GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 300, 7 September 1918, Page 12

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowlmi.")

Correspondence! Ie not .'answered unless accompanied by name and address, not necessarily for publication. SWEET I'BAS. Deep and thorough preparation of the soil iB most essential lor siiring-so'.vn sweet peas. Also a good supply of welldecayed manure or vegetable rubbish, mixed with the soil, is ausolutely liecexeary. Autumn-sown peas may do very well if their soil ie merely deeply djiK. for they have a long period of cool, llfoiat earth in which to make a splendid rool system, and, just as they are approaching flowering'time, spring raius saturate the soil with life-giving food. Spring-sown plants, on the other hand, have a much shorter time in which to make roots, and the all-important cool, moist root-run depends ' largely upon whether we have a wet or a dry spring. Those who wish to have a display of beautiful long-stemmed flowers during December, January, and February must take no risk*, but must provide the cool moist root run by digging in deeply plenty of well-rotted vegetable rubbish, or welldecayed cow or pig manure. It is a great advantage l to plant a few email drain-, pipes, at intervals of a few yards, along the rows. Place the pipes in an upright position, and have them so that the tops are a few inches above the surface of thu ooil. Fill the pipee with pebbles to prevent,them becoming choked with earth or debris. During dry weather a sufficient supply of water may be poured down the pipes, , and one in sure that it reaches the roots-, of the plants, and does not merely damp a few inches ot the surface soil. Seedlings that are still in pots should be planted out as soon as possible. Be careful not to break the roots during the process. Water the nlants, -well in, nre*s the earth very firmly round the roots, provide twiggy sticks to keep the little shoots upright, shade from hot sun for'a few days, and the plants will .go straight ahead from the start. Plants from an early sowing are already making their (lower-buds. Keep the long shoots well trained into place. Remember that soot is an ideal fertiliser for all neas. Either fork it lightly in about- the .plants, or supply it after rain in tho form of soot water.

GLADIOLI. As many gardeners will be planting gladioli corms at the present time, I should lilto to remind them that to eet tall beautiful spikes of bloom they must treat, tho plants-well. The soil should be deeply dug; and' well enriched with decayed manure. Grit or coarse sand and a dressing of boncdust should also be added! Those who are unable to get animal manure must do the best they