GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2498, 26 June 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(Bir "Kowhai.") These notes are written solely for tho fl-Mftteur gardener, for tho busy oity man , wno likes to spend cu hour or two in the Burden after bring: shut up all day, for tnft woman who derives great pleasure from growing a few plants to brighten her Home, but to whom It would be a weariJ\p Sß w study garden books, end for all tnoao who are endeavouring to keep a. IS? bright and attractive all the W-r round. To these I gay do not atgrow much. Choose what ?..vsi • you , want for your garden and for 2XJU* ln ® houee with cut flowers, and Ut iiPF 7 0u decide upon grow the beet f* that is to be obtained. Eeaderß are invited to ask questions. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Am a teur," Pohanui, Hunterville, aS c lnff a little *dvice oa tho ° -u o f P ru ? in S. Hints on rose pruning will be published early, in Julv. Anxious, _ Kelburn, writes"l see "bv jour gardening notes (which I read with great interest every week) that you invite readers to ask questions. I am in need of a quick growing hedge for a very exposed position, to the northerly anil nor-west winds, but very sunny. What 1 want is a hedge to. divide a part of a section to be trimmed to a height of about three feet, as I have a number of young trees on the extreme outside, which ™ bs sufficiently advanced to protect the purt as soon as I require it. becond: What would yoiii advise me to inix with a ofay eoil tor the cultivation of ericas for semi-exposed position?" , r Quick-growing hedge you cannot do better than plant tree lucerne. At the end of two years you would have a substantial hedge tho height you mention. Another good and fairly quick-growing hedge plant ia the New Zealand holly (Olearia Macrodonta). Before planting the hedge have your ground well dug. If you could provide a temporary shelter against the nor'-westers your hedge plants would have a better chance to grow away freely from the start. An effective shelter can be made with some good strong stakes driven well into the ground, and some sacks, split up the sides and opened out long ways, nailed to the stakes. To prepare a clay soil for the reception of ericas, first dig out the top soil and place it in a barrow. Next break up the subsoil with a fork or pick if necessary, and thoroughly mix witn it some coarse road grit and some peat 6oil. Now mix with the soil in the barrow about equal parts of river sand, and then add a little peat soil. _ Replace as much of the mixture as will fill the hole. Do not on any account use sand from any of the beaches as the ericas would resent the presence of the salt. Note.—Peat soil and river sand may be obtained from nurserymen. "Amateur," Waverley, writes:—"l have a piece of ground about which I vrfluld like your advice regarding what to plant. I hav6 a lawn directly in front of the house, so do not feel inclined to have any more lawn. The ground is on the lefthand side of the lawn, and is about 20 yards long by 17 yards wide. Would you suggest putting a portion- in roses, and the other in ornamental or flowering shrubs? Or what would you advise?" The following shrubs and roses would make a splendid garden, You could have tall-growing flowering shrubs at the back such as laburnum, lilac, red or pink hawthorn, mountain ash. camelia, pohstuikawa, rhododendron, pearly bush, etc. Next would come lower-growing shrubs such as choisya ternata, crimson manuka, pyrus japonica, romneya coulteri (Californian giant poppy), and perhaps ' a dumb or two of copper or vanegated flax and a yucca. In the fro it rank would come such shrubs as azaleas, spiraeas, hydrangea, cyauoclada, boronica, daphne, etc. Clumps of liliums on the edge of the shrubby would be very effective, and liliums delight in a position between low-growing shrubs. The monotony of the belt of roses in front of the shrubbery could be relieved by planting one or two climbing roses, to be trained up stout poles. A border of violas or any edging you fancy would provide the finishing touch to a charming garden Until the shrubs grow and develop, the bare spaces between them might be filled in with clumps of hardy perennials, which would keep tlie space gay while the shrubs were growing. Tho perennials could bo rooted out as the shrubs expao'J. GAILLAUDIAS. Gaillardias are a splendid stand-by. They bear the same relation to the garden that bread and cheese does to the larder. Both are reliable things to fall back on. Gaillardias flower nearly all the