Gardening Notes

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18967, 19 March 1924, Page 3

Gardening Notes

By

“HUMUS”

VEGETABLE GARDEN j Sow cabbage, broad beans, carrots, and parsley seed. Plant celery, silver beet, cauliflowers. Weed the asparagus bed, and cut off all the dry foliage. GENERAL, Sow winter spinach on deep and well-worked rich soil, in drills twelve inches asunder, and thin by degrees to six inches apart. Spinach is a very healthy and useful vegetable to grow, and should have a place in every garden. Sow silver beet to provide tender stalks for pulling in spring. Even when not required for table, this vegetable provides excellent green food for poultry, and should be extensively grown on that account. It is a mere waste of seed to sow dwarf and runner beans now, but crops coming forward for late bearing should be hoed up and assisted with liquid manure occasionally after flowering commences. In. the case of runner beans pinch out theWips of tho leading shoots when these attain a height of about five feet. Similar attention, as regards earthing up and the us e of liquid manure, should be extended to late peas. Afford a sufficiency of support to make them secure against storms. In most gardens in the province March is an excllent month in which to sow certain kinds of herbs. For average requirements, lemons and common thyme, mint, parsley, and sage will probable suffice. Mint and lemon and thyme, being somewhat difficult to raise from seed, are best Propagated by division. With the exception of mint, most herbs succeed well on rather light, rich soil that is open to the sun. Sow in very shallow drills, and thin the resultant growths severely m good time. Give immediate attention to any thinning that may be required among seedling crops, and use the hoe frequently between them. Order your manure supplies for next season now, and stack it under cover, if possible. BROAD BEANS. Ground should be prepared in readiness for an autumn sowing of broad beans. This crop succeeds well in any good, deep garden soil, but, to secure the best results, a liberal amount of rotted manure oh decayed vegetable refuse should be added to' the ground. In selecting a site choose one that will ensure of th e plants having plenty of sun and a reasonable amount of shelter in winter. POTATO ONIONS. The potato onion is i ne of the most valuable crops the home gardener can plant. This class of onion is a great cropper, producing from six to twelve mild, fine flavoored onions for every one planted. They produce in the same manner as potatoes to some extent; one set growing and forming a cluster of onions underground similar to the manner of potatoes. One of the chief advantages possessed by potato onions is that they produc e their crop- In early spring, before the new crop of other onions is available, thus bridgii r the titae when old onions are of questionable quality and no new ones yet available. Potato onions do best in rich, loamy soil which has been well and deeply worked; but they may b e grown on almost any ordinary garden soil that is. well drained.

Th e rows should be about two feet apart, and the bulbs set about nine inches or a foot apart in the rows, Frequent cultivation between the rows will keep down 'he weeds and produce better crops of good sized onions

FLOWER GARDEN Sow snapdragons, stocks, sweet peas and wallflowers. Plant spring flowering bulbs, pansies, violas, and Iceland poppies. Sow antlrrhiniums for flowering early next summer. Although perennials, these subjects should not be kept after their first season of blooming. They give much bettor results when treated th e same as hardy annuals. Three distinct types of antirrhiniums arc now available, namely, dwarf, medium and tall, ranging in height from six inches to over two feet, and all are worth growing. When planted on the border in the order mentioned, with the tall kinds at the back, the shades of colour blend harmoniously together and produce a most beautiful effect. Nemesia, for winter flowering, should be planted now In situations where the plant will not be severely exposed to prevailing winds or shade, in the season of blooming. A light, r.ich soil suits them best, and in such positions they should be, planted eight inches apart. Seed may be sown now, preferably in boxes, to produce plants for blooming in spring.

BULBS. The time for planting spring flowering bulbs is again at hand, and it is important to once again stress tho advantage of early planting. More particularly is this so with the Poeticus group of daffodils, as they do net like being long out of the ground.

Though most bulbs' will not show signs of deterioratiing through being kept a reasonable time out of ground, there can be no doubt that they are all better for .early planting, atfd the gardener who plants bel'or e the end of March will certainly give the bulbs a better chauce to produce good flowers than is the Caso where planting is delayed (as it often is) till June. Last week it was promised that a list of varieties would be given, which will please, everyone desirous of planting the dependable and bea-n'dul kinds for ou’ conditions. The daffodils are universal favourites, so wo will begin with them, giving first the Long Trumpet varieties, “King Alfred.” This magnificent golden yellow self was a few years ago, too high-priced for average gardeners; but to-day it can be purchased for quite a reasonable sum. and it should be planted in every garden. Planted in clumps it shows up to great advantage, as the flowers are large, well formed with boldly expanding trumpet, heavily frilled, and are of a rich yellow throughout. “Lord Roberts” is an enormous bloom with wide expanded trumpet and broad massive perianth. The colour is yellow, and the flowers are produced on very long stems. “Lord Roberts” is a great favourite at shows, and must be reckoned amongst the aristocrats of the daffodil world. “Golden Bell" is another yellow self. The perianth is quaintly twisted, the trumpet long, and the growth taliThis is one of the earliest bulbs to bloom. “Empress” has white rings against which a rich yellow, broad trumpet shows up to great advantage. “Mrs. Walter Ware,” white wings, yellow trumpet, early, ar e only a few of the remarks that could be said about this lovely flower. It is one of th e gems .in daffodils. White Trumpets are best represented by Princess Ida, Madame de Groat, Cernius and Lady Audrey. Although not possessing the large size of the long trumpet varieties, there is a charming grace and a freedom of flowering attached to these kinds which appeal strongly to all.

Take, for instance. Sir Natkin, Autocrat, Gwyther, Lucifer, and Gloria Mundi, in th P incomparable section— Conspicuous, Seagull and Albatross, in the Barri class —Minni Hume, Evangeline, and White Lady in the Lecdsin type, and Horace, Virgil, and Homer, which come under the Poeticus heading. All of these have continued in public esteem for a long time by sheer merit, and are still great favourites. The amateur gardener must not Overlook Anemones, Ranunculi, Ixias, Sparaxias, Iris, and Hyacinths, and in fact all those beautifol varieties of bulbs that help to make the garden a joy in the springtime. Every garden should contain a few of these sweetly perfumed flowers. In the range of colours now procurable, “Golden Dawn” is one of the best, being of a rich buff colour, with red shading. “Sunset” is also a very desirable variety, and is a rich, yellow shading to deep orange. Purity is the largest pur© white variety, and has a glorious perfume.