GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2747, 15 April 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

[By "Kowhai."! ■ SPRING-FLOWERING PLANTS. • There is a special 'fascination in planning out and preparing our gardens for the spring. Already we have made our preparations for the winter. Snowdrops are snugly buried in sand and soil, and should Ire busy making their roots; violets are already making their buds, and avo throwing up a regular forest of leaves to provide warmth for their buds and roots; irises (stylosa) are producing numbers of now shoots; winter-flowering stocks are hastening towards perfection; while among the shrubs, japomca, heaths-, camellias, jasminum nudifiorum, ana daphne are getting ready to brighten tha dull ddys to come. Having completed these preparations, our thoughts leap ahead to the time when the sun is every day gaining in strength, when the sap is rising in trees and shrubs, and everywhere buds are (welling, and leaves and flowers unfolding in rapid succession. In our mind's eye we see gay • yellow and purple crosuses, narcissi,' , wallflowers, forget-me-nots, primroses, doronicums, and all the dainty and delicately perfumed flowers that belong so especially to early spring. Among the earliest to flower are crocuses, wallflowers, grape hyacinths, forget-me-nots, early-flowering nai'cissi, and snowllakes. Then come the later flowering narcissi, primroses, polyanthus primroses, doronicums, geum, aquilegias, sparaxis, hyacinths, gladiolus, tristis, tulips, pansies, stocks, campanula, schizant'hus, am r . gypsophilia elegans. Shady corners may be filled in with forget-me-nots, aquilegias, and primroses. Wherever narcissi, crocuses, ov primroses can be spared, they should be planted in pass, grouped under deciduous or on banks. Forget-me-not is most useful for filling up odd corners and bare places, and directly it has flowered its place may be taken by summer or autuinil flowering plants.; A very beautiful spring picture may be made by placing a flowering almond in the »rass, and all round about it groups of daffodils. As the tree grows it throws out branclies which in the spring . are one mass of pale pink - flowers. As time goes oh the daffodils, growing in the grass at its foot, are increasing in number, till, by the time the tree is fairly'well grown, they form a wonderful golden carpet for the flower-bedecked almond. ROUTINE WORK. Go over all the beds, pulling out weeds and stirring uip the soil. Any runners. . that are formed on violet plants now eliould be removed, so that all the strength . may be thrown into the plants that are already forming flower buds. Work a little bonedust into the soil along tile sides of the rows and as near the roots as possible. A slight dressing", of well ripened soot, not on the leaves, but as-near the toots as possible, will also be beneficial. large roots of primroses and polyanthus primroses may now be broken up and new borders formed. Work a little bonedust into the soil about the roots of tho plants. Anemones are already showing leaf, an <J from now on the soil about them must not be allowed to become dry. Work tho soil ituiong the plants carefully with the little hand-fork. Mignonette seed' may. be sown wherever worn is available. There cannot be too much of this fragrant flower.growing in a garden. Tho seed should be sown where the plants are to grow. Fork into the noil a good quantity of coarse road grit, nnd some bonedust. Scatter the seeds well, and just barely cover with- very fine cufth. ' Tho seeds of schizanfchas aud cineraria may bo sown in a sunny spot, proteoted from frost. The plants will flower quite oat'ly in the spring. Doronicums may now bo lifted, broken up, and replanted in sojl to which a little sand and bonedust have' been added. The plants must be kept'well supplied with water afterwards. Doronicums flower bet. ter if they are. lifted and divided each autumn. Cosmos aTe now/'flowering profusely, and are all the hotter for slight disbudding. Keep the plants well watered and well tied to stakes. Cut back any perennial plants that have finished flowering. Fill in empty spaces jvith bulbs, Canterbury bells, stocks, wall, flowers, antirrhinums, carnations,' pansies, and self-sown, seedling annuals. Keep a ! Btrict eye on all chrysanthemums. The plants are very detonnined to produce more buds than tliey can possibly perfect. Remove all superfluous buds to throw the strength of the plant into those tbat are to flower. Protect tho flowering buds from caterpillars. Place pieces -of manuka brush round gerbsra plants to protect them from Cut back worn out lobelia plants and work a handful of 'sand in among the roots. Whero severe frosts are experienced, sufficient lobelia plants to supply roots to help in the production of new next summer's borders must be lifted and removed to a frost-proof position. STRAWBERRIES. Those who are making new strawberry bods this "autumn should get the plants in now with as little delay as possible, Readers were advised to begin preparing their new beds as far back as January 15. IE this was done the soil ohould now bo nicely settled down, and ready for the new plants. Strawberrios, although they like a deep, l.v-dug Tooting place, also very much dislike being planted iu loose soil, aud should they be so planted will produce plenty of leaves, but Tery little fruit. Hence the importance of preparing the beds beforehand in time to allow the soil to become firm. Should the bed have been dug only recently, it sliould be well, trampled over by every member of the household before any. attempt ia made to plant out the strawberries. Be-fore-.putting out the plants the surfaoe soil may be lightly forked over, and a dressing of bonedust, about 102. to tha square yard, worked in. It is important that strawberries should be grown in an opon, sunny position. They cannot hav« too much sun or exposure. In order to provido a cool, moist root-run, the ground trenched, and should have plenty of well-rotted manure and decayed vegetation worked into it. In planting tli« strawberry plants care must bo taken to spread ou the roots nicely, and to cover them very firmly with fine soil. The plants should not bo planted too deeply. Look at the plant before making the hole, and then have it so that the crown of the plant just rests on tho top of nice firtn soil. The crown should be neither buried n? 1 ' left high • above the surface soil.' Plant in rows two feet apart, the plants being eighteen inches apart in the rows. Water thoroughly. Should dry weather continue, the plants must be kept supplied with water at regular intervals. Pinch out, at once, any runners that appear, VEGETABLES. - Thin out seedling turnips, silver beet, carrots, etc., iis soon as they are big enough to handle. It is a great mistake to leave the thinning out until tho plants have become drawn. Dust soot very lightly along the rows of seedlings, for caterpillars havo a great relish for young and tender leaves. Hurry on the growth of vegetables by diligent hoeing. Turn pumpkins and marrows round a little from time ,to time. Broad beans may bo sown now. The soil should be deeply dug, and should contain pleuty of decayed vegetation or w.ell-rotted manure. Sprinkle a little bonedust in the drills nt the time of sowing. Those who liavu onti growing in their spare ground should | now begin to turn them well under. Send Ihe spade straight down to a good depth. In digging it is important to make a per. ,PPiulictilar, npf a slanting, cut. Sprinkle lime over the soil, and leave it rough till it is wanted. Keep crops ol parsnips, beetroot, car. rots, etc., well weeded. Hoe frequently between the rows. Sprinkle a very little nitrate of soda ibetween the vows of t'Jibbage, cauliflower, and lettuce occasion, ally. It will be hoed in, and dissolved by the first rain. > It i.s most important to keep all vege. table crops growing rapidly. They are then better able to resist blights, and the resultant vegetables are finer if grown without check, Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Roses, winterflowering shrubs, and vegetables.