GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2793, 10 June 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

[By "Kowhai."]

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. . "Viola."—Without seeiug your plants it is difficult for me to say why they should fail. Possibly the dry season is responsible. iuccas require a loamy soil, 'and a sunny position. Agapanthus likes a light, laniy rich soil, ami plenty of root room. Water and weak' liquid manure may be given during the flowering seasdu. Violds like plenty of manure. Dig into the subsoil some weil-rotted animat immure, or some decayed vegetable rubbish. < Mix with. the top soil a drosslng ■of bonedust and s'onio wood or rubbisn; lire, ashes. Freesias require at present' plenty of sunshine and sufficient moisture at the roots. When the llower buds begin to show, work into the soil a little Clay's fertiliser, aud water with weak eooi-water. FLOWERING SHRUBS. It is in preparing tho-ground and planting more than in anything else that the secret of successful shrub-growing ties. Before planting a shrub one should consider how long it is going to bo iu that same place. Some snrubs go on growing in the same spot for very many years. How necessary then to prepare the ground well beforehand! It is the one golden opportunity of really attending to tho soil that is to nourish, for ail indefinite time, the future plant. If only, too, moro people would realise how intensely, grateful; for good treatment plants are. 1 A well-planted,' well-treated flowering shrub repays us with a wealth of beautiful blossoms season after season. ■ The plant is healthy, too, and a real pleasure to its owiler. A shrub stuck into unprepared ground, carelessly is handicapped tor life. The roots at the very outset havo a terrible struggle to supply nutriment to the plant. What wonder, • then, that the shrul, is'poor, stunted, a prey to ill-health, and a producer of insignificant blooifis? In preparing the ground for shrubs, it is always advisable to trench from 1J to 2 feet deep. Even shallow rooters appreciate deeply-dug ground. And in heavy soils this is especially necessaiy, for shrubs dislike being in ground that holds cold, stagnant water in winter, just 'as much as we dislike having our. feet shut up in cold, wet boots. The addition of manure to the soil for shrubs is, as a rule, unnecessary. Deep-digging, necresary drainage, and tho addition, in some cases, of good leaf-mound or peat, and a little sand, are tho general needs of flowering Blirubs in the garden. If manure is used it should be well-rotted, aud should be kept iii tho bottom spit. Finely-worked, sweet soil is what the roots require in tho top spit. In digging, keep tho top soil to the top. If the subsoil is brought .up- on top it is not "so acceptable, to the newly-planted -roots,, and- often-'gives thein ~a. bad; start'. •■;. lii planting, l too,- sweet fine soil should be placed firmly round the roots.

