IN THE GARDEN

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1931, Page 11 (Supplement)

IN THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Zinnias, coimos, scarlgt salvia, celosias,' French marigolds may be planted. The lifting and storing of narcissi and other bulbs should be done before they start making new roots. Th® ground for replanting the bulbs should bfe prepared as soon as possible. Pick, off all spent blooms of roses and other plants that are flowering. Cutting off the blooms as soon as they are. past their best helps the plants considerably and ensures a prolonged flowering period. The amaranthus, love-lies-bleeding and feathered cockscomb are thowy annuals for planting at this season. Dahlia planting should be completed. Those already planted must have attention to staking and tying. The dahlia is such a rapid grower at this time of the year that it is necessary to do a certain amount of pruning to keep the plants in shape and to prevent them becoming top heavy. Seeds of perennials and biennials can be sown now. A bed of sandy soil which can be shaded temporarily is quite all right. Shading is unnecessary in the case of aquilegias, Canterbury bells, sweet ■ . Williams, antirrhinums, etc. Pansite, carnations and sueh-like seeds that ar® in small quantities are best sown in pots or ‘boxes; these should be shaded. Before sowing seed in the open ground water the drills, then sow and cover with fin® soil. If a few pine or macroCarpa branches are laid on top no more water should be needed until the seedlings show. Carnition layering can be done. Use a sandy soil for covering the layers. Prepare the Aground for planting anemones. If possible dig in a nice lot of, decayed cow manure. ■ «. Climbing roses that have finished flowering should have the old growths cut away and the young growths which spring from the base tied in for next season’s flowering. Violet plants will need spraying with a sulphur solution if red spider appears on the foliage. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Sowings of carrots, -oeet, turnips and spinach can be made. ...... For sowings to be successful at this season the soil must 'be worked down flue and be in good heart. Thin sowing and early attention, to thinning are also essential to success. •Sowings of French beans must be made to ensure continued supplies. Endive is a useful winter salad and a sowing made now will provide, a supply. Sowings of cabbage and cauliflower seed can be made. The. “fly” is the bugbear of cabbage at this season. Slight shading with scrim will keep it off. A sowing of parsley can 'be made now to provide a supply during winter. Th® frequent use of the hoe at this season should keep the ground free of weeds and a seeding weed should not be seen in a well-kept garden. Clean out odd corners and at the foov . of 'hedges. A few hours’s drying and most of the rubbish can be burnt. 1 dahliaF . One of the most important points in the cultivation of dahlias is to. keep them thoroughly supplied with moisture at the roots. They are. gross feeding plants making a quick growth. Feeding with liquid manure is necessary to get the best results. Mulch Hth manure to assist in conserving moisture and prevent. drying out. Staking requires careful attention, and the chief point is to prevent the plants from swaying about. The stakes should be strong enough to hold th® plants steady. Disbudding is essential even if the plants are only grown for decorative purpose®; a certain amount of disbudding will prevent exhaustion, of the plants and prolong the flowering period. Some of the useless inside and badly placed shoots should be cut away so as. to produce a well-balanced symmetrical plaiit. VEGETABLE marrows. Thera ere several reasons why. marrow fruit® tqrn yellow and fall off in their early stages. It may be that an Over-rich soil is provided. Male flowers ar® produced particularly freely in the plaHt’fe earliest stages and should be cut off. The female bloom is easily known by the tiny marrow seen behind the bud. It is wise to pick off all. male flowers till th® small fruite appear. Yet another reason for the fruits falling off is failure in setting, and it may be advisable to practise hand fertilisation, while lack of moisture is likewise a prolific cause. ABOUT POTATOES. Now.is the best time,io,secure seed; medium sized tubers are the most profitable. Get a shallow box and carefully lay th® potatoes in. Keep them in a cool dry place and do, not let them get, shrivelled .up by frost or other causes in the winter. In early spring