GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 70, 15 December 1917, Page 15

GARDEN NOTES

(Ily "Kowhai.")

PLANTS FOP. SHADY BORDERS In many parts of New Zealand where tho hot sim beats pitileeely down on gardens throughout tno summer monliu, a .enady or eumi-shady border is, did ainatour gardeners only i-ealieo it, a vcritabio Uod-send. ln.it many plants that would bo an absolute failure in Hie sunny border will mako good growth and ilower weU Prom the parched, dry-looking, sunny border, whero plants arc kopt ahvo only by persistent booing, and where growth seems almost at a, etandstill, wo [ turn with relief to the shady one. Here the surface soil is as dry aa dust, but tile plants have a fresher, healthier appear, ance, and'ono is spared the glare of the pitiless suu. Eut before attempting to plant a, shady ) order, the snil must bo very carefully prepared. Deep digging is essential., Also, to attain success with the plants, a liberal quantity of decayed TOgetablo matter should be dug into tho soil. Avoid the use of artificial manures. When planting, ehooso strong, sturdy plants Weak, drawn-up ones would be failures. Of the plants that are suitable I will mention only ihoso for present planting. Foremost among plants for a shady border are tuberous-rooted begonias. Many loTely shades of colour in both single and donblo varieties of those exquisite flowers may bo had. Dahlia tubers may still bo planted. Make fair-sized holes lor them, place one sprouted tabor in each hole, and pour in as much water as will soak in. Afterwards wall the tubers with dry earth, throwing it on p.ulto loosely. Provided the surface eoil "e kept looie, and that a fail , quantity ol decayed vegetable rubbish was dug into the bed, the dahlias will Sourish amasingly. Clumps of Michaelmas daisy and roots of chrysanthemums may be lifted with a good olod of earth surrounding their roots, and carried carefully to the dry border. H&vo good wido holes ready Deforehand, place the plants carefully in position and water them well in before filling in with dry earth. Young plants of that pretty little blue daisy agathaea, coelestis, may also lie j planted just now, to flower during the autnmn and winter. Amoag annuals, the following may be planted:- j Tall-growing annuals.— Larkspur, cornflowers, double pink godetia, clarklas, agerattnn, linarie, lavatera, eweet sultan, cosmos, leptosyne, coroopsin, salpiglossls,, and gypsophila elee al « . ~ Drawf annuals.-Godotias, .phlox drummondii, candytuft, nemophiia, pansies, and Seed's of the following may still be eown i in a shady border :-Single asters, pansies, phlox drummondii, and mignonette. Lobelia makes a pretty edging, but unless suitable plants are ready for careful transplanting, it would be better to sow mignonette or Virginian stock. When planting out the annuals, or lor that mutter any plants, at this time ot the year, place each plant carefully in its hole, and pour in as mnch water a» the soil will absorb. .Care must Tan taken to pour only a email quantity in at, a time, "or the little . nlsnt will be flooded out. , • ' The water washes a- au&ntity of earth round the plants durintr.the process, so that the roots become toU .embedded In mud Bo not draw the soil round the plants till the water has waked in. As a rale the plants will not need a fnrther •watering but shonld they do so. give them a good soaking.. taking- care-to ltoe round' them .as . sood afterwards as possible. i ' . FOESYTHTA. . Forjythia, especially I'oreythia suspenea, is one of the treasures of the spring gar. don. Then, every bar« ' branch, to the very tip, becomes covered with tiny gojdenyellow bells. The appearauce of a wellpruned and well-thinned tree is graceful in the extreme. The tinio to prune is directly the flowering is over, but in case, some trees hare still been left unprunei, I give this ' note and reminder. The branches should bo cut ba«k, leaving only two or three eyes at the baee of each. In a very short time tho plants make tremendous growth—the growth that is to bear next year's ilowcrd. . At the present time those eyes have developed intp fine lons shoots. Theso must not bo touched. Pruning at this timo must consist in shortening the old