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GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") WINTER-FLOWERING SWEET PEAS Winter-flowering sweot peas aro still, not as popular as thoy deserve to be. In our m:!d climate they can be had in flower easily as early as. September. And yet the amateur gardeners are satislied io wait for sweet pea bloom until. November. By growing both tho winter and summer flowering varieties one should" be able to havo sweet peas in bloom for at least eight months of the year. Great improvements havo been ■toads in the wintor-iioweriug section, and tho flowers aro . now as waved as .the tho Spencer varieties. Winter-lower-ing peas are a little different in their habit of growth from the summer-flow-ering peas, for whilo tho plants of the latter, class mako a bushy growth in the early stages, tho plants of the former grow quickly more upright. From the ''Sweet Pea Annual" lor 191G 1 take the. following extract:—"Great -progress con-; tinues to be made in Australia in tho improvement; of tho' waved type of the carly-flowerfhg sweet -pea, and there' is now' littia to choose between it and the sunimerrilowering variety, with the advantage to. the former that it comes into bloom in from eight to ten. weeks, -while the latter requires over six months in which.to j-.chiovD the best.results.. Therearo several different strains in. cultivation, including tho Tolemly waved varie-. ties, tuo'-Yanwa Spencer, and its'numerous hybrids,' called Concord hybrids,and the Albury strain.' Generally speakiug, the strains originated in Australia show more vigorous growth and larger. blooms than the Telemly waved strain, while the Albury strain is fixed*.as to Spencer type." j Seeds should be ; sown now, without de-. i lay. Anyone who has a sheltered cornor j that gets plenty of -winter sunshine I should sow a few seeds of this most usej ful section of the sweet pea family. The flowers aro intensely sweet scented, but their great charm lies in their early flowering. I have,grown them for several years now, and have had a few in flower from tho first week in July. By August and September they are out in numbers.

In preparing the ground for the win-ter-flowering variety it is -necessary to see that it is well drained, as, if the! vines aro allowed to have cold,-stagnant, water lying about their .roots.-during-winter, they become too.chilled.to flower satisfactorily. Mark out the space to be occupied by the peas, and thon remove tho.top soil, laying it aside in a barrow. Break up the subsoil'with a fork, or pick if necessary,, and -work '-inti. it plenty of grit in' the form of cinders or coarse- road grit,.and well-decayed horse' manure. Replace the top soil and thoroughly break it- up, working-in during tho process some ground dime. . As soon |as /the. .ground is. propwred water it thoroughly,. and ..tho. next day. sow ,the seeds.. Cover .the-ground with dead pea' | haulm until.tho seedlings pierce through, when.it should.be removed.. Threads of

