GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2770, 13 May 1916, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

[By "Kovhai."]

FAEONIES. Daring. recent years ths paeony lias been so improved that now tlie hybrids are among our most beautiful flowers.' Ji early overyono knows the old pink or dark red varieties that wore at one time a feature of nearly every cottage garden, but only those who havft beon really interested, realiso tlio beauty and variety of >the paeony of the present day. The singlo varieties are wonderfully beautiful, and both double and smglo may Ita 1 had now ,in almost every conceivable. ; ihade. In addition to the herbaceous : varieties, there is also the tree paeony. ■This is a (lowering shrub of great beauty, and should be more popular than it Is. X'laated in a sheltered position, in welldug, well-manured soil, it does remarkably well. Paeonies are not fond of I*> ing moved, and often fail to flower the first' 'season alter removal. Onco planted, they may be left for a.number of years, and will produce every season many beautiful flowers. But before planting the ground must be very 'thorougnly propared. Eemember (hat you will not have a chance of improving the soil for a long time, and do it thoroughly at the beginning. It is as well to remove tho wp soil, and thoroughly break up 'the subSoil. Mix with it some well-rotted manure and some Ixmedust—a handful to each hole. Keplaco the top soil and mix with it also some well-rotted manure and some bonedust. Faeonics grow equally well in sun-or. in shade, and they aro splendid for helping lo fill up shady turners or gardens shaded by -trees. Tho plants should bo given a rich mulch of veil-rotted manure- and -decayed leaves every ..year, Pneonies may be. planted in tlio autumn or early in the fpriiifj. PREPARING ASTER BEDS.. The .aster-is'one -ot' our most valuable late-summer. and autumn plants,- and most gardeners depend-upon it daring-the'lew weeks when. lW slimmer flowers aro practically qvor.ahd tho autumn ones aro not out in any quantity.. Hut miuiy loyers of this beautiful flower have to: face,, wrae time or au .attack of the dreaded "aster disease" amEUd their' cherished plants. The hopeless thing about ,it fs that there is no known cure. The ! planW are apparently healthy, when quite suddenly they begin.to mo off raywly, perhaps just whta they are' scaring perfection. As there is iifi euro for the disease, i't behoves us t<>" direct our attention to prevention.

