GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2959, 23 December 1916, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Koirhai.'^

' CoiTCspondeuta' iijo notified that no replies to queries can lie furnished until February 3rd.

LIFTING NAECISSI .BULBS. Narcissi bulbs should not be left in Che same place nfter tho. second or, third year. The bulbs incrcaso so much that' ■ they become overcrowded, and tlie flowers then beoome small. As soon as tho foliage has died down tho bulbs should be, carefully lifted, and spread out on trays in a cool, airy place to dry. ' Before beinff packed in paper bags tho bulbs should do cleaned, and. old roots cut off. Off-sets may bo removed and replanted. in sandy soil. " AGAI'ANTHUS. ,- The flower buds of agaponthua. are, already pushing their way up. During Ypry dry weather the plants should be given an occasional good watering. An occasional dose of weak liquid manure just now'.will be a help to the plants in; developing their bequtiful flewenj.. i i '' hbmekocAllis. Tlie beautiful coppery-yellow' flowers of hemerocallis fulva (day lily) are showing colour.' Each .flower 'lasts but a day, but there are always other buds -ready to opeii and take the place of the faded .flower. .. A, good watering with weak-sootTwater jiven once a week laps the plants "considerably during this month and the next. BEACUTCOME. Brachycome or Swan Kiver Daisy is a delightful'little dwarf plant, bearing lovely blue flowers very much like cinerarias. ' It grows splendidly in hot dry soils, and; it; taken a little care of, will thrive even in a clay one. It iB a plant 'that .should not bo overlooked by gar- . doners with l poor, dry soils. "Purple ■King" is muclf deeper in colour than the well-known blue variety. Planted in long lines or in bold groups in the front of a mixed, border, the' Swan Elver '.Daisy .-is-very-:effective.. The plants are dwarf, and very , compact in tlieir manner of growth?! Those who liave not yet grown'this' pretty, flower should certainly .try it; ; - It is a : gem among dwarf plants;. Seeds sown now in the.open 'garden . will produce flowers for the autumn... v

: POLYANTHA RAMBLER ROSES. • . At the. time of writing a Dorothy Den-', nlson, growjng up a tall pillar just outsido the window, ' is a perfect picture. -Trom- top to bottom the pltiht is a mass i of large trusses "o{-clear pink flowers. A- Dorothy Perkins growing in a neighbouring: garden.'has taken possession of a-lauvel, up one side and along the'top, and falling over on to the.'otherjside. .Wherever it has climbed there is. d' mass of glorious colour." These 'rambler roses are ft great feature of the; early summer garden. They grow so quickly and bear such a profusion of beautiful flftwers' that they quicxly oover and; make beautiful their allotted space. Crimson Rapjbler is an old favourite, and-wo have now a single variety,''"Hiawatha," with bright scarlet ' flowers borne in very.large clusters. I was particularly struck,,-in Christcliurch last week, with, the effective use that is inade of rambler roses. Crimson Rambler and Dorothy Perkins were very much in evidence, : while many gardens contained quite a collection vof rambler roses. Wherever there, was any attempt at gardening, bare, ugly dividing fences were conspicuous by their absence. Instead there were dividing fences .covered with masses of beautiful red, pink, and white polyantha roses.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS. • Chrysanthemums should now receive their final pinching.. All growths'that are about a foot long may have the tops pinched off. If there have been two previous pinchings • the plants will be fine bushy specimens by tfifc auWfnh, .bearing quite ' a number of fine, long; 'flowering stalks. So far, we have been =directing mostjof our attention to the part of the plant that is atiove the . ground,' but from now on \vb must pay very special, attention to tho part that ?is below the ground— the roots. I do not mean, to say- that the leaves and stems need no further/attention at present.' l'hey do. There are caterpillars to be watched for. The leaves should be syringed with clear water in hot dry weather to keep them clean and free from disease, and there is always the tying of the plants to the stakes as they grow. But the Toots are now - doing very special work. They are getting ready to support the beautiful flowers that will come later. In a few weeks quite; a . number of new roots will be'formed, and as they are very .near the surface' of the ground we should' give up forking round the plants, and have recourse to mulching. Aftor a good watering a mulch' should be spread all round every plant, and from time to time the mulch should be added to as necessary.' - The new roots will then be protected, they will be kept moist; and they will be able to creep out into the mulch' and so set a larger area in which to search for food. .Thoroughly decayed manure, road scrapings 6? well-rotted vegetable rubbish are all suitable for .mulching chrysanthemums. -VEGETABLES. Continue planting. out, where necessary :— Tomato N plants: Plant firmly in welldug,not over-rich ground. Cabbage and cauliflower: Plant in rich,-.well-dug ground. Cut off with', a sharp knifedtie long.tap root at the time of planting out.,-' Plant the seedlings firmly, and "keep them . moist, and shaded from hot sun till growth begins. - Pumpkin and marrow: Plant in thor-oughly-prepared rich ground. Celery: Plaint in well-prepared trenches. Potatoes:. An early variety of potato may bo planted to provide "new" potatoes for the, autumn.

Sow, where necessary, the following seeds:— ; ,

Scarlet runner /beans: Sow in ground that has been trenched, and manured. Sow the- seeds from six to eight, inches apart, and. about two inches -deop. French beans: Sow. in drills two feet apart, and have the seeds six. inches apart in'the,rows. Dust bonedust in the drills at the time of sowing the seed, and give a slight dressing of < superphosphate as soon as the seedlings are a couple of inches high. ' ' Carrot.—Sow thinly, in. drills 12 inches' apart.-' Dust superphosphate along -the rows as eooii. as the seedlings appeir, and begin thinning out'as soon as they are big enough to handle. , 1 Peas—Sow in drills from two to,three feet apart. Ground should bo trenched and manured, and should ha.vo .wooddshes.mixed with. it. Dust bonedust In Jtho drills when sowing,

Beet.—Sow in drills 18 inches apart in ground that, was manured for a previous crop. Fresh, manure would be harmful ■to the roots' The ground should be deeply dug and made firm again before sowing the seed. Dust bonedust in tho drills when sowing. Lettuce—Sow thinly in drills 15 inches 1 apart, a.nd thin' out to nine inches in tlie rows. The ground, should be deeply dug, and enriched with well-decayed manure., Dust bonedust in the drills at the time ■of sowing. '

Garden Notes next week will contain, seasonable notes about:—Liquid manures, routine work, and vegetables.