GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3042, 31 March 1917, Page 19

GARDEN NOTES

?— —~ ' (By "Kpn-hai.")

. . VIOLETS. Violets again! How welcome are the ni'st few fragrant flowers! Plants that have been -well Tooted after during the summer are already bearing a few sturdy flowers, and with just a' little ca'ro t'hey inay be Jcept flowering well on into the spring, . Unfortunately, so many people will-not'realise this. Their idea' "of violet culture seems to bo to allow the plants to a regular mat of growth, thinking that the more stems they have the more 'flowers there are likely to bo. If they would only give .a thought to the poor plants themselves. ' If' their roots ■ are forced, to feed all that, growth of stem and leaf, how is it possible forthem to have any strength left for flower production? Cut off the runnere, however, and all the- strength is forced into the main plant;. : Then it is not too much to expect them'-'to-bear quantities of large- - sized flowers during winter;, and with their ready responsiveness to good treat-. .. meiit, plants do so.' Yfhere runners have been kept cut off during tho summer, .plants are now strong, and ready for the' task of flower production.. Fork' up gently the surface of the soil along the borders, and spread round the violet plants a layer of wellmixed good loam, ..leaf-soil, well-rotted manure, and a little, sharp sand, working it well in under the leaves and round tho stems. The roots of t'ho plants will • soon find their way into this fresh feeding, ground, and the extra food will give them just the needed stimulus towards ; successful winter-flowering. 'The leaves of the plants should bo kept well dusted with flowers of sulphur to. prevent an. attack of red spider.- . SWEET PEAS. ' Once moro thp Reason for sowing swoet' pea seeds for next springs supply of .flowers has arrived. Sweet- peas are usually grown in clnmps in tlie garden,' or in lines along a fenqe, verandah, trellis, eto. _ ' The method .of preparing tho ground is the same in all eases. ' The moro I. grow sweet peas the more I am convinced-that one cannot be too particular about "arranging for- tho .roots of the vines to hay a cool, moist root run at the time of flowering.- • • By encouraging tho. roots of sweet, peas ,to go down'a good depth, and by providing them with the necessary rooting material at that depth, one ■ can generally overcome the difficulty of root moisture. But. the trouble is to induce tho peas to send down their roots. Tlioi old plan;of putting "all' the-manure anagood stuff' in';the. bottom' of tho trench ana hiving only poor stuff on top, is a miotake.Vlf the soil at tho top of t'ho trench-.is .poor, tho chances are that the roots will never, push.iurther down, and so the good stuff below*'will bo wasted. The' eoil in , the'trench should be evenly rich, all through, ,and, any manure that is put in Bhould bo thoroughly mixed with ivitii the aoil. Of well-decayed , vegetable rubbish there (should be a, good deal. But it. must be decayed.beforo it is put into the trench.. Unless one is rgrowing; sweet peas for exhibition, it is not necessary to trench each year. A well-prepared trench will last for three" years. The first year the top soil'is taken off and removed to a placs'of safety. Then the subsoil is: thoroughly broken up to a depth of about three feet, somei % of. it being removed from the trench and. wheeled away to make room for the manure and vegetable rubbish, Plenty ; of decayed vegetable rubbish ar manure, a little wood or rubbish-fire ash, some leafrmould, and a dressing of ground lime are. then worked into the subsoil till they ari) : thoroughly mixed with it: Leave the trench open as long as possible, and, before returning the top soil that wnsput in place of safety,-trample ■up. and; down-' tho trench Several times. .The top': soil may then be'returned to its place, and should have woll-rotted manure, or well-decayed vegetable rubbish worked'into JfjS also a .dressing of bonedust, (about 4oz;. to' "eq.'yard).'