GENERAL GARDEN WORK.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 6, 5 August 1908, Page 39

GENERAL GARDEN WORK.

August is a very busy month in the garden. Every favourable opportunity should be seized for pushing on the general work to be got through. Any fruit trees or shrubs or roses not yet planted should be got in with as little delay as possible. Early potatoes may be planted, choosing a dry, sheltered situation. Continue to sow broad beans for succession, and also peas. There are endless varieties of this grand vegetable, and many people have their own favouritevariety. We generally find Little Gem and Daisy suitable for this month’s sow ing. Onions may be transplanted. Seed should be sown not later than August. Continue to plant out cabbage and cauliflower. Sow saladings every ten days where a succession is required. The first sowing of early carrots can be got in. Parsnip may be sown on deeply-dug or trenched ground. Roses should be pruned this month and given a liberal dressing of decayed manure. Spring-flowering bulbs are advancing in growth, and the plots or borders occupied by these should have the soil loosened around them and all weeds removed. Carnations, Hollyhocks, pansies, antirrhinums, etc., can be planted out when the weather is suitable and the soil in a workable condition. Edgings, such as Golden Feather, Scheveria, Golden Thyme, etc., should be got into place without delay. Dig over any vacant piece of ground in readiness for later plantings. Where seedlings are being raised in frames or greenhouse, see that plenty of air is admitted without cold draughts. Unless this be carefully attended to the seedlings will get “drawn” and will never make nice hardy, “stocky” plants. Continue pruning and regulating the branches of fruit trees, and where these have not received their winter wash this should be attended to at once. August is a suitable month for grafting fruit trees and we hope to give details of this interesting operation in another issue. & PERENNIAL GAILLARDIAS There are few plants which produce a greater or more lasting display of bloom than the one under notice. They are splendid subjects for table and other decorations, lasting well when cut and are extremely showy in the garden either in beds or borders. Their requirements in the way of soil, situation, and culture are exceedingly simple, indeed, the ease with which they can be cultivated would appear to be one reason why more of these flowers are not grown. During dry seasons the Gaillardia is

greatly prized, as it will stand a continuous drought much better- than the vast majority of other flowers. This was very noticeable during the past dry season, when so many flowers gave out, the Gaillardia continued to bloom most profusely, and those who had a few

plants in their gardens could always depend on securing some flowers. Like many other plants the Gaillardia has been taken in hand by the specialist and under the skilled manipulation of the well-known Langport firm of Kelway and Sons very great improvements have been effected. Starting with the oldfashioned Gaillardia picta, or Grandiflora, these specialists by careful selection and hybridizing have secured larger blooms, brighter and more various colours, and flowers of much better form and substance. Some very striking forms obtained are frilled, quilled, and semi-double blooms. Plants growing only one foot in height are procurable where dwarf-growing sorts are wanted, but we prefer the taller growing kinds as they have fine long foot stalks which are very desirable where required for decorations. Gaillardias are perennial plants, absolutely hardy, and the only pests which attack them are slugs and snails when the plants are starting into fresh growth in the spring. Propagation may be by division of the roots, or they are easily raised from seeds. If seeds are sown, care should be exercised to procure a first class strain. Common or ordinary strains only pro-

duee small flowers of the older forms. We have invariably found that seed grown from Messrs. Kelway’s selections give every satisfaction. Seed may be sown in autumn or spring in boxes, or outside in sheltered situations. A contributor to the “Ladies’ Realm” in writing of this flower says, “I think I never fully realised till lately the great beauty of Gaillardias. They are wonderfully rich in colour, and nave come much into favour. I might say into fashion, for I have seen them repeatedly in the homes of the great; in one instance, a very lovely drawing room was entirely decorated with these flowers in tall glasses.” J* PATIENCE. This may appear rather a curious title for an article in a gardening paper, but I do not know that in any other profession is this virtue more often required than in that of gardening. I was tempted to touch on this subject at this time bv an experience I had this spring that had never formerly troubled me. I have to confess to a “weakness” for the tuberous-rooted Begonia, and annually raise a considerable number from seed. As it is quite as easy to grow the very best strains as it is to grow the poor, weedy kinds sometimes seen. I invariably endeavour to secure seed of the best. This season I pro-

cured packets of singles ami doubles from two different firms, both renowned for their strains of these glorious flowers. I sowed both at the one time and in the same kind of soil, and placed them together in a fairly high and steady temperature. Ordinarily, the double seed germinates first, and one may look for signs of growth in about a fortnight. This year the single germinated well in about three weeks’ time, but there was no sign at all of the double. As the firm I procured the seed from is above reproach -and it appeared to be of even extra freshness when sown —1 could hardly blame the

seedsmen. Instead of throwing away the contents of the pans at the end of the month, 1 decided to exercise a little patience, ami in due course had mv reward, as eventually every seed seems to have come, and the little seedlings are extra strong and healthy. I am unable to advance any theory

as to the cause of this (with me) unprecedented occurrence, for. during twentyfive years’ experience of raising Begonias, I never had the same happen before. Had the single seed also failed to spring until five or six weeks after sowing. I would have said that most likely the temperature was wrong, although similar to what had given best results in former years. Nor was the seed buried too deeply, as it had only the merest pinch of silver sand sprinkled over it. tin another occasion, some years ago, I sowed a packet of Lobelia fulgens

Queen Victoria. No one had ever told me that this seed takes weeks to germinate, and, when it failed to appear in the course of a month, I intended to throw it out and blame the nurseryman for sending me old seed. For some reason or other I failed to carry out my intention, and the pan was shoved into a corner, ami no attention paid to it for some time. Some weeks later, in going to empty the pan, I discovered a line braird, and eventually raised quite a number of good plants from this discarded pan. This shows that patience, especially with seeds that.

one lias not hitherto cultivated, is essential before one begins to miscall the seed merchant. As every gardener knows, many kinds of seeds germinate

very »lowly and unevenly, and, unless one is prepared to exercise a considerable amount of patience, there is no use attempting their cultivation. Auriculas, Primulas, Gentians, Cannas, and many others are usually very slow to apjiear. I have known Auriculas take twelve months to germinate, and yet eventually do well.—“ Scottish Gardener.” JX