WORK IN THE GARDEN

Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 10

WORK IN THE GARDEN

By

RIWHI

TREES AND GARDENS At the beginning of last month an article in “Work in the Garden’ was devoted to a description of tree.’, suitable for garden planting. Those mentioned were ash, beech, .rowan, elm, lime and oak. In this article it is intended to extend the list to include plane, laburnum, maple, alder, poplar, birch, and several of the more ornamental conifers. THE PLANE To city dwellers the plane is quite a familiar tree as it is used so much in street planting and in the open spaces close to the centre of the city. The reason for its use in these places is its resistance to such harmful conditions as smoke, dust and fumes. Some trees are very sensitive in this respect, but not so the plane, which thrives in the heart of old London, and is to be found in all of the larger New Zealand cities. Its leaves are rather similar to those of the sycamore and its smooth greyish bark flakes off in rectangular scales. Its fruits are nuts with a globular burrlike covering similar in appearance to fruits of bidi-bidi but larger; they hang by their long stems right into the winter. The plane is a spreading tree, and needs ample room for full development. It can, however, be cut back hard when necessary with no ill-effects. Planes thus pollarded are to be seen along Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch. As will be realized the plane is not particular as to soil or site, so long as it is reasonably well drained. It will not, however, thrive in exposed windy situations. THE LABURNUM The laburnum is a most attractive small tree; it grows quickly, thrives on any average soil and is quite hardy even in exposed situations. Its dainty racemes of yellow flowers appear regularly year after year in October, and by their form clearly define it as belonging to the sweetpea family. It is well to remember that both bark and seeds are poisonous. Native pigeons are very fond of the young gorwths in spring time. Laburnum is a tree suitable for town gardens of limited area, but it is a graceful tree anywhere. THE MAPLE There are many varieties of maple including the common sycamore, the English maple, sugar and scarlet maples from America and the highly ornamental slow growing Japanese varieties. These last are specially suitable for small gardens, but they must have shelter and a fertile well-drained sunny situation. The English maple is most attractive in autumn when its leaves turn to rich gold, which in the words of Tennyson will “burn itself away, till all the woodside glows in the fitful sunshine like dead gold.” It is a small tree, not particular as to site, soil or shade and therefore often very useful. The Canadian maples have inspired the national song of Canada “The Mapleleaf for Ever.” What the oak is to England the maple is to Canada, and the forests of that country must be a blaze of glory when the scarlet maple (Aarrubrum) takes on its autumn tints.

The timber is most valuable. It is easy to work and takes a fine polish. Undulations in the grain yield birdseye maple which is prized for furnituremaking. Sycamore is largely used by turners, its soft, white grain being ideal for this purpose. Quite apart from their beauty of form and colour the maples are of great utility right across the lands of the Northern Hemisphere. THE ALDER The alder, not to be confused with the “elder,” is a moisture loving tree. It grows well in some damp low lying corner or beside water. The best specimens to which I can direct your attention are those growing round the edges of the lily ponds in the Domain at Queenstown. The alder has oval leaves deeply veined and serrated, but the characteristic by which it is most easily distinguished is its conelike seed cases. At the present time old black cases over j 12 months old will be seen still attached ' as also ripe brown ones of the present season. Further the flower buds for next season’s fruiting are also quite easily recognized. This three season sequence of fruits should always serve to identify the alder. THE POPLAR Several varieties of poplar are commonly grown including the Lombardy, the black poplar, the balsam and the silver poplar. Generally the poplars prefer moist conditions. They grow best where their roots can reach down to moisture well below the surface as tor instance on alluvial plains. They will do poorly wherever a hard iron or clay pan restricts their roots to the surface soil; this applies more especially to the Lombardy. This tree is comparatively short-lived and its growth is upright. Lombardies are useful as shelter and are often so used by orchardists. They are easily grown from cuttings and can even be trimmed as hedges. The roots however are troublesome if allowed to encroach on the garden proper. The black and the balsam poplars are similar and are both hardy trees which do quite well in exposed positions. As the buds burst in spring the balsam poplar, and to a lesser extent the black, diffuses a sweet aromatic fragrance all around. The leaves are heart shaped and large and are among the first to turn to gold and fall in the autumn. An interesting though not commonly grown poplar is the white poplar with leaves like those of the maples and tall straight branches growing at an angle of about 30 degrees to the perpendicular. The leaves are cottony white on the undersides and on their long slender stalks they give an effect when a breeze is blowing similar to that of the aspen.

THE BIRCH The silvery bark, open network of branches and slightly drooping habit of the birch have earned for this most graceful of trees the title of “Lady of the Woods.” Even in winter the bark and the hanging catkins, ready for early spring flowering, make the birch a thing of beauty. Silver birch is hardy but will not thrive where prevailing winds are very heavy; it will grow in the poorest soil and in wet or dry situations. It can even be used to make an informal hedge. It is at its best when grown as a specimen tree under conditions of reasonable shelter. CONIFERS In the space available it is not possible to do justice to the coniferous family of evergreens and they will be dealt with in more detail at a later date. Among those most useful in large gardens is the one deciduous species—the larch. The following make’ splendid specimens: Wellingtonia gigantea, the three cedars (Cedrus Atlantica, C Deodara and C. Libani), Cryptomeria elegans, Cupressus such as Lawsoniana, torulosa and funebris. the true firs and the spruces. For smaller areas suitable species are the yews, the retinosporas and the junipers.