GARDEN NOTES

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1946, Page 8

GARDEN NOTES

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The shortest day is anj.mport.ant one for garden ers as it is really the end of the year for them, and July will mark tlie beginning of anotlier season of work among the flowers and vegetaliles. It is interesting to go out into the garden each year on the shortest day and make a list of all the .varieties of flowers in'bloom and another list of all the lcinds of vegetables available for use at this time. These lists can be compared with those of other years, and will show if the garden is improving or going baclc in its winter supplies.

There is really no need to be without flowers in the winter — in fact, some of the loveliest give us of their best at this time. Probably pride of place will be awarded to the iris stylosa ' which sends up its delieate, fragrant, fragile blooms all the winter through. If there is too much leaf growth on wellestablished clumps of this iris, it should be cut back to enable the sun to get in aud encourage the buds to come f orth. As this is such a lovely flower, it is often treated generously in the way of manure and fertilisers, but this is quite the wrong treatment to produce flowers and will only stimulate leaf growth. All that iris stylosa needs is lime and sunshine and it will bloom profusely even when growing in quite poor soil. Buds should be pulled rather than picked in order to get a better lengtli of steni — usually the buds are in

groups of three and care must be taken in pulling to see that the surrounding buds are not damaged. In water even the tiglitly folded buds will soon open in a warm room and will last for several davs in water. This iris has been improved of late years and there is now a good variety available with longer stems and deeper colour than tlie old varietv.

Another winter favourite is the Christmas rose or hellebore. This plant flowers over a long period, like iris stylosa, and is now to be had in sliades of pink, rose and wioe, as well as the more familiar white. The old-fashioned white one with singie, short stems is an old favourite wortli retaining or establishing in the garden as it lasts well in water and does not droop as the eluster types do. It is also very charming in the house and com hines well With the first precious violets and primroses and other short-stemmed flowers. Cluinps of hellebore may remain undisturbed for years and this plant is a useful one for wild or semi-wild gardening. Planted on the edge of bush or slinibbory, and left alone, vouiig seedHngs will appear in .hundreds and | bold groups can be established in this I way. Among the shrubs for winter flowering tlie most popular are probably the ericas and the camellias for their colour and the allspice tree for scent. Melanthera is a very liardy erica, and its lieatherlv blossom can .be freely picked to help 'along the winter decorations. By c.areful selection it is possible to have heaths in bloom most of the year, but there are several winter flowerinp ones wliich nurserymen can supply as balled plants when they are in bloom.Tlie small flowered sasanqua camellias are the first to flower and the blossoms of this tvpe are dainty and decorative — more so than many of the larger flowered ones which come later