THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 21220, 22 October 1930, Page 14

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

• " (By J. A. McPherson). Under Glass. The biggest problem confronting growers at present is the finding of sufficient room to place boxes of annuals as they are pricked out from the seed pots. Wherever possible stand all hardy types out of doors and cover for a few nights with scrim or other material until they harden off. During very bright sunshine they must also be covered until strong enough to stand the full rays beating down on the foliage. Stocks and Asters will be through the ground and in .mother week be ready for pricking off. . , The last type of annuals to be raised under glassware the Marigolds, both French and African, and the quick growing Atriplex hortensis (the red leaved Mountain Spinach). These grow very rapidly and will be ready for planting out in mid November when the majority of annuals are usually bedded out.

If pricking off can be held over till wet days it permits of labour being used outside on bright days and thus more control can be kept over weeds during spring. All chrysanthemums should now be in their three inch pots. The Flower Garden. Frosts of last week gave quite a number of plants a decided set back. Any Rhodendrons in bloom were nipped and early spikes of Primula japonica suffered severely. The second frost had the effect of taking off ail flowers on Forget-me-nots which are really considered fairly hardy plants. Early shoots on Dahlias were also cut down and will take a week or two to recover.

Paris Daisies and hardy herbaceous Calceolarias may be bedded out in various portions of the garden. They are not particular as to soil and can be accommodated in fairly dry places. Plant out seedling Pentstemons, Gaillardias and Pyrethrums. This season they will throw enough bloom to indicate their colour and next season should be at their best. Look over Sweet Peas planted last week and if they show signs of being attacked by slugs, dust some freshly slacked lime round them in the early evenings. Seeds of Sweet Peas may still be sown out of doors in their permanent positions and thus provide a display of good autumn bloom. Wherever possible keep the beds and borders in all parts of the garden well forked and hoed. Tackling the weeds on bright sunny days just now will save endless trouble in a month’s time.

Narcissi have not had a very long season this year on account of wind and rain. Should readers wish to lift bulbs now, this can be done provided they are healed in in some convenient part of the reserve garden until the leaves have died down naturally. Many growers prefer to lift the bulbs now especially if they will be in the way oT summer bedding, or in order that the work of lifting might be done before the leaves die down and the bulbs sometimes q little difficult to find. Sowing Annuals Outside. Much of the massed colour in many gardens is obtained bv sowing annuals in borders where they are to remain, thinning them out to the required distance when large enough to handle and using the thinnings if need be to fill in blank spaces where seed has failed to germinate. Preparation

and manuring of the ground was dealt with a fortnight ago and it will only be necessary to touch on the actual,,sowing. Should the ground be caked with recent rains a light forking will be necessary to procure that crumbly -surface necessary for seed sowing. If on the other hand the ground is lumpy and hard it must be brought to a fit state by breaking down all large lumps with the back of an iron rake, lake some of the finer soil and after mixing it with an equal quantity of sand, keep to one side for covering the seed. During the actual sowing scatter the seeds evenly, bearing in mind their type and style of growth. Except for large annual seeds such as Sunflowers, a very light covering say one quarter of an inch is all that is required. A little manuka scrub placed over the ground will keep away birds until the seeds germinate.

A good deal of thought is required in planning an annual border and the more experienced give consideration to such detail as colour schemes so that all groups will blend and harmonize. Keep tall subjects towards the centre of the beds or the backs of borders and the dwarfer subjects towards the front. In setting out the position for the sowing of each variety, take the handle of the rake and draw out an irregular design in a manner similar to the pieces of a patchwork quilt. Place a packet of annuals on each patch and then commence their sowing. By this method, provided soil conditions are good, a brilliant display"is quite easily obtained if a little attention is given to colours prior to sowing.

It is yet too early to plant out bedding Geraniums or Dahlias. ?

Readers desirous of planting trees and shrubs must hold over the planting until next season. A few late hedge plants can be put in; but even these will require careful attention and watering' when the soil becomes dry.

