GARDEN NOTES

Chronicle (Levin), 23 November 1946, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES

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Inc iew warm days we have liad rocently liave raised our liopes for the garden agaiu and if weekend eonditions should be favourable there will no doubt be a lot of work dofie out-of-doors. t Weeds are particularly" troublesome , this season and it has been often iinpossi'ble to deal with them in the usual way by hoeing because of the sticky state of the ground.!' This means they have, to be forked out at a later pcriod and entails extra labour, but on no account should auy weeds be allowed to reach the seeding stage as this will mean worse trouble over a long stretcli of time — remember that there is a lot Of truth in the old adage, "Oue year's seed, seven years weed. As. top growth is soft aud sappy this season, it will be necessary to see that any plants likely to be blown about such as lupins, delphiniums, etc., are securely ticd up. Wfiere this is doue you will probably finfl spaces left which can now be filled with autumn1 floweriug annuals such as zinnias, asters, marigolds, etc. Any seeds or seedlings still to be planted should be put in at once whilo the ground is still damp, and any sun wo get will bring them along very quickly. Zinnias are apt to be tliouglit of only in.the terms of the giant dahlia flowered varietics as these are the ones usiially otfered for sale in the seedsmen's shops, though sometimes the lilliput oncs are also obtaiuable, but only in mixed colours. In looking up a -catalogue you will find seed obtaiuable in dwarf, medium and tall types, . all of which will be listed in separate colours. Lovely colour schemes can «>e built up with the dwarf and intermediate zinnias which can still be sown in the open where they - are to bloom, if space is now available, or lined out in

a spare piece of ground in a shallow drill with space 6ft. between each seed. Zinnia seds are large enough to handlo this way, and it is really not essential to go to the trouble of sowing them in boxes and then pricking them olT. Flants grown in the open will be very sturdy and can be lifted with a good ball of soil round their roots and moved in to their permanent position auy time up to Christmas. The dwarf variety .known as lilliput rosebud is particularly attractive, being covercd with masscs of soft rose-pink blooms about the size of a pom dahlia for several montlis. Good soil is necessary but not the lieavy feeding required for the giant hinds; and once they are planted thc only thing to do to keep the show gding is to keep the dcad heads cut ofi; at a joint in the slem. Anothcr eifective dwarf is the lilliput Or Tom Thumb in a scarlet shade which can be'combined with other autumn fipwex's. Space should alwaVs be found for sonie of the dwarf French marigolds as they flower over such a long period aud stay in bloom till a frost eventually 1 catches them.