plant them in well prepared ground, and when they show flowers top-dress them with fowl manure or horse droppings. CLEMATIS. During this month healthy ehoCte of clematis can be layered with the object of getting young plant®. Take. ®ut a furrow almost two inches deep, my down the shoot and peg it , to i)ie soil , at. intervals. These pegged .portions should be covered with san<)y soil- Later on when rooted they should be severed from the parent stock,. but planting is best delayed- until spring. RUNNER BEANS FAILING TO SET. ■ Very often at thit time of the year one heate many stating that although the runners are flowering very well many, blooms fail to ‘‘sei” properly. This is in many cases due to lack of moisture, and the reader will find if time can 'be spared to syringe the rows of plants whilst in bloom, choosiqg an evening, after a hot day for the work, the crop will be much heavier. It woqld be better still if this little detail was supplemented by giving the plants a mulching of light, strawy manure. Never allow runner beans to become dry at the root®, Copious supplies of water are necessary in hot and dry weather. VALUE OF MULCHING. At this time of year mulcliing, is of gteat importance, especially on dry, sandy or gravelly soils. The manure should b® applied while the ground is moist. Decayed farmyard manure is the best, but if this is not obtainable, horse manure will suffice. Mulching beheidts crops in many ways, it keeps

the roots cool and motet, and when rain comes, or if watered, the fertilising properties are washed to the roots. RHODODENDRONS. Tn the removal of dead flower® from rhododendrons the greatest neglect is shown. It is a common thing to see them remaining ,on throughout the season. Allowing tete dead flowers to remain has an adverse effect on the growth of the bushes. At the base of the buds shoots appear, sometimes one, often two. These are hindered in their progress by the developing seeds. Moreover, for the cake of tidihtes and appearance alone the dead flowers should be removed. LITHOSPERMUM PROSTRATUM. This charming plant, a native of Southern Europe, is a wide-spreading prostrate shrub, with small evergreen leaves and blossoms of a beautiful shade of rich blue; in fact, it is one of the most vivid blute found in the vegetable kingdom, and is not excelled by the delphinium or gentian families. The flowering period is carried over the greater part of the year. Its proper place is on the rockery 'in full sun, although it makes a very welcome patch of colour in many other positions. It likes a light, well-drained soil and one in which there is a fair proportion of leaf-soil or peat. HOLLYHOCKS. Even a small clump of hollyhocks looks well in any garden, and it is strange why so little use is made of the hollyhock at the present time. There was a time when disease was the chief factor and it was almost impossible to grow the plant, and even now two-year-old plant® are badly affected, but seedlings ean be grown on to flowering size quite easily and will give a good display. High culture is essential to success. The present is the time to sow the setel, which should be put in drills in the garden in an. open position. The seedlings should be grown on steadily and strongly from the start. The. soil should be deeply trenched,' and a good dressing of well-to bled manure added. While growing, the plants should be top-dressed with some rotted manure. A space of 2ft. should be allowed from plant to plant. Early staking is necessary, otherwise loss from breakage is sure to occur. AQUILEGIAS. Whether required for the ornamentation of the flower border or in a cut state, these plants’ occupy a unique position; No hardy flower is’ mor® graceful or elegant, the', plant carrying its nodding flower® on tall sterna rising out of a cushion of glaucous green foliage. They are easily managed And grown. They have a great dislike ’ to moving, and do not as a rule succeed by being divided. Seed, however, will grow easily and quick enough, and sufficient young plants should be raised - each year tO Cop® with the 'regiiitements. After flowering they'should be' thrown away. Seed may 'be sown now, and th® plants ehduld .flower next season. AqUilegias are plants - which will stand •fairly dry soil, and do well grown in the front row of a shrubbery. They are, ’however, worthy subjects for grouping in bed, and a glorious sight is a bed Of aqUilegias when in full flbw»er. There are various species, but the best variety for the garden is 'what is know’ll, as Longspurred hybrids. The colours are various, and