WORK FOR THE WEEK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 2

WORK FOR THE WEEK.

To Gardonors. Flower Garden. — Although the weather '_ is veiy changeable — alternating from snow '. to sunshine — vegetation is on the more, amd soon there will be plenty of spring flowers to decorate both the garden and the house. Narcissi are fast opening their golden bltas- ! soins, and give promise of a s grand display. ' In gardens where there is a large collection, each clump should be examined when the ' plants are in bloom, to make certain they are labelled correctly. This is a most im- • portant item in the' management of both ' small and large gardens, as it is only when I narcissi arc in flower that they can be identified. The bi.lbs of the several sections are so much alike that it is impossible to dis- . tinguish an Empress from a Muriel^ Dobell, , aa Emperor from aP. R. Barr, of"a Stella ( from a M&urioe Vilmorin When tho bulbs are dry. Should there be one or two bulbs out of place, lift them with the flower on and put with the resfc of that variety. When ■ blooms are wanted for exhibition they • should be gathered before they are fully cxi pand-ed aiid put in vases to finish their dei velopment. Hyacinths should bs support- ) ed with short, strong stakeß, to protect r them from being broken by' the strong 3 winds. Short lengths of prunings from pear or apple trees are very suitable for this purt pose. Anemones should be carefully wutchl ed and seed saved from the best flowers only. These useful plants do not flower i many seasons, therefore a few seedlings .h'ouid be raised every season, and every inferior bloom should be cut directly, ifc has opened, fco prevent the pollen from it hybrid- - ising better flowers. September is perhaps "" the month when more seeds are sown tb-wn » any otlier. But the gardener must take note "" of the condition of the "soil," as well ab i fche date of month. Sowing tender seeds in . cold, wet ground is a great mistake, and is , often responsible for the loss of the seed, causing the gardener to blame-the seedsman i . * >

for supplying bad seed. We can assuro our i readers that there is nothing to gain, but much to lose, by sowing flower seeds in cold, wet soil. Keep the seeds in the packets until the ground is in a suitable condition > for them. There are many kinds of an- ' nuals and perennials that maybe sown in the open during this month. Here is a list ' of some of them: — Asperula, bartonia, calandiinia, campanula, candytuft, cenfcau- . rea, chrysanthemum, clarkia, collinsia, convolvulus, coreopsis, cornflower, gilia, godetaa, gypsophila, hawkweed, Wkspur, lepfcosiphon, lienanthes, linaria, mignonette, nasturtium, nemophiia, palavia, phaoelia. ' P°ppy. saponaria, sunflower, sweet pea, sweet sultan, tropseolum, Virginian stock, etc. Most of these flowers give the best results when sown where they are to bloom. The ground should be thoroughly prepared, and the seed sown very sparingly and carefully mixed with the soil with o Dutch hoe. This is better than a rake, because a rake leaves too fine a surface, which will run into a paste should a heavy rain come. This pasty surface will dry hard when ths sun shines ; and' the bard crust will prevent the small Seedlings pushing their seed leaves through it,/ consequently they will perish. If a littler shade could be given to each patch of seed it would be a great help* in keeping away cold winds , or hot sunshine, unfil the seedlings get a start. A few branches of manuka or macrocarpa will provide a gcod and useful screen. , yVhen preparing the seed quwters, due regard should be paid to the heights the different plants attain — the tall kinds should i be put at the back, and dwarf vane ties in the front of tbe borders; and those kinds that are mostly grown to supply cut flowers should b£ placed where they can be got at without muoh difficulty. Asters, balsams, stocks, phlox, zinnia, marguerites, carnations, etc., give better reaults if sown in a frame during tills month. Another sowing could be made in the open border early | next month. Prepare the seed boxes or pains 1 carefully, -giving each good drainage and ! sweefc, light soil — over rich soil is the cause of thousands of seedling asters and stocks dying every springi The seeds may be kept rather close until fchey germinate, after this they should hfire mora air— plenty Of ventilation is necessary to produce sturdy, vigorous plants. Imtnediately tiie plants are large enough thejr should be, pricked off into other boxes, or into a nursery bed. This should be done directly the first rough leaf is seen. . Avoid giving these halfhardy subjects too much heat, as this will not only draw the plants up, but ruin their constitution; a short sturdy plant is what the gardener should try to produce. Greenhouse. — A little shading will be .neoessary for houses that contain flowering plants, as we may experience a burst of hot weather shortly, and preparations should be made at once. Tbe shading should not 1 be too dense/and If possible a movable ' blind should be fitted, so that it could be 1 rolled up during dull or Wet weather. Very 1 often whitewash is used, but it is generally ' much too thick. If a quantity of milk is mixed with the whitewash, and just a little : put on the glass, forming a film rather than a coat, it will be better for the plants. - Azaleas are fast opening their flowers, and should be syringed regularly on bright days. 1 Manure water twice a week will help the ' plants to increase the size of the blooms. .. Pelargoniums are growing fast, and should have plenty of room for each plaint. This is the period when these plants are partially spoilt every spring. The greenhouse being overcrowded, the pelargoniums have to ' stand very close to each other, with the result that they lose the bottom foliage and are drawn up soft and flabby. Better results would be obtained if the plants were stood in a cold frame until more room could be given them in the greenhouse. The season's growth is completely governed by the '. treatment the plants receive during .September. Zonales for bedding should be turned out into cold frames to make room for summer flowering greenhouse plants. , Begonias should be shaken out and re-pot-ted — use light, rich soil, and put the tubers in rather small pots. Keep the tubers of double varieties quite near the surface, aifd • only give just sufficient water to keep the ; soil damp. Fuchsias. — Old plants should • be shaken oufc and re-potted. Cut the roots I back, and put the plants in small pots. . A quantity of soir should be got ready for • potting ferns.