Very large specimen trees that were shifted during last autumn or winter must be carefully watched during this and next summer. Many people fail to realize that large trees when shifted require ample supplies of moisture to assist the roots in building up more fibre and penetrating into the new ground. Often the ball of soil round the roots becomes drv and shrinks, leaving an air cavity right round the entire rooting . system, with the result that no new roots are formed and the tree becomes starved and sickly. Constant syringing of the bark and branches during extra hot weather is very beneficial to such large trees as Oaks, Elms and Beeches which have been shifted into new positions. Sow Pine Seeds, Sow seeds of .Pinus insignus, P. muricata and Cupressus macrocarpa in order to establish a batch of young seedlings for farm shelter purposes. Open out shallow drills one inch deep and the width of a spade. Sow the seed evenly and thinly and cover with fine soil. Birds are fond of Pine seeds and the beds or drills are best protected with fine mesh wire netting or covered with pieces of manuka scrub until the seeds germinate. Keep the seedlin-’ free from weeds and next spring line them out one foot apart in rows spaced eighteen inches apart. The next autumn they will be ready for planting out. Cupressus Lawsoniana does not stand the wind very well and is best used on the sheltered side of a wind break consisting of three rows, the first two being either Pinus insignus or Macrocarpa. Vegetables and Fruits. No further forcing of Rhubarb is necessary since the outside beds are coming into production. Do not pull leaves ot newly planted crowns, give them this season to build up healthy, root-stocks. Early Carrots in some districts may require resowing, they do not seem to have germinated well. Early Potatoes suffered severely last week on account of rests, many growers with small batches well forward and not protected arose'to find the tops well blackened. Give damaged crops a light hoeing up in order to assist new growth from as far up the damaged shootsfas will permit. Prepare for the sowing of main crop varieties. Where room is available put in a row of Jerusalem Artichokes. This is not a true Artichoke nor does it come from Jerusalem, its true home being Brazil and its correct name Helianthus tuberosus or tuberous sunflower. Place the tubers four to five inches under the ground, eighteen inches apart and three feet between each row. Though

they will grow on the poorest of soils, good use can be made of them in the vegetable garden by using them as wind breaks between other rows of vegetables. They grow six feet in height and thus afford good shelter.

The taller varieties of Peas, mostly maincrop varieties may be sown from now on. Do not sow in a V shaped drill; but draw a drill two inches deep and four inches wide with a fairly level bottom. This permits of a double row alternately spaced and allows much better root room.

Small seed-beds used for the raising of cabbage and cauliflower plants should never be used twice in succession for raising a brassica crop. This is the quickest way to introduce club-root and other diseases into the vegetable garden. Choose clean fresh soil each sowing even if one has to shift the position of the bed. Club-root is a very minute organism and can remain dormant for a number of years in the soil, ready at any time to attack a crop. Keep up a succession of all salad vegetables.

Pay careful attention to Strawberry beds and remove all weeds while keeping the surface soil stirred.

If readers with just one or two fruit trees, especially Plums, find that in past seasons they do not set fruit in any quantity the reason in most cases will be found to come under the heading of self sterility. To remedy this, obtain a few twigs of bloom from some other variety and tie into the branches after making provision to see that water is.supplied to the twigs during that time (a few twigs of bloom set in a bottle tied to a main branch will do. It has been found that several varieties of plums, cherries and apples do not readily self-fertilize the reason being that the pollen tube is naturally too short to reach the ovary and fertilize the young seed. CHARCOAL. This finds varied use in the garden, but it is not of very great importance; but in the bushhouse or glasshouse is indispensable in pots as it has a sweetening effect on the soil. A couple of pots full of charcoal per barrow load of soil can be used with advantage after being crushed to about the size of a pea. A good method of draining pots is to place at the bottom about an inch of charcoal instead of crocks as, besides draining the pot most effectually, it at the same time sweetens the soil.

Another use which it may be put to is to place a. lump about the size of a walnut in each vase of flowers, and it will be found that the water will remain remarkably fresh. You will find this far better than permanganate of potash.

Wood charcoal alone should be used. That derived from coal, known as “coke,” has no value whatever, and is quite useless.

CULT OF THE CLEMATIS.

FREE-FLOWERING CLIMBERS.

VARIETIES FOR THE SMALL GARDEN

The clematis, -with its many forms and shades of colour, is a most popular plant, and, seeing that nurserymen grow large quantities in pots, their planting can be undertaken at any time of the year except during the winter months. Choice varieties are grafted upon the common C. vitalba, and much has been written for. and against this practice. No doubt, many would succeed better on their own roots, so it behoves every keen gardener to. layer a few shoots of good varieties, and note the results.

