GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2504, 3 July 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowkai."^

These notes are written eolely for the amateur gardener, for the busy oity man who likes to spend an hour or two in the garden after being shut up all day, for the woman who derives great pleasure from growing a fevr plant 6 to brighten her ■home, but to whom it would be a weariness to study garden book's, and for all those who are endeavouring to keep a small gardsn bright and attractive all tho year round. To these I say do not attempt to grow too much. Ohoose what plants you want for your garden and for supplying tho house with cut Sowers, and whatever you decide upon grow the best or its kind that is to bo obtained. Readers are invited to ask questions. Weeds and eelf-sown annuals will bB springing up and growing apaco after tho recent ram. These must be carefully rooted ouA as soon as tho ground is dry enough. Chickwced grows very rapidly, and is a great nuisanco once it gets into gtadar of violets, or among clumps of Chrysanthemums, Michaelmas daisies, geraniums, antirrhinums, gaillardias, etc., that have not already been cut down should be attended to without de--1.1 • rfier6 is 110 need to ""ait for dry weather to cut back perennials. In a ftw weeks now we shall too hard at work lifting -and dividing clumps of perennials, and it is a great mistake to leave the old flowering stalks on them until dividing time. Sweet peas must bo watched and long shoots encouraged to grow upwards to the supports. Weeds should be carefully pulled ou (; f r p m among thg pi an fj,, lake cuttings of chrysanthemums whenover nice strong ones, well away from the (lowering stalk, are big enough. As soon as old is finished with, lift it and place it with the collection of dead flowers and flowering stems, etc., to dry. Clumps of bulbs must be kept free of weeds. Paper-whito is already in flower, and polyanthus narcissi are breaking into . bloom. Dust> soot that has been tvell exposed to the air among bulbs to keep away slugs. Be sparing with the soot, as a heavy dressing may do more harm than good. Hyacinths are pushing their way up through the mulch of cow manure. Add a further supply of well-rotted and wellbroken up manure whenever it is necessary. _ In districts where heavy frosts are experienced, hyacinths' that are beginning to show colour must be protected at night. Push on with the planting of rosea and flowering shrubs whenever tho weather is favourable. Those who can obtain animal manure should givo their flower-beds a good coating of well-rotted and sifted manure. This covering keeps the Toots of. tho plants warm during frosty- weather. Sparrows havo already been busy nipping off the points of carnations. Gardeners who ■ aro troubled in this -way should put two or three sticks round each clump, and wind black cotton backwards and forwards 1 abovo ths plant. . Tho blue everlasting pea is growing very rapidly now. See that it is well staked, and that 'the long shoots aro well tied in. An occasional application \>f weak liquid manure (cow dung and soot mixture) after a shower of rain will bo of great benefit to 'th'o plant. ' Liquid Manure.—Put into an old sugar bag somo cow dung and about a shovelful of soot. Place this in an old tub of water, and leave for a few days. When using the liquid add sufficient clear water to make the manuro the colour of weak tea. Those who aro unable to obtain cow dung may use guano (obtainable from nurserymen) and 600t water alternately. Guano should be used at the rate of loz. to a gallon, of water. Attend to the staking of wallflowers and Brampton stocks. Tho latter are already in flower, and the buds of wallflowers showing colour. These axe topheavy. plants, and a strong wind works much havoc with them. Gather together till stakes that 'are not needed for. tho present, and stack them under a tree or in a shed. Cuttings of lavender, rosemary, roses, carnations,' antirrhinums, etc., may still bo struck. They may be planted in rows in. a spare corner of the garden. Press the earth.very firmly round them. At this tune of tlje year they aro no further trouble. - Tho ground is naturally-damp, and tho sun not too hot. When the ground is wanted in the spring, the cuttings .will have developed into nice little plants ready for planting out. Rose, cuttings had better be struck whore they can remain for a year. Lavender is a very pretty shrub.. The grey foliage is such a change from tho usual green foliage in a flower border, It makes a good hedge for