black cotton should at once ,bo stretches across «the (seedlings to protect ..theiu from. sparrows, -and old- soot .or lime should.be sprinkled on the ground to pro-' tcct them from 'slugs. In training .'the' vines,' it is'as well to supply them withplonty of manuka brush for them to nestle into, as they seem to derive great warmth and protection from it. " EARLY-FLOWERING GLADIOLI. Bulbs of early-ilowering gladioli should already bo in the ground, and at work making their new iocs. By ehulico I forked over some.bulbs of "Tho Bride" last week, and I noticed that not only woro tho now roots well formed, but also tho new foliago 6h.iots w«ro appearing. A long period of growth betoro (flowering time gives tine strong spikes of bloom lator i>n. A sprinkling of bouedust- may be worked into the soil above tho conns. Keep tho soil louso and weeds well away. The rush-like loaves of tho earliest flowering gladiolus, Triotis, should be pushing through .tho surfaco Eoil any day now. This is one Unit every gardonor should have. "■ Not only'is it valuable as an early spring flower, but also tho spikes .of bloom are so beautiful and.so sweot-scentcd that it at onco becomes popular with all who seo it. Those who wi6h.to plant it this year should, got tho .corms in without' delay. , . . ■■*■-■■- ---.-•••■• .i_ Tho next-gladiolus, to flower, is tho. "Bride,'.' with, its- dainty spikes of. purewhito flowers. This gladiolus belongs to the Collvilli group. Tho flowers c-t this group are smallor than those of 'the summer and autumn flowering kinds, but they are exceedingly dainty, very freeflowering, and splendid for cutting. Following the "Bride" copies tho "Blushing Bride," white with , a ■ delicnto ■ pink •flush. Scarcely have the flowers of the "Blushing Bride" begun to fado when tho last of tho early-flowering gladioli open their .buds, .and the gardon is gay for weeks with their pink, salmon, scarlet, and dark red flowers. Among tho.best of this group arc:-Alexjs, terra : cotta; Bvaantinus, rosy claret; Colviliei Cardinalis, bright scarlet; Cupid, flesh pink with a rose blotch; Insigms, light carmino red; Ramosus, salmon-rose, Baked crimson. Gladioli will grow well in tiny good garden soil, provided it is welbdug and well drained, but in a light sandy soil, to which some well-rotted and sifted cow manure has been added they will fairly excel themselves. Iho early-flowering gladioli need not be lifted every vear, but they should be liftedevery third year, because, so quickly do they increase, -that by that iime the clumps- are fairly ,-crowded The babr corms should not be planted back with the fully developed ones, but should., be planted apart in clumps by tkeraselye.s.

DOUBLE-FLOWERED NARCISSI.. The old-fashioned double-flowered daffodils aro well known to evoryone. Ono still sees, in small cottago gardens, theso old bulbs popularly known as eggs and bacon" and "codlins and cream, but in large gardens they have been-pushed back into the wild garden, or into the grass/ For naturalising in- grass, or crowing among deciduous shrubs they are splendid, and seem to thoroughly enjoy such a position. ' ' ' Among tho newer double-flowered narcissi aro to bo found some very lovely flowers. Primrose Phoenix, with its beautiful lemon-coloured flowers,' is one of the best. Plenipo bears large flowers of a mixture of white, yellow, mdprimrose tints. Golden Rose has light yellow flowers with an orange-golden centre. The earduia-flowered narcissus (Doublo White Posticus) is an o-.d variety, but it is still indispensable in. tho late spring border. Tho double flowers are creamy whito, and are intensely. sweet-scented. Unfortunately it is a little more difficult to grow than the other varieties. It will rot do well in dry soil. 'A inoist. tait well-drained soil is what, it enjoys,, and, unlike most narcissi, it.enjoys a mulch of well-decayed cow-manure, which should be spread on tho soil above, the bulbs as soon as they .aro planted. When the buds are forming late in the spring, it appreciates very'weak liquid niaflure ''Bulbs, should be- planted about six inches deep. VEGETABLES. ROUTINE WORK.'' - ■ ''" ! Di» up and store potatoes. Feed leeks once°a week with weak liquid manure soz. of nitrate of soda in one gallon of I water,, to bo applied after a. good water- | ing or after rain. Keep-the soil about runner and French beans well hoed. i Keep the pods picked regularly. I Remove lateral and "basal shoots from ! tomato plants. - Thin .out-. the, leaves I where-recessai'-, but be careful to ; leave enough to carry on the work .of securins rertaiu foods for the swelling rruit. Plant out cabbages,' cauliflower : and lettuce seedlings in moist but nrm I ground. Syringe daily the leaves of growing crops of winter greens. - Supply water to all crops where necessary. Hoe the ground constantly. Sow Mods of cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, carrot, turnips, and silver beet.

"Garden Notes" next week will contain seasonable notes abouh-Laveuder, chrysanthemums, and vegetables.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170317.2.88

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3030, 17 March 1917, Page 17

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,288

GARDEN NOTES Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3030, 17 March 1917, Page 17

GARDEN NOTES Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3030, 17 March 1917, Page 17

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