GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2932, 18 November 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowkai.") ANSWERS TO COIiIIESPONDENTS. "Wallaceville" writes: "Would you kindly tell nie what 1 can grow on the _ .shady side of the house, as 1 want to get a pretty border (if possible) right t round the house? 1 have had some . lovely anemones this spring, blooming coutmually from the middle of Juue. I , must say i kept all the dead flowers cut off, and took your advice about forking i bouedust round the roots, but unfort tumitely they are still blooming, and I want tuem to die oft' now, so that I can put some annuals in their place. 1 : should like to know whether it is better tp leave them in the ground till next flowering season, or lift them and store them inside. I want to have the best results." '■I'h.o following plants will grow well on the shady side of tho house:—Liliums, arums, narcissi, primroses, polyanthus, iorget-me-not, aquilegias, Japanese anemones, doronicums, delphiniums, pansies, and Christmas roses. A very pretty effect can be obtained by planting the border with clumps of liliums among <■ hardy terns. Clumps of narcissi and ■ patches of forget-me-not may also be ■ planted among the ferns. The narcissi ■ J" 1 " forget-me-not would flower while | tho ferns were still unourling their new l ■{toads. By planting tho Madonna lily, lilium auratuni, browui speciosa lily, white speciosa, and white speciosa with ■ Pink spots, you would have some lilies 1 m flower from the end of November till about Alay. An edging of belladonna A , would make a great show during l'<ebruary and March. Arums would nower during the winter and early spring. Another schome would bo to have u, mixed border of all the flowers mentioned at the head of this reply. Eor the winter there would be arums and Christmas roses; then would come snowflakes and early■ narcissi, primroses, polyanthus primroses, doronicums, and forget-me-not; nquilegias and - pansies ;■ would follow; then.would come delphiniums with tho pansies; the Madonna lily would come nest, to bo followed by the brown speciosa lily and liliuin auratum; belladonna lilies, the second crop of delphinium flowers, white, and white and i pink speciosa lilies would then take up the running, to be followed by Japanese anemones (white and pink). A oollootion ot these plants would keep your shady gardon gay during the whole year. f°" «an't lift and store the anemones till the foliage has died down. A bettor plan would be to lift them and replant them in a spare part of tho gar--1 den. Keep them watered till they recover from the shift, and then leave them alone till the foliage dies down, lou may either leave them where they are then, or lift them and store them m paper bags till February, when they must be replanted in their permanent quarters. I prefer to treat anempnes aa annuals, sowing the seed during November as it ripens, and the'u planting out tho seedlings into their quarters early ■ the autumn. "Napier" writes: "Our apple trees are four years old, and were planted in 1915. A gardener told.mo not to prune them last season, and I am wondering was he right. They had not made very much , growth, as last summer was so dry, but they look strong and healthy, and some Should they be allowed, to re- ' n V m i. .£- l ulnce and nectarine plantHl,„ a tL^?. 6ame tiDle - and a peach planted this season also have fruit on and I would like to know if it would bo , better for the trees to remove the fruit. A™ wood ashes a good thing to work into tho soil where vegetable seed are coming up?" The apple trees should havo had the end of the growths tipped. It is top late to do anything now. A very little fruit may be left on, but the less the ~ ?, r * l flhou W be inclined to remove all the fruit.from the>other tres. Wood ashes are good for top-dressing the soil where vegetable seeds are coming up. STOCKS. Seedlings from the first spring sowing should be ready to plant out now Before planting stocks in their flowering quarters cut off the long tap root with a sharp knife. .Plant the seedlings very firmly in well-dug, wcll-erriched soil. Pork a little bonedust into the soil when planting out. Keep tho soil about tho plants well stirred all through the summer, and suipply water to the plants- if necessary. Plants of the "Nice" family that are put out now should begin flowering in March, and should continue to do so through tho winter. A further small sowing of stock seed may be mado now for a succession of flowering plants. Stocks in flower are a pleasure at any time, and with a little care one can have them all the year round. Seedlings of ten-week stocks should be put out now. Old plants that have finished flowering should bo uprooted to make.room for now plants, ROUTINE WORK. Once the gardens have been put into thorough order planting duf; and seedsowing should be pushed on with. Wallflowers, stocks, and forget-me-not that have finished flowering 6hould be done away with, violet 'and- primrose borders should be put into thorough order, the leaves of narcissi, etc.; should be tied up into bunches. . The soil 6hould then be thoroughly stirred and enriched where necessary, and the garden will then be ready for seedlings, etc. Many gardeners will have boxes of fine young seedlings ready to put out, others will be relying upon nurserymen for their sapply of new plants. There are so many delightful things to choose from that one hardly knows where to. stop. Sturdy little plants of heliotrope, fine young plants of pansies, salvias, stocks, nemesins, asters, antirrhinums, and a host of other charming, subjects tempt one on every hand: There aro so many delightful varieties- of mignonette to be had that ono really wants a whole bed for this ever-popular flower. With careful and constant good tveat,ment it is surprising how much can bo grown in even a small garden. At present the roses flowering in every garden tempt one to buy, buy, buy. I saw, in passing through Blenheim m tho early part of tho week, one ol tho finest displays of roses that it has been my good fortune to bohold. In Seymour Square, right in the heart of the town, were masses of roses- of every colour, size, and form. In- the brilliant sunshine, with the bright green lawns all round about, the many rose-beds filled with flower-laden bushes, made a picture not to be forgotten. ' VEGETABLES. Continue planting out, where necessary:— ' • ' Tomato Plants.—Plant firmly in well-, dug, not over-rich ground. Cabbage and cauliflower. Plant in rich, well-dug ground. Cut off with a sharp knife tho long tap root at the time of planting out. . Pumpkin, marrow, cucumber.—Plant in thoroughly enriched places. Celery (if ready).—Plant in well-pre. pared trenches. Sow, wlicer necessary, the following seeds:— : Pumpkin, marrow, pie-melon, and cucumber. Sow in holes filled with rich Eteil and well-decayed manure, or on hills of the same material; Savoy cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.—Sow in seed pans - for transplanting. Celeriac (turnip-rooted celery).—Sow in rows two feet apart, in wcll-wor,ked, well-enriched ground. Thin out tho seedlings to G inches apart in tho rows. Celeriac does not need earthing up like celery. It is grown for its root. Scarlet runner beans.—Sow in ground that has been trenched' and manured. Sow tho seeds from six to eight inches apart, and about two inches deep. French beans.—-Sow in drills two feet apart, and have the seeds six inches, apart in tho rows. Dust bonedust inIho drills at the time of sowing the , seed, and . give . a slight dressing of superphosphate as soon as the seedlings aro a couplo of inches high. Broad beans.—A further small sowing of broad beans may bo made. Pinch tho ! tops off plants from the last sowing as soon as they are in flowor. ■Radish.—Sow broadcast in rich, firm ' ground. I Carrot.—Short Horn or Intermediate. ' Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Peas—Sow in drills from 2 In a feet I apart. Ground should be trenched and ! manured, and should have wood ashes ; mixed with it. Dust bonedust in the ; drills when sowing. Beet.—A light, sandy soil is the best for beet. Sow. the seed in drills 18 1"

inches apart in ground that was manured for a previous crop. Eresb manure would be .harmful to the roots. The ground should he deeply dug and mado firm again before sowing the seed. Dust bonedust in the drills when sowing. • Lettuce—Sow thinly in drills 15 inches apart, and thin out to 9 inches in the rows. The ground should bo deeply diig and enriched with well-decayed manure. Dust bonedust in the drills at the time of sowing. Hoe a. little every day. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Heliotrope, salvia, and vegetables.