Spring Bedding Plants for Flower Garden

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 87, Issue 3, 15 September 1953, Page 275

Spring Bedding Plants for Flower Garden

TO give a bright show of flowers for the late spring and summer it is necessary to I plan the bedding scheme early so that plant requirements can be arranged. Because of the number of annuals available for bedding out, a bright and varied show can be obtained. In this month’s article the preparation of beds and plants used is discussed by R. R. White, Horticultural Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin. The section on flower garden work for October is by H. P. Thomas, Horticultural Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Wanganui. '

IN the preparation of a bedding scheme it is necessary to give some thought to the layout so that the display is both colourful and harmonious. It is essential to take into account the position of the bed, whether it will be shaded or not, and whether the background will blend or clash with the bed. Next to be considered is the colour scheme. Usually a bright display is preferred with a predominance of orange, yellow, and red. Plant habit should next be studied in 'relation to the shape of bed. In beds where there is a background available taller species should be . set at the back, . and low-growing compact species at the front. Where the bed is situated in a lawn a mass display with the use of one colour and species is probably the best. Bedding Plan When the gardener has decided on the best site for his. bedding scheme his next move should be to draw a plan of the area, in which the information gathered previously is put together. The plants can be arranged in informal groups or formal strips. The gardener must remember the spacing required between plants so that they completely cover the area when fully grown. In the informal border the groups should be arranged to give a show of colour at one time

or to give a series of group colours over a longer period. Annuals, or plants treated as such, are the best type to use. Annuals are plants which grow from seed, flower, and die in the one season. However, there are a number of other plants which are biennial in nature, but are usually treated as annuals. Preparing the Bed , The next move is to lay out and prepare the bed. If the desired bed is to be rectangular or square, it will be necessary to have the adjacent edges at right angles to each other. This can best be done by making a triangle out of three pieces of timber 3ft., 4ft., and sft. long, or by tying together three pieces of string of those lengths. One of the short sides of the triangle is placed on one edge of the bed and the other edge can then be marked out. A circular bed can easily be marked out by using two pegs and a piece of string equal to the radius of the circle required. If an elliptical bed is required, two pegs joined by a long piece of string are needed. The two pegs are fixed, the string left loose, and an area is traced out by having the loose string tightened. When the boundaries of the bed are established the next move is to prepare the soil for planting. Compost or animal manure or fertilisers such as superphosphate or blood and bone should be dug in well before planting. A fertiliser dressing of about 2oz. per sq. yd., should be sufficient for most garden soils. The soil should be worked up to a good tilth before planting, and walking on the bed should be restricted as far as possible.■

Planting the Bed The bed should be marked out to show the spacing of the plants and position of the groups if these are used. Marking can be done by using a cord and making marks at regular intervals. Another method is to have small pieces of string or tape knotted on the cord at the distance of spacing between the plants. The areas for different groups can be marked out by pegs. Planting should be done by beginning at the back or one side of the bed and working across it. With circular or oval beds planting may be started in the middle. After the beds have been marked the plants should be carefully lifted from the box and placed one row at a time in their approximate planting positions. It is necessary to have well-grown plants that have been well hardened off, as their new conditions will be much more rigorous than those in . the nursery. When the plants are lifted from the box as much soil as possible should come with the roots. Tools required for planting are a trowel and a rake. Planting is done by taking the plant in the left hand, the trowel in the right hand, and facing the back of the bed or side of starting. The hole, larger than the plant’s rooting system, is dug with the trowel so that the soil is brought back toward the planter.

The plant is then placed in the hole and the soil pushed back around its roots and firmed with the hands or feet, a procedure which is continued along the row. After the first row is . planted the ground where the planter has been walking is raked over and the next row is then planted. Should the ground be dry the plants can be watered in during planting, or a thorough soaking with a hose can follow planting. The hose used should have as fine a spray as possible, and the hosing should be of at least an hour’s duration so that the water soaks in well. Maintenance of the Bed There should not be much maintenance required apart from weeding and hoeing the surface. Care should be taken when using a hoe not to damage the plants, as this may allow the entry of disease organisms. With some of the longer flowering annuals, picking over should be done to maintain a continuing supply of flowers. A side dressing of blood and bone or liquid manure should prove beneficial during the period of growth. Tall-growing plants which are liable to be damaged by wind should be staked and tied. A single stake can be so placed that the plant hides most of it and it will not mar the display. - Diseases and Pests Few diseases trouble beds of annuals, but perhaps the most destructive is collar rot (Phytophthora sp.). This is a soil-borne fungus which thrives in badly drained. positions. Symptoms shown by the plant are wilting followed by death. The affected plant usually rots around the soil level. Control is by improving drainage, pulling out and destroying infected plants, and by watering the area affected with a Bordeaux mixture 3 : 4 : 50. Rust is another disease which attacks some bedding plants. This is a fungus which is usually found as brownish spots or rings on the under sides of leaves. Sulphur-based sprays should be applied, care being taken that the under sides of the leaves are covered. Pests found on bedding plants are usually aphides and thrips, though in the North Island the green vegetable bug may prove troublesome. Aphides and thrips can be controlled with nicotine sulphate 1 : 600, and they and the green vegetable bug can be controlled with Hexaethyl tetraphosphate (H.E.T.P.) 3/5 fl. oz. to 4 gallons of water. Both of these sprays require a spreader. Care is necessary in using these, as they can prove harmful to the operator. They should not be inhaled, and rubber gloves, goggles, and protective clothing should be worn as a safeguard against absorption through the pores of the skin. As H.E.T.P. may cause damage to some plants, it would be advisable to spray one or two plants and observe them for several days to ensure that it is safe to spray the rest. Other pests usually found harmful, especially when the plants are small, are earwigs, woodlice or slaters, and slugs. These usually live under rubbish and so the best control is to remove any such harbouring material. Earwigs can be trapped in screwedup paper which can then be burnt. A spray of D.D.T. on the plants is very effective against earwigs and slaters. Slugs can be controlled with the use

