GARDEN NOTES

Chronicle (Levin), 11 January 1947, Page 7

GARDEN NOTES

'Ngaio.")

(By •

The tops of most bulbs have died down by now and those which. need dividing should be lifted and put aside for replanting • as soon as the ground has been prepared. for them. . As there has been so much rain this summer, the dormant season will probably be very short and the bulbs will begin to develop new roots any time now. Therefore they. should be dealt with at once. Grape liyacinths send up their , new leaves very early and sometimes gardeners are in doubt as to whether they can be moved when the green is showing, but this bulb is -a particularly hardy oue and seerns able to stand- very rough treatment without being. put ofl its flowering. It really won't matter moving them in leaf and of'ten the leaf growth becomes so prolific that it is necessary to cut it baclc, but this will not afl'ect flowering. In faet many people say it imxrroves it, just as cutt\ ing tlie foliage of the iris stylosa encourages bloom. When planuiug the replanting ot' bulbs, use your imaginatiou, and instead of iong rovvs and borders try groujiing them among otlier flowers which will flower at the same time ancl also try mixing dilferent lcinds together for coutrast and variety. For instance, our friends the grape hyacinths will mix well with lachenalias. They bloom at the same time and the combined colours are lovely. Mix the two kinds of bulbs together before planting and just put them in as they couie. Try groups of this 1 ' mixture ' ' among clumps oi DufiE king pbiyanthus primroses. All the smaller bulbs' lond tiiemseives to this kind of planting and also to plantaig among shrubs to form a carpet — uluebells below the floweriug cherries, tritonias among the azaleas, freesias with ceanothus, and many other combinalions wili oceur to you once you ntart tliinking 011 these lines. The charming little lioop petticoat narcissus is a bulb everyone should have. It has come back into favour very much lately because of its daiuty appearauce and Iong flowering habit. It. is one of the bulbs wliich are verv suitgble for planting in rockerv xiockets. When it comes to daffodils and nar cissi, there is plenty of scope for more original planting tlian one usuaily sees. Groujiiiig amoug shrubs or planted beneath fruit trees or in the grass, they become much more beautiful than in stilf iows in tlie garden beds. If you are going to do some "wild" planting of narcissi it is important to remember that some kinds liowei'- earlier than otliers. Thereforo all of one variety should be planted iu oue group .t.o get a good eil'eet. A mixed lot is not nearly so good. If you are purchasing bulbs for this type. of plantin'g- avoid buying "mixtures" but ratlier" select naiued varieties of the cheaper sorts. Buy a few of each and planl each kind in a clump wliere it cau remain undisturbed for some ycars and so increase. Try and lind out which of ' your purchases are early flowering and which are later ones and plant ail earjy_ sort iiear eacli other. *U. 1 j*—