/ "The two following', seasons, the Soil, at the' top' of ..tho:trench is deeply dug,'-'and has a-good .supply of decayed vegetable rubbish,"and tHej.usuaL quantity of-;bonedust-forked into'rit.:-.VJ . J j {: B.<S %. fcsSS? i— : - ; "iiT.'"blearing l -away '-llie pea~ 'Vine's,--"leave tho - rbots " " in~ " : -tho ground, and . they will, in due' Course, decay, and add humus to the ground. Removing the top-soil and carting it. away while tho' subsoil is being attended-to may,' to some, seem an Tinnecessary amount--of/, work.-: But it ■ia worth, the trouble." TK& top-soil is like' tift 'eream oirmilk; ; it- is the richest and sweetest part of the ground, and, if . kept to the top, gives young plants a good, start off. , If, as in many cases, alas, it is turned .nnder;.' and the subsoil is brought to,the.top, the plants ore obliged to make their first'- start. in life in sour, unwholesome soil. It is as important to give young plants a good'start, as it is 'to do the same, for Dabies. 'A wrongly-fed baby is a prey to innumerable ili6. A young plant that is. put into an ill-mado feeding ground is stunted and weakly, and a prey' also to any disease or blight that may come its way. . ' . VARIETIES. The salmon and scarlet shades are anything but beautiful unless they are shaded from the sun,'but the scrim shading that "is necessary looks very unsightly in a prettyi Svell-kejit .garden. These colours are so beautiful that 'a place should be found for them, where they can have tho necessary shading without spoiling the apfiearanoo of the garden. I am fortunate in' laving. a *part of my garden so shaded by a walnut tree and a clump of lilac- that at. flowering timo tho peas get. only ■ the late afternoon euii. Duringtho'winter,' however," tho'' trees, being without,leaves, the sweet pea plants get all the'sunshine that is necessaiy for their; sturdy growth. ' In'this class" Thomas Stevenson, Barbara; and. Robert Sydenham are all;good. In the newer varieties, "Edward Cowdy" is glorious. . : lt is glowing orange-scarlet. "The President" , (orange-scarlet) is , said to be equally good, but I ami growing-it this year,-for the first time, and: cannot speak'from'experience. All of these varieties, aie splendidi-for growingrnndor gloss, and'a few tuba of them add very much to' the .beauty'of the'gTeenliouse during winter -and early , spring. ~ l?or garden' decoration it is safest •to uae standard varieties that ore "fixed" New varieties should be tried 'first of all in the vegetable garden, or some place where they will not stand the chance of spoiling the colour scheme of' the garden.'- • ! The'varieties mentioned in. the following list should be found suitable for garden decora tion:— White —Edna May Improved, Constance Hinton. • i Pink'.—Doris'; Usher, Dobbie's Prilled I'ink; ' • .. . , Cerise.—llluminator, 1 Fiery Cross.' Lavender.—Lavender Georse Herbert, Austin IVedoriok, R. 3?.' Pel ton. Crimson.—Sunproof Crimson,, Maud Holmes. ' 1 Blue.—Princess Mary. . Cream.—Bobbie's Cream, Clara Curtis. Purple.—Royal Purple. . Rose.—Rosabello. . Picotce-edged —Jean Ireland, Helen Williams, Mrs. 0. W. Breadmore."' ' Mauve.—King. Mauve. Maroon.—King:.Manoel. v Pale' cream-pink.—Duchess of Portland, Deep cream-pink.—Margaret Atlee. ' ■ VEGETABLES. Cut marrows and putapkins as they ripen. Should thoro-bo any fear of' frost, pieces of scrim may bo thrown lightly ovor tho vines.at night. Plant out cabbage; cauliflower, and lottuco plants i whorevneoessary. Make small sowings of the following seeds:—Carrot, onion, turnip, silver beet, spinach, and broad beans. BROAD BEANS. ' Sow broad beans in ground that ha: already been manured this' autumn. Treat tho ground well to mako- it firm, • ant then hoo the surface before making tlu drills for the seeds. -Choose a part 0 your_ vegetable- gArdeft that' gots. plontj of winter Bun, -as this sowing is to pro duoe beans for use early in the spring The seeds should be five or six inches apart, and tho rows two foet apart,' Gardon Notes next week will contair seasonable notes about tnichaclraas dais ies, camellias, perennial phlox, and vege tables.