GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3124, 30 June 1917, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") RHODODENDRONS. Rhododendrons may still be planted, though it is better to plant them if iossible early in tho autumn. Should the weather miring the autumn be dry. however, planting should bo delayed till the soil is .fairly damp and likely to romain so. As they are essentially mois-ture-loving plants, it is a pity to plant thorn during a very dry spell, as the struggle to establish them will exhaust the plants, and exasperate the gardener. Apart from their great beauty, rhododendrons aro most useful shrubs. Thero is such an endless variety of them, including dwarf-growing l lvindS, medliuim-sized kinds, nnd kinds that can scarcely be called shrubs, for they are as largo as trees. The foliage is beautiful at all limes, and tho gay heads of bloom are simply magnificent. Another charm of this shrub js that by choosing different variotics ono may have rhododendrons in bloom for the bost part of the year. Even tho tiniest pardon may boast at least ono drawfgrowing rhododendron, and those who have room may obtain for themselves infinite joy by planting whoTo beds, shrubberies, or banks of rhododendrons. The tallest growing varieties should be grown at the back, medium-sized oneß may como next, and in front tho dwarf-growing varieties. Amongst tho dwarf rhododendrons one may plant oricas (heaths), assaloas. and big clumps ol liliums. A sloping bank no planted makes a very beautiful pioture. Tho liliunie will grow among rhododendrons and azaleas as they will grow nowhere else. They love tho same peaty, Eandy soil that the shrubs lovo, and their roots are kept so cool and moist in tho Bhade cast by the shrubs that they are noT forced to suffer from their dreaded enemy—drought. Rhododendrons will grow in any good garden soil, provided it is well dutc, well drained, and freo from limo. But it you want to seo them at their bent, mix with your soil plenty of poat-soil, leaf-soil, and sand. In planting do not mako the mistake of planting them too deop; their topmost roots should not bo more than half an Inch below Wio surface of tho soil. Tho. roots lovo to uavo the warm air circulating freely among- them, but they must be so protected that the sun's rays do not fall directly upon them. Tho warmth of tho sun sttouUl reach them through tho medium of a mulch of decayed loavos, or thornuglUy rolled manure, which, while admitting warmth and air, prevents tho evaporation of moisture from the soil. Whon planting rhododendrons on «■ clay hank, dip out a wide hole, about two feet deep, and break up tho soil In tho bottom of tho hole with u. piok. Fill in theholo with peat-soil, sand, end good loam. ROSES. JC'or weeks now nurserymen kavo been busy making up their orders for tobo plants, and every day parcols of sturdy bushes aro travelling in all directions to those who aro adding still further to tho beauty of thei.r gardens. In many goi - - _dcuß planting has boen auito out of tbt> Question £0 far, for tho noil has been hopelessly wet and fitloky, and now plants arriving'havo..had to be "healed in" for the present. Those who havo been rending "Garden Notes" regularly will no doubt havo taken tho hint to prepare tho bods for now roses some timo ago. I will mejcly repeat, therefore, instructions for planting. In planting rosea mako tho holes wido enough to allow the roots to ho evenly spread out to iheir mil length. So often tho poor plant! havo thoir roots thrust into a holo far too email for them. How can they search lor and obtain food for the plant when "they aro no sadly cramped? Before planting tho rose trees, Uavo n. good look at tho roots to see if they will rcat' on a flat base. Sometimes it Is necessaiy to make n. litoe mound «f surface soil in tho middle of the holo for tho baso of tho stem to rest ojl. and tho roots will go down the sidoa "of the mound and so on to the bottom, of tho hole. Tho sizo of the mound will depend upon the requirements o( the roots. Tho next point to bo observed is tho condition of the soil that is to surround the roots of tho roso bushes. It is Important that the toil should bo very fine. A layer should be placed over tho roots, ana pressed, firmly on lo them. Thon another layer should bo added, and pressed firmly down, and so on till the holo is filled. Tho depth of planting can bo regulated by tho Junction of the stook and tho xoso propor. Thia should bo, when planted, sbout two inches bolow tho surface of ths soil. The roso itself has a chance to mako roots thon, and may even in timo become independent of the stock. In grafted roses this junction is the most vulnerable uart of tho plant, and, if' exposed,* a heavy frost may do untold damago to tho plant. Twenty roses suitablo for garden decoration:— Betty:. • coppory-yellow, tinted with roso. Carollno Testout: clear, bright roso. Chateau do Olos Vougcot: dark, velvety crimson. Edith Part: beautiful pink. Fran Karl Driischki: wliflb. General Gallien : metallio red, Bh'adlng to pink and old gold. Hugh Dlcksou: ■ rioh scarlet. .Tuliet: docp roso. Lady Ashtown: rose, shading to Bilvery pink. Lady Pirrio, deep coppery reddish, -salmon. Lady Roberts -. reddish apricot. L'yon: shrimp pink, centre ealmon. Madamo Eduard Hcrriot: coral red, shaded j'C/low at base. Madam Ravary: prango yellow, shading to silvery yellow. Mrs. Aaron Ward: Indian yellow. Mrs. John Laing: soft pink. Mrs. David M'Keo: oroamy white. Mrs. Herbert Stovons: white, centre shaded peach. Pharisacr: rose, shading to salmon centre. Sunburst: cadminum yellow, orange contre. Wiohuriana Hoses.—Excclsa, double, bright scarlet. Hiawatha: single, brilliant scarlet. American Pillar: pink, with a whito eyo. Tho flowers aro single, produced in clusters, and individual flowers measure from 2 to 3 inches across. Dorothy Bennison: donble, shell pink. Dorothy Perkins: double, pink. Paradise: single, nhrhnp pink. Aviatour Bloriot: saffron yellow, ccntro deep yellow.

VECETABLES. Whenever a uhonco offers dig and trench, a. part of the vegetable garden that is to bo used tor soods, etc., towards tie end of July. Preparing the ground in the vegetable gardeu is slow work at thle time of tho year, because it it only when tho soil is dry enough that ono can proceed with the work. Aβ it is advisablu for all deep digging to be dono 6ome weeks UcXore Becd-aowinK, every opportunity should be taken to push, ou with it. Those who wcro fortunate enough to got this work dono aa the ground became vacant iu the autumn and sowed a crop ol oats then, have now only to turn in the green crop and leave the surfaco rough in tie meantime. Frost will so oofc on the rough surfaco that all clods will bo broken, and the soil reduced to tho fineness that is so necessary to plant growth. Plants obtain their nourishment from tno soil through tholr One hair roots, ami these line roots can best penetrate the soil when it has been worked to a very fino tilth. In preparing iho vegetable garden the soil must bo deeply dug. Shallow digging only courts failure of the crops. Plants whose roots can peuetrato deoplydug soil have a much better ohanco than those that are obliged to curtail their growth in a shallow soil. Two or three days of hot weather dry up tho surface roots iu llio shalWw soil, but the roots of those plants that have eonc deeply down into well-dug soil havo a cool honio. and also have the great advantago of additional soil from which to. obtain food. The result is that they are strong-grow-ing, healthy plants, able to resist drought and disease. Vegotable* or animal BTanure must not now be added to plots that are intended for root orops. Manure muy be .buried in plots to be used for peas, beans, or greens. Tho ground that is heavily manured for greens or peas this year will do next Eeason for root ojope. when artificial manures may be resorted to. Tho plots used for roots this season may fce heavily manured for next season. In this way humus is supplied to th<v whole garden regularly. Garden Note.s next week will contain seasonable notes work, garden making, and vegetables.