GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3100, 2 June 1917, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.")

LILAC. LiUic has always been a most popular flowering shrub. Jiuiy in spring tvellgiwwn bushes become covered with a niiiss of beautiful fragrant Woseonis. Hut of late yeans great iiiiproveiaiaitd have been iiiiulo in Lines, luxl it is now possible to buy varieties, both 'double and single, that uro suited to both large and small gardens., Even a tiny garden border need not be without its fragrant lilac, for there aro <h\ari' varieties that take up very littlo room. Ono great advantage of the lilao of tho present day is that the bushes bloom the tot year in which they aro planted. Some people ffiako the mistake of over-pruning their lilac bushes, and in doing go sacrifice a great many : lilac blooms. Lilao should not bo pruned during tho winter, but in the spring, directly the flowering is over, and then only. the old flowering stems should bo removed. 'Lilao likes a sunny position and a sandy, well-drained soil.- Heavy eoil should be deeply dug, and should have coarse eaud and cindere well mixed with the subsoil. The top soil should have wood ashes, sharp sand, and leaf mould added to it. Manure is unnecessary for lilao bushes, oxcept in very poor soils. Suckers must be etrict(iy cut out. They rob the bushes of nourishment, and shut cut light and air. Single varieties:—Marie Legraye, large panicles of whito flowers; Souvenir do Louis Spath, dark purple. Double varieties.—Abel Carriere, dark blue; lladamo Lemoino, pure • white; Ed. Andre, pink; President Carnot, light blue. MYRTLE. , Myrtles havo always been favourite greenhouse plants among English people, but in our. sunny olinmte there is no need to treat them as indoor plants, tor they grow most readily out of doore. In the North Island and-the north of the South Island they grow into fine big bushes and flower well. To get them in their full beauty one needs heat, and they grow and expand thoir blossoms in our warm sunshine. Heat, too, brings out the delightful spicy scent of tho leaves and flowers. , Tho i bushes soon look shabby unless they aro frequently syringed, but those, that aro kept well washed present at all times an attractive appearance. Tho soil for them should be n mixture of loam, peat, and sand, and the bushee appreciate a good supply of weak liquid manure during their growing season (September to March). J?ov this purpose nothing is better than weak soot MvrUcs aro propagated by cuttings of half-ripened wood inserted iisawlM At the time of the year tho shelter 'of a frame or a sunny mvfa* is necessary. , CuttinES root easilv if wBerted round the edge of tho pot. lhe soil should be kept uniformly moist. Our native myrtle, niyrtua bullata, or, as the Maoris call it, romarama, is a charmin ff plant. The flowers are much the Bamo as tho etar-hko blossoms of the European myrtle, but tho fohaeo is infinitely superior. The loaves are reddish brown, and swollen between tno veins, but durine the autumn tho colour chants to tho richest shades of red and scarlet. The foliaso lasts a very long time in water, and is so bcautifnl that no flowers are needed with it.