GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2421, 29 March 1915, Page 9

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") These not-cs are written solely for tho amateur gardener, for the busy city man who likce to spend an hour or two in his garden after being shut up nil day, for the woman who derives groat pleasure from Browing; a few plants to brighten her Rome, but to whom it would be a weariness to study garden books, and for all thoso who are endeavouring to keep a small garden bright and attractive all the year round. To these I say "do not attempt to grow too much. Choose what plants you want for your garden and for supplying the house with cut flowers, and whatever you decide upon grow the best of its kind that is to be obtained. Keadere are invited to ask questions. "Lnquirier."—About. 10 tons seeds. Seeds of perennials and hardy annuals may still be sown. Place the seed pans in a sheltered part of 'tlio garden and put some cover over them during heavy showers. Also shade from the hot sun by spreading litter over the pans. Verbenas, pansies, scabions (pincushion flower), pentotemons may all be sown now for flowering .during the summer and autumn. LIMNANTHES. Limnanthes is a hardy annual, with flowers very much like a buttercup. Tho colours are yellow and white. J)t makes a splendid spring edging for gardens, especially as it flowers so easily, and may be pulled out in time to make room" for the summer and autumn edging of lobelia. LOBELIA. The seed of lobelia should be sown now m pans in preparation for planting out in. the spring. Where frosts are prevalent the seedlings must be given some protection at nignt. Tho most populaT variety ii Crystal Palace compacta—a rich, dark blue. Cardtnalis and Queen Victoria have brilliant scarlet flowers.

PANSIES AND VIOLAS, . Pansles and riolas that have been floweriug all the summer are by this time untidy plants, with iong sappy growths, and the fiowors have gone off in size. Cut away the long, shoots and give the basal shoots a chance to develop. These are the shcots that provide plants for next season. After cutting back, give the plants a good watering, and then a little liquid manure (loz. of nitrate of soda in one gallon of water.

Plants that have not reached this unhappy staite may still be kept handsome by picking oil' regularly all the dead Sowers, and by feeding twice a week with liquid manure (loz. guano in 1 gallon of water). For a change of food give them sometimes soot water. Weeds are growing apace the last few weeks. Whenever the soil is dry enough to be worked persevere with the .hoeing and weeding. CHRYSANTHEMUMS. Chrysanthemums will now be benefited by a good waltering with soot water. Use the same to syringe the leaves occasionally. In some districts the small caterpillar is working havoc among the newly-formed buds. Examine your plants daily. You ■will easily detect the folded leaf. Giveit. a good squeeze before opening it to look, for the caterpillar. , Now- that the buds are .forming, the plants will want feeding. Use' soot s water and animal manure alternately once a week. The animal manure, may be made either from cow dung or from guano feuano is procurable from all seed ineichants).' Directions for both manures were given iii last week's notes. Apply very weak manure as strong manure would check the bud development. Annuals that were allowed to go to seed are coming up thick all over the beds. The best treatment for these is to fork them in. Do not leave them in the beds during the winter, as they are using up the neurishment in the soil. Also they give the beds a very untidy appearance.. ■ . SWEET PEAS. In my last notes I told how to prepare the quaiters 6weet peas are to occupy. Before ewing see that' the big stakes or posts are driven into the ground, as if left till the peas are up, much damage to the rotos mighlt result. If sowing the peas along a row draw a shallow drill and place your seeds not less than six inches apart. Cover with very fine earth, and sprinkle wood ash oyer the surface. Carefully put in the labels bearing the names, written' with an indelible lead pencil. When sowing in clumps draw a circle round the central stake and sow in the same way as advised for a row.. As soon as the seedlings appear, dust soot very lightly over the surface of the ground to protect them from slugs. Remember to use soot that has been exposed to the air for some days, and use it lightly, for young seedlings cannot stand a heavy dressing of soot.

No watering will be needed aftor sowing, as the ground is now in good condition for receiving seeds.

