GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "ivmvlini.") IIOSE PRUNING!. ..." Growers of roses should 111 alto themselves familiar witli the names of their roses, unci nlso with their class. Thut is whether they aro hybrid perpetual, hybrid tea, or tea roses. The hybrid perpetuals and hybrid teas aro pruned first, it is as well to ieavo the teas for a t week or a fortnight later, as they aro 'more delicate. Except in'warm districts, froo i'rom frosts and cold winds, August is early enough for pruning. Should late frosts or cold spring winds be experienced 'when-the roses are in bud, the hrst crop of flowers ivill mosit probably be spout if the trees are allowed to bear too early. By deferring the priming till August we keep/back too growth, The trees may bo covered with a lino growth of young foliago when you go to prune 'them, but this foliage, which is' borno on the old wood,: could never produce fino long\ stemmed flowers. . It has its uses, however, because its production, keeps the buds at the base of tho trees dormant, and these aro the buds that are to' produce our now strong growth for this season. When pruning see-.that 'the knifo or secateurs are sharp. -Make tho cut just above an outside bud'or eye. Make a slightly slanting cut, and have the highest part of the cut just above tho bud, not oil the side of tho branch away from tho bud. " " ; After pruning, lightly prick into tho soil a sprinkling of bonedust. PRUNING. Pirst cut aivay all growths that are overcrowding tin; centre, and then cut; right out ail weak growths. Now cut the strong shoots back, leaving only about four to'six eyes, making tiie cut first, above an eye that points outwards. Very strong shoots may lie left with nix eyes,, weaker shoots should be cut back to four eyes. To beginners - it seems strange that weak growers should, bo cut back harder than strong growers, but 'the point is that a rose bush must be allowed to liavo only as many shoots as it has strength to support. A weak-growing rose can support fewer shoots than a strong grower, therefore it is cut hard back, leaving perhaps three or lour buds for it to concentrate its strength into,whereas a strong glower may be left with as many as six buds, and will have sufficient strength to develop them well. Some roses send out ail- occasional long shoot. This should be cut hard, back: Newlyplanted roses should be cut back at pruning time, .leaving only four eyes. It is most important that this should be attended to, as it alfects the future vigour of the plant. In very exposed gardens tea roscfi should be left till tlie middle of August before being pruned. Climbing roses should be treated in tho same way y as dwarf roses when newly planted. That is to s;<y, the shoots should be cut back to. four'eyes. I'ou will then get line, vigorous growth'as a' stfh't for, your plant. In subsequent years 'climbing. roses, need careful handling if vou waiit a .'g6od supply of flowers; The best'.'' .flowers aro produced oh shoots .that ..are one-year old. Pruning, then; consists .in cutting 1 back, directly! after., flowering,! some of the older 'shoots that have flowered. Try to "keep "the rose to young shoots' growing! from, as near; the base as possible. So .many climbing roses have long, bare stemsf'aud all the growth! up at tho top. By. pruning hard back at planting time one gives, tlio' rose a good start in this direction.

Kambler roses should have the shoots that have iiowered cut out as soon as .the flowering is over. This encourages the plants .to- produce new -shoots,. 'Mid it is on one-year-old shoots that: the best flowers are produced. Therefore, to have a rambler a mass of flowers tho pruning must' tako. place a year piov'ioiis to, the.-flowering. That is to say, pruning must be dono.as soon as the iloworipg is over. , Banksia rose.f bloom oil the .twiggy j growths. As scon as the flowering is. over cut back the old. flowering steins. All that is needed after this is to cut the\ tips oft the long shoots that aro produced. Briar roses also should be> cut back as. soon as they have .finished flowering. -These roses I also'>flo\v'er on: the -wood : -that is produced during the previous summer. Do not shorten the tips of tho shoots on briar roses', ns -it is un the ends of tho branches that tho best (lowers aro produced. . Do not mulch until .the summer,, as during spring, the roots of.the>ros'e3 want all the warmth of tho sun they can get'. ; - . VIOLETS. : , The violet is one of .the most neglect-, ed of all our garden plants. "Violets are such hard things to grow, at least to get them to flower well." t think that this is said to me on an averago of tlfree times a week by people who don't realise that tho iliilieulty iies m theii own neglect. And yet most people love violets. The averago gardener has. his plants given to him. That is the first mistake. _' Ths> plants are probably woody pieces obtained by breaiang upold roots. The next mistake is generally tho way in which these pieces are planted, v As a l-nie they are stuck-in along the edge of a flower border no special- preparation, having been made for them. I3ut the greatest mistako of : all lies in the . fact , that so many people plant a border of violets and ex-, pect it to last for ever. To obtain good strong plants cuttings should' be taken and rooted. These cuttings are taken-from the long bare runners that' are sent out from the centre of. tho plant. If these are cut off now mid in-' serted firmly in very sandy soil, they will be ready for planting out before the hot weather sets in. Theso are tiie x plants that will bear tho best- flowers next winter, for tho' biggest flowers on the longest and stoutest stems are always derived from maiden plants. Ona or two runners may bo pegged down, and allowed to root, but as the strength of the parent plant is wanted at present to produce, line flowers, 1 lind it better to remove tho cuttings, and root them elsewhere. v