of baits of metaldehyde and bran, which paralyse the pests and they can then be gathered up. Another method, though somewhat tedious, is to hunt these nocturnal pests with a torch and drop them into a solution of salt and water. Garden Work for October

The important operations of sowing, pricking out, planting out, and potting on will absorb much of

the home gardener’s time and interest in the flower garden during October.

The distinction between hardy and half-hardy annuals loses much of its meaning in the milder districts where frosts do not occur and where nurserymen , raise both in boxes and term them bedding plants. Half-hardy annuals may still be sown and raised under glass if sufficient have not already been provided for. . Sowings of such bedding plants as petunia, salvia, and aster are often, made this month to coincide with improved conditions for planting out. Young half-hardy bedding plants raised earlier in glasshouses or frames should be progressively hardened off by . gradually, reducing heat and •by leaving the ventilators open, ' first in the day and then at night. After several days of this they should be removed to a cold frame, the covering of which can be left off in the daytime and not fully closed at night, unless frosty, unseasonable weather is experienced. The plants will thus have become accustomed to outdoor conditions by the time they are required for planting out. Certain hardy annuals, however, prefer to be sown directly into their flowering positions in beds or borders and where these can be accommodated some of the following should be sown now: Mignonette, Virginia and nightscented - stock, nasturtiums, shirley poppy, linum, linaria, nemophila, clarkia, and godetia. Annuals sown outdoors in beds or borders last month should now have germinated and be growing strongly. As soon as they are large enough to be recognised they should be thinned out first to 2 to 3in. apart each way and again later, to a final spacing of 8 to 12in. apart according to the ultimate habit of the plant. Some of these young plants, if removed with care, may be used for transplanting. In northern districts many bedding plants may now be planted out from their boxes when they are considered to be of sufficient hardiness. , The boxes should be watered a few hours before the removal of the plants to avoid any check by dryness or the loss of excessive soil from round their roots. The use of a small flat-bladed trowel is also recommended to minimise damage and assist in the taking of as much soil as possible with each plant. In general bedding plants should be set out from 8 to 15in. apart each way. This final planting into the garden should be done on an overcast day if possible to avoid excessive wilting. Hot and windy days should be avoided and the work done in the late afternoon rather than in the heat of the

day. Watering the plants before transplanting is usually beneficial. In some instances premature flower buds may be showing at the time of planting out. These should be. removed to promote a wellbranched plant and a maximum display of flowers later on. Chrysanthemums October is the month recommended for planting chrysanthemums in most districts. The situation should be sunny and well drained, with some shelter from the prevailing wind. Preparation of the bed or situation in the border should be started as soon as the old stools are discarded. As most garden soils lack humus, a generous application of ' compost or well - decayed animal manure should be incorporated during digging to ensure. healthy, sustained growth. In addition a dressing of a complete garden fertiliser at 2oz. per square yard should be hoed .in a week or two

before planting out. Chrysanthemums should be planted firmly and 18in. allowed between each plant if they are to be grown in a bed of their own. In the flower border it is best to set them out in clumps of 3 or 4 plants of the same variety 15 to 18in. apart, as this method is much more effective and gives more colour than if they were planted as single specimens. To produce sturdy, branching plants growths , should be first pinched back when the young plants reach a height of 6 to Bin. If plants are allowed to grow naturally, they are inclined to become tall and ungainly with spasmodic flowering periods. The plants should be tied to reasonably sized stakes or canes, as. growth progresses, with loose encircling ties firmly secured to the supports. If desired, a few plants of chrysanthemums may be potted up for flowering indoors in autumn. Dahlias Dahlias may now be planted out in all but the coldest districts. In those districts subject to late frosts it is advisable to keep the plants in a frame a few weeks longer, but they should be gradually hardened off by keeping the sashes off in all but the most inclement weather. For time of planting the home gardener would be well advised to be guided by soil and weather conditions rather than by the calendar. The beds or borders for dahlias should have been deeply dug

