GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3154, 4 August 1917, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "KoTThai.")

■■.■■., ROUTINE- WORK. Gain! liaiu'l'itaiu'i tt'li'vji-ii'i-n «■« coining to the end of li'-This'is a question thai amateur gardeners are asking ono aniother as tney shake tiicir heads over their ■raln-soakcd uarfleus. Very miiuy irni'uvuers ,-havu ouiy ;. tins' wcnli-eua jioiiuuy for wortiut' aiuouS'titcir nlims. ana tlio'weekends, for weens past Jiavo uecu liopok'ssly wet; . . ■ •' ".But at least thp -broccoli like it." This is what oue outiuiislic gardener remarked io ma this lnorniiiK.. Ips, and tun pursistoiit'ruin iprees us to noiiue iuc condition of A weil-iormcd, welldrained path is a ci'eat. adjunct tv a neat I,'Ui'Ueii, and the ruin of mis winter lias mown, up every delect. • Work.ainoUK the plants h>, , in most nar(lena, out of tuo ciuestion, for to work in wet ground is worso than useless. But us long as it iu dry.overhead for a low hours wo can worn at re-formiuic our paths. Shrubs, also, may be overlooked, and any dend branches removed. Do not cut-away any lino"young' growths from spring and early summer noweriug shrubs, or.y.ou.will-biJ.j-obbinß yoiirsulves of ilowers: Should "they be"tiiKing lip too much room or Jiaiieiuß over on to t-ho uath tie them gently hack into place Willi some pliablo wiro. If surfneo water is lying about on the giu-dens, temporary gutters should b(! due to drain it away, for few plants crow happijy in ground that, has had. staeuant water lyine in it duriug ; winter. ' ■' ' It is wonderful how well violets and polyanthus' narcisei are flowering. As long as the beds are kept well drained they don t seem to mind how much rain falls.. If wo' could only have a week of warm sunshine, how gay bur beds would be! Sticks that are marking the .poeition of bulbs should be examined to Bee if they need renewing. So much wet weather may have rotted the part that is in tho ground. Labels-should be looked at to see if the names of bulbs, roses, carnations, etc., havp become obliterated. Seed pans may be prepared. Benzine tins cut in half answer this purpose well. These should have .the-ragged edges neatly hammered in, and should then be thoroughly cleans■ed. Mako holes in the bottom for drainage, and about three-parts iUI tho panswith a mixturo -of flno soil and ' drer sand. If these' are prepared how and stored in a dry placo the work at seedsowing ..tiwe._.wiU..Jje. considerably.. lessened. ' ' During the lone evenings seed and plant catalogues .-may- bo-consulted, and lists made out. ' ■ ' • ■ : ' Spa-re, etakos should be overhauled and the ends sharpened in readiness for driving them into the ground. . . Biveet-peo. fences should be piit into thorough order .- . • J3noo the-next few weeks are over, tho vines -will mako -very rapid growth. Any-decaying leaves should at once be removed from violets. Olumps of -bulbs, should be Itopt free from -weeds: Hyacinths need close watering just now, or slugs and spa-rrow.s will got the points of the floiver-bude. Where cow manure is obtainable a good coating should bo spread over or round olumps of lilinms and hyacinths. It is ■wonderful what a differonco it mafces to the future spikes of bloom. Bosee and flowering shrubs may still be planted -whenever the soil is friaJblo. Do not .plant when it is very tvet. .Chrysanthemum cuttings may be taken Whenevernice strong shoots well a-way from the flowering stem are big enough. Make a.' clean cut, with a sharp knife. Insert tho cuttings in sandy soil in a epa-ro : part of tho garden. . ■ . . See that -wallflowers and Brompton stocks aro well staked. The plants are very top heavy just now, and are easily blown over. Itose-pruning affords a chance of getting 6omo good cuttings. These should be inEerted Tory firmly in soil to which, plenty of sand has been added. ■ - : Truly there is work for tho gardener oven if tlio rain, docs continue to fall. ' CANTERBURY BETJLS. To get really fine bushes of these beautiful- llowers-it-is as-.-woll- to sow- the ■ seed as early as possible in the spring. The seedlings have time then to ■ grow ■ into sturdy young plants before.', being'transferred to their permanent quarters in the autumn. -. . ■ -. • ■ !, . Canterbury bells are among the showiest of our. summer flowers, but it is seldom that onfi sees them at their best. Eaoh plant should be. induced, to produce a central fit-em at least two and a Jialf feet, in height, and several surrounding stems varying in height from two to two and a half feet. "■ Every one of these main stems BhouM-bo-'liberally, clothed -with longstemmed flowers. Havo you ever seen a. i whole-bed or border of Canterbury bells? Itas'oue of the showicet <ind moot attractive border's 'that one oan have. Weugrown plants flower so freely, .and the (lowers themselves are so,, bright and. dainty, that the display of- bloom is- wholly oharming. , -Aa soon as the first flowering ie -over, the plants should bo cut well back. They should then ho thoroughly watered, given a good sealing of weak liquid mannro and a comfortable mulch,, and in a short time new flowering stems will bo produced. In this ivay plants may be persuaded to flower throughout tho season, and will often continuo to bear flowers right into the winter. But to-begin &t tho first etago of their cultivation-seed-sowing. Seed may ,bq sown now in nans in a frame, • either with or without Jieat. If tho seed is very thinly sown tho seedlings will have a cbluKe to mako sturdy "growth from the beginning. Aβ soon as they have three or four Icayos,, they may bo "pricked out" into fairly rich ground, and should be placed, in rows at least a foot apart. There they will remain throughout'tho summer, when constant hoeing and. pcoaßional good waterings will keep them growing sturdily In tho autumn the young plants will be moved into their pormanent quarters. Tho bed uhould bo deeply dine and tho soil fairly rich. Dig a hole for each Dlant, loosen the'soil in the bottom of 'it-and-work in a little well-decayed manure, or well-rotted vegetablo rubbish and bonedust. Lift each plant with a good ball of earth, and placo it carefully in the prepared hole. Make the .earth firm round it, water it. well, and shade it from the sun .for a few days. Canterbury bolls liko a sunny .position, though they will do. well in il somi-shaded one, provided 11 is well drained, Water lying about their ■roots duriug winter v> the cause of many failures. As soon as the flowing sterna begin to reach -up,.staking must be attended to. Thisi nc'edn.careful thought, for tho plants should be so •staked as to show to-the full -thoir extreme beauty. Tho stems are very brittle and a- high wind will often spoi plants just, as they are approaching their best. Careful staking will of course prevent, this. Watering and. a few doses of wta-k liquid manure will help thn plants- during their flowering- season. . . Cantcrbiirjr'bells may be bad with single and double flowers, and with what arc. termed "cun and snnrar" flowers* These are tho loveliest, and the flowers are'as- a. rulo.the bigg-ert. Tho 'plants look well' whether they are massed or grown as simple - specimens, lou have to wait ii. lone time for the .'seedlings to flower—tho 6ceds that are. sown now will not flower till about November of 1918—but when Yoii "sefc" them in all their ulory, you cannot helu saying-: "They are worth it." • ' VEGETABLES. In the vegetable -garden seed-sowing Is out of the question till" the- soil in drier. Trenches should be dug round the garden to help ■ drain nway surface water. .Keep ..dead leaves' cut oil broccoli, cabbages, etc. ■■■'".. Have the seed potatoes spujuting nicely in their boxns. It cannot bn long now Ticforo planting should bo possible. Should we have a- few flno day?, open out. the potato trenches to the sun,> and get the Heed in without delay. Harden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about, ■ preparing trainee for seed-sowing and vegetables.