GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(Br "Kowbiai.")

ANSWEHB TO CORRESPONDENTS. '■ A-mateur," Island Bay, writes:—"lsaved a considerable quantity of wood ashes and forked in a lot around my pelargonuiius, with disastrous result's. I have lost nearly all of them. I used the ash with the idea of intensifying the brilliancy of the colours. Will you, therefore, kindly adviso in your next week s notes how best to use the ash, andmwhat quantities; first, for tho flower garden; second, for the vegetable garden? The wood had been eared' iroin the sea. Would that affect it?" In tho flower garden I mil wood ashes thoroughly with the soil while making a lied, also I mil them with decayed leaves or decaycd rubbish, about half quantity of ash and half of decayed rul> Dish, and uso the mixture as a mulch early in summer. In the autumn I place a good layer of wood ash about geraniums, pelargoniums, . etc., to protect them from frost. In the vegetablo garden ashes are mixed freely with tho soil while the ground is being dug, in. winter or spring, especially for such crops 03 potatoes, onions, parsnips, eto. They are h•if i - a3 a top-dressing (about i-inch thick) during the growing season, and are hoed in. As your ashes aro derived from wood saved from the sea you may have given the plants aa overdose of salt. Salt . u ?.™ 111 large quantities has the effect of killing plants, Wood ash is moro necessary for light soils than for heavy ones, as the latter are generally well supplied with potash. PORTULACA. Portulaca is a charming little! plant for growing on small rockeries, or in dry, S f D ?/ P^ r ts of the garden. The colours of tho flowers ore gorgeous, and the flowers axe produced most freely when tho plants are given the conditions they like best. It is a mistake to make the soil too rich, for then the plants produco more leaf than bloom, and it is tiresome, after making a rich bed for them, to get a poor return of flowers, and then to see them seed themselves on to a gravel path near by, and flower thoro profusely. The soil should contain plenty of grit, as the little plants love to cling to any gritty material can find. Ordinary garden, soil, then, with plonty of coarse river sand and some leaf soil, is what the plants Tequiro. Also an open position and plenty of sun. Portulaca makes a charming edging whero flower-beds aro edged with stones or large pebbles, and it makes a pretty finish to a rockery when used as an edging, and allowed to etray from the crevices of tho stones down to the path, and all round tho lowest rocks and stones".. Tho tiny seedlings of portulaca need protection from our hot sun, aud a supply of moisturo, as they have such small roots. A 6 soon as tho plants begin to spread over the ground, however, the roofs receive tho protection they need, and water should be supplied only when it is thought necessary. As soon as the plants have become thoroughly established, they will flower bravely all through the hottest weather. ROUTINE WORK.'

Staking and tying up plants is one of the most important operations in .the flcwor_ garden at this time of the year. Delphiniums,. Canterbury bells, hollyhocks, larkspurs, early flowering gladioli, antirrhinums, lilinms, and sweet peas are particularly liable to be spoilt by tho wind just now, and it is more than proyoking to see'these plants dashed to pieces just as we are expecting our reward for all the labour spent on them. In our windy climate wo cannot be too free with the stakes, even dwarf-growing plants, euch as zinnias, French marigolds, etc., being all the better for a small stake. ■Flowering verbenas, petunias,. and all plants that creep over' the ground will need pegging down frequently. The faded flowers" should bo removed regularly to koep up tho flowering 6eason as long as possible. Both verbenas and petunias will go on creeping over tho ground and flowering profusely if they receive theso little attentions.. Pegging down has this advantage, too, that in the beginning of the winter thero will be a supply of nicely-rooted layers to tnko the place of tho old plants. I find that eTen pansiea are all the better for being fastened down with a few good long hair-pins. _ The searching winds- that wo aro experiencing blow the long growths about and bruiso them very badly unless the.v are lightly 6eoured to the ground. In tying up or pegging down,' the plants should always be made to look as natural as possible. 'Don't make one stake do the work of three or four. '■ ,The autumn-sown gypsophila has been flowering over a, long period and constant picking of the branches has the effect of making the plants throw up numbers of new flowering shoots, so that it extends over quite a long flowering period. Once you have it to mix with sweet peas, you find it hard to do without it. A few sprays Of gypsophila make all, the difference to a bowl or vase of sweet peas. It mixes equally well with other flowers, giving a very light, graceful effect. By making successive sowings, annual gypsophila may bo had in flower nearly all the year round. July seems to be tho only month whon it finds it impossible to flower. Big bunches of gypsophila. alone are delightful for filling up jmipty fireplaces, or dull corners in a room.