and liberally manured with farmyard manure in the autumn. This should be followed in the spring by a dressing of lime and bonedust, which can be worked in when the ground is being prepared for planting. If this was not done, holes 18in. square and 2ft. deep could be dug, and into each of them could be put two forkfuls of well-rotted farmyard manure. The manure should be mixed with soil, the holes filled in, and a handful of bone meal added to each hole. The dwarf kinds can be planted 18in. to 2ft. apart, the medium growers 2 to 2|ft. apart, and the strong growers 2J to 3jft. apart. If sufficient space is available, care should be taken not to err on the side of overcrowding. The plants should be staked early and be tied up regularly. During dry weather they will require watering, preferably with liquid manure, once a week, and a light mulch of stable manure or lawn clippings later in the year will help to conserve moisture. Making a plan in advance of setting out the plants and inserting strong stakes of the right height in the positions where the plants are to go are to be recommended. Gladioli More gladioli corms for a succession of blooms should be planted . out as described last month. Plantings of gladioli may be used to form colour schemes in the border and they may

be used satisfactorily with sweet alyssum, myosotis, or Phlox drummondi as a ground cover. Bulb Foliage The foliage of spring-flowering bulbs will now be looking neglected and untidy, and rather than remove it by cutting, which is not recommended, it should be twisted tidily into a bunch to be removed only when it comes away easily. Planting out Insure against a dearth of flowers in later summer by beginning to plant at intervals as space becomes available such plants as geraniums, gaillardias, calendulas, pans or tree daisies, hybrid wallflowers, alyssum, Salvia horminum (clary), and coreopsis. Pot Plants Pot plants such as fuchsia, begonia, gloxinia, pelargonium, geranium, and hyrangea now growing strongly should be potted on if necessary and fed regularly with liquid animal manure diluted to the colour of weak tea. Alternatively the following fertiliser mixture may be used once a fortnight at the rate of j teaspoon for each plant in a 5 or 6in. pot or a level teaspoon for larger pots: 6 parts of sulphate of

ammonia, 3 parts of superphosphate, and 1 part of . sulphate or muriate of potash mixed with its own bulk of dry sand. Herbaceous Border Plants Herbaceous plants, particularly those which have been in the same position for a year or two, often produce far more new shoots than are required for best results. To avoid the overcrowding of growths which leads to smaller flowers and conditions suitable for the establishment of pests and diseases, as soon as practicable all weaker growths should be thinned out first, and finally the remainder should be thinned to a reasonable number in accordance with the vigour of the plant. Polyanthus and Primroses In the earlier districts primroses and polyanthus may be increased by root division as soon as they finish flowering. If they were mixed plants raised from seed, ensure that only the best are propagated by marking them before they finish flowering. The selected plants should be lifted carefully with a fork and the soil shaken from the roots. With the fingers or possibly a knife they should . be divided into portions having one or

two crowns or rosettes of leaves and an even share of roots. They should be planted 9in. to Ift. apart in a partially shaded, draught-free border enriched with organic material such as farmyard manure or compost. Water Lilies During October is an opportune time to lift and divide water lily plants which may have outgrown their pools. They should then be replanted in renewed soil composed of equal parts of good garden soil, well-rotted animal manure, and sharp sand. While the water lilies are out it is a good opportunity for cleaning out the pool, but the roots of the plants must on no account be allowed to dry out. Weeds Weeds will be germinating and growing vigorously and every opportunity must be taken to eradicate them when they are young. If they get to the seeding stage, it is then necessary that they be removed instead of left lying on the ground. Weeds such as groundsell, shepherd’s purse, ground cress, and chickweed, even when cut, have sufficient sustenance left in them to ripen the seeds which have already formed.

Spring Bedding out Plants Plants that Can Tolerate Partial Shade Antirrhinum Godetia Clarkia Petunia Eschseholtzia Viola Dwarf Border Plants Ageratum Lobelia Alyssum Mesembryanthenium Antirrhinum nanum Nasturtium Calendula . Nemesia Celosia , Petunia Clarkia ■ ' Reseda ' Coreopsis ; Tagetes Eschseholtzia Verbena (dwarf) Godetia (dwarf) Viola Iberis . Plants for Carpeting Ageratum Lobelia. Alyssum. Mesembryanthenium Antirrhinum (dwarf) Verbena Iberis - . Plants for Edging Ageratum Mesembryanthenium Alyssum Nemesia Godetia (dwarf) : Tagetes Iberis Ursinia Lobelia Viola Matthiola (stock) ■_ Tali Border Plants and for Screening Backgrounds Antirrhinum ma jus Lathyrus (sweet pea) Godetia Lupinus Helianthus Nicotiana . Larkspurs . Tropaeolum