THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 20539, 16 July 1928, Page 5

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK

(By

J. A. McPherson./

SEASONAL OPERATIONS. The rainy conditions during the last week has hindered digging in many gardens. Except where the ground is high and being trenched for the first time, it is better to leave spade work over until the soil is less sodden. However, there is a variety of. other work that can* be pushed forward just now with good results. Attend to the weeding of paths and lay down new ones where necessary. New paths of gravel or cinders will’require const ant rolling to consolidate them. Make ample provision for surface water to get quickly away. Push on the pruning of trees, shrubs and fruit trees so that this work will be completed before warmer days and perhaps an early spring appears. Burn all rubbish and scatter the ash on any extra heavy piece of ground. Lift old clumps of Violas and Pansies, cut back all old tops; place the clumps closely together in a sheltered corner of the garden where they will be ready for splitting up and replanting as soon as the beds and borders have been dug over. About the middle of the month a small sowing of peas can be made in a warm and well drained corner of the vegetable garden. Sow cabbage and lettuce in boxes or frames to provide a supply for planting out in August. , Push on the planting of rhubarb in good rich soil, the sooner rhubarb is in the ground the better. Seasonal work can also be carried out in the flower garden by cutting back any trailing plants such as Alyssum, Arabis and Aubretia which have commenced to grow beyond bounds. Rockeries must be attended to and all exhausted soil in the various pockets replaced with fresh loam to which a quantity of grit has been added for drainage. Plant Dianthus Saxifrages, Primulas, and other alpimes, being careful to place a few pebbles unner the foliage of tender subjects to prevent them being damaged by coming in contact with the wet ground. Continue to plant when the weather is favourable all flowering shrubs and such creepers as Clematis, Jasmine, Solanum, Ampelopsis etc. Prepare for and plant hedges, pine trees, and ornamental conifers. Many of the slow growing and dwarf conifers give a garden a noble and dignified appearance when planted in appropriate places and by themselves. THE RESERVE GARDEN. All gardens whether large or small should have some corner of good soil where the young seedlings of many plants can be brought on, bulbs too small for the flower garden lined in in rows, cuttings of various trees shrubs and plants propagated, and seeds of many plants sown. Such a corner is termed the reserve garden or in other words a minature nursery where the gardener can bring on plants, seedlings, and bulbs without interfering with the flower garden in doing so. The main flower garden is no place for very small seedlings. Often they become overgrown by other subjects in the Summer or are accidently dug in during j autumn digging, and then again they may | be hoed out during weeding operations. Wai.. lower, Sweet William, Polyanthus, Herbaceous and Alpine plants are always better grown on in the reserve garden. The first three have been mentioned before in these notes. Their seeds are sown in November in boxes or small beds, the young seedlings lined out in rows a foot apart with six inches between the plants, so that when planting time comes, which is during the months of April and May for these plants, one has a stock of sturdy well grown plants to bed out and produce a wealth of flower. Is this not much better than sowing the seed in the flower garden with its many disadvantages to young seedlings? Herbaceous plants such as Oriental Poppies, Pyrethrums, Delphiniums, Scabious, Gallardias, Perennial Phlox, Hollyhocks, Carnations, Campanulas etc., are better grown for a full year in the reserve garden where every care and attention can be concentrated on them, and planted out the following year. Seeds of bulbous plants may be treated the same way; but since many bulbous plants take several years to flower from seed, they must stay a longer period in the reserve garden. Here too, cuttings of special trees and shrubs or hedge plants can be put in to provide a constant supply for renewing and additions to shrubberies besides renovating old and planting new hedges. Surplus plants from the flower garden if placed in the reserve garden often come in useful next season to fill in blanks and use as exchanges amongst gardening friends. Too much attention cannot therefore be drawn to this very important part of every good garden, and wherever space will permit, the formation of a small reserve garden j amply repays the grower not only in the production of healthy plants; but as an interesting section of the garden. NATIVE PLANTS. No other country in the world has such a unique and interesting flora as New Zealand ; but how often are our 1 native plants pushed to one side for the sake of exotics. Within the last few years several enthusiasts throughout the country have'taken up the collecting of many of our rarer plants, and among these plants are to be found some excellent and hardy species suitable for town gardens. I shall never forget the acres and acres of Celmisias (mountain daisies) which we passed through when a party of us were plant-collecting on the Garvie Mountains several years ago, nor shall I forget the great diversity in a single species of Lenico when botanising on the Glasgow range S. W. Nelson in 1926. Native plants though perhaps more sombre in many respects than exotics, make one very keen and enthusiastic when cultivated correctly. The cultivation of the higher alpine plants should present little difficulty in Southland, since numbers of them descend to sea level in thjs district; a very remarkable fact ecologically. Much can be said for and against the common Cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) though a robber of good garden sqil, it has a decided tropical appearance and withstands the winds very well. A much nobler plant with large bronze tinted leaves is Cordyline indivisa, often called the North Island cabbage tree, and is much hardier than many people think. A graceful tree for warm corners is the Kowhai. Sophora tetraptera being the best for this climate. Our Ribbonwoods too are very beautiful when in full bloom; Gaya Lyallii being particularly attractive, while Hoheria populnea runs it a close second. There are other ribbonwoods worthy of cultivation, namely H. dentata, H. angusctifolia and H, lanceolata. The Red Pine is considered the world over as one of the most 1 graceful couifers in existence. It requires a good deal of shelter, much more so than our Tbtara. The Black Pine too is much happier when given plenty of shelter when away from its native habitant. Leptospermum Nichollsii is the red Manuka and must be considered one of the most striking of our native trees. The pink Manuka, L. Chapmanii, is always popular and when planted in a group its flowers show up better than the former species when viewed from a distance. Other varieties of Manuka occur including a double white variety. All our native Beech are worty of cultivation especially the red (Nothofagus fusca), and the white (N. Menziesii). They like a cool well drained soil. Our native “maples,” sometimes used for hedge work are better treated as large speci-

