THE HOME GARDEN

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 25, Issue 3759, 22 May 1936, Page 10

THE HOME GARDEN

AMONG THE VEGTABLES. 1 What to plant or sow: Seeds of the following varieties may be sown at once for winter and early spring use. Cabbage, winter Savoy, Drumhead succession and red pickling sorts. The latter stands the ravages of the fiy best, and is quite nice to eat when cooked like ordinary cabbage. Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and curly greens may be set now. They sue-

ceed well in cold districts, especially if there is plenty of frost. If sowing the seeds of the above varieties drill thinly out in the open and transplant when large enough. Plants are also now available. V Root Crops: A good sowing of garden swedes and white soft turnips may be made kt once. A great mistake in cultivating this crop is overcrowding. Sow the seed thinly in drills and thus save excessive thinning out. Short Horn carrots are the quickest to mature now. Radishes may. still be set if sufficient water is given them to grow the crop quickly. Slow growing radishes are hot and tough. Turnip-Tooted is the best for present planting. Sow the seed where the crop is to mature, as transplanting in the warm weather often causes them to run to seed. MANURING VEGETABLES. Owing to the present-day scarcity of animal manure the practice of giving limited dressings of horse, pig or cow manure, and then making up the deficiency by the use of chemical fertilisers is becoming increasingly popular. It deserves to do so, for its results in the production of excellent crops. The following “ programme” has given the writer the most satisfactory results:— For Light Soil.—Give a moderate annual dressing of rotted manure in autumn. To make up deficiencies, feed the crops during the growing season with sulphate of ammonia (to supply nitrogen) and superphosphates (to supply phosphates). Add crushed bones during the Winter digging to create a slowly dissolving source of phosphates supply. Also add kainit in winter (to supply potash). For Heavy Soil.—Give a moderate dressing of rotted straw horse manure. Use sulphate of ammonia in small quantities during the growing season, basic slag (to supply phosphates), and sulphate of potash at digging times. Onions: 41b superphosphates, lilb of sulphate of ammonia. Cauliflower: 41b superphosphates, lilb nitrate of soda. Brussels Sprouts: 61b of superphosphates, 41b of kainit, and 21b of sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda. Parsnips and carrots: 41b of superphosphates and 11b of sulphate of potash per square rod. Celery: Occasional dressings of nitrate of soda at the rate of ioz to the yard of trench. Asparagus: 41b of superphosphates,

41b of salt, and 21b nitrate of soda. Beetroot: 31b of superphosphates, lib of sulphate of potash per square rod. Cabbage crops: 21b of basic slag and lilb of kainit at planting, and Sib of sulphate of ammonia as a top-dress-ing per square rod. Peas and beans:

31b of superphosphates, 21b kainit and Jib of sulphate of ammonia per square rod. Forgeneral dressing for the whole garden: Sib of sulphate of annnonia and 3-41 b of superphosphates' per square yard.

DELPHINIUMS OROW IN EVERY GARDEN.

MOST SOILS CAN BE MADE SUITABLE FOR THEM.

Delphiniums should find a place in every garden, for most soils may be made suitable for their growth. A rich, deep soil is ideal, and it should be trenched one and a-half to two and a-half feet, and manured some weeks before planting. Heavy soils are improved by the addition of coarse sand, leaf mould, and stable manure mixed well with the soil. If the soil is light and sandy dig in some chopped turf and cow manure in preference to stable manure. Plants from seeds sown new will flower in spring. Sow the seeds in loam mixed with plenty of sharp sand and well-rotted cow manure. Transplant the seedlings as soon as they are ready, and choose if possible a cloudy day for the operation. After planting some protection from the sun is necessary until the young plants are well established. It must te remembered that delphinium seeds only retain their germinating power for a short period, and it is essential that only very fresh seed should be sown. The distance apart at which the plants are put in will depend on the variety being grown. About 15in apart should be sufficient for the dwarf growing types, but the tall hybrid delphiniums must be about 30ih apart. Grow delphiniums in groups according to the space available, or in rows. When the plants are growing well mulch the beds with welldecayed manure, and during the whole growing period liberal applications of water must be given. SECOND CROP OF FLOWERS. If, after flowering the plants are cut back, ther6 will be a second crop of flowers, which, although not quite as good as those produced at the first flowering, will be very effective. Delphiniums are particularly partial to lime, so plenty of it should be added to the soil when the bed is being prelured. Apart from being beneficial to the plants it is a great protection against pests. Among the varieties may be found types suitable for many positions, as the plants range in height from about 18in to 6ft or more, and produce flower spikes 2ft or 3ft in length. The tall hybrid delphiniums are perhaps the most popular of all the varieties. The beautiful spikes of varied blue shaded flowers produced by this type make the hybrid delphinium desirable and effective for border and bedding purposes. The intermediate type, Belladonna delphinium, grows to about 2ft or 3ft in height, and is more branching than the hybrids. The

