GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

[By "Kowhai."} "AmaTeur," Stratford, writes"l reail your.'(fardeiiing'notes with interest in the paper. Ho peas: I note you. advise to bow now, and will try it. Wlmt sort do !you recommend to sow? Early varieties or main crop ? "Cabbage and Cauliflower: What are tho best varieties for sowing now?" l'eas: You could sow a few first early peas, such as tho good old variety "William Hurst," and at the same time a row of main-orop;; The latter will, come' in a little later than the first early. It is _ advisable to sow dwarf varieties at this time of the year. The ground must be well drained. Cabbage: "Enfield Market" may b& ■sown all the yeir round. "Johnson's .Market Garden" cabbage is al6o good.' Cauliflower: "Earliest Dwarf Snowball" and "Sutton's Antumn Mammoth" may be sown now, and at any time. PETUNIAS. Tho present is a good time for increasing the stock of petunias. Plants that were cut back some weeks ago have now a good many young shoots that make ex cellent cuttings. Petunia cuttings root very easily if they aro planted iu tins of sandy soil. Keep the soil moderately moist.. . ' ' Plants that have finished, flowering :should bo cut back to within.a few inches of the ground. They will sooii throw up' 'a number- of new shoots,- and will begin flowering quite early in : the spring, continuing all through the summer, utterly regardless of drought and hot winds. Petunias are invaluable 'in districts that are subject to summer droughts.';! have seen plants - go-through the hottest and driest Summer, andthey'.werea'con tinuous mass , ofbeautiful. • flowers, Double-fringed petunias are wonderful, but inclined to be just' a little heavy, Single-fringed petunias 'are absolutely exquisite,. Some'varieties have deep jrel low throats and veins, others are so rich in colouring and texture that it is hard to believe that they are not made from velvet. The colours range from puro white to lavender, pink, rose, and deep purple. The flowers are for cutting l ,, for they last well in water.' -. SEA LAVENDER. Bushes of statlce or sea lavender aro generally left undisturbed for a numbor, of years. They send their roots down to such a depth that disturbance must mean damage to them. But the plants should not be left top long in one position. There comes a time when it is necessary to lift and divide them. This should be dfcrie' in-the autumn, great care being taken" to hurt the roots as- little' as- possible.' Statice likes a sunny position and a deeply-dug sandy soil. Many people prefer to sow seed and raise, fresh plants every few .years.. .Where this is done the old bushes, when' worn out;' may simply. be dug out and turned into manure 0,.' ashes. , " ROUTINE WORK.. - No time must ~be„lost no.w. in getting our gardens, ready.\ for the winter.' Weeds and seedlings must bB pulled out, -and the'soil 'thoroughly' stirred, up. l'eren. nials that have finished flowering should : be cut back to within a few inches of tho ground. Some ol; the cluuipS may need lifting and breaking up. Strong pieces from, the outside of the clump should be planted back. Dahlias, as soon as they are over, should be cut back and tho tubers lifted. These may be stored-under a tank or under the shelter of rin evergreen tree. Each clump of tubers should have the name attached ■to the stem. Wood ashes or soil may then be heaped over the tubers to keep them plump and firm. The ground where dahlias have been growing and flowering all the summer will be much . impoverished. It should how be thoroughly turned over, and should have some manure dug into it. I'ailing manure, dig in decayed rubbish, and some bonedust

As soon as all perennials have been attended to, a little bonedust should be irqjked. into the soil round each plant. lierbera- plants may be protected from frost by;placing ,pieces ; of ; manuka, brush round .them. Geraniums and p'elargohiums will often survive frosts if wood ashes are heaped about their roots. The upper parts of the stems ii)ay>be' blackened by frost, but at the end of the winter these may be cut off, and, when the ashes are-removed, new. growth will luickly sprang up from the roots. A mixture of well decayed manure and leaves heaped- up over heliotrope plants will generally protect them during a severe winfer. A number of lobelia plants. Should be lifted, planted in tins or boxes, and put in a sheltered place till frosts ore over. >They will then be ready to follow primroses in the borders in spring. Seedling poppies, '•larkspurs, godetias, clarkias, sweet scabious, antirrhinum, pentstemons, etc., should ail be planted out'as early as possible. Most of the above will Hower early in October if they are planted out now,. Examine sticks . that; are ; . marking the position of bulbs, etc., to. see if they need to bp replaced. Labels should be -looked over and renewedllwhere:necessary. GlTuli--oli cornis should he lifted and luing up in bunches ,in a cool, dry place to dry. : Place a layer of cow manure over hyacinths and narcissus, albus, p'lenus, odoratus. It -is difficult to get either, of these to flower really, welf without a winter seating of cow manure!

Liliums should have their stems removed, and should also have a covering of cow manure. /

Keep all runners cut off violets, and work into the soil about the plants a little bonedust or soot every few weks. Caterpillars and slugs are still prevalent, and quickly destroy the new shoots of plants. Wallflowers and stocks are becoming very bushy and top-heavy now. It is as well to supply eaoh plant with a short, stout stake.

The loaves of early flowering gladioli are already a few inches high. < See that the stakes are ready in place, and keep the clumps quite freo from weeds. A little bonedust may be sprinkled in among the green steins. It will soon work. down' among- the corms. ■ Thin, out mignonette seedlings till the plants are a foot apart each way. Thn intervening spaces will soon be filled,in, and the flowers will be all the'finer when the plants have plenty of room. A few plants of salvia bonfire, pelargoniums, or lato chrysanthemums may be lifted before they are affected by frost, and planted in tins. , The soil 'is nice an'd damp now, and cach. plant may be lifted with a great ball of-earth about the roots. If they are put into the tins straightaway, and shaded from the sun for a. day or two, the plants will scarcely feel the move. They may be transferred then to a sheltered verandah, sunny window, or greenhouse, and will go on flowering for sdme time. , Salvias lifted in this way, and kept in tins during the winter, may be put back into the gar'den i'l the spring, and will then grow into large, handsome bushes. . I'roesins that i\re well up in their tins or boxes should !>■> moved to n sunny position. Keep them well supplied with tepid water. Plenty of sunshine and sufficient water are what they need during the next few" weeks. ' .' LEAVES. ' Fallen leaves are now making our gardens. very untidy, but they should be raked up, and stored to provide leaf-soil. Dig a hole in eomo out-of-the-way "orn'er, and deposit all tho leaves in it, as you rake them up.' ; Sprinkle salt'or lime over each layer as' it is added to the, 11610. As soon as all th.oJcaves!,liaye fallen.' cover the hole with a 1 layer, df"earth, and leave it till .next autumn. , 1 You will then dig out.a nice supply of leaf-mould, and. the same liofe may bo . used for tho freshly-falling leaves. . . *. ASIIES. Ashes, obtained from burning weeds, cabbage leaves and. stumps, rose primings, etc., contain a large percentage of potash. Potash is . most essential to. the successful growing of potatoos, carrots, parsnips, and onions; therefore, all weeds, hedge clippings, etc., that are not suitable 'for: rotting down in the refuse heap should be- turned into ashes by burning, and tho ashes stored in a dry place till they are wanted. As potash is, nov' at a prohibitive .price for many gardeners, everything possible should be converted into ashes.

Garden notes next vre&k will contain seasonable notes about Oriental poppies, delphiniums, perennials, and vegetables,