year, and in' such profusion, too. One is never stuck for a bowl of flowers where gaillardias are grown. Somo of the flowers are a rich golden yellow, others wonder; ful shades.of velvßty brown or crimson and yellow. They will grow well in any soil, from tho richest to the poorest. In fact, in very poor soil they live longer than they do in rich soil, because -the growth, is more compact. But even though they will flourish in soil where most other plants would die, they nevertheless respond to good treatment. TJnder good cultivation the flowers are larger, and are borne on long stout stems. One thing they must have is plenty of sun. They are raised very easily from seed, and are at their best about a year from the time the seed is 60wn. It is more satisfactory to keep raising ne>Y plants than to keep the old ones for a number of years. At tho end of 'its first flowering season, cut the plant right back almost to the ground to obtain new growth for the next season. Should seed be wanted from the plant one seed head left to ripen would provide the ordinary amateur with plenty of young plants. At the end of the Becond flowering season dig up the old plant, and replace it with a young one. Great care must be taken to keep all the seed heads pickcd off. The plants need all their strength for the profusion of flowers they bear. FLOWERING SHRUBS. . There are quite a number of Deutzias, but one of the earliest is Deutzia Lemonei, a very free flowering variety. The branches become entirely covered with panioles of pure white noiters, Deutzias should have all shoots that have flowered cut off directly after flowering is over, as it is on the young shoots ot the previous year that the flowers are borne. The azaleas are among the most charming of the spring-flowering shrubs, and the flowers cover a wide range of colour. They are splendid for cutting, lasting a long time in wateT, and opening even to the last bud. The ground for azaleas should be deeply dug and well worked, although they are shallow rooters. Leaf-mould or peatI soil should be added to the soil, but manure should be used only as a muloh, and should be well decayed. The azalea is a moisture-loving shrub, and very impatient of drought. During a hot dry summer the plants must be kept \iith a good muloh round their roots. In a climate like that of Taranaki, warm and moist, azaleas are at their best. Spiraeas are beautiful shrubs to grow, and those who have a naturally moist part in their gardens, such as the bank of a stream or a pond, should not fail to grow one or two varieties. The taller growing kinds look very fine when grown near clumps of our native flax, or some of our hardy ferns. Spiraeas may be grown in the garden-, too, if they are kept well watered, and aTe well mulched during the hot weather. They also add very much to the charm of tho inevitable shady garden of small properties. Other beautiful spring-flowering shrubs are;—Diosma (Breath of Heaven), Rhododendrons, lilac, flowering peaches and plums, the flowering thorns (Crataegus), laburnum, red manuka, kowhai, magnolia conspicua, magnolia stellatn, mock orange, viburnum Opulus (Guelder Rose), and Viburnum Plicatum (snowball tree, China). Peat soil can be bought from nurserymen. VEGETABLES. During the recent stormy weather tlieso seem to have been at a standstill, that is, all except the broad beans and peas. They seem to enjoy bad weather, and the raiii has made them grow inches. Attend carefully to fbe slaking lest all vniir trouble goes for nought when a sudden gale cnino.% alonij. After a heavy wind or storm po round nil Hie cabbage, r-anlifinwer?. and loltuce plants to see if they have become loosened. Cabbages and cauliflowers are so top-heavy that they soon become loosened, and the poor plants a.re blown this way and I hat until the unhappy roota cm icarcly bear th« etmn of it. 'IV, ground should be made aria at saw, au4 |

pressed well down with, the too of «. strong boot. Seize tho first chance of the soil being dry enough to hoe among the vegetables. Weeds must bo diligeiftly pulled out, and dead leave? should bo picked off cabbages, etc., anil burnt. Rhubarb (Topp's Winter) is throwing up fino healthy leaves, and in some parts is already being pulled. Attend to Iho regular feeding of the plants as advised in note? of May 22. Cut off all decayed leaves or stoms. On washing days givo each plant a. good buckotful of soapsuds. Hoe whenever it is possible. Garden notes next week will contain seasonable notes about flowering shrubs, routine work in the flower borders, ana vegetables.