a vegetable gargen,too, where a low shelter is wanted, beeolings of double Shirley poppies, larkspur, schizanthus, wallflower, forget-me-not, clarkia, godotia, candytuft, ' pansies, etc., may be planted out whenever' the,soil is friable. Above all things, keep the. beds well weeded. Spring, bulbs, anemones, ranunculuses, etc., are coming up so fast that there will soon be trouble if weeds are left in the ground. For gardens where animal manure is not obtainable some fertiliser should now bo. used. For a- heavy soil use basic slag. Apply 4oz. to the square yard. For a light soil use kainit or bonedust in the same proportion. Those who have a thoroughly decomposed compost heap, or heap of leaves, could apply a dressing of this in addition to tho fertiliser, RED MANUKA.. Red Manuka (Leptospeimum Ch'apmanii) is a very hardy flowering shrub, and not fit all particular as to position. It flowers' m the early summer. The colour is rich glowing: crimson, and. every branch, is entirely >covered, to the very tip with the beautiful flowers. To see. a Bush in flower is to crave to possess one. RHUS SUCCEDANEA. This is a beautiful deciduous shrub, the leaves turning crimson and pink in the autumn. It, is a glorious thing for putting in bowls in the house, besides making a brilliant splash of colour, in' the autumn garden. I RHODODENDRONS. Rhododendrons are most ehowy and attractive flowering shrubs, and may bo grown in a variety of ways. ' Perhaps the most usual place for them is in a mixed border of flowering shrubs, but they may also_ be grown to great advantage on a sloping bank. They are peatloving shrubs, aud as the flowering season is so short' should be grown in conjunction with other peat-loving shrubs. If Rhododendrons are to be grown in a bed, clumps of liliums may be grown with them. Tho same soil is suitable to both the shrubs and tho bulbs, and the bulbs appreciate ' tho shelter tho shrubs afford their roots during a hot summer. Rhododendrons look very well when grown on a bank. .They Should bo planted in groups, or in undulating lines. Clumps or lines of azaleas and heaths may be grown with them'. Whon planting on banks, holes should be dug out to a depth of about two feet, and fiilled in with a mixture of good soil, and peat soil or leaf soil, and river sand. In tho beginning of summer a good mulch of well-rotted manure should be | placed round the roots. During tho summer the plants require a good watering now and again. A good watering once a fortnight is much better than frequent indifferent waterings. In (fact, tho latter would do moro harm than good. VEGETABLE GARDEN, THE NECESSITY FOR MANURE. Mr. T. Wright, V.M.H., F.R.H.S., says: "Plants or crops do not feed on soil; thoy do not oat it. It is not food for them, but simply tho larder which contains it, and if you do not keep this larder replenished crops languish; whilo weeds you must regard as what they aro —thieves, robbers of tho larder, for they livo on the same kind of food as useful crops do, and, if permitted,- will tako tho best share. . . Hoeing the ground on warm sunny days makes the crops grow. By hoeing, the warm air resting on tho surface is admitted to tho moisture below, the roots movo moro quickly in consequence. appropriating the food supplied with that already stored in the larder— the earth." There is a saying, "As tho day lengthens tho cold strengthens." Greou peas that are a few inches high will need a little protection from tho cold during tho next fow weeks. ' Even a slight protection makes a difforcnw in tho tint# of tho Arat pkjtin? _ It m a

them if a brushwood protection ciui bo made along tho exposed side. The brushwood need not bo moro than eighteen inches high. Even twiggy sticks, about a foot high, placed in tho ground.along6ido Hie peas, will afford tho young plants considerable warmth. Seo that tho peas aro securely staked, or the winter storms uiny spoil your early crop. A leaf bent over broccoli that are maturing will protect tho flowers from frost. AVhen- hoeing always push the earth towards the roots of greens. If the earth is drawn up about the roots of cabbages and cauliflowers they will quickly penetrato tho earth in search of food. Kowhai seeds have been posted to tho following places at the request of readers of "Garden Notes":—Ekotalnina, Wanganui, Vogoltown, Featlierston, Waverley, Lambton. Quay, Wellington, Grey town, Titahi Bay, Masterton, Mangahao, Palliatua (several residents). "Garden Notes" next week will contain seasonable notes about rose-pruning, flowering shrubs, and vegetables,