GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3167, 18 August 1917, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowliai.")

ROUTINE WOBK. . Stake! Stake! Stake! I write this feelingly and emphatioally, for even as 1 do so a westerly Bale is rasing, and many a gardeu is being wrecked. In a galo such as this, the ordinary upright Btako is wholly'inadequate. One needs branching twnßy stakes that can be bo placed round tho plants as to hold them in a firm embrace. Hazel nut. wild cherry, and inacrocarpa trees all provide splendid branching stakes. . ... ■. '

■ A—Upright stake. , B—Branching stake. ■C—lndicates where the branches arc ■' - • . trimmed off.' Push the .stakes well into the ground, arranging thorn so that the spreading branches overlap. A few pieces of- flax or raffia, tied round will help them to grip the plant. Some branching stakes grin tho plant naturally without beine tied into position. Plants eo staked leem absolutely to ignore the most vicious grata of wind; for thoy are safe and enuir within the sholter of encircling arms.

After thveo days' staking last week I grew careless and finished off one bed with upright manuka stakee. Now. ns I look from my window I bob a few wallflowers and Beauty of Nioe stocks that wore given only ono upright Btako each being blown this way and that in a heavy, nelpless way that is pitiful 'to see. Antirrhinum bushes look aa if a mischievous child had sat down in tho middle of each one, whilo those that wero encircled with branching stakes are scarcely moving about, Dozens of double and single daffodils hare been bent down by the wind and forced to rub their beautiful faces in the mud. Their moro expensive sisters were carefully stak-' cd, but the common ones wero bo numerous that they wero left to take their chanoe. Too lato I went to their rescue, but all I could do was to plok an armful, wash their mud-splaehed faces. and put them in bowls in the house, '

: Stocks, wallflowers, antirrhinums (snapdragons), narcißsl, hyacinths, aiitnmnsown swcot poas, sweet soablons, Bhirley ponplcs, and Eladloli—Tho Bride and Tris-tis-all need Etakinit now to protect them from liavoc-worklnc eprins gales.

PLANTING BUSH FIfOTTS." , ■ Before planting bush fruits tho ground Bhould be trenobed ,two eplta deep, and should havri wcll-duoayed manure, leafmould, and wood ashes mixed with it. Heavy nolla should have road grit as well. The bußhes should not be planted too deep. Wide, rather shallow, holes should bo dug to allow the roots to bo eproad well out. Auguet is a, good month for planting the bushes, for the eoll Iβ still damp, and Iβ every day growing a little warmer. This glvee tho buehee a chance to become well established- and to form now roots before dry, hot weather eetfl in.

Gooseberry bnshes Ehould bo planted five foot apart each way. They arc very l'aidy and will grow almost anywhere. Black currante Ilka a semi-shaded position, moisture, and a rich soil. Ihey are very impatient of drought ftnd should he slven a good mulch before hoi weather Bets in. The bushes Bhould be planted six fcot apart each way. White and red ourrants are not qnltc bo_ jnolstiire-lovlnic as black currants, and will grow in. a sunnier position. They should be planted five feet apart each way. Raspberries like deeply-dng gronnd enriched with plenty of manure, and a ecmishaded position. They are generally planted in rows five feet apart, and the bnehee are two feet apart in the rows. After planting, the young canes should be irot close down to the ground. Aβ raspberries ore surface rooters, it is better not to dig among thi rows at all. , Instead, a good mulch should be supplied whenever necessary, and weeds should bo at once pulled out. The early summer mulch is moPt Important . for all bush fruits. If vrell-accayed manure cannot be had, well-decayed vegetable riibb:'h Bhould be used. :

