WORK IN THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 23773, 22 March 1939, Page 14

WORK IN THE GARDEN

B”

BRENDAN P. MANSFIELD,

F. Inst. P.A.

THE COOL GLASSHOUSE

Perpetual-flowering carnations to maintain display throughout winter must be kept clean and in active growth. Do not permit flowers to come away; concentrate rather on building up bushy plant with healthy foliage. Watch for red spider which, if in evidence, should be immediately sprayed with Black Leaf 40. Reduce shade on houses or frames. Protection should be added or reduced according to exterior conditions. That is why we prefer blinds or covers to permanent shading, The season, or hour of the day, has nothing to do with the time for opening or shading the glasshouse. Liberal watering and feeding are required for chrysanthemums and tree marigolds, but do not permit flowering ’ plants indoors to become over-wet.

THE FLOWER GARDEN

The planting of biennials is carried on until May but, where material is sufficiently advanced and if space is available, the sooner these plants are in their permanent quarters the better. These include: Canterbury Bells,, Sweet William, gaillardias, coreopsis, honesty aquilegias, pentstemons, and so on. Flowers in winter and early spring can only be obtained by attention to autumn planting. There is no period at which fresh cut flowers are more welcome, or difficult to procure. Where space permits autumn sowing of hardy annuals is definitely of advantage in this district, affording early and lasting display. Antirrhinums, stocks, sweet peas, larkspur, godetias, eschscholtzias. calendulas, and so on, may all be treated in this way. Home propagation of hardy border flowers is easy if deep boxes filled with very sandy soil are used. Violas, pansies, calceolarias, pentstemons, helianthemums, geraniums, Arabis, armeria, alpine phlox, and so on, may all be rooted now for short pieces of the leading growths.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

In many gardens there is evidence of winter greens and other vegetables bolting to seed. Such material should be removed without delay and its place occupied by spring cabbage or even young savoys. Requests are frequently made for information about club-root. The most efficient means of dealing with this is by rotational cropping. Never grow any member of the cabbage family on ground infested with club-root two years running—if you can give it a longer spell so much the better. Such ground will grow celery, leeks, carrots, parsnips, beet or any other vegetables—but not brassicas. Unless the soil is deeply cultivated treatment with lime and soot is of very little use. With deep cultivation and absence of rank manure the disease is ultimately stamped out. It is certainly late for sowing, but if on a deeply-cultivated, well-drained, warm border, small sowings of early turnips and early carrots are made reasonable results may be expected. It is not generally known that turnips of the Golden Ball type, if lifted and stored in sand, will keep for a considerable time, but they, should be stored before getting too hard and coarse.

THE FRUIT GARDEN

Pears require drier and warmer conditions than are good for apples. If both must be accommodated in the same store the pears should occupy the higher shelves. There is still time, though not much, to plant well-rotted strawberry runners. The soil is still quite warm and for this reason they will establish rapidly. Remove runners and weeds from strawberry beds planted last month. Keep the soil constantly stirred with the hoe.

Every assistance must be given tomatos to ripen their fruit. Cut off the lower leaves completely and reduce those higher up on the plants by half. It is also an advantage at this time to cut down the water supply.

PYRETHRUMS

The present is a good time to lift and divide pyrethrums, especially where they are groWn in separate beds for cut flowers. They are worth a little extra trouble with that end in view, coming in as they do immediately after daffodils and tulips. They appreciate a raised bed containing a good proportion of humus, and although shallow-rooting, deep cultivation is well repaid by quality of bloom. Care in planting is called for, spreading the roots out and making the soil firm about them. Some protection from prevailing winds is advised so long as it does not shade them unduly.

A dressing of complete fertilizer a few weeks before planting, and again in early spring, results in longer stems and good colour. Keep the bed well hoed so long as it is possible without damaging the stems and immediately after flowering remove all dead stems and leaves, fork the surface of the bed and mulch with spent hops. The bed should only be left down three years at the most.

WILD FLOWERS OF AUSTRALIA

WILD FLOWERS OF AUSTRALIA. By Thistle Y. Harris. Angus and Robertson, Ltd., Sydney. Price 7/6.

