WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5739, 5 December 1896, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

TO GARDENERS. Flower Garden. — It is chiefly in the summer time when plants are in active growth that liqnid manure is applied to them. It is a mistake to give plants that are not ivell rooted lnueli of it, but when they have plenty of roots, and are growing freely everywhere, it ii? beneficial ; but as liquid manure is often a scarce, and always a valuable, commodity, it should be used in such a way as to secure the best possible returns from it. In the case of plants in pots, when they have many roots th.?y are always apt to become quickly dry in hot weather, and many of them are often so dry that when the water is given them a large quantity of it passes through the soil and runs to waste. It i" a mistake to allow manure water to be wasted in this way, as it does the plants little or no good. The most economical and advantageous way of applying it to all plants in pots is to make the soil and roots wet with clean water first, and then water with liquid, as the moist soil retains all the best properties of the manure, and this is the point to secure. This rule also holds good in the case of fruit trees of all kinds, and vegetables as well. This is a good time to make notes of reliable hardy plants for supplying the cut flower basket, as it is only by making a careful selection of varieties to follow one another that anything lilco a continuous supply can be ensured. Where one has a good collection of flowering shrubs, beds of roses, and a mixed herbaceous border, there is always something to cut, but, in addition to this, it is a great advantage to have a few good-sized beds of plants that one can cut from, and still find plenty of suceessional blooms without disfiguring the beds too much. To obtain this, the plants must be well established, the soil well enriched, and a good mulching of manure applied in the winter. For the convenience of gathering the flowers, beds about four feet wide, with alleys between tho best, as if they are put out in larcre breadths more shoots will get broken down in the constant visiting these beds get during the flowering season than would be got from the alleys if they were all planted. The list of good plant* is very numerous. Achillea ptarurica jb very useful for cutting, and the more one cuts the more freely it seems to grow. Campanula persicifolia (floro-plena-aJba) is* a real gem. , Its blossoms, it' gathered singly and: wired, make a good substitute for gardenias. It spreads freely, and may be increased by division of the roots in winter. Delphiniums are splendid flowers for cutting, and givo a groat variety of colour. If the central spikes are cut as soon as the flowers expand, the side shoots spring up and continue a long time, and are really more serviceable than tho first bloom. If left to seed, the flowering is soon over. Helianthus multiflorus, or perennial sunflower, is one of the best for supplying cut flowers. O;\ee planted, a good top dressing will keep it right until it requires taking up and dividing, replanting, if possible, on fresh soil. Pyrethrums, single and double, are Tory beautiful, and they are now of so many varied colours that they are well suited for cutting from. The everlasting pea, lathyrus grnndiflorus, especially the red and wliito flowered varieties are invaluable for cutliug, and if planted near a fence where they ctvu climb over it, they will yield an unfailing supply of bloom, and make beautiful objects as well. They do best if undisturbed for years. A top dressing over the__crowa_ IB— jgJßtfiE-JS— all—

of the other specie are also very beautiful at present, Unwise Iceland poppies, herbaceous peonies, ixias, sparaxis, tritonias and all'.'ain i u t eU m.