flowers are of a beautiful shade of blue, and in manner of growth are extremely light and graceful. For indoor decoration the Belladonna delphinium is very useful. The Ballamosa delphinium is exactly similar to the Belladonna in growth, but the flowers are of a brilliant royal blue. Butterfly delphinium bloom over a very long period. The low-growing plants produce quantities of flowers in shades of azure blue, dark blue, and white! This type is excellent for massed effects or as bordering for beds of Belladonna or hybrid delphiniums. There is also a scarlet delphinium, Cardinal, the flowers of which are a vivid scarlet. The plants grow to a height of about 3ft. TIMELY TOPICS. REMINDERS FOR THE WEEK. There is still time to plant hardy bulbs for spring flowering. Have the bed well-worked and place a layer of sand under each bulb. Do every bit of work in the flower garden that is possible this month. Every task finished at this time means one less to do next spring. Keep off the soil while it- is sloppy and sticky. Little or no good can be done until most of the water runs or soaks away. Also avoid walking on lawns until the springiness has gone. Dig up and manure beds in which there are*no permanent plantings. This will give the fertilisers a chance to decompose and be in a form that is more available for plants set out in the spring. Brooms succeed well in poor, dry soil, and there are many different forms in yellow, pink, red, white cream, and purple. Are some of your old-established clumps of perennials growing out of ft "sea of sod”? How can such plants be expected to give an abundant crop of blossoms? Take a wellsharpened hoe or spade and clear away the grass from around the main stem for at least eighteen inches. Now cover this cleared space with a layer of well-rotted manure. Next spring note the effect in bloom. THE KAFFIR LILYA USEFUL BULB. The Kaffir Lily is a lovely autumn and even winter-flowering plant that blooms just when the garden ts most in need of a patch of colour. Everyone who has a little sheltered border should grow a few plants of the beautiful Kaffir Lily (Schizostylis). It bears more resemblance to a gladiolus than a lily, and its red flowers borne on tall stems make it invaluable at this time, both for house and garden decoration. Sehizostylis coccinea, crimson, used to be the only sort, but there is now another variety with lovely pink blooms called Mrs Hegarty. The story goes that a traveller for a large nursery garden, touring in the west of Ireland, came across a patch of this handsome plant growing by a wayside cottage, and was so struck with its beauty that he stopped and asked the owner to sell him the whole patch. She, however, offered him the whole lot for nothing, but* he presented her with a substantial cheque which' brought joy and comfort to poor gid Mrs Hegarty for the rest of her days. BAMBOOS, i

AN ASSET IN WINTER. Groups of bamboos are a valuable asset to any garden, especially during winter, when the beauty of their green foliage is a constant pleasure. Bamboos are perfectly hardy in most parts of New Zealand. They should be planted in loamy soil that is moist without being wet; when young, until well started into growth, they benefit by a yearly dressing of leafmould and manure. Once they are established in a suitable situation they ' increase quickly and will, in a few years’ time, make good stout plants. They increase by sucker roots which run just under the ground, and send up strong sturdy shoots which become good canes, enlarging rapidly the girth of the plant. Bamboos make splendid groups in a garden, the grounds sheltering rare and delicate plants and shrub’. They form excellent screens, to hide an ugly building, wall or outhouse. When well grown their canes are in constant requisition for garden use; when the canes are eut they should be cut right to the base of the plant, not half-way down, as this injures both plant and appearance. When bamboos are planted they should be watered freely, and if during their first summer they become dry, they should be kept moist or given a mulch of damp leaf-mould, until they are established. The best time to plant is from May to July. Bamboos are increased by division. Sometimes, when a plant has been divided up the newly-plante I pieces will appear dead for many months, and when one has given up hope of their recovering, they start unexpectedly into leaf, either at the base of the plant or the top of a dead-look-ing cane. HANDY WIFE. “Mary has a wonderful husband." “Yes? Howzat?”

“Why, he helps her do all the work. Monday he washed the dishes with her. Tuesday he dusted With her. And to-morrow he is going to mop the >or with her.”