GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 199, 11 May 1918, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.")

ANSWERS TO COIfltESl'ONDEi'ltS. • "Anipclopsis." Jlastcrton.-d)" The enclosed ivy would 'bo suitable for covering an ugly bank nndor m ™ tl '".f-, .Outtinirs .of -linir-ripuned wood root quickly it they are planted firmly in sandy soil and placed in a cold frame. Wheii Planting the rooted cuttings, put 80U1 " good soil into the holes for tlio plans to give them a. good -start. Keep them watered till thpy. begin lo grow freely.© Ampulopsia 'VeUchii.-.(3) Do not cut thn, shoots of asparagus. ■; SWEET MAS.

.Sivcet peas that were so>vn : early m the ainumli are just llho J po J° for planting out. As a rule. uSt-erown plains -break" of their own .icfcord ?nf where they .have not done, ihe tonS & t0 / B hr s°oo-/ Ut «>"^''"» S tvvf'nr ii,,J ?'*, 69 lhe new 6U °°ts are BUI ?L /' CIU! , Si 0,,8'■ i0,,8 ' il iß ** WU o Zilonv in (f OUt ? uto - permanent imi "eA%f at<ien - 0«™ the plants .V,• ,*°.,, e< 7 '■-*'«. ""Be they aro not so older the ? UMkeil by slu K B - for «"> i'tw -In M , oola grow,-the less palatable I tTit tipV U . ls the sweet young shooto I Ul .f. B " -fis enjoy. •tin,?. </.P la "t i,lß out swcot " eils at tW» I »,„ , f h ,°; yßar ' the eardener mud take I ' hat nls B0!l is ivcll drained, tor they i wur. not ,, t ] vnve i„. C old,:sodden Boil> ]Jut i-iv--i, ••SW" I llils been.deeply dug to a ,•or.Bth of at least two test, and if wellit m • ~ IDL "i»™ of -.welt-roUed vegetable .TUODish. grit, and .wood-ashes have been (juaio-,(jv!Bly and thoroughly mixed with it, j tip intle plants.will soon .become estabJisnwi in their new-home, and will begin \.<-o -make steady' growth. Oreat care | eiiorjijA be taken ■ when • planting to press I nne,y. fi ii'ced coil, to which- some rubbish»TO ashes -have been aoVied, firmly round <<> roots of the . plan/s.' Much depends Uiwi the manner iu which the planting Is done. / 'twiggy sticks or, better still, little pieces ol -. niav.uka' brush, should be ; put in besids tho' plants at once, and the plants tied t,o them ir necessary. It j is important ',t keep the shoots up off the ground, .t'rbm the start. Water the i plants in., • and ' kceD (hem shaded from j the-mm for a- few nays. Soot or wood- ) ashes may ba spread round them to help TO off ■ slllKS. ' •'■• Winter-flowering peas are now a couple uf feet. high. . With t.hete it is a mistako to -pinch back the mam shoot, and every ■effort should ho wade to keep it growing - .steadily up .Up- supuorl'a. During very frosty weatlii* .I.have'. found it an advantage to ; bcap' dead leaves round the roots of Vinter-flowering peas at night. During.tb.u-sunny part of tho day they i- u ij- pulled away, and- the soil should bo .well stirred to allow the warm ' «ii" v-i penetrate to the roots. But soon aftp;r lunch; the leaves should be back in • p>ice sheltering the roots and helping to imprison tho warm air.-. If the vines have ', manuka brush to cuddle into as they .' climb their supports, the plants havo not I much difficulty iu producing their beautijful (lowers men at the coldest time of ■j'tbe year. Hut,, when giving .theso little, ilielphil touches, always bear in mind thatJ sweet peas are hardy subjects, and must !-not be- coddled. It-is permissible, during ) the coldest part of tho year, to capture j inid - endeavour to hold captive a iittls i extra warmth for the roots, and to give j them something to shield their tines ;.from therkefo. southerlies-arid bitter frosts I that-even hvarian heings dread, just an i'we provide our (hildrcn "with warm clotn,l ing and warmth-giving food. But with i our plants, ju6t as wilh our children, we ■; must be careful not to overdo Buch proj tcetivo warmth, leßt we fail to Eecure that ; most necessary aimlity—hardiness. \ A further sowing of peas.may be made ; in pots for planting out towards the end i of July. PREPARING! TUB GROUND FOR TREES • AND SHRUBS. It Is in preparing the ground and planting, more than iu anything else, that the secret of suci-eEsful shrub-growing lies. Before planting a shrub onb should consider how lons it is guing' to be in the same place. Some shrubs go on growiue in tho same BDOt for very many, years. How necessary then to prcparo the ground-well beforehand! It is the ono golden, opportunity of really attending to tho soil-that is to nourish for an indefinite timo the future plant. If only, too, more people -would realise how intensely grntoiul for good treatment plants are I A well-planted, woll-treatcd flowering shrub repays us wilh a wealth

