GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2480, 5 June 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

■ $ (By "Kowkai.") l'hftjo notes are written solely tor tl amateur gardener, for tlia busy city 1110 who likes to spend an hour or two m tl garden after being Bhut up all da.y, i< tho women who derives great pleasure fro growing <1 few plants to brighten li< home, but to whom it would be a weai ness to study garden books, and for u those who are endeavouring to keep small garden bright and attractive all ti year round.. To tlieso I eay do not a tempt to grow too much. Ohoose T.'h< plants you want for your garden and f< supplying the houfie with, cut flowers, an whatever you decide upon grow the be, of its kind that is to be obtained, lteadej are invited to oak Questions. Autumn-sown sweet pea seed lias b this time developed flue strong planl three or four inchcs high. Staking shoul noV bo seriously attended to. Slioi twiggy sticks or small pieces of brus should bo placed beside tne young planl to help them grow up towards the pel manent stakes. Wire-netting makes food framework for peas to climb agains ut the ideal support i£ a good fin manuka brush fence. The brush keel tile plants sheltered from cold winds, an the peas love to climb up amongst th twiggy branches. Whenever the groun is dry enough hoe round the roots of th sweet peas. Keep all weeds away, an give an occasional top-dressing of lim and soot (alternately). See that tlie youn plants are trained to grow upright froi the start. HERBACEOUS PHLOX. Herbaceous phloxes are very Batisfac tory plants to grow; Given a little eul tural attention they flourish and bloot to such an extent that they delight thel grower. But so often they are juststuc' m the ground, and left to struggle alon, as best they oan. When one sets th poor, stunted flowers that are the result one is apt to take a dislike to the whol tribe, especially as one so often sees th' stunted variety. Why will some peopl scratch up a piece of ground and thei stick in a few poor unfortunate plant that can only bs an eyesore to all be holders? If it is worth while growini flowers at all it is worth while doing i well. Plants that aro carefully plantei in deeply-dug well-manured gTOund can not go far wrong, and they aro a grea pleasure to all who see them. The first trouble is the chief trouble Phloxes, although such hardy subjects will not flourish in ground that has no been deeply dug. They like a sunn] position, and they like to be left undis turbed for several years. Also they liki . to be fairly well treated with regard t< food. If well-rotted animal manure cannot bi obtained and worked into the Boil whil< digging is going on, thon a little bono dust forked in just before planting wil keep the plants going for some time, es pecially if they receive one or two soalc mgs of weak liquid manure during ,th< flowering, season. After they have finished flowering cut the plants back to within a few inches of the ground. Fork a little bonedust into the soil round the plants and cover them with well-rotted manure, or decayed leaves mixed with wood or rubbish asJlk Coquillicot (orange 6carlet), Purity (pure white), and Esclarmonde (lavender with white centre) are threo beautiful phloxes to grow. DAHLIAS. Dahlias have jjretty well finished flowering by this time. In many districts the plants have already been blackened by frosts. Cut down the plants, leaving about six inches of main stem. The tubers may be dug up and placed in kerosene tins ot boxes, and have earth or ashes spread over their roots, or they may bo stored in a dry place under a tans or a tree and liavo earth spread over them. The earth will keop the tubers'from shrivelling. Name eaoh kind carefully as it is put away. The tubers will begin to shoot in thie spring. ' Manv people leave the tubers in the ground all tho winter, simply covering the plants, whon cut down, with ashes. They then lift them in the-spring, break up the clumps of tubers, and plant back » single tuber bearing a strong shoot. This plan is perhaps th# simplest for amateurs, w-ho have only a few plants, and who are not anxious to grow: show lilooms. FLOWERING SHBUBS. - Once established, flowering shrubs are a continual source of pleasure. They entail little work on the growers after they have once started to grow away freely, and they make very attractive tho surroundings of the home, Where space allows a fair number to be grown ono can always have one or more shrubs making a cheery spot