It is-too early yet (o plant, out Cape gooseberry seedling. They should still be sheltering in a. cold frame. Old-estab-lished bushes that hare sent up new growth should be protected by piece? of scrim -whenever there is the likelihood; of a severe froet. The ground may, bo trenohed and manured in readiness for the new bushes. SARD!' ANNUALS. Hardy annuals, when well grown, ere both beautiful and useful. But many of the annuals one eccs growing ore poor anti Btunted. The seed is so often Eown in unprepared gronnd, and the seedlingß are left, unthinned and neglected, to produce poor Honors and premature ; seed pods.. ■ • .- ■ Annuals, to be a success, must be treats ed well. The first step necessary In the Euooessfnl growing of annuals is the careful sowing of the 6eed. I always prefer sowing seed in seed pane to sowing in the open border, for the Eoedlings are then more directly under one's control." Protection from heavy rain or too powerful sunshine can bo afforded, and seedling enemies can be guarded against. Also, one can have the pans all together, and so the 6oedlings, instead of being «catterod in patches hero and there about the garden, are all in one spot, and it is easy to keep a watchful cyo on them. Tho method of preparing the seed pans and of Bowing the 6ccds has already been dealt with, but I should like onotv more to,emphasise the necessity of thin powing. The soilin the pans should be keptthorly moist, but not too moist, or there may be danger of the seedlings damping off. Once tho seedlings. ore up in the pans they must bo oarefully thinned out where crowded, to allow those remaining to mako sturdy growth, It is better to , havo «. few well-grown plants than three or four times the number of weakly ones. Don't coddle tho seedlings at aoy stage of their growth. While tie Eeedß are germinating and the seedlings are getting ready to be planted out, wo must be preparing their permanent ,, home. In most porta of New Zealand spring-sown seedlings have to battlo against the weather and drying .vinds.: To help them to h-ittlo successfully against these, odds, it Is necessary to trench the gronnd where they aro to grow, working into tho subsoil plenty of well-rotted manure or well-decayed rubbish from a rubbish heap or hole. A fair dressing of bonedust should bo worked into the top soil beforo the seedlings are planted out. Where water i 3 scarce during the summer, towards the end. of the spring the plants should be well watered once, and should then have a good mulch spread round them. If liquid manure Is then supplied to them at regular intervals, a wealth of beautiful flowers will reward the keen gardener for his tronble. Autumn-sown annuals are now beginning to look very .promising. Keep the soil well stirred about them, and, at the first sign of bnds beginning to be formed, feed with weak liquid manure. .Seeds of the following hardy annnals may te sown now in eeed pans:—Larkspur, elar. kia. godetia, ten-week stock, poppy, aster, viola, pansy, linaria, candytuft,, "-phlox drummondi, nemesia, calliopsls, cornflower, cofmos, salpiglossis, cohlzanthus, sweet sultan, annual gypsophila, end sweet scablous. Mignonette and stngln Shirley poppies are better sown where they aro to be grown. The seedlings sihould afterwards bo thinned out to allow each plant plenty of room. Doublo Shirley' poppies transplant easily. Mignonotto appreciates plenty of road grit or coarse *und in <he soil. Also, a. dressing of bonedust should be worked into the soil beforo sowing tho seed. VEGETABLES. A few rows of early potatoes may be planted at any time now. Opea out shallow trenches three feet apart. Do this if possible in the morning of a eumiy day. If you have some thoroughly deoayed and sweetened manure, spread a thin layer in the bottom of the trenches, and leave the trenches open all day. By tho aftornoon tho sun will have warmed the insido cf tho trenches, and also the- soil that iif to bo put back on top of tho potato sets. Where thoroughly decayed, animal manure oannot be had, try to get somo good' stuff' from a, compost heap, or romo voll-de-cayed and sweetened vegetable rubbish for the bottom of the trenches. Add also tho following mixture of artificial manures —superphosphate and sulphate of potash at the rate of two. to one. Thai ie, two pounds of superphosphates to one .pound 9f sulphate of potash. Work this mixture into the bottom of the trenohes at the rato of loz. to the running yard. Potatoes can do with plenty of potash, and wood-ashes and rubbi«h-flro nshee, which contain a large percentage of potash, should be added freely to the soil whero they are to be grown. If the potato sets ere about the sdzo of a, good hen's egg, they should be planted whole, ilf large, they must be cut. Leave only two etronfr sprouts on each set, and ohoose only woll-shaped potatoes. If the sets are planted during the afternon in isun-warmed trcncheß and covered with sun-wormed earth, they aro given a ToaJly good start, and strong growth soon com-' mencee. Garden notes nojt week will contain scjvI sonable notes «/bout:—Phlox, chrysanthemums. *nd Teiotnblcs. J