GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3059, 21 April 1917, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowliai.") STATIC®. In. Now Zealand the' so-called "overlasting flowere" ai'o not very popular, for most gardeners are able to keep up a supply of fresh-cut flowers throughout tho year. But thoro is one that is 60 beautiful that it is worth having even where fresh flowers are plentiful. This is statice or sea lavender. If carefully dried, the flowers retain their colour and freshness for several months, and are really handsome for room decoration, especially when mixed with copper-tinted birch. The flowers 6liould' be cut on a sunny day when they are just nicely open, tied into bunches, and. suspended liead downwards from the ceiling of a cool, airy shed. Young plants should be planted in a sunny position ,in very deeply-dug sandy soil, and left undisturbed for a number of yearsl Thoy send their roots down to 6uch a depth that disturbance must necessarily break them, and.so spoil the 'plants. As tho' plants are very branching in their habit, they should b® given plenty of room to develop—eighteen inches to. two-feet being not too great a distance between plants. ■ Sea lavenders are splendid plants for a sunny roclcery. Seeds may. still be sown in seed pans. The following varieties may ho treated, as hardy annuals:—Sinuata hybrida, with mauve, purple, white or, primrose- 1 yollow flowers; Bonduelli, witn bright yellow flowers; Suworowi, with bright rose-coloured flowers. Perennial varieties:—Latifolia, with large branching 'heads of dear mauve flowers; Incana (Silver Cloud), with small pearly-white flowers. ' FOIW3ET-ME-NOT. Another sowing of forget-me-not may be raado.oiow. It is better to sow the seeds in a seed pan and transplant the seedlings than to bow the seed whore the plants are to flower. '>The seedlings, when transplanted, are checked, and grow into stunted spreading plants, which are much more effective than tho unchecked but leggy ones!

'. SCH2ZANTHUS. Amateur gardeners 'seem eo ehy of this beautiful annual, and yet it is most oasily grown. If seeds are sown now in a woll-drained sunny position, not too exposed to; frost, tho plants will grow into large: spreading bushes which will. Me in. the spring,. be a mass of dainty bright-coloured, flowers. Aa cut flowers they are delightful, for they last a long lime in water, and can be arranged so lightly and gracefully in the vases. Before sowing the eeed dig the eoil to a depth of at least eighteen inches, keepjog the top eoil to the top. Work into the 6oil some leaf-mould or well-decayed vegetable rubbish, and some: sharp sand. A little bonedust may be pricked into the surface of tho soil. Make the soil ■firm before sowing the eeed. Soibizanthus Wisetovoneis branches freely, tut forme a compact bush simply covered with' exquisite butterfly-like flowers. There is also a dwarf strain, which ia more suitable for gardens in exposed positions.

ROUTINE WORK. Most gardens have had such a good .soaking that many plants that had almost decided to , retire for tho winter, havo made a fresh start, and are bu6y bedecking themselves'with a fresh lot of flowers. Prominent among these are cactus and collarette dahlias, scabious, oosmos, lobelia; roses, antirrhinums, gaillardias, . and several other plants that have been looking very tired of late. Violet plants are snowing , their appreciation of the good downpour of last week by the increase in the' size and the number of their fragrant'flowers. A little liquid manure should be given, to the plants now—weak cow manure or guano /(Joz. dissolved in one gallon of water).

