GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2462, 15 May 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(Br "Kowh.u.")

These notes arc written 6olcly for tho amateur gardener, for the busy city man who lilies to spend an hour or two m tho garden, after being shut up eli day. for Uio woman who derives great. pleasure from growiug <i few plants to brighten her iiome, but to whom it would be ft weariness to study garden books, and for all thoeo who are endeavouring to keep a, small garden bright and attractive all -tho year round. To these i say do uot (ittempt to grow too much. Choose what plant* 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. Leaders are invited to ask questions.

When planting shrubs or roses that havo arrived from the nursery do not make tho mistake of planting too deep. One can generally seo the old mark oil the stem to show tho previous depth at which the bush wds planted. The greatest care must be taken to spread out the roots on a nice flat base. So many people make the mistake of digging a. Ixitiins'haped hole, with the result that tho ends of the roots are turned up at planting time instead of being laid down flat. Spread out the roots in a natural manner \vitli one hand, while the plant is held in an upright position with the other. Now spread some fine earth over the roots and press it gently and firmly down with the free hand. So often plants have hard lumps of earth thrown on. to their roots, and then rammed down witli a heavy boot. How can the little hairroots oonetrate such surroundings? And it is tlie hair-roots that provide the plant with food. If we expect good, results from our plants, then we must give them a fair chance to develop. It is generally the manner in which a plant is put into its permanent home that decides its future prosperity. The true gardener handles his plants with such a gentle and yet such a firm touch. He places fine earth carefully round the roots, presses it carefully and firmly about them so that the little Tootlets will have something to take hold of at once; he then proceSis to fill in the hole, carefully firming the earth round the stem of the plant, and finally leaving a fine loose surface to provide against undue evaporation of moisture, and to allow rain to pass down to the root 9, carrying a supply of food collected from the air. A plant that has its roots rammed into a small hole and carelessly covered with lumps of earth expends so much energy in trying to straighten out its roots and force them through .their uncongenial surroundings that it has no strength left <o develop and become beautiful. PERENNIALS. Owners of small gardens cannot do better than grow plenty of perennials. They are easily grown, extremely showy, and the initial cost is their chief cost. By the end of tho first season one plant may bo increased to several, either by cuttings or by division of the roots. It the ground is well dug and manured in tho first instance the plants will need very little further attention for two or three years. Annuals are lovely, but they are very often a disappointment to the grower. ..They have to be renewed each 'year, and that means seed-sowing and planting out each time. Then should the summer be dry and hot, or should there be a spring and summer drought, annuals must necessarily be poor, unless a great deal of time is devoted to them in giving them plenty of water and stimulants. In districts where such conditions are customary it is better to grow autumn-sown annuals, and to rely upon perennials for the summer and autumn display. Perennials send plenty of strong roots a long way down into the,soil, hence the necessity for deeply digging the bed for them. Spring flowering perennials were dealt with in a previous note, and as these flower early they 6hould already be established in their flowering quarters. The following perennials may be planted during this month, June und July:— Delphiniums, gypsophila paniculata, perennial phloxes, Oriental poppies, coreopsis CTandiflora, gaillardias, rudbeckia (Golden Glow), pentstemons, pyrethrums, antirrhinums, aquilegias, carnations, daisies, campanulas, hollyhocks, lnichaelmasdaisies, primroses, scabious, and verbenas.

Perennials are more effective when grown in mraps than when grown singly. The following arc, increased by division of the old roots:—Doronicums, geums, scabious, Oriental poppies, lobelias, polyanthus primroses and primroses, michaolmas daisies, campanulas, sweet ivilliams, herbaceous phlox, Christmas roses, and , pyrethrums. The following by cuttings:—Verbenas, antirrhinums, petunias, geraniums, pelargoniums, pentstemons, lavender, roses, daisies, carnations (cuttings or layering). It is not yet too late to take a few more cuttings. Use ripened wood, no sappy new growth. Have plenty of sand in the soil. Water with tepid water. Stand the tins in the shade, but those containing geraniums and pelargoniums in the suu. Protect from frost. RUDBECKIA, GOLDEN GLOW. This rudbeckia is a most showy perennial. It bears quantities of bright yellow flowers like small cactus dahlias,

which last a long time in water when picked. It flowors all the summer and autumn, will flourish ill any good, garden toil, and stands dry weather well.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS. Chrysanthemums are • making a brilliant display at present in most gardens. The stems must be carefully tied to the stakes to prevent them being broken by winds just as they are at tiieir best. A well-developed flower is heavy on its uteui, and is easily beaten down by wind or rain. Protection from frost should be given at night, but during the day the plants want all the sun and air they call get. Cut chrysanthemums will keep a . very long timo in water if all tho leaves are stripped off their stems. Some 'light foliage or grasses should talco tho place of their own foliage, as tho flowers uro naturally heavy, aud are not shown to advantage with heavy foliage. Renew the water in the- vases twice a week, using tepid water. Cut a small piece \>ff tho stem onco a week. Vegetables. ' i As soon as all the tomatoes are gathered the ground should at once be prepared for the next crop. If tho same piece of ground is to be used for tomatoes again it should now be deeply dug, and a sowing made of some crop to be dug in for green manure lator on. The best crop tor this purpose is peas. ■' Sow them broadcast and rather thick. The ground should be well sprinkled _ with superphosphate before sowing tlie peas. The peas may then be left to themselves till the ground is wanted for planting out the new tomato plants. . They should then be deeply dug in. Where new ground is to he used it may be deeply dug, and left rough all the winter. ■ All vacant ground ehould at once be deeply dug and left rough, or sown with a crop of oats, peas, etc., to-be dug in at the end of the winter. Bend a leaf over cauliflowers that are maturing to protect them from frost. Sprinkle salt or lime freely over all rubbish heaps, and turn them over frequently. As soon as they are quite decayed dig them into some vacant ground to make room for the next heap. Weeds, prunings, hedge-trimmings, etc., keep accumulating, and in small gardens there is not too much spaco to spare for the rubbish heap. ' _ ... Keep feeding turnip 9 with soot, and keep hoeing them. Those that have had this attention regnlarly are coming on rapidly. , AH potatoes should he dug and stored by this time. The haulm should bo gathered into a heap and burnt, and the ground, dug, manured, and sown with oats. j It pays to. prepare your ground thoroughly a long time Wore it is wanted for the next crop. The garden looks bo much neater, too, if it"is dug and sown in oats or some other temporary orop for greon manure. Green-manuring is also one of the surest ways of renewing tho fertility of worn-out soils. "Garden Notes" next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Making a now garden and renovatnig an old one; delphiniums; chrysanthemums; and veget-, ablcs. '