in the garden. As with everything else flowering shrubs must be carefully planted in the first instance. One has only to think of the number of years that a flowering shrub stays in one spot, flowering faithfully season after season, to realiso that the ground must be woll prepared for the reception of the plant. Deep digging and breaking up and necessary improving of the subsoil must bo done, or the shrubs will never attain perfection. Until they are established, that la, nntil they are growing freely, they should be afforded some protection, and they should be supplied with water till the roots can get it for themselves. Loosen the- soil' as soon as it is dry enough after tho watering. Protection in windy anil exposed positions is imperativo. Brushwood makes a splendid protection, but even a sack opened up and made to form a fence, with the .help of four strong stakes, round each plant will do. Ono cannot help having a special weakness for the autumn and winter flowering shrubs, especially the latter, for they ;omci into bloom when many gardens lira lamp and dreary-looking, and make gay iplashes- of colour that delight the eye of he strong arid the happy, and act as a .onic to the tired and deprosseH. Owners of pretty, well-kept gardens! Have you noticed the eagerness with rhich weary passers-by gaze into your ;ardens? and the happiness that the sight if your flowers brings to tired faeces ? Take a bunch of violets into a sick oom, and see the eager, • shaking: hand tretched _i"nt to receive them, the joy n the thin, pale face. Flowers are ono f the greatest joys of mankind, and what -.pity that t-liey are not more extensiver grown, especially in- this country, rhich could so easily bo one of the garens of the world. Of all the floweTS the winter and early pring ones are oerhans the most precius. During the end of autumn and he beginning of -winter the chrysanthemms hold sway, and lighten the shortenig days with their beauty, but once they re 'gone the garden begins to. look very are unless the flowering shrubs are ier« to take up the running. Among je first are the Ericas (heaths). A few * these ■ beautiful plants, especially the . utninn and winter flowering ones, should » in every garden: The beautiful pink I iriety, Autumnalis, is scarcely over be- ' ire the Scotch Heathers (Erica .Vulgaris) ! re out.. These may bo had in white, I ink, and purple. Air are lovely. l Two < xiutiful winter flowering ericas aro ' yraraidalis Gracilis with sniall pure 1 hitc bolls, and Erica Carnen, flesh- : iloured. Ericas prefer a sandy soil, so s avy eoil should bo .lightened by tho , Idition of river, not sea, sand. Most J ants, have their likes and dislikes, and . ■leas disliko lime to such an extent that 1 iey will not grow where it is present in le soil. Also no animal mannre must > added to the soil. 5 Deeply-dug sandy foil, or soil lightened ith sand, is their ideal rooting ground. (To be continued.) VEGETABLES. Lettuces that were sown early in arch are already beginning to "heart )." Every chance of hoeing nlon<? the ws on a warm, sunny morning should i seized. Shiga must be watched for the best of tho crop will go to them. reen fly is also a little troublesome at lies, but may bo kept ill check if tho ants are syringed with the washing-day ap-suds. Apply tho suds while pretty inn. Lightly fork in a sprinkling of liitrnfo sod.a (about -loz. to tho running yard) ico a fortnight. To bo siveet and crisp, must be crown rwickly. This i 3 a hungry time for• sparrows, d it is only by the usf of-poof sprinkled '.he ground, and by lines of Mnck rofii along the rows that you will bo abl" raise a batch of culinary peas;. If oy are not so protected no sooner nre sy alwvo the jrrouvl fh-tn the spvwi t fcham. Thei nin oft lia Under jsrcML

shoots, and loavo them lying on the ground, for it is the seed—the pea itself— that they are after, and it is the green shoot that betrays the whereabouts of tho peas to the robbers. Don't neglect the hoe on sunny morninga. You will be able to see your crops growing as you work. le Garden Notes"- next week will contain n seasonable notes about: Flowering shrubs, )r petunias, Oriental poppies, and vegetables. tn n , I : ;r come lovers of spring flowering bulbs i- ® r e making good use of an opportunity II to replenish their plots at half the usual a- rates in response to an offer, mado in t- ® ur ®® ver tising columns, by Messrs. H. it P' G'bbons and Co., Ltd., City, who ir taund themselves rather heavily stocked. <1 3t -7— . —