots washed, sorted out into sizes, and stored way ready for use later on. Geranium and pelargonium cuttings, which were put in in the autumn, are now well rooted and ready to start into growth as soon as the necessary warmth is forthcoming. As it is necessary to get these bedding plants in early and to have good, well-grown plants at bedding out time, these cuttings should be potted or boxed up now.