flowering branches. KABIiY-i?LOWERING GLADIOLI., The.flowers.of theearly-flowewnggladioll, tUo'jinGe, the Mushing iinuu, etc., liivo liecu ni&Uing :t- groat snow in tho garden loi , "many wccks past:' ■' :■■■■■■■■•■■ Instead .of coming ont altogether, the members of this group—tho (Jolvillei group —ioilow ouo another in a mo6t seneible faahion. The pure white Bride is the nrst to Sower. Then comes tho Blushing Bride, to bo closely followed by. Colvilleii Eubra, a luvely crimson variety. Last of all como all tho lovely pink, salmon, etc., ehadee of tho group. Their flowering season may be further extended by pianling somo in a study part of tho garden, in the Bhs.de will not begin to flower till the ones in the sunny garden aro nearly ovor. It ig worth while endeavouring to keep them as long as possible, for they mako a great display in the gardon, and as cut flowers they are perfect. But onco they are over tho faded flowers become aji absolute blot in the garden. The bigger and more glorious tho clumps have been, the worse the blot. One longs to root them out, or sweep them out of exiatcnf.o'with a. clean cut from a- sickle. But there is next year (o think about, and it wo want a show o? their lovely flowers next year, the leaves must bo left now to feed. There remains but one thing to do—a tedious thing—and that is to go round with a banket and scissors and snip off carefully every faded flower head, taking cave that tho leaves aro left to store up precidus food for the coming year. As soon as their work is done, they, of their own aouord, will fade and dio VEGETABLES. Kohl-rani is, not a vegetable that one sees in many gardens, yet it is a useful one. and easily grown. Kohl-rabi is a variety of cabbage with a swollen stem that giree it the appearance of a turnip. When grown, it looks liko a turnip with (tahbnge kaves growing out of tho top ol it. 11. in tho swollen turnip-like i-tera that, is used for cooking, and it ns ready when it is as big at a small orange. The soil for kohl.rabi should he deeply dug, and should have been well manured for a previoue crop, such as jiea-s or early potatoes. Bueds may be sown now in 6ccd-pani>, and the s.eedling;e planted out in row* about 18 molios apurt. When planting, do not plant too doeply, us the stem, vrhen it swells, should bo above the eurfaco of tho soil. As soon aa the seedlings aro established giro thoin a slight dressing of nitralti of soda, Joz. to a running yard, and water it well in. Beyond regular hoeing Jind weeding, no other attention is necessary. To cook kohl-rabi, cat olf the leaves, neel the swollen stems, and boil them in the same way as you would turnips Serve with white s.iucc. ROUTINE WORK. Scede that may ie sown this week, where necessary. are:-Celeria« (turniprooted celery).—Sow in rows two leet apart, iu well-worked, ..well-enriched ground. Thin out the seedlings to alt inches apart in the rowfi. Celcriac does not need earthing up likp celery. It la grown for its root. Brarlct Runner Bcans.-Sow in ground that has been trenched and manured. Sow the seeds from eix to eight inches apart, and about two inches deep. French Beans—Sow in drills two feet apart, and have the seed six inches apart in the rows. Dust'bonoduet in tho drills at tho time of sowing the secrt and give a slight dressing of superphosphate aa soon as the seedlings arc n couple of iuches high. Eadish.—Sow broadcast in rich Him ground,' in a semi-shuded po=iton. Supply the seedlings with plenty of water Oarrot.-Sow thinly in drills '12 inches apart Dust soot along the seedlings ae soon as they appear, and begin thinnin» out as soon as they arc big enough to handle. ' ; > Pea..-Row in drills from two to thren feet apart. Ground should be trenched and manured, and should have wooil a,ihes mixed with it. Dust bonedust in the drills when sowing. Bcet.-A light, sandy soil is the best for beet. Sow the Seed in drills 18 inches apart in ground that was manured for a previous crop. Fresh manure would be harmful to the roots. The ground should be deeply dug, and made firm again before sowini- the seed. Dust bonedust in the drills when sowing Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about chrysanthemums; routine work, and vegetables.