THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 21264, 10 December 1930, Page 21

THE GARDEN

WORK FOII THE WEEK.

J. A. McPherson.

The Greenhouse. The chief work for this week will be the sowing of late perennials and attention to Begonias. A little weak feeding with liquid manure will assist the latter plants. Put basket varieties into their baskets and never permit them to dry out. Keep a few plants of the best types of Calceolaria, Schizanthus and Cinerarias aside for seed sowing, the rest can be thrown out as soon as they start to become shabby. Give all foliage plants with the exception of palms a little feeding during the summer. Palms do not take kindly to rich foods and are best left alone to grow quietly on in good sweet turfy soil. Dust is an enemy of all broad-leaved foliage plants and a little soft soap added to some warm water makes an excellent mixture with which to sponge the leaves. Never put pot plants out into cold rain showers, it does more harm than good. Start Cannas away and give them plenty of rich feeding material such as bone-meal and well rotted cow manure mixed with the potting soil. Prepare soil for the final potting of large chrysanthemums. The Flower Garden. Hurry on the work of bedding out annuals, the season has been a late one, consequently most growers are still bedding outIf annuals are put out up till the middle of December they will give excellent results this season. Plant Dahlias in well manured ground ground and provide all beds and borders with some kind of attractive edging. Ranunculus and Anemones when past their best may be lifted carefully and set out in boxes of soil or heeled in in some corner of the reserve garden to dry off. This leaves the beds free for annuals and other bedding plants. Remember to sow Wallflower seeds in beds of sandy soil before it is too late. Leaves collected and stacked in the autumn will require to be turned over and if dry thoroughly soaked with water in order to assist decomposition. Shrubs such as Lilacs, Weigelias, Deutzias and Brooms have flowered remarkably well this season despite weather conditions and those fortunate enough to possess a Chillean fire-bush (Embothrium coccineum) will have been well rewarded for any care and attention given it when a young plant. Outstanding perennial plants at present in bloom are the Lupins. The newer art shades of pink and salmon, purple and rose have brought these old herbaceous plants very much to the fore. They are not fastidious as to soil conditions; but deep cultivation will produce the best plants. Sow the seed now in boxes and when large enough to handle plant out into small nursery beds for the summer. Next spring they will be fit to plant out into permanent positions either . associated with shrubs or as tall specimens for the herbaceous border. They belong to the Pea family and require lime in the soil. ,

Pyrethrums are also making a good show and are most useful plants for cutting. Once the flowers have finished cut them hard back and if the weather becomes dry provide a light mulch, they will then give another display of bloom in late.summer.

Remove seed heads from Pansies and Violas, nothing shortens the life of these plants as quickly as permitting them to seed.

Meconopsis Baileyii, the blue poppy from Tibet, is flowering with several readers at the present time. It is a beautiful flower and quite easy of cultivation. Though called a poppy it is not really so for the true poppies belong to the genus Papaver. Sow the seeds now and treat them in a similar manner to hardy plants, on no account must they bo coddled. The Rock Garden.

