Life in the Garden

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 23, 7 December 1910, Page 39

Life in the Garden

Official Organ of the Rev/Zealand < 6Wfcet Pea Society and Auckland Z fiorticultural oociety. //

By

Veronica.

ill communications for "Veronica” should be addressed to “Graphic” Office, Auckland. Secretaries of Horticultural Societies are invited to send us short reports of their proceedings, and also any items of interest to Horticulturists. Photographs of Flowers, Fruit, or New Vegetables or Garden Scenes, will be welcomed.

SHOW DATES.

Schedules may be obtained on application to the Secretaries. Stratford Horticultural Society.— Autumn Show. February 23rd and 24th. 1911. W. Stanley Cato, Hon. Secretary. National Sweet Pea Society at New Zealand, Palmerston North, December 7 and 8. E. A. Osmond, Secretary. Stratford. New Plymouth Horticultural Society. — Spring Show, Theatre Royal. December 8. —A. L. Humphries, Secretary. Kaponga Horticultural Society.— Annual Show, Athenaeum Hall, February 16,1911. L. H. Baigent, Hon. Secretary. Timaru Floral and Horticultural Society— Autumn Show, Olympia Hall, Timaru, February 16 and 17, 1911. —- Hon. Secretary, James K. McDonald, Beverley Road. Masterton Horticultural Society. Autumn Show. February —. 1911. Secretary. H. M. Boddington, P.O. Box 23, Masterton. Eketahuna.— March 3, 1911. Napier Amateur Horticultural Society. — Chrysanthemum Show, April, 1911.—Hon. Secretary. J. G. H. Murdoch, P.O. Box 35, Napier. Canterbury Horticultural SocietyChrysanthemum Show, May—, 1911. Secretary. Miss E. Sneyd Smith, Manchester Street, Christchurch.

SEEDS TO SOW THIS MONTH.

Vegetable.— Beans (Dwarf, French, and Runners), Beet, Broccoli, Carrot, Cucumber, Melons, Peas, Pumpkins. Parsnip, Saladings, Sugar Corn, Turnips. Flower. — Balsam, Celosia, Cosmos, Cockscomb, Phlox, Portulacca, Zinnias. Plant Out Tomatoes. Cape Gooseberries, Capsicums, Celery, Kumeras. Melons, Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Phlox, Salvias, etc.

GENERAL GARDEN WORK.

Push on with planting out as speedily as possible. Tomatoes, kumeras, melons, etc., should be got in their growing quarters. Continue sowings of peas, kidney beans, and runners every ten days for succession. Plant out celery, and sow radish, mustard and cress, etc., for salads every week, in order to keep up an abundant supply Potatoes planted this month are most useful for seed. Carrots and turnips sow for succession, thin those advancing; earth up potatoes ami spray. Mulch strawberries to keep the fruit clean. Thrashed straw, free from weeds, is a good mulch or grass from the lawn may lie employed. Keep lawns clean and tidy by frequent mowings and rolling. Clip grass edgings. Weed paths and get all beds and borders in good order. Fruit trees require constant attention this month to cope witsi the Codlin moth pest; spraying with Swift’s Arsenate of Lead should commence as the blossom falls, and be continued everv two weeks.

There is an immense amount of work in the flower garden to get through, Dahlias must be planted out as soon as sufficiently hardened. Fuchsias and bouvardias plant out and give a mulch of old manure. Chrysanthemums which have been struck during winter, can be planted out this month, select a wellmanured part of the garden for them and water freely. Carnations require thinning, disbudding and tying up# Topdress with old manure to encourage a healthy growth of "grass” for layering Amaranthus. celosias, petunias, phlox drummondii. etc., plant out, and also salvias. These are all splendid subjects in the garden, and should be plentifully planted where a fine display is wanted. Tie up sweet peas to their supports, as they advance, and when the buds show freelv give some liquid manure once or twice a week.