GARDEN NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2612, 6 November 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES.

(By "Kowh'Ai.")

«m XS -! V m KS 10 con Respondents. Icimfi'v-' 5"t«:-"Woi.ld you I'. o iie directions for making Bornole£" nuxt, "' e in gardening liuidraiix mixture: Copper sulphate, Tn in- L u '""e, 41b.; water, 50 gallons. 11,1 mixture, place 25 gul- | ui * oi water m a barrel, and suspend ' ] in w tlle sl »-faco. a cloth bag th,! cupper sulphate. Allow Knivn ''i el ' su 'P' lat;e to completely disL !' 1,1 ""Other barrel slake -41b. of ! ,', e » more water and stirn, = , r as the J»nc dissolves, until COmhinf M in the barrel - Tlle " CI" 0 tl ; e sulphate solution and tho e- eh !i y ,!,pi ' i,lg "'tenia tely from m-n- i,« ta " L Uv ■ the two intii ti * ,ouret ' slowly at the same time He „,ivt Spi '° r tll , uk ' 11 is essential that «« " * 5 strained, as it fhP%hm 0 J l6 s 'T a J' ei '- °» plants ;i t iormula for Bordeaux mixture is too strong, and should be altered to:— «lb. copper sulphate, 21b. lump lime. 50 gallons water. Bordeaux mixture must h? IV Sed l a - t 80 ? n as pi-epa-retl. If allowed ro stand it changes in composition.-(W. , u { v ?ne.) Bordeaux mixture may Jjo . 111 ' ,as '° f°i' m ready to dilute witli

. PELARGONIUMS. ln^n,! h f° S ,, 01 , that were -h!i?n f 0 of the winter . mil" 1 have grown into nico young plants !m!, y p l l l:illt ,' D S out in the borders ' . begal pelargoniums make a great snow m the garden during the whole of the summer and autumn. They are not jml ticulm* as to soil as Jong as it is not pi°,,,P m' i Jut llko a sul, ny position, f are put out. now begin flower- !"? nv«y» and before long grow into large spreading bushes that are a mass of beautiful flowers. Those plants that survival the winter frosts arc already gay with immense trusses of liower. Very often if tho old plants are left mono at the beginning of tho winter, and not cut down until frosts are over, they escajpo being frost-bitten even in districts that- experience heavy frosts. Or, 1 il oy V? d™'" 1 !! 01 ' by frost,' it will only be tlie old growth, which can bs cutaway lu the spring. Then tho new growtli soon shoots up from the old roots. Regal pelargoniums seem to do particularly well round about Wellington, and may be had m bloom m the open garden the best part of tho year. HELIOTROPE. Heliotrope is a delightful plant to grow as the intense fragrance of tho flowers pervades tho whole garden. It grows easily out of doors if given a sunny position sheltered from cold winds, afid is in flower nearly all the year round. Faded flowers should be kept well picked off. A mulch oLwell-rotted maunre placed round old-established plants now will servo as a hue tonic. Plants may be raised from seed town early in spring in a. hothouse or garden frame, or they may he obtained .from cuttings of, the young shoots taken now and inserted' in pans containing verysandy soil. Cuttings of heliotrope root very easily. Nurserymen generally have a supply of strong young plants ready for planting out about this time, and amateur gardeners who require only one or two would do well to obtain young plants already strongly rooted instead of bothering about seed. As soon as the young plants are about eight or nine inches high the tops should be pinched out to encourage bushy growtli. 3 ROUTINE WORK. Sweet peas, htfve already reached the stage when thoy provide a little dailywork for the amateur gardener. To keep the blooms large and the stems long it is necessary to pick all the blooms every day. 1 prefer to do this if possiblo after sunset, leaving the half-developed blooms to burst into flower tho next morning. The blooms that have been cut may be taken •nsido and placed loosely iu a. good deejr jug of water. This gives them ly good drink before they are arranged in the vases the next morning. The laterals (the little shoots that come out by each leaf) should bo rubbed out carefully .with the lingers. If they are left on the vines tlicy produce short-stemmed unsatisfactory flowers, and in doing so, so rob tho main vine- of strength that all the flowers quickly deteriorate, and tho peas are soon over.. The soil must b9 kept well stirred. This needs to be a daily operation, because when one is picking tho Sowers it is impossible to avoid treading on the ground round the plants. Tho frequent showers we aro having this season have so far saved us the necessity of watering sweet peas. But they provide also plenty of' hoeing for the gardener. Occasional showers are a nuisance. It is the real good downpour that is so valuable. But the occasional shower just wets the surface of the soil, and then out comes the hot sun and cakes it so that the plants are very unhappy till the gardener hurries out with his hoe, and. again gives them the loose surface that Miey so appreciato. Robert Sydenham, the new orange scarlet, is a beautiful pea. So far the sun has not scorched it, although there have'been several hot days sincc.it has been in bloom.

In the shrubbery, rhododendrons are making a great show, the bushes being literally a blaze of colour.

Mock orange bushes are covered with their fragrant cream-coloured flowers, and deutzias are a mass of white.

The laburnum and the guelder rose are especially attractive just now. Both are decked in their delicate new foliage. Froni the laburnum hang pretty yellow drains of flowers, from the guelder roso hang 'soft snow white' balls. One longs to have room for all the flowering trees and shrubs, for they are 90- full of charm, and, when once established, give little trouble.

As soon as the rhodendrons have finished flowering the dead flower heads should be broken off.

. The early flowering gladiolus, Colvillei Alba, "The Bride," has been busy throwing up tall flowering spikes for some weeks past, and at, last the pnre white beautiful blooms have opened out. It is surprising how much longer the sm-ay is, and how much larger and finer tlu> flowers arc if the clumps are lifted every second year, and the corms sorted out, and planted back three or four inches apart. The corms increase so rapidly that they very soon becomo packed close together, and it is imposiblc for any of them to develop and produce fin? flowers. A little very weak liquid manure is much appreciated by the plants at their present stage. Colvillei rubra (dark rose, with darker flakes) is another of this class of gladiolus. A clump or two of this shade makes u charming ell'ect in the garden. Two other varieties well worth growing are the Blushing Bride, white with a rosy blotch, and Peach Blossom, wirh pale blush flowers. The country peoplo have the best of it at tins time of the year. The hawthorn

lias been wonderful for the past few weeks, and hedges that' have been left iinlnmnied have been like long irregular units ol snow. Now, as one travels along the country roads one gets occasional whiil's of honeysuckle. Ifc is a pity that people do not plant a little moro honeysuckle in their hedges. Tho paddocks are white with daisies, and tho swampy bits yellow with buttercups. Bn;ch trees are now indescribably beau* Vi • , , e It,eu'1 t ,eu ' spring f'olingo is such a ae.icate .shade of green that the trees Sin If ,mKsses maidenhair fern, i Jig uo'/ers of Iho cabbage trees are iully out, and the air is filled with their sv.cet perfume. Sweet scents a.tul beautiful sights meet one on all sides. Manuka has wlul-ened the hills as with a sudden snowstorm, and broom is a dazzling mass of golden yellow, VEGETABLES. Celeriac, or turnip-rooted celery, is a most useful vegetable. Unlike celery it need not be grown in trenches and earthed up. t It is grown for its root, which is turnip-shaped, and if tho seedlings are P anted on rich ground, and are given liquid manure once a week, and plenty of water, the root mil weigh aa much as three or four pounds. Celeriac fs used to flavour soups, and also- as a table vegetable wlien boiled. Garden Notes next week will contain pasonablo notes about larkspur, kochia, tnehopjla, and vegetables