Whatever other portion of the garden has suffered from bad weather, rock gardens on the contrary have excelled themselves this season. There is an abundance of bloom and many rare and interesting alpincs arc in a very healthy condition. Shrubs suitable for a rock garden are very numerous, yet it takes a good one to outclass our charming native Veronica Hulkeana with its light racemes of delicate lilac coloured blooms. Cotoneaster horizontalis and C. prostrata are both useful shrubs and turn rich autumn colourings. Linaria alpina is a pretty violet coloured flower with an orange throat after the style of a miniature snapdragon, the. leaves are small and dull grey in colour. For brilliancy of bloom there are few plants which can excel the rock-roses, (Helianthemums) fireball, is a bright fiery orange, sulphureum is a rich lemon yellow, old gold is as its name implies, and venustum plena is a rich double red. These rock-roses form compact plants slightly bushy and about one foot in height and bloom profusely for nine months of the year. The foliage in most cases is small and grey green in colour. For sunny crevices one cannot do better than plant the purple flowered Erinus alpinus, a very dwarf and accommodating plant. The number of species of Laxifrage are legion, S. longifolia one of the “crusted” type has stiff silvery foliage and a large flowerstalk coverin pure white flowers. A very striking plant. Saxifrage cerrataphylla is the best of the “mossy” type of saxifrages and at present covered with a mass of white flowers. Unfortunately we are not past the stage where rock gardens are filled with common and uninteresting plants, and many people do not yet realise the wealth of beautiful alpines that are easily obtainable for the rock garden, apart altogether from the plants of our own mountain ranges.Fruits. Cover Strawberries to protect from birds and do not be over eager to remove the runners until after the fruits are Well set. If removed too soon the shock will force the plants into vigorous Jcafgrowth at the expense of the ripening fruit. Thin out the fruits on Gooseberry bushes, the small thinnings are usefid for pies and permit the main crop to grow a good size. Remove any suckers that appear from the root-stocks and rub out sappy growths from the centre of the bushes. Currants trained to walls must be securely tied to carry the increasing tveight of the fruit bunches. Spray apples for codlin moth if the first spraying has not had the desired effect. A lime-sulphur spray (summer formula) will keep mildew in check. Plums, Peaches, and Pears trained to walls will require plenty of moisture from now on especially if rain cannot reach the roots owing to the closeness of planting to the wall. Vegetables. Wherever possible use up every vacant plot with the exception of those plots reserved for the planting of early savoys and broccoli. Where Radish rows are past their best, remove all old plants, dig in some well rotted manure and sow a row of Butter Beans; watch them as the summer advances and water well in dry weather. Pick the pods as they come to maturity but never allow them to become dry and stringy. Plant out Celery and Leeks, giving each a thorough soaking after they have been set out. Curly Kale is a most useful winter green and like Silver Beet comes in at a time when green crops, are scarce. Sow both, crops now and plant out later in good rich soil. Silver Beet will run to seed if the ground is permitted to become dry and parched. A useful procedure in the vegetabale garden, that of hoeing up crops, should be carried out at every opportunity. Potatoes arc not the only crop requiring attention, for with constant winds it will be found necessary to lightly hoe up rows of Peas and

Beans, Cabbages and Lettuces. The plants are thus given a better hold in the ground and there is no straining or breacking of roots with a consequent lowering of the vitality of the crops and their productive power. Answer to Correspondent. "Bluebell” (Gore): Grape Hyacinths have a very short resting period and should be lifted and sorted as soon as the leaves die off. Plant back the biggest of the bulbs. It is not necessary to lift them every year, and they can also be planted out in the grass at the base of trees and shrubs. VIOLET CULTURE. SIMPLE HINTS FOR THE NOVICE. Few flowers are more welcome than the fragrant violet, and it is a simple matter to have an abundance of bloom if a cold frame is available. Indeed, even without the advantage of any artificial protection, it is possible to enjoy violets of good quality from quite early in the year. No mystery surrounds the culture of the violet, the only important points being to obtain sturdy, pest-free clumps during the summer months for lifting and framing in the autumn, and to maintain an abundant supply of air during the winter months. Coddling the violet will not, have, and shows its resentment by turning yellow in the leaf and rotting at the crown. Assuming that the beginner planted rooted cuttings in November, he should now be provided with strong plants, which will be putting out. an abundance of runners. These must be removed as fast as they appear for they are useless from the point of view of flower production, and will detract from the size and strength of the main crown. It is on the fullest possible development of this that the gardener must concentrate. During the growing season, the violet appreciates an abundant supply of moisture and plenty of food. Frequent applications of weak liquid manure will aid the production of big, healthy foliage. But it must be understood that it is essential this feed should be really weak. Liquid manure, made by steeping a sackful of old rotted cow dung in a barrel of water and then diluting the liquor with clear water till it is the colour of small beer, is the best possible stimulant for violets. It may be varied by occasional applications of soot water and a reliable complete artificial fertilizer, which should also be mixed in a very dilute form. Continual surface cultivation is of the greatest service in encouraging healthy growth, and will at the same time keep down weeds. The only pest that is likely to give serious trouble during the summer is red spider, and this will not prove serious unless the weather turns exceptionally hot, or tiie violets are planted in a dry soil and sunny position. Considerable misapprehension exists in the minds of many novices with regard to the appearance of red spider. The name itself is somewhat misleading, as this pest is .not a spider at all, but a mite. It is certainly red in colour, but is .so small as to be scarcely discernible to the naked eye. In the case of a bad infestation, however, an examination of the undersides of the leaves with a pocket lens will reveal many hundreds of the troublesome pests. The first really noticeable sign of an attack of red spider will be a blotchy yellowing of the foliage, though it must not be assumed that such an appearance is invariably caused by this pest. It may be due to a drought or starvation, or, again, to over-feeding with strong chemicals . But, should such a condition be noted, the foliage should immediately be examined with a lens, as already described, and, if tiny redish insects are visible, be sprayed with., a solution of soft soap—half an ounce dissolved in a gallon of soft water. Alternatively nicotine may be used, mixing threequarters of an ounce of best 97 per cent, purity nicotine with ten gallons of water. Great care should be taken to thoroughly wet the under surface of the leaves —not a very easy matter with violets, as the clumps are so compact and many of the leaves near to the ground. As red-spider is a pest which can only thrive in a hot, dry atmosphere, frequent syringing in the evening with clear water and thorough soaking of the plants at the roots will be beneficial in its eradication. If the clumps are to be framed, they should be ready for lifting by the end of March. It is a good plan to prepare the soil in the frames some weeks beforehand, so that it.may have time to settle. Should there be any wireworms or other grubs in the meadow loam used, these can be destroyed with Vaporite. The .frames must have some rough drainage material placed in the bottom, and should be filled with a compost made up of t~-o parts fibrous meadow loam, one. part sweet old leaf mould, and one part sharp sand. Make this up to within six inches of the glass. This is a point of considerable importance, as violets require all the light possible during the dull winter months. If they are a foot or more from the glass, they are almost sure to become diseased and mouldy.