men shrubs. Pittosporum tenuifolium (matipo) with its dark bark is a good contrast to P. eugeniodes (tarata) with whitish bark and large lemon green foliage. P. crassifolium has greyish green leaves and chocolate coloured flowers. It is a splendid large shrub and should be cultivated more often. Our White Pine (Podocarpus dacrydoides) is related to the Totara and is very interesting subject in a garden where space can be given it. The Wineberry (Aristotelia racemosa) is a quick growing and short lived tree; but owing to its rapid growth it is useful for protecting tender natives. There are two other species A. fruticosa with very small leaves and bright pink berries, and A. Colensoi a rarer plant. , Where the climate will suit, our native Ratas should never be missed out of a collection, Metrosideros lucida is the southern Rata and M. tomentosa the Pohutukawa or Christmas Tree of the North Island. Then there are the weird native brooms; Carmichaelia australis has practically no leaves; but is provided with flattened branches and produces purple flowers. C. odorata is a pendulous shrub and is very pretty when decked in its mauve flowers. Nothospartium Carmichaelia produces myriads of pink flowers in the summer is perhaps the best of the native brooms. These plants thrive well on a dry sunny face. Mention must also be made of the Kaka Beak, (Clianthus puniceus) a well known and handsome shrub both for the border or against a wall or fence. The white variety, alba, is also to be had from nurserymen. Carpodetus (Putaputawheta) is a monotypic genus confined to New Zealand. Sometimes called the N.Z. May, it is a beautiful tree with dark green leaves richly mottled. Its cultivation presents no difficulties. New Zealand possesses several Myrtles, the two best being Myrtus bullata with very fine tinted foliage and M. Ralphii. Three large shrubs related to the Broadleaf are the Corokias. They are useful for furnishing the backs of shrub borders and worthy of better recognition. They are Corokia macrocarpa, C. buddleoides, and C. cotoneaster. Space does not permit to deal at length with the many interesting subjects to be found amongst our native plants. Celmisias, Clearias, Senecios and Veronicas, besides the high alpine plants will be dealt with later under their respective headings. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. “Fairfax.” (a) Canary Creeper (Tropaeolum canariense) is a quick growing annual and will cover arches during summer until your roses are strong enough. Sow when frosts are over. (b) Clematis montana var rubra is a quickgrowing and excellent subject for trellis work. It stands the wind well. (c) Jasmine nudiflorum is possibly the plant you refer, to; it flowers in late winter and early spring, flowers yellow, and requires a sunny position but not too dry. It should thrive in the position you have mentioned provided it has not been planted too deeply. MANURING KITCHEN VEGETABLES COMBINING MANURES. Owing to the present-day scarcity of animal manure the practice of giving united dressings of horse, pig, or cow manure and then making up the deficiency by the use of chemical fertilizers is becoming increasingly popular. It deserves to do so, for it results in the production of excellent crops. The following “programme” has given the writer most satisfactory results:— For Light Soil.—Give a moderate annual dressing of rotted manure in autumn. To make up deficiences feed the crops during the growing season with sulphate of ammonia (to supply nitrogen) and superphosphates (to supply phosphate). Add crushed bones during the winter digging to create a slowly-dissolving source of phosphates supply. Also add kainit in winter (to supply potash). For Heavy Soil.