HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 1, 20 June 1949, Page 7

HOME GARDENS

(By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H. (N.Z.), F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College.) SAVING GARDEN SPACE Space is frequently at a premium in small gardens, and quite often even large gardens are unable to include all the features desired. There are many ways of saving space, and careful planning will enable one to fit in several attractive features. Once the house and outbuildings are fixed the alignment of paths comes next. Paths are all-weather means of access and, generally speaking, should follow the shortest route. The garage is usually placed handy to the house, which means that the drive will pass close by, with a little room on either side for planting. In small sections the drive should be used by foot traffic, with paths branching toff to lead up to the doors. The back garden is most conveniently divided by a permanent path parallel to the boundary and somewhere near the centre of the section. This gives ready access to all parts, and if there is room, after the drying green and vegetable gardens have been placed, a rose garden or other formal or informal scheme may be easily planned. Means of saving space in ; the vegetable or fruit garden would include training fruits as espaliers on boundary or cross fences, and a neat wellcultivated vegetable garden. It is really surprising how one may take off small intensively, cultivated areas, crops which frequently exceed those taken 'off larger areas lacking cultivation and drainage. Climbers are great savers of space. They may be planted to hide the boundary fence or unsightly buildings, particularly on the side away from the prevailing wind. The side nearest this wind may need something taller to give shelter. &

Trellis may be placed in selected places on the house and planted with moderate-growing subjects. Trellis or rustic fences may be used to subdivide the garden or to provide a breakwind. A summer house, which should be well placed for both its ornamental value and utility, may also be covered with climbers, particularly those with fragrant flowers. Whatever the structure may be, it should be well constructed and strong enough to carry the weight of fully-grown plants. Walls Can Be Effective

In a garden where the land slopes down, walls and terraces will save a considerable amount of space. The wall may be only 18 inches high or it may be three feet. If greater height is required, the area may be divided to give a series of two or more walls and terraces. If there is to be only one wall, and the garden slopes down from the house, then the wall should be placed nearer the house; that is, the smaller terrace next the house. Where the land slopes upwards from the house the greatest area of terrace possible should adjoin the house, with the walls closer and narrow terraces building up in the distance.

With high walls climbers may be trained up from the bottom or trailers may descend from the top. With the lower “dry-walls.” as they are called, when built without cement, the flatish stones are built sloping gently and the whole wall should lean in very slightly. Quite a wide range of plants may be planted in the crevices, such ' as aubretia, allysum, dianthus, etc., on sunny walls, and heeria, the native pratia, ferns, etc., on the shady wall. By this means we have, for planting, the vertical face of the wall plus the area saved at the foot by converting a bank into ’a wall. There is also a considerable saving in soil, or rather, better use may <be made of the available soil. The means of saving space most commonly seen in gardens is the use of standard roses. Bush roses may be planted in between or perennials and annuals may be massed beneath. This method may, when carefully planned, provide variety, colour and fragrance throughout the year. Less common is the use of small trees such as almonds, Japanese apricots, crab apples and the larger Japanese cherries.