WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7203, 14 September 1901, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gar&enerp. Flower Gardfin^weet pas sown last March arp. growing very fast mow, and no time' should bj> lost in placing*iiitable supr ports iov the plants io climb on. Overcrowding is a mistake* too often made, &nd consequeptly small bjnom? on short stalks are the result. The seed is generally sown ! too thick, but the plants may be thinned ! out sufficiently to give*eac!b. pl&ftfc quit© six iochiee of root space. In email gardens, the early rows of peas are often nearly destroyed by slugs. • To prevent this, tnulch the peas with finely-sifted; cinder ashes, with a little fre^h lim© added ; tb&-. will protect the plants untfl fchey «,r-e -too tougih for the slugs to c-a'b. Penstenipne'snowld be planted put at once j %ese beautiful flowers are not grown as much as their merits warrant. . They are easily produced ejtbjer by sowing seed at once or by striking cuttings in *he autumn. The pliant® raised: from cuttings flower much longer than, those raised from seed- The best system of cultivating these, plants is ■teeat dhem roudi the same as tihe shrubby caUceokvria is treated, i.e., taking cuttings in Ap/jl, striking them in boxes and w*n*eping them in a cold frame, planting them, out in "their summer quarterns §ome t-jme in September. They are very effective girown..jn clumps of five plants eighteen dnph«a eparb, or in a bed!, one or two varieties only jo each. The plants will grow jn «nyy soil, but the beeb results are obtained in good soil, with a liberal supply of manure added. Calceolarias should be planted in their summer quarters at once, giving "flbem as cool a position as .possible. Unfortunately, these plaints? will not grow satisfactorily in many gardens, but wliere they will they prove most effective for garden decoration. Bhloxes, the lierbaceous, or perennial varieties, are old favourites, but they are not treated a 9 well as they should be. Too often plants are purchased and planted, and then left) 'to take core of themselves for years. This is a serious mistake; they should be taken up every September, divided amd re-planted. With •tibia treatment tihe spikes of bloom are larger the flowers finer, and ■they retain -their "foliage jtonger. There are so many excellent varieties that the more comanon should not find c place in the garden. Tlra ph'liojc is a gross feeder ; there are very f ew border pjapts that exhaust the soil so much as it does, therefore use manure and plenty of :<t> dig the ground) quite two feet deep, and give each, plant plenty of room. Early flowering dhryfianthemurns always find favour, especially during <a cool summer. This is not surprising, as they produce such a wealth of blnesom just after tihe brilliant annuals are over. Take up the old plants, divide them, and re-plan*. It is a good plan to put two or three of the most forward growths togetiher to form a plant, then put several of the later shoots together and plant. This system; prolongs the flowering season. Give each plant ample space; the ono-re it has the more flowers it will give. Seeds may now be sown, and nearly all the annuals may now be gob in. The seed may be sown in small beds in a warm corner of the garden, or in the position they are to be grown and flower in. Some varieties do not transplant well, such as calandrina, campanula, candytuft, summer chrysanthemums, clarkia, collinsia, coreopsis, cyanus, godetia, larkspur, malope, leptosiphon, • n«mophila, saponaria, sweet sultan a ns Venut.' looking-glass, and give best results when sown where they are to remain nil the summer. Clenuutis does not get the attention it should aifc this season. The young growths should be trained carefully, and not left to become a tangled mass, so that it is impossible to .separate them without breaking or bruising a greater number of growths. Different varieties should be trained according to their habits. Flamnuila, Jackmani, etc., should be trained as openly as possible, because they branch out into numerous bloom racemes, while the Languinosu, varieties should have their growths trained closer. The plants are growing fast now, and if possible each should receive attention once every week.

Greenhouse. — Much care is needed to maintain as even a temperature as poc-eible. The sun has more power, but the east winds are very cutting, and unless caution is exercised when ventilating much harm may result, especially in houses where there are young tender seedlings or soft wooded plants, such as fuchsias. In these houses it is better to shade more liberally, and so avoid the risk of cold cutting winds. Ferns. — Most varieties should be potted up during this month. Oid plants had better ba broken up into several pieces, they will make better growth, und be more useful for decorative purposes. Tho compost for potting ferns is generally made too light. Rotted turf, leaf soil, a little peat, some thoroughly decayed manure, and a little charcoal and lime rubbish make an ideal mixture. Another frequent error is that the compost is made much too fine by putting it through a sieve, and throwing away the rough, portions. This is a waste of time and good material, the more lumpy the compost the better tih© ferns like it, and the faster they grow. Another essential item is good drainage. Perns like plenty of fresh water, but the surplus musl? be allowed to escape easily

or the ball will soon become sour. In potting ferns give young plants liberal shifts. Old plants that are broken up should bp put. in very small pots mvtil they start into active, growth. Palmei should be re-potted during this month. The compost suggested for ferns will also, suit paims if a little bone is added. Do. no,t use too large-sized pots ; use good soil aiid a moderate-sized pot. will be the best. Seedlings will claim much attention during this month, and they should not b 3 neg>cte4 a day. Seeding heg.p#ias,, gloxinias and others raised in a prisk temperature should be. handled very carefully. Prepare the boxes or paps and stand tjhejn in a warm house quite a day before pricking pub the tender, seedjing-s. in tlh.em.. Use bub little soil in the boxes "ab thjs shift, the smaller the quantity the warmer thje rpojs will be, and there is less risk of the" soil getting sour.