—Give a moderate dressing of rotted strawy horse manure. Use sulphate of ammonia in small quantities during the growing season, basic slag (to supply phosphates), and sulphate of potash at digging time. Onions: 41b superphosphates, 141 b of sulphate of ammonia. Cauliflowers: 41b of superphosphates, 141 b of nitrate of soda. Brussels sprouts: 61b of supererphosphates, 41b of kainit, and 21b of sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda. Parsnips and carrots: 41b of superphosphates and 11b of sulphate of potash a square rod. Celery: Occasional dressings of nitrate of soda at the rate of %oz to the yard of trench. Asparagus: 41b of superphosphates, 41b of salt, and 21b of nitrate of soda. Beetroot: 31b of superphosphates, 11b of sulphate of ammonia, and lib of sulphate of potash a square rod. Cabbage crops: 31b of basic slag and 141 b of kainit at planting and of sulphate of ammonia as a top-dressing a square rod. Peas and beans: 31b of superphosphates, 21b of kainit, and 41b of sulphate of ammonia a square rod. For general dressing for the whole garden: of sulphate of potash, an equal amount of sulphate of ammonia, and fib of superphosphates a square yard. DWARF TREES IN THE ROCK GARDEN The planting of dwarf trees, mostly of an evergreen character, serves a useful purpose in all extensive rock gardens, and proably the most popular subjects for the purpose are the dwarf Conifers. Such plants are considered to represent the dwarfed character of trees found growing in alpine altitudes; they serve also, to some extent, to relieve winter bareness and, finally, become good backgrounds for groups of choice flowering plants. In a rock garden of large dimensions there is naturally room for trees which finally attain considerable size, but in the small rock garden it is important that the choice should be restricted to those species and varieties which are known to be of slow growth and more or less stunted habit. But even some of these have a tendency to lose their dwarfness after a number of years, and become unsuitable. A variety of the common Spruce, Picea excelsa prostrata, for example, grows slowly at first, but after a period of ten or twelve years it has a tendency to make more rapid growth, and loses, to some extent, its prostrate habit. P. e. globsa nana is a good plant, making a rounded hummock of stunted growth, and P. e. pygnaea is a diminutive variety of pyramidal shape. The Cypresses, generally, are too freegrowing for this purpose, but Cupressus obtusa has two or three varieties of dwarf character which seldom reach more than two or three feet in height. C. o. compacta, C. o. nana and C. o. pygmaea are all good dwarf varieties of very slow growth, while C. o. nana aurea is a small, dense-growing plant with golden foliage. C. pisifera also has one or two coloured varieties of merit, notably C. p. aureo nana, with dense, rounded bushes of golden foliage, and C. p. ericoides, a greyish-leaved plant of more upright habit but restricted growth. Another grey-foliaged plant of considerable merit is C. Lawsoniana Fletcheri, which forms a pyramid of plumose habit and is slow-growing, while Rheingold is a variety that makes a small, dense bush and has attractive golden foliage. There are one or two Pinuses of very dwarf habit which may be planted with effect in the rock garden, notably P. Mughus | nanus, probably the dwarfest of the moun-

tain Pines, and P. montana pumilio, a small, dense bush. Thuya occidentalis provides dwarf varieties in globosa which forms a dwarf, dense, globular bush, and pygmaea, a compact, minature variety; while of T. orientalis the varieties compacta and ericoides are dwarf and slow-growing. Among the Junipers there are several species and varieties admirably adapted to positions in the rock garden. J. communis alpina, the alpine Juniper, is of prostrate habit and seldom exceeds a foot in height. J. Sabina and several of its varieties are useful for planting where a low covering is needed, as also is J. squamata, the scalyleaved Nepal Juniper. J. communis fastigiata—known as hibernica—is probably the neatest of all Conifers. It forms a slender, columnar tree, its numerous, rigid, closeset branches being clothed with short, deepgreen leaves which give the plant a handsome appearance.—W. Auton in The Gardener’s Chronicle.