i'he depth at which to plant is a question that worries amateur garuen6ts, and,' 111 th'e*r zeal, they often make tlio mistatce of planting too' deep. ExpcrtS_auvi§e, as a rule, shallow planting. She Teed in £ roots are then near the surface, and so havo plenty of air and 'the sweetest soil. Alter the shrubs • have been planted, the soil about them should be kept weir cultivated. Weeds should ue rsffidved, and the'soil hood frequently.,' Water and mulches should be supplied rs necessary, and pruning and thinning regularly-attended to. ' On the whole, '.flowering shrubs give very little trouble, especially when well started, and thero i 3' such a wonderful variety npfr of beautiful, hardy flowering shrubs that wo can have a constant sue-' cession of theiii in blooi\ " CARNATIONS. Growers have fine young carnation plants ready for sale now, : and gardeners | should endeavour, to obtain its many as possible nf'this hardy'and truly beautiful ( and l'rfcgrant flower. 11l light sandy'soils carnations do- remarkably well. ■ Heavy i soils should be trenched-.and .ligliteneu, ' as the plants dislike stagnant waiter about ; their roots during winter. . : Carnations are of the' easiest .oultiva- ■ tion, and should be''more extensively grown than they are. The initial cost ; of til© plants prevents many people from making a large, collection. But.cii.wiatitiM 1 are so cither.,by.:slip3 •; or by layering;: fhiyt .haying purchased one plant it is eusytxv'iiicrease it to several ] tho following season., From' a packet of good seed, too, cue has a chance of rais- 1 lug several good varieties. i A light, well-drained soil needs little 1 special preparation feforb growing carnations. A, heavy .soil should bo trenched, tind have cinders, road grit, etc., mixed with th&subsoih'.-The top soil,may havo sand or road, grit mixed with it. A'little bDilcdust may bo added at the time of planting. Ti'stablished' plants liko being Wat'bl'cd'. occasionally.: with weak soot water lo which a suggestion of salt has been added.. /• '■■■■LILACS. 1 Among the most beautiful hardy early blooming slirubs are lilacs. They succeed remarkably. well iii tlii.s district, giving .a wealth. bloom iu the very eariy spring, when flowers . are particularly scarce and welcome. Great improvements nave been'made'during recent years by the hybridiser, with the. result that , this favoured flower may now be had in many shades, including white, pink, cream, red, crimson, lavender, blue, indigo, etc. Modern varieties bear huge spikus, six to | eight inches long, of beautiful single and ! double blooms, which are sweetlv scented. 1 It, is'generally believed that lilacs take many years to bloom. This is not so with most of the new varieties; they commence blooming when quite young. In fact, if flowering plants arc asked for, the nurseryman can supply plants that will flower tho .first season. VEGETABLES., Tlw preparing of the bed and the planting of shallots is one of our most pressing duties in tile vegetable garden -during the prcawit month, it is usual, to plain, off. Sets or liltlo bulbs, and tnese snould bo procured now as. soon as possible. Tho bid for shallots undergoes much the sawo preparation as that lor onions. Trench tnu ground, working into the bottom spit plenty of decayed rubbish. Mix it thoroughly with the soil.. .Return the top soil, and mix with it some wood or rubbisn lire ashes, aikl a dmsing oi'ibonedust (aburnt 4 to Guzs. to tho square yard). Blucken the surlace soil witn soot if you have it. Hefore planting the oif-sets, make the surface soil, very firm . by trampling • all over it. 'l'liis must, ot course, be done only when tlio soil is in good working condition. To .trample over wet, heavy- soil would be'tne, greatest mistake. '. Old gardeners have a rule that"! shallots-should be planted 011 the shortest I day, and harvested on the longest day,. I find it is a fairly sale rule to follow, always provided tho soil is in good condition for planting. As soon as tho bed is all ready, mark off drills twelve inches apart and have the offsets six inches apart in tho rows.. Simply press each' offset into the ground till tho bulb is about half buried. Keep tlio bed free from weeds, and hoe between tho rows frequently. Whenever soot is ■ obtainable, blacken the soil between the tows with it, afterwards hoeing it in. - I'ISAS. A further small sowing of peas may bo made. Those that were sown a few weeks ago are now several inches high. Begin hoeing botween the rows as soon as tho. green shoots appear above the ground. As you hoe, draw tho earth towards the rows- mis gives the plants a gradual earthing up.' Provide bushy sticks or; pieces of manuka brush for the tiny plants to cling to until they aro tall enough to fasten to tho stakes. Uvon at this time of the year slugs must be guarded against. Lime, soot, or wood ashes may be sprinkled along 13m rows,-but it is better atill to trap the slugs or to go out huntiuK for them after (lark. Sparrows are always good at finding out where peas have been sown. They don't nhvuys wait for the green shoots to appear, but dig up and eat the seed. Threads of black cotton stretched along will generally keep them awiljy. ONIONS. Working timo in tlio vegetable garden is necessarily short just now, but every opportunity should bo seized to trench and manure tlio ground for future crops. Tho onion bed should be prewired as soon as. possible. Onions like a firm bed, and soiuo timo should elapse between tho process of digging Hie ground and that of sowing the seed. The longer tlio timo tlio lirmor will be the bed. Onions need julceply worked bed. It is as well to trench, and to work plenty of well-rotted manure or decayed vegetable rubbish into tho subsoil, for root moisture they must have. The top soil may be thrown back

into placo and left rough till the time for seed sowing.. If y<su can blacken the surface with soot about once a week so much the better for the future crop. POTATOES. Trench and prepare the ground foi potatoes whenever opportunity offers, and get in your orders early for seed. It is as well to get the seed in time to sprout it before planting. This is done by standing the seed potatoes up on end in shallow boxes. Those who saved their oivn seed should look it over to see that it is not already. sprouting. ■ Potatoes that are stored for use should also be frequently overlooked, and any sprouts rubbed out, and bad potatoes removed. Those who have, a light, welldrained' soil and a position Iree from -heavy frost could make a small planting of potatoes in two or three weeks' time. The seed should bo looked out now and 6tood up in lxjxes to. sprout. This first, planting is not always a success, but if it is the new potatoes aro most enjoyablo eo early in tlw season. There is a great satisfaction, too, in telling your amateui gardening friends that you aro already, digging new potatoes. Those who have not yet tried an early planting of potatoes in their gardens aro advised to try ]ierhaps just one row in case of disappointment. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about: Flowering shrubs, routine work, and vegetables.