of beautiful blossoms season aftor scaso. The plant is healthy, too, and n real pie: sure to its owner. A shrub stuck cari lessly into unprepared ground is hand capped for life. The roots at the vcr, outset have a terrible strugglo to supph nutriment to the plant. •'■What wonder, then, that the shrub is poor, stunted, a prey to ill-health, and a producer of insignificant blooms? • In preparing the ground for shrubs it is always advisable to trench from 11 to 2 feet deep. Even shallow 'motors appreciate deeply-dug ground. In heavy soils this is especially necessary, for shrubs dislike being in ground that holds cold, 'stagnant water in winter, just-as much as we disliko having our feet shut up in cold, wet boots. Tho addition of manure to the soil for shrubs is, as a rule, uiit necessary. Beep digging, necessary drainage, and tho addition, iu some eases, of good leaf-mould or peat and a little sand, are tho general needs of flowering sliurbs in the' garder. If manure is used it should be well rotted and should be kept in the bottom spit. Jr'inolyworkvd sweet soil is • what tho roots require in the top spit. In digging, keep the top sail to tho top. If the subsoil is brought up on top it is not so acceptable to tho newlyplanted roots, and often gives them a bad start. In planting, sweet, fine soil should be pressed firmly.round the roots. Tho depth at which to plant is «• question that often worries amateurs, and in their zeal they make the mistake or planting too deep. Experts advise as a rule shallow planting. Tho feeding roots are then pear the surface, and so have plenty of air and the sweetest soil. After the shrubs have been planted, tho soil about them should be kept well cultivated. Weeds should he removed, and the soil hoed frequently. Water and mulches should be supplied as necessary, 1 and pruning and thinning regularly attended to. On the whole, flowering shnrbs give very little trouble, especially when well started, nud there is such a wonderful variety now of beautiful hardy flowering shrubs that wo can have a constant succession of them in bloom.

VEGETABLES: • ■■ ; .. T'OJIATOUS. ■', ■ As booh as nil the tomatoes are cd tlio ground should at otico be prepared lor tin! next crop, if the same piece of ground is to be used, for tomatoes again it'should now he deeply dug-,-and -a sowing ninde of some crop, to lie dug. in for green . manure later on. The best crop for this purpose- is peas. • How them broadeast and rather thick. The ground shouldbe well sprinkled with': superphosphate before, sowing the peas. These may then be left to themselves till the ground is wanted for the- new tomatu plants. The peas should then be dug deeply in. (JABIiACIE PLANTS. " When planting out- cabbage and cauliflower. plautß froui the; swd-pau, do not immediately destroy those' that are left over till you are sure 'tlmt all ■the seed--lings have taken root ill their new quarters. - .Should some fail to do so'.their places should at once Sou lilled up with others from the seed-pan,- until the .cabbage patch is cQiniileto and; all the plauts ■ are growing. . .. LIMK . rjprinklo lime-between the rows of growing crops, and then hoo it .in. . Lime .is a direct plant food, and. is used in considerable quantities .by some plants. It sweetens sour soil, and causes .1 richer and healthier growth in plauts, . Turnips, heaus, and peas arc. specially benefited by the addition of lime to the soil. Limo should'not be used at tlio same time as 'manure- If manure is used in tlio autumn, lime slfould bo used as a- top-dress-fing in tho spring. But ground that is growing vegetables at the present time will not bo manured till the. spring; so lime may bo used now with advantage ss a top-dressing to bo worked in M'tli tlio hoe. ONIONS. A small sowing of keeping ouioiiß niny be made now. Very often one runs out", of keeping "onions by tluv. end of the spring, and a small sowing made now will provide a supply that will come in by the summer, and'last till the next main crop is ready for use. James's Keeping, or Brown Spamdh, are both excellent kinds. It is better not to sow seed for the main crop till August. Should seedlings or plant.fi need watering during the winter months, it should be done during tho morning, and tepid water used. ; Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable- notes about: Asters, Routine Work, and' Vegetables. - .