Anemone * seed may be sown, in the open ground in a shady spot. First mix with the soil some river sand and a little leaf soil. Give the ground a. thorough soaking with water, a few hours before sowing the seed. Sow the seed very thinly, and then the seedlings may bo left where they are until they are transplanted into their permanent quarters in the autumn. If a few dry grass stalks or some dead pea haulm is scattered lightly over tho seed bed the soil will bo kept moist till the seedlings appear through the ground. Anemones should not be allowed to suffer for want of moisture at any period of their growth. Dryness at the roots is generally the cause of nil the failures in growing anemones. The bed where thoy are to grow eventually should be very thoroughly dug, and should have a good supply of vegetation buried about a foot helow the surface of the soil. River sand'should alsojie added to the soil. ' Anemones, in common with most plants, are very fond of tho washing suds. If they receive a few buckets of soapsuds every washing-day they keep remarkably strong, and healthy. Pansies, too, greatly appreciate a few_ buckets of soap suds, and for young fruit trees and flowering shrubs there is nothing finer. People cion't know what they aro throwing away when they pull out the plug and allow the soap suds to run down the drain. VEGETABLES.

Celery plants should 1)2 ready for planting out during this month, and the trenches should have been prepared somo time ago. The trenches should be dug out to a depth of ono foot. Somo wellrotted manuro should be dug into the trench, and just laid in the bottom of the trench. About six inches of earth should then be returned to the trenoh, and somo bonedust (about four ounces to the running yard) should be thoroughly mixed with this. If-the trenches are made only a short .time before transplanting takes place, tho soil should be made hnn by being trampled upon. Celery does bettor when grown in firm soil. Before transplanting the seedlingo add two inches of very fine soil. A slight dressing of soot or ashes from a rubbish fire may also 'be added. The ashe.; will work into the soil while the seedlings are being transplanted. PJant the seedlings about six or eight inches apart. Shade from Hie hot sun for a few days, and sprinkle tho plants with water morning and evening. As soon as growth has well started liquid manure should be supplied. A further sowing of celery seed may still be made.

As soon as the first crop of peas or broad beans is finished tho haulm should be cut down and burnt. The foots should be left in tho soil, as 'they provide a valuable manuro. The ashes from the haulm may bo rakod over the surface of the soil and then hoed in, and tho ground used for . a further sowing of turnips, carrots, onions, or oven a late planting of potatoes. It is a good plan to leave one lottuco out of each batch to, go to seod. Tho eoed will be scattered about tho garden by the wind, aiiid strong! young seedlings will at all tinjes bo available from all parts of the garden, for lifting and using to fill up empty spaces. In

this wny a. continuous supply of lettuces for salads nil! bo obtained -with very little trouble, and the seedlings that .are not wanted can bo liocd in. s as manure.

Garden Notes next. week will contain seasonable notes about carnations, nasturtiums, and vegetables.

Tho dreaded potato blight is said to liavo appoared at tho Hutt and in other district al*mt Wellington, causing nnxiety and loss to potato-growers. Tho favourite preventive is bluestono or Jilacclesfield sulphate of copper, and Messrs. H. C. Gibbons and Co., Ltd., Lambton Quay, Wellington, have landed a shipment of this brand.