GARDEN NOTES

Chronicle (Levin), 5 August 1946, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES

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Perennial borders require . a , -good overhaul at least once in (hree years, and if yours reqnirps renovating tliis is a good time to'do it. • Uut down any dead foliage "froiri laSt season which still remains, and if you have dahliaa .amqTig"; t^e ■ petennial plants they can now be' lifted and the ground they .oecupied. prep,aie.d -for *eplanting. Dahlias do not mind being replanted in. th,e sarne - ppsitipn for several years in succession. .. it is neceSsary, though, to give ;them some good food to lceep them well supplied over their iong flowering period. Dig in now any matqrial you have, such as gyass clippings, half-decayed vegetable leuves — dahlias vvill take strong feeding— animal manure, ii obtainable, is always good. It is not' necessary to feed" so heavily.for the sinallpr vqrieties such as charms, pomrponisr etc.,' ua size is not so important. Good perennials aro to be h'ad in plcnty and thcre are. .frequently, new varieties or old friends to' be had, and new and unfamiliar species also cpme along from time to timp., . There is': no exeuse whatever for p. perennial bor'der - to be dull or uninteresting. If you find that your Michaelmas daisies or phloxes are insipid in colouring, then turn them out and get some new ones. Aiso try - to add somtthing new to the perennial,' border which yon have not grown be-/ fore — this will give ' added interest to-;: the eoming season. V; JVlicliaelmas daisies (lorne in two main t divisions — the tall and the dwairf.' Tlie '• tall ones are excellent for iuter-planting aiuong dahlias or tlie la'rger' 'kinds at-'" the back of the bor'der, Tlie; graceliil stems of bloom lighteil' up the dahlias":' considerably, and as' the' daisies' e'ome out towards the end of the season, when the dahlias are just begiiining to go off a little, they lielp to prolpng the beauty of the perennial garden.- • . , Eich colouring is a feature of moderii ' Michaelmas daisies, and; ' the rather,; washy indelinite sliades wp used' ;t6 - I know are now a thing of the'past. • I Among the tall varieties some- good - ! ones are Alderbaran, a soft china -bluej | lilue Eyes, a beaufifui..'^.e^ blneAyith : j no trace of purple — thi,s is a specially'j ; good one. Bluc Elumc :ancf Cloudy Blue j both have doublc blossoms, the formef being a rich deep blue and the.latter ii, heliotrope blue. .. • "V ;

There are now many hue pink, rose' and wine shades among. the Michaelmas" daisies. Mother of I'earl Ja a.soft shell.j pink; Wakaden Pink, a rich r'ose pink;. Weiui Plena, a semi-doublo pure pink;'" Gay Border Gnpremq, d warm-rose pinkpi Petunia, a rich petunia > rose; Euby ' I'ips, a ruby red. opeuing to br-ilLiant pink. - There are also some white and laven-> ; der varieties with -very small- blossoms | which mix - in very well with yivid ; dahlias or other -flowers and'-.are also | very useful to those who.'like to grow j something suitable for church or other i decorative purposes. I,,,lor,e Albo is >a feathery whito; Grey Lady,,a lavender gtey, and La\cnder Queen ia a so'ft lavender shadoj The dwarf .varieties ;are very useful" for tlie l'ront of the-.bdrder and can- be imsed -a«J a»u t^arpet' '• "fof "the . charifl dahlias or ' combined with low-growing plants such ns" a^erahini. '-.^Dorothy I Volites ' is ;;iTrr bci^v^ri^syY'pjrik^'^ Nancy and Ladv Maddox.are both' a sol't pink;;; ; Venus, a -ciear 'lavender; : pnd Victor, | saxe blue. j King Geor^e. is. still another typc; . dwarf in hab.it, "'the _ bl'opms are produced| i singly and v afe large, long'-petailecj i- : flowers in d shade . qf( .clear .so'ft blueil j with a bright; gbld . yexitre— they l.astj; j well in water 'when cjit. JI (Jlumps of belludonna lilies in ' tlife ; perennial border inay need attending torif tliey have not flowered sueceSSfuUy I-! in past seasons. After some years the!» j bulbs become over-crowded and, a6li i' I being lifted, it will be noticed tliat the. ■ | sides of the bulbs liave been A^ttened - i by pressure from the" next bulb. If : they are lifted and separaled and re- ' ! planted at once they should not come; I to any liarm, but do not leave thein ! lying about to get dry of wilted.