It is veil known that asters must have root moisture, anil in preparing tho ground plenty of decayed rubbish should 'Do,buried. :But it isi not so well known that asters must not be planted in ground that has held stagnant water during tio winter. To do so, even though at the time of planting tho ground is apparently in nice condition, is to court an attack of the much-dreaded disease. Asters must be grown on well-drained land, (jround that is not naturally well drained should bo prepared now. 'l'ho top soil should be removed.' The subsoil should be broken up to a depth of at least .1! foot, and road grit, cinders, and stable manure should bo mixed with it, as well as »u>o well-decayed vegetation. Tho top soil may then be returned. There is no nece«< 6ity to leave tho ground vacant until the time foi' planting the asters arrives. It may ba filled in with early spring flowering crops, such as wallllowers, forget-mn-uot, crocuses, wood» or grape hyacinths, or early (lowering narcissi. As scon as the bulbs havo finished flowering tlioy could be lifted and replantod at onco In some sparo. cor.uer, to complete- theft growth, and ths bed could then be forked over (working in a dressing of bojmhsr.J, in readiness l'or the aster seedlings, VIOLETS. Already, in sunny borders, violot plants axe' opining their beautiful fragrant flowers. At present one "has to hunt for the.ifi; lor they keep -witiiin the warmth of thosheltering leaves. But their exquisite perfumo soon betrays their whereabouts. 1*" is -as wall U> kevp tiie bowers well picked lor seed pods forming v/oui<l weaken 'tb. plants. Violets will flower now during the no*! three or lour months, but it is not unti' the days are growing warmer that tin great number of the flowers rise abov< ■the sheltering -leaves, and borders bceouw 0110 glorious, fragrant, purpio mots o" bloom. ■ All runners must bo prompt removed from now on. They only wMicei the Giain plant, and spoil the quality ol the Hovel*. A. little well-ripened sool should be worked inlo the soil from timi to time. ' It is a splendid fertiliser,-and improves .the colour- of the flowers. A ' sprinkling of boned'ust, also, may bi worked into tho soil occasionally. Piolel plants yield ouch an obunnanco of flow, ers that they must be strengthened- from . time to time, lost they become exhausted. MICHAELMAS DAISIES. As soon as Michaelmas daisies have finished flowering the stems should be cut down to within an inch or two. of the ground. Do not leave them till tho seed ripens, or it wilt ,J» scattered far and wide amf will give endless trouble later on. Plants that have become too big may be lifted and broken up, and healthy pieces from the outside of the clump may be planted back again. Collect the stakes .and store them in a dry place till they are to be used again. Pork a iittle bonedust into the soil round the plants. ; JACK MOST. In districts' subject' to frosts;faany. tender plants have already, been nipped. Cactus dahlias,, salvias, heliotropes, pelargoniums, chrysanthemums, etc., may bo kcfit going etill if they are covered every night when there is a hint of frost ill the air. A few tall stakes should Ire driven in round each plant, and pieces ofscrim, sugar-bags;, flower-.bags, old sack?, old clothes, and-anything that: wili af-. ford protection for the plants should bo held in readiness.-. The plants should be covered at sundown, and should cot be uncovered again till the sun has warmed the air.' 1 was told, not long ago,, of aii old woman living in a country district, whose one absorbing passion was the cultivation of beautiful. flowers. Every nook and corner of her garden was' filled with flowers. and many a rare and delicate plant had a happy home 1 there. Towards the end of every'autumn commenced for her a sleru fight with Jack Frost. Every available scrap 'of- cloth of every description was hoarded .-by her in readiness for the time when, her cherished.- plants would need protection. Every evening before sunset she began her. work, gently laying pieces of vcloth; over plant after plant. But always' there were more plants than pieces of cloth, and, in her zeal, she began to undress-in her garden. Her .bodice was laid over a flaming salvia, her skirt covered a'.-great -fragrant bush of cherry pie. Boots and stockings even were press-, ed into the service; until every treasure was snugly put to bed. What happened to the dc-ar old gardener? Why. f,he, too, went to 'bed,- till she could havo her clothc-s back again in thn. morning. And long after all other gardens were bare and desolate, hers was a miracle of beauty , and fragrance. , VEGETABLES. Turnips that were .sown early in tho autumn are coming en very fast. now. Sprinklo eoot, lime, or wood ashes along the rows from time to time, and hoe as often as possible. Keep the turnips well thinned out as they grow, ft is not necessary to thin them.out 100 thoroughly nt first. Thin them till they are two or three inches apart:. As eoon as they are 'J bis as marbles every second 0110 may bs pulled and used to flavour soups. Later on everv other one may again be nulled until llmso left arc the Tight distance apart. Silver beet must br thinned put as soon a; the seedlings are bic enough in handle. The seedlings pulled out may he transplanted to another part of the garden. Silver beet is a most valuable jyinter vegetable, and. where fowls arc kept, 100 much of it cannot be <rrown. Tho green part of the leaves is solenditl for supplying greens for the fowls, and tie whitn part can be cooked with their food. \

Garden, Nntws next week will contain gimcoualilc notes about petunias, routine work, and vegetable; s .. The bulb .icnson is nearly over and autumn bsddinj; plan(- arc now beinj? •Shown. A. goodly asfortmanl of the following art? Ui lip «oe:i in tho window of Messrs. IT. C. G'Wrms and Co.. Ltd.. 180 Luiibton Q'uiv, Wr'ljneioii.:—Storks, Canterbury hells, wallflowers. antirrhinums, talme, ecicos (heaths), aspidistras, etc.