Varieties—Aggie Elder (cerise), Bertraud Deal Improved (rosy lilac), Dobbie's Cream, Doris Usher (pink ou cream ground), Edith Taylor (salmon, rose), Helen Williams (cream, pink edge), Lilian (pale pink), Elfrida Pearson (blush pink), Etta Dyke (white), R. P. Peltou (lavender), Mrs. Cowdy (maroon), Orange Perfection, Scarlet Emperor, Thomas Stevenson (orange scarlet), The Mowing must be grown where they can be shaded from the hot midday sun when in bloom Edith Taylor, Orange Perfection, Scarlet Emperor, and Thomas Stevenson.

Seed merchants supply catalogues containing lists and prices of sweet peas. The peas mentioned above have all beer, grown by fthe writer, and can be recommended. ' BULBS. Bulb planting is still going on apace. Get on with the planting of narcissi, as the time for planting tulips and hyacinths is near. CJIIONODOXO (Glory of the Snow). This delightful bulb flowers very early in the spring. It is very hardy, and will flower equally well in the sun or in the shade, in a sheltered position, or in a draughty garden. It may be had in various shades of blue and in white. Plant the bulbs fairly deep in soil to which leafmould has been added. Spread a layer of sand for the bulbs to rest on. GLADIOLUS TRISTIS. This is a very early flowering gladiolus and a most beautiful one. The pale primrose coloured flowers are borne on long stems amoijg the rush-like leaves. At night the flowers fill the air with a particularly sweet and delicate perfume. As they are such early flowers the bulbs should be planted without delay. Plant in the same way as chionodoxa. Cut down all perennials that have done flowering and pull out annuals that are dying off. Iveop cutting off dead flowers, seed pods, and decaying leaves. Vacant spaces can be filled in with bulbs, seedling perennials, and hardy annuals. VEGETABLES. Make a small sowing of broad beans. Sow thom in ground that has already been manured this autumn. Tread the ground well to make it firm, and then hoe the surface before making the drills for the seeds. Choose a part of your vegetable garden that gets all the winter sun, as this sowing is to produce beans for use in the spring. A larger sowing may bo made later on. The seeds should lie five or six inches apart, and the rows two feet apart. Karlington Windsor is a good kind to grow. CELERY. Before earthing up celery give the plants n good watering with clcar water and a dose of weak liquid manure. Should the ground already be fairly damp the watering will, not be necessary. Don't throw the earth round the plants. Lift it into the trench carefully, and t'lion press it round the plants gently and firmly with your hand, at the same time the stems closely together with the other hand. Some people twist a piece of pliable wire round the steals of each plant, and as the earthing up proceeds this wire band is pushed highea- up uim slem. Whatever plan you adopt the main thing is to keep the earth from getting in among the stems. Earth up a little at a time, and never go beyond' the heart of the celery. ' ■ Make a slight sprinkling of nitrate of soda once a week after hoeing along the rows of beans, cabbages, cauliflowers, and j

silver beet. At the present time there is plenty of moisturo to dissolve the soda and wash it down to the roots. Cut off at once all decaying; leaves of cabbage, cauliflower, and silver beet, and burn them. CAULIFLOWERS. Cauliflowers have a habit of maturing all together. For the small householder this is a tragedy. Some of the cauliflowers may be kept back by bending a leaf over the half-grown flower. Matured cauliflowers, if pulled up by the roots and hung head downwards from the roof of a shed, will keep for two or three weeks. Keep growing plants well syringed with clear water. Open out the leaves and syringe the growing flower thoroughly. In using the syringe don't drive the piston all the way homo at one push. This produces such a strong rush of water that leaves and plants are bruised and bent by it. Empty the syringe by a series of short, sharp pushes. Constant syringing helps to keep anay insect pests. SOOT-WATER. Put some eoot in a bag of coarse material (sugar bag), and stand it in water for_a few days. When using the liquid for nianure dilute it with clear water till it is the oolour of weak tea. Not only is this a good manure, but it is a splendid wash with which to syringe the leaves of plants. Carrots, oniov, and turnips are all benefited by applications of soot or bv doses of weak tsoot-water. Azaleas, rhodomtrons, camellias, and carnations all like soot, Soot-water is a splendid manure for pot-plants. Soot dusted round plants helps to keep away slugs and rriroworins. Always apply liquid manure in the evening. The notes next week will contain seasonable notes about pentstemons, chrysanthemums, bulbs, shady gardens, vegetables. and ashes.