Lovers of the distinctive and fascinating native plants of Australia have long felt the need of an authoritative work which, while serving the requirements of amateurs, may be used as a text book by students. So “Wild Flowers of Australia” by Thistle Y. Harris, in which the author has presented just that information desired and in the most useful form, is welcome. Though popular descriptions are brief, they are sufficient for practical needs. The book is conveniently divided into two parts. Part I deals with popular descriptions, in plain talk, and the distribution of the species. The value is at once emphasized by the general use of common names, with botanical names in brackets, and is further enhanced by coloured plates, reproductions from water colour paintings by the late Adam Forster, of the 240 plants enumerated. The brilliance of colouring is particularly arresting, being in sharp contrast with our own wild flowers. Part II contains complete botanical descriptions of the plants and provides a simple key to the families which makes it a work of immense value to students. By reference to the glossary of botanical terms anyone can use it intelligently. It is not claimed that the work is complete, indeed it would be much too voluminous and expensive to be generally useful if it were so, but it details the principal species from every state with the notable exception of eucalytus, a genera so big .that to deal with it efficiently would require a separate part. It can, however, be claimed that this book contains the most simple, yet comprehensive and useful, survey of the native plants of Australia published to date and should be readily used by anyone interested in its unique flora from the practical or scientific viewpoint.

FLOWERS THAT BLOOM IN THE SPRING

Spring-flowering bulbs which embrace some of the most gorgeous features of the garden, should be planted now. Bulbs in general like a sunny position, therefore, an easterly aspect is to be preferred. They also like protection from strong winds. It is not recommended to plant with some few exceptions, on the south side of a house in the shade, not under the foliage of trees, because the result will usually be an abundance of green leaves, and none, or but few flowers, and those of an inferior character. Nor yet will success follow planting them in any hard, poor, unyielding soil. Bulbs require generous treatment and resent the notion that they may be thrust in any out-of-the-way place, odd nook or corner, and be expected to put forth then' spikes of sweet-scented blossoms. On the contrary, they enjoy freedom from contact with other plants, and delight in the glow of the morning sun. Next in importance to aspect is the composition of the soil, which should be free, light and rich and moderately moist. Gardens of stiff soils could have those parts where bulbs are to be planted made suitably by the addition of a mixture of sand, rotted manure, and wood ash. Where it is desired to plant only small clumps of bulbs, here and there, between other plants, a bucketful of the mixed soil would serve for each clump. It is a fact that bulbs and tubers enjoy the freedom of porous soil; but extremes are not desirable, for where garden soil consists principally of sand it must be enriched and made stronger by the addition of manure and loam. If the drainage is good, bulbs while growing should be supplied freely with water and are much benefited by a good mulch or stable manure if placed five or six inches away from their stems. —Australian Garden Lover.

THE OUTDOOR CARPET

Lawn grass seeds sown in early autumn usually germinate more surely and cause less anxiety than when sown in spring, for at this season, even in the absence of showers, heavy night dews afford sufficient moisture, while cooler day conditions are more favourable to the growth of the. young grasses. Provided the site has been well cultivated to a depth of six inches or so, and if on poor land has been enriched with well-rotted manure, the first opportunity should now be seized to prepare the surface and sow the seeds. Alternate rolling and harrowing or raking, together with the removal of all stones and roots, will soon produce a fine tilth to receive the seeds. These should be sown broadcast in two directions, using half the quantity of seeds each way. It is worth while to get expert advice as to the mixture of grasses most suitable to the district, and for the aspects of the lawn, and as to quantities for ordinary purposes one to one and a-half ounce to the square yard should suffice to produce an even sward. After sowing, the seeds should be lightly raked in, drawing the implement diagonally over the surface, and finishing off with a light rolling with a wooden roller. After-treatment should include rolling again with a mediumweight roller directly the grass is up, preferably when the ground is dry, and cutting with a sharp scythe or newlysharpened mower, with the blades set high, when the grass is about three inches high. All weeds should be carefully removed by hand, and fallen leaves raked off regularly throughout the autumn. Sweep and roll the new grass as opportunity offers, and perhaps cut once more before growth ceases for the year, when a good foundation will have been laid for a successful lawn for next season.

WHAT TO SEE IN GARDENS

To see the brilliance and fullness of bedding displays outside the Feldwick Gates at Queen’s Park the visitor could scarcely credit that any difficulties in weather had been experienced, which proves that, for certain displays under the most exacting conditions, no better combination can be secured than calendulas bordered with catmint and Dwarf Bedding Antirrhinums, in variety. A point in the growing of antirrhinums, is that care must be taken periodically to cut out the spikes of bloom as they fade, so preventing the plants going to seed; this should be systematically carried out as in viola growing, and the plants should be gone over at least once a week from the time that the first spikes are past their best. By this means, and a judicious and light application of some artificial manure at intervals of a month, these old-time favourites will continue in bloom until frosts cut them down. The charge is sometimes laid that this is a combination of only the commonest flowers. Be that as it may it is, nevertheless, effective and, what is more, is vigorous and brilliant when quality display with other plants is lacking