Chrysanthemums aro looking particularly happy, at least those that are securely tied to stakes, for their leaves aro cleansed and and. their roots ( havo .been able to get the full value of;the. rich inulch ,provided-a.few weeks, ago.; "■ ... •->■ -': '. ' •■; ■"•■■■ "■-: Hoeing and weeding aro now easy, and should be diligently pursued. Plumbago plants that 'have boen flowering all the autumn should now be cut well back, aid should have wood-ashes and decayed leaves p heaped about their r00t5.. ,,, ■■■' : ',. . "!■• '' ' '■ '.' '• ; Such 'plants as gorbera, heliotrope, geraniums, pelargoniums, etc., should Tbe made snug for the winter in districts where heavy frosts are experienced. , ■'• Small plants of salvia bonfire, iheliotrope, geranium, etc., may be lifted with a good ball of earth and planted in tubs or neatly prepared kerosene tins. They may then be used for verandah or room decoration. ■ Slugs are still greedily eating up seedlings and tender plants. A few lobelia plante. should be. out well 'back; Aβ soon as the.new growth is about an inch high, the plants should be lifted and plaoed in a frost-proof position for the winter. They will be broken up later to provide the new borders for next summer. Sweet .pea seedlinga are now , several inches high.'Place pieces -'-.of dry' brush or twiggy, sticks alongside them to keep them in 1 an uplight, position. Winter-flowering, svreet peas should bo encouraged to make! as much growth as,'possible before, cold weather-sets in. 'Careful training" and constant hoeing will help them.' Sprinklo lime or ripe: feoot about- the' , seedlings frequently. .Some of the oarlier kinds of Michaelmas daisy aTo now over, and should 1» cut back at once. Dead flower stalks give a most dreary appearance to the garden, and tihe seed, if allowed to ripen, will be well scattered by winds, giving , endless trouble. later on. When picking Michaelmas daisies to take into the house,, choose brandies that have their flowers just' opening. They will last longer and aoatter their pollen lese than those that are already full blown.

Cut off the dead stalks of liliums, and heap well-decayed cow. manure over the bulbs.

SCABIOSA CAUCASICA. Scabiosa Caucasica is, a plant that will provide a quantity of beautiful .blooms tor cutting with very' little help from the gardener. It is quite hardy, and delights in a sandy eoil. Heavy eoil should have soino sand or road grit added to it, and should be deeply worked. Water ie necessary for the;plants during dry hot weather, and an occasional dose of weak liquid manure.ViThe plants soon grow into big clumps that will' flower freely. They need not be broken up for. several years.- ~ .... •..; , " :: ■; CAPE GOOSEBERRIES. '' \. Iα mild ■ districts Cape ; gooseberry plants will continue to flower and bear .fruit ..throughout tho winter. But it is better for them to be cut back now, for it is the new growth that bears the best fruit. Cover tho roots with a good mulch of well-decayed vegetable rub- , bish and wood-ashes. Early in thesprine strong •: new growth will be' ■ produced, which will be,capable of bearing a heavy crop of fruit at a timo when ■ it will ■vipon well. : Do not dig round the roots before applying the mulch. •Cape goosoberry seedlings may be planted-out -now provided they oan be given a northerly aspect, or one whore the' plants can ; get every ecrap. of muv and yet bo protected. from frost. The ground, should be deeply dug, and should 1 have worked into it plenty of well-rottod manuro arid Failing tho manure, uso woll-decayed vegetable rubbish and bonedust. Make the ground firm before planting out tho seedlings. Should a slight protection bo necessary use dry manuka brush, or pieces' of derim tlirowu over stakes, but ouco tho plants aro establisheed lot them get all the sun possible. ' ■■■

VEGETABLES. The ground ie now iu fiuo' conditipn for working/ Where dinging and trenching, were not - possible before they ""may. now ljo carried on . with tho greatest ease. Seodling plants of cabbage, caulillowcr, lettuco, etc., may be planted out now without fear of their .suffering from dryness at the- roots. Seede should Iw sown in empty spaces, onions, carrots, turnips, radishes, ;uid. broad boane being the- crops must suitable for present sowing. Thin out' seedling carrots, turnips, silver beet, , etc., as noon, as they are big enough to handle.. , Duet soot frequently 'along the rows

of seedlings, for aluga" and caterpillars are etill on tho warpath. Marrows and pumpkins that aro ripening should bo turned round a, little from time to time. Out ripo ones and euspend them from the roof of a dry, cool shed or room. Keep crops growing vigorously, for they' are thon better able to resist Wights. As you hoe between the rows of cabbages and cauliflowers, push the earth towards the plants.;. This slight and regular earthing up helps them to withstand strong winds. Feed all greene regularly with email doses of nitrate of soda at the rate of loz. to a gallon of water. Hoe! Hoe! Hoe! Garden Notes nert week, will , contain seasonable notes about:—Flowering "verbenas, roses, and vegetables. ' ,