There are many delightful species of clematis, in addition to a host of glorious hybrids. Lady Northcliffe, a beautiful deep lavender, tinted with bright blue, is very fine. Then we have duchess of Albany, bright pink; Nellie Moser, white, tinted pink; Prince of Wales, deep bluish-mauve; Duchess of Teck, very large white; Countess of Onslow, bright violet-purple; King Edward VII, violet; and Lord Nevill, rich deep plum colour. Three others that should be in every collection are Madame Baron Veillard, a delightful pale lilac-rose; Gypsy Queen, bright velvety-purple; and Marcel Moser, mauve-violet.

The above all belong to the large-flower-ed type, an exceptionally showy section of clematis. Enough variation is included, both in regard to size and colour, to satisfy the most fastidious nurserymen who specialize in these subjects stock dozens of varieties, and any amateur who thinks of making a large collection should visit such an establishment during' the summer months. A departure from the above will be found in some of the species. C. montana produces its anemone-like white flowers in October and November, and what it lacks in brilliance is fully made up in quantity. Attaining a height of over 20 feet, it is an excellent climber for covering old trees, arbours, and rustic arches. The variety Wilsoni is also white, but the individual flowers are larger than in the type, whilst rubens is very distinct. The flowers of this lovely variety appear" a little later than those of the type, and they are a beautiful rosy-pink colour. / A suitable companion to C. montana, and of more recent introduction, is C. Spooneri, a vigorous climber, with large white flowers. We have it growing 30 feet high, and it was a mass of bloom in November and earlj' December. C. flammula, known as Virgin’s Bower, is not so vigorous, but it is well worth growing for its delightful perfume, which has been associated with the scent of hawthorn, vanilla, and almonds. The creamywhite flowers in loose clusters are produced from February to April, and the plant grows from 10 to 15 feet high.. It should be planted near the dwelling house, being very charming just beneath a bedroom window. Quite distinct from the climbers are the herbaceous species, which make a fine show if planted in bold groups. They reach a height of two or three feet, and the growths die down in winter. C. heraclaefolia Cpris is soft blue; Davidiana blue; and Profusion "pale blue. Situation and Planting. The large-flowered group is not so rampant as many other climbers, therefore they are ideal for the amateur with a small garden who has few opportunities to satisfy his tastes in regard to climbers and creepers. Moreover, it is always possible to keep them within bounds by pruning. Some varieties die back each year almost to the ground level, while others are pruned fairly hard, otherwise the flowers will not be seen to advantage.

Pillars, pergolas, arches, bowers, and tripods are all excellent in their proper place; while I have also seen large rocks covered with a wealth of blossom.

The clematis is always at its best when thendrils have something they can cling to, especially in the early stages of growth. Where the supports are smooth at the base, a few bushy pea sticks give them a start. An occasional tie here and there is helpful, but where this method is practised entirely they are never such a success as when they can ramble and find their own supports. / Whenever possible, clematis should be planted so that the roots get a certain amount of shade. When this cannot be supplied by a nearby shrub or other plants, then the roots must be set on the north or east side of the support. ’ There are, of course, instances where even this method cannot be carried out, and then it will be advisable to mulch the roots with short manure, so as to break the direct rays of the sun and conserve moisture. Clematises will, succeed in almost any soil if it is/deeply dug and manured, but to secure the best results a certain amount of lime is essen-

tial. Ordinary lime, old mortar, rubble, or powdered chalk may be added at the time or just prior to planting. Very heavy soils can be rendered suitable by incorporating burnt clay, leafmould, or ashes from the rubbish fire.

The amount of pruning necessary will depend on the variety and the position it has to fill. Those growing over trees, or buildings need little attention, but when it becomes a necessity, such species as C. montana, C. Patens, C. Armadi, and other early-flowering sorts must be cut back immediately the blooms fade. The later-flower-ing section that produce their blooms on the new shoots should be pruned in August. No harm will accrue if they are cut back well into the old wood. In some instances the growths die back during the winter months. Such ought to be removed before new shoots appear. With a fair collection of species and varieties, the flowering period is an extended one. Those belonging to the Jackmanni and languinosa group produce a fine display from December to April, C. patens and C. montana bloom in November and December, the viticella section January to October, and the herbaceous species from February onwards. —T. W. 8., in Amateur Gardening.