As soon as you have all the cuttings you need, keep . all- o'.-hers -severely cut off the parent plants till flowering is over. In the meantime prepare the ground for the new plants.' This is'all-the better for being trench-id to a'depth.df eighteen inches. In" heavy..clay soils add plenty of decayed vegetable matter-to the bottom spit, as well as road grit , or coarse sand. To the top soil .add leaf-mould, coarse sand,.and a dressing of basic slag. Very poor saydy soils, may have decayed animal manure worked into them, and a dressing of bonedust at the time of planting. .Planting should take piaco not later than the.end of September, as this allows tho plants to become established before the hot weather sets in..

Violets need a sunny'position, espeeially if they are tojlower during the winter. The ideal position for them is ono (there they will got' the. fuil force of tho morning sun,, but ! be slightly shaded at noon. Poi- keeping off cold southerly winds, a little fence of manuka brush is excellent. It need not bo more than a foot high.

To got' violet plants to flower well am: early nil runners should he kept eut off. Any,decayed loaves should ho removed at olive. -.Keep the soil along the rows well stirred,'and during dry, hot weather water the plants well. 'The life of a violet bonier is three years at the outside. To got good flowers during the second and third years, tho plants should have a little of the top soil removed after lloweriug is 1 over, and. a layer of gocd soil from a compost heap may take its place. The roots will soon llnd their way into this new soil. ! Plants should bo fed now with soot water. Two varieties that are well worth growing are Princess of Wales and California. Both have, largo llowers on. very long stems, ami the latter are very sweetly scented. - * "Garden Notes" next week will contain seasonable notes about lloweriug shrubs, routine work, and vegetables. ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. Voij AN AUTUMN AND SPIUNG • SHOWING. During the winter months, when (lowers are scarce, plants which bear ornamental berries are very pleasing to llio eye as subjects i)i the garden, and very useful for deconUion as eut specimens. The following is ft list of shrubs which arc strong, hardy, easily-grown, and successful in litis district. They all produce ornamental berries freely during

the autumn, winter, and .early spring months, when flowers aro scarce. If advanced plants are a.slccd -for nurserymen can pick plants which will give results quickly. Viburnum Socboldii bears bunches of very snmil coral red berries during winter and spring. . Solanum Hyljrida: Dwarf shrub bearing numerous red berries- as large as a cherry during winter.

Snowlierry White: Bears racemosus white berries as' large as a pea seed throughout the winter.

Snowbei'ry Bed: Similar to above, except in colour. Holly: Tho well-known English holly, with bright green foliage and scarlet berries during winter. Arbutus Unedo (Irish strawberry tree): Berries larger than a!) cherry, rough skin; yellowish red colour. Fruit edible in winter ,and of finite a pleasiug flavour. Benthamia Fragifera (Strawberry Tree):a Berries as large as a strawberry, light red colour, and cdiblo in spring. Berberis Thumbegii: Hardy shrub, bears pretty sprays of small coral , red berries during autumn and winter; foliage also turns a pretty red in autumn. '■ . Cotoneaster' in several varieties, arc small somi-h'ailiiig shrubs, suitable for covering low banks, etc. All bear red berries as large as a marble in great abundance during winter. Eugenia Ugni: Produces in winter brownish red berries with an agreeable aroma and most pleasant taste. Kuonynnft Europacus (Spindle Tree): Most handsome pink berries borne in profusion during the whole winter. Crataegus (Hawthorn): Several varieties; bear handsome berries throughout the winter.. Aucuba Japonica: Foliage large, deep green; handsome -berries, large ovalshaped, borne in fine clusters. " < Guava: .Produces abundance of-purple 'berries, lis.-large as a plum; delicious to, eat or. for preserve. .... We have to acknowledge receipt of ii useful twelve-page booklet, descriptions and prices of no,velty seed potatoes and other seeds, wifh iotnrestiiig notes, on insecticides, from It: C. Gibbons and Co., Ltd., ISO Lambton Quay, Wei. lington. ' Their special quotations for seed potatoes are prominently displayed in another column. "