THE COTTAGE GARDEN

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144196, 12 September 1913, Page 5

THE COTTAGE GARDEN

HORTICULTURAL NOTES—No. 18. ' (By Adscriptus Glebae.) With the arrival of September tho busy season of tho gardener has commenced in real earnest. The hardiest plants may have their seed planted in the open, hue ho is a wise gardener who will still determine to have the tender varieties starter! in boxes and then transplanted. Sweet peas for autumn, blooming must not bo left longer than this month before the seed is sown. Be sure and have a bed of mignonette. This seed may now lie planted in the open. Transplant violets during this month and October. l)o not forget to give them a sunny situation.

in transplanting; annuals, biennials, and perennials during this month, bo sure and have regard to tho permanent aspect of your flower-beds. Supposing you have a long bed alongside tho wain from the front gate, you will no doubt ho faced with the proolera how to treat it. ‘ Well, 1 have treated a similar bed in the following fashion:—There is a border of picotees—lobelia, nemesia, and Iceland poppies are just as.suitable, being compact and low-growing. Then clumps oi narcissi, which haves just completed flowering. Those- have bloomed when nothing else has been in flower. Between these clumps 1 have just planted out suckers of chrysanthemums. These will bloom in tho late autumn when all the annuals have been removed. This arrangement assures continuous bloom in tliis bed for at least ton months in tho year. This can bo arranged by putting in paper-white narcissus, winch flower in Juno and July. You might also put in the bed' a tow clumps of perennials such as scabious, perennial phlox, and columbines, Right along tho back of the bed I have planted out two rows of larkspur.’ Those are, tdll-growir.g, and all tall-growing annuals should be kept at tlio back, thus forming a background for the awarfer annuals. Having treated the borders, background, and intervals in this manner, I have marked the bod in sections, and in each section I am.growing a particular variety ofannual. An arrangement something like this will prove satisfactory; No. 1 section, pansies; No. 2, asters, comet; No. 3, summer chrysanthemums; No. 4, centaureas—rseed planted w’here they aro to (lower; No. 5, astern, sinensis variety; No. 6, schizanthus; No. 7, nemesia; No. 8, asters, Victoria; No. 9, dimorphdthecia; No. 10, phlox; No. 11, ten-week stocks; and so on ad infinitum. What tho grower wants to bear in mind is to plant beds that will give a succession of bloom. By sand-’ wiching the’ other anuals with asters you wul ’be sure of bloom. in the late summer months when pansies, etc., are past. On tho other hand, pansies and tho nemesia will come into bloom much quicker than larkspur or asters. Now that tho narcissus section has finished blooming, do not be foolish enough to cut off all the leaves to get them out of tho way. Many gardeners do this, quite forgetting that it is by this means that the bulb, stores up its strength te -flower during the next season. , , . , Chrysanthemums may now bo planted out. -Lift up tho dump and detach-the. suckers. 1 I’lant these, out and throw tho clump away. It is from the suckers, by proper treatment, that large blooms are obtained. .In the meantime got the suckers planted out in their permanent beds. . Chrysanthemums make good subjects for boxes or small barrels. By keeping the top cut hack you compel tho plant to branch out, and by the. flowering season tho plant is a bushy one and covered with bloom.

In certain parts of .tho Dominion melons of various kinds do magnificently. I have never been located in one of those localities, so my efforts in melon-growing have not been too successful. They are most easily grown in a light , sandy soil, and they need plenty of sun. Tho three branches or tiro melon family are tho pie, water, and rock melon. The rock melon ripens earlier than the others and can be grown tinder more adverse conditions, although I must confess that I have been more successful with pie melons than either of tho other two, and then success has been only a matter of comparison. The season’s yield has not been one that would be likely to tempt a man to go in for melon-growing as a means of obtaining a living. For successful growing the soil should be well supplied with decaying vegetable, matter or humus. A shovelful of wellrotted manure is required to give the plants a good start, but the, manure must be free from heat. When the vines are , about three feet in length pinch off the ends to induce the growth of fruit-bearing side shoots. By planting the seed and then covering with a glass-covered box the plants will got away much earlier and stand a better chance of ripening. Wien we remember that Canadian-grown melons are sold in Montreal, it shows how it is possible, cron in Taranaki, to bo successful with those fruits if they are properly treated. In growing tomatoes wo look for quality, appearance, productiveness; and firmness. To this end get the seeds of the best varieties. Trucker’s Favourite is as good as any for the cottage garden. I grew' this last year, and from twenty plants obtained a splendid crop. I found it a good blight- 1 resistor. My'plants wore attacked on two occasions by blight, and I saved them by the simple process of removing all the affected leaves. Prevention is better than cure, but if your plants reach the stage of developing fruit and are then attacked, I make, the suggestion so that it mar be tried. In my ,caso it had a most beneficial result, as the plants mado new growth and threw off the disease. Don’t plant potatoes too close to them,; Remember that tomatoes were originally semi-tropical plants, and therefore they need a little coddling in the early stages, and resent removal from greenhouse to open [ground without being properly hardened off. So far I have not sown seed, but will do 60 in tho course of a few days.

NOTE.—Be sure and plant reliable seeds if you want good results. Some seeds grow, but tho crop is a failure and your time and money is wasted. Our seeds are tested and proved before putting on the market; therefore‘they can be relied on to give a good return for your outlay. Our seed potatoes are imported from Southern growers and guaranteed true to name. Call and see samples. Write or ring up Cutler’s, City Fruit and Flower Company, ’Phone 270. Floral work done m all its branches at shortest notice.