include some beautiful shades. BORDER CARNATIONS. The past season has treated th® carnation very well and now that th® main flowering season is over is the best time to revibw th® manner® and customs of the varieties. Bppkham ’ Beau, white, heavily barred scarlet, is one of th® best of , modern introductions. It blooms freely and well on one year plants and rarply gives a split calyx. Owing to its flowering qualities it is, late in producing layers. Duchess Glove, a dwarf grower, shrimp pink shading to salnlon. E. Lyall Swete, a fine strong growing scarlet, a. worthy introduction to the large number of scarlet varieties. Mrs, E. Charrington, a white ground with lilac stripes, a good doer with a perfectly formed flowqr, does better as second year plants. Bookham (Scarlet, a strong grower, probably one of the best scarlet carnations in cultivation. Gipsy King, yellow with pink splashes, not a largo bloom, but flowers well and does not split. Hadrian,, buff ground, suffused Scarlet and crimson, strong, sturdy foliage with stout flower stems. King of Gloves, a fine dark dove with the true old clove scent; perfect calyx. It is a glow grower; and like the Old Clove, the plants give better results when two. or three years old. Lady Bower, a strong grower, white marked with violet.,. A large. bloom and one of the best border varieties. Laverock CloVe, salmon pink,

perfectly forjped flowers. Linkman, yellow marked rich scarlet. One of the best, but second year plants give best results. Has probably gained more awards than any other variety. Mr. G. D. Murray, white barred carmine violet. A very large flower. and -strong plant. Mrs. H. Swan, a massive pure ■white self of giant build and strong healthy growth; one of the best whites in existence. Pearl Clove,. pale lilac rose, strong clove scent; etrong grower. Heather Bell, the best lavender self yet (introduced. A perfect flower and good grower. Purple Clove, ths best purple self, Rosaline, soft canary yellow pencilled salmon pink, perfectly .formed. Sowers and plenty of them; does well oh first year plant®. The 1 Sheik, a clove scented crimson maroon, good doer, perfect Calyx, blooms freely with strong flower stems. THE hose GARDEN. When the first lot of flowers has fallen from the roses, cut th® shoots back to the uppermost plump bud which ■will produce some nice blooms during autumn. Seed pods should" not be allowed to form and a dusting with flowers of sulphur or a spraying with lime eulphur should be given to hold mildew in check. Many of the newer roses ar® immune to mildew and black spot, but there .are usually some that are affected and it is best to apply a dusting of sulphur rather than to let the disease go unchecked. ■ SWEET PEA TRIALS. In *' report by a representative of th® Horticultural Advertiser of a visit to th® various trial grounds of the large English seed houses, the following notes' on some of the varieties may be useful to growers. Some of these are already on the market, and some will be offered during the coming season. Noticeable were Big Ben and Sonny Boy, winners at last year’s trials; 'Cheerio, bright blue, Pink Glow and Yule Log Glow, the former receiving an award at the N.S.P.S. trials, and the latter is a strong growing deep orange. Amy Johnson, an attractive flower with duplex standards, flushed with carmine-cerise. Tips Fawn,’ a combination of ’ yellow - and pink, blended into a shade’of chamois. Leviathan will probably become the leading maroon on account of its size and lons stem. Cheerio has a purity and brightness which'make it (quite distinguishable ■from other blues. Flag Lieutenant, very large- and a deep navy blue, with- a maroon flush in the standard. Captain 'Blood, a pure- scarlet and the strongest grower in this colour. Laddie, a warm shad® Of pale cream pink, and evvsnly. coloured down to the base of the stand-’ aid and wings. Cheerful, a bright, deep ’ cerfse. Amethyst, a good blue, especially bright and pure in th® wings. Fragrance, a nicely frilled lilac variety, with an extra heavy perfume. BEST DAFFODILS AND TULIPS. ' In a list of best daffodils and tulips published by the Guild Gardener, the opinions of Messrs. R. H. Bath,' Ltd., R. Sydenham, Ltd., Bees,- Ltd., H. E. (Moxon, and Sutton and Sons are given. It is interesting to note that these wellknown firms totally disagree as to the best tulips, and not a single tulip gains th® suffrages of the ffv® traders. In daffodils, only one variety gets the suffrages of them all. That is the variety Emperor, and eveifr one of them places it either first or second.