Princess of Wales is still the best allround variety for culture in frames. Beginners who were not able to make a start with rooted cuttings in November will find it perfectly satisfactory to purchase clumps ready for framing in March. These may be obtained from any nurserymen, but it should be ascertained that they are strong and free from red spider. Mrs Lloyd George is a newer variety, also excellent for frame culture. It has much the same habit, lengthy stem, and colour as Princess of Wales, but each bloom is set off by a small raised whitish eye, which has earned for the variety the designation “semi-double.” Millets Souvenir de Ma Fille is probably the largest and bestcoloured violet in cultivation. Unfortunately, it is not so long in the stem as the two first-named, and, therefore, hardly so serviceable for picking. Hardy outdoor violets that can be counted upon to make a fine display early in the spring, providing they are planted in a sheltered border, are Czar, White Czar, Noellie, Admiral Avallon, and John Raddenbury. The last is a charming sky blue variety, not too frequently seen nowadays. Where it is intended to grow violets out of doors all the year round, it is best to plant them in their permanent positions in November rather than subject them to the further check of a shift in October. A sheltered border or bed between rows of fruit trees should be chosen, so that they must have a measure of protection from winter frosts, and be encouraged to bloom early. The flowers should be picked daily, for this encourages further productiveness. Slugs, which find the tender petals much to their liking, may be kept at bay by scattering crystals of permanganate of potash around the clumps.—“Plantsman,” in Ama. teur Gardening.

TILE MYSTERY OF MUSK.

Reference to that “peculiar and elusive subject,” the loss of scent of the common musk, was made by Dr. A. W. Hill, director of the Kew Gardens, in his presidential address to the botany section of the British Association. “I fear that there must be some here who have never smelt musk,” he said, “but I well remember its characteristic odour and how it was grown in pots in almost every cottage in the country, as it was reputed to keep away flies. As some of you will recollect, musk quite suddenly lost its scent a few years before the war, and apparently the loss of scent was universal. Despite repeated efforts, no scented musk has since been found, though often reported, nor can I get material for seed from western North America—the home of the plant—with any trace of the characteristic scent. The plant was introduced to cultivation by David Douglas in 1826, and as far as we know all the wild

native plants had the characteristic scent. What has happened? Why did all the plants in cultivation, as well as those growing wild in British Columbia, almost simultaneously, as it would seem, lose their scent? It would seem a problem worthy of the attention of the ecologist and chemist to attempt, by cultivating the plant in different, soils and under divers conditions, to try to regain the musk scent."