SEEDS FOR AUTUMN SOWING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 28

SEEDS FOR AUTUMN SOWING

Antirrhinums—Snap Dragons, or as they are now well-known as Antirrhinums, are seasonable for sowing.

These gay garden decorators may be had in an almost unlimited range of coloprs, and are unsurpassed for gen-

eral garden decorative work. We cannot too strongly recommend a good sowing of these great favourites, and :.n choosing the seed select named varieties belonging to the semi-tall kinds.

Violas—Violas for bedding are indispensable, and are unexcelled for edging the garden beds. If sown now they will come into flower during the winter and will carry on their good work right through the spring. Buy the seeds in separate colours. The best of these are the yellow, blue and white. There are other shades to he had. but the flowers are somewhat large and have not the falry-like appearance of the three old sorts. Pansies—Pansies are also a line which should go In now. Grow the best strain obtainable. In our estimation there are none better than Bath’s Empress, and for fancy flowers the French strains of blotched pansies. Primulas, Polyanthus and Primroses—Primulas, Polyanthus and Primroses are all close relations, and are to be sown this month. The seeds are slow In germinating, but are generally extremely fertile. Grow the Primroses in semi-shade; the Polyanthus will stand a little more sun, and the Primula Malacoides will grow right out in the sun. We advise getting the latter out as soon as possible, so as to have the flowers out in the winter months. Malacoides makes a wonderful pot plant, and needs little skill in bringing it to perfection. Ranunculi—Ranunculi are wonderful flowers if a good strain of seeds can be purchased, but seed is very hard to germinate and very slow, so we advise obtaining bulbs. Contrary to general belief, the smaller the Ranunculus bulb the better the plant and flower will be. This is only natural, however, for after two or three years you will find that the bulb begins to lose Its vigour, whereas a small yearling bulb has all its life before it.

Stocks—And last of ail, but not least, we must sow stocks. Last month we had an article on Stock gi-owing, and we advise you to turn it up for full particulars. For growing we consider the Giant Perfection second to none, being quick in flowering, large in flowers, good, large plants, and a very large proportion of doubles. Next to the Giant Perfection comes the Beauty of Nice varieties, which are equally as good as the Giant Perfection, with the exception that we find they are not quite so hardy, aud the proportion of double flowers is much lower. However, the variety known as “Beauty of Nice’’ is as good as any we have seen, and returns an extremely high proportion of double flowers.