THE HOME GARDEN

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3771, 19 June 1936, Page 10

THE HOME GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK THE FLOWER GARDEN Sow seed of hardy annuals and perennials. Plant all herbaceous subjects and divide old clumps. Roses should be planted out at the first opportunity. Plant waterlilies this month and divide those which have outgrown their quarters. June and July are the best months in which to lift and replant Japanese Irisis. Most of the true lilies can now be planted in rich, well-drained soil free - from lime. All deciduous trees and shrubs can be safely planted now. Plant out polyanthuses, cinerarias, Iceland poppies, nemesias, stocks, antirrhinums, pansies, violas and anemones. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Lime all plots which have been roughly dug but are unoccupied. Dig all vacant plots and leave them exposed to the sweetening action of frosts. Make another sowing of onions for pulling as greens in early summer. Plant ont cabbage, cauliflower and silver beet. Sow lettuce under glass and transplant when big enough to handle. Root cuttings of gooseberries and black currents by inserting them in moist soil mixed with sharp sand. Plant fruit trees and prune. Stone fruits come into bearing earlier than pip fruits and therefore need earlier attention. Weed all seedling crops and keep thinning them out as growth increases. TIMELY TOPICS REMINDERS AND SUGGESTIONS Mint often spreads widely and takes up too much room in the small garden. It is a good plan in this case to dig up the roots and take just sufficient to plant in a large biscuit tin filled with good soil Sink the tin into the ground with earth up to its brim. Enough mint for the average small home will be available without the plant becoming a nuisance. Birds are very fond of the yellowflowering crocuses, and a display can be ruined unless some protective device is adopted. A good scheme is to push a few sticks in here and there about the crocus patch and criss-cross strands of black cotton between. In many gardens there are bushes or heavily-leafed trees growing near the ground. If the branches' are lifted carefully and the surface of the soil beneath them scraped away, it will be found to consist of leafmould in excellent condition Tor immediate use in potting. Examine the rockery for places where the soil has been washed away. Put this right not merely by scooping up a handful from nearby, but by getting a bucketful of fresh soil and giving the plants a thorough dressing ell round and among the growths. Well fork up the surface first and then spread some of he new soil and work this in with the hand-fork, firming as you go.

To ensure a fine spring display from rhododendrons give them a topdressing of peat or leaf-mould. Not only will this feed the surface roots t>ut will also keep them safe from penetrating frosts, rhododendrons, rotting very near the surface. If you have any rose trees which are not quite happy in their present position now is the time to transplant them. Before lifting, cut round the tree Ift deep and a foot away from the stem with the spade; then using tbe fork, you will be able to bring up the roots with a good casing of soil. JAPANESE ANEMONES EASY TO GROW The varieties of Japanese anemones (A. jhponica) are all remarkably good natured. They will grow and flower regularly—in February and March—in practically any soil and in all sorts of situations up to nearly full shade. No other herbaceous plant is better able to stand up against tree roots; indeed, you may plant these anemones close up to hedges and they will still do quite well. For cutting you cannot have anything better, while the constant succession of buds produced in clusters at the top of the stems, gives a long period of bloom—up to 10 weeks quite frequently. Propagation is by root division, and now is the time to divide up or buy roots for planting. Dress the planting site freely with leaf-mould. STERILISING SOIL A SIMPLE METHOD Innumerable plans have been suggested for keeping down weeds .in seed boxes, but I have found that the best method is to bake the soil. Obtain a large tin—your grocer will doubtless give you one—fill it with soil and leave it in the oven overnight. If you haven’t a kitchen range, use a gas cooker. You must leave the soil in until it has baked right through. This treatment infallibly kills all the weed seeds, but the soil itself is in no Why harmed.—(J.F.P.) WALLFLOWERS PRESENT REQUIREMENTS If wallflowers are in a stunted, unhealthy condition the most likely cause is that the soil around the roots has been washed away by heavy rains, or in cold districts the roots may have been lifted from their anchorage by frost Another reason why wallflowers, are stunted is because they are growing in pooZground instead of wellmanured soil. Firm back, any plant which is out of place or rocked loose by high wind. Afterwards, strip off the entirely dead leaves and fill up any holes left by the firming with top soil from another part of the garden. If the soil is poor and you have some decayed manure, sprinkle a little on the ground between the plants and cover it with a fine layer of soil.

THE ROCK GARDEN MAKE ONE NOW Too often one sees unsightly heaps of stones and soil masquerading under the name of rock garden. These have little or no semblance to the real thing, which, when covered with dainty, fascinating alpine plants, is a charming addition to the garden. This is a good time to make a rock garden, as it will be ready for planting later on. The most important point is drainage. To ensure* good drainage on heavy ground, dig the site 10 to 12 inches deep and fill in the space with stones or broken bricks. This will protect the plants from stagnant water in winter. A mistake which many amateurs make is to have too many stones or rocks, with the result that the finished rock garden has no claim to beauty and plants will not flourish in it. Choose as sunny a place as possible and have in mind an idea what the finished rockery will look like. If this is not done, there is a chance that the result will be uninteresting. It is a good idea to arrange some of the stones in bold groups, thus relieving the monotony of a piece of ground regularly dotted with stones. Above all, endeavour to achieve an effect similar to the natural habitats of the alpine plants. If possible, use rocks of different sizes; the large ones will be useful for the bottom of the rock garden and will form a few “headlands.” See that the rocks are firm in the ground; it is not too deep if they are buried to nearly half their depth in the bank of soil. All large stones should be placed on their broadest bases. The roots of many alpines descend a long way in search of moisture and it is therefore necessary to place soil behind and between the rocks. When arranging the stones, make sure that no rock prevents the roots of plants extending downward. As sorrie alpines require shade, makrt spaces for these under the shelter of some of the larger rocks, where they will receive protection from the midday Sun. DAMPING-OFF HOW TO PREVENT IT Seedlings of every kind are susceptible to damping-off disease. Usually it is at the seed box stage that they suffer most, but occasionally transplanted stuff contracts the disease. The trouble is caused by microscopic fungi which attacks the stems at ground level. These shrivel and in a few hours the sufferers die. You will have no troubles with damping-off, however, if you treat all your seedlings with Cheshunt compound the first time you water them. This treatment need not be repeated unless damping-off appears, when a second watering will kill it. Cheshunt compound is made by mixing 2 parts of fine crystallised sulphate of copper and 11 parts of carbonate of ammonia. Allow the mixture to stand in a tightly corked bottle for twenty-four hours before using it. Dissolve loz. of the compound in a pint of boiling water and after stirring well add sufficient cold water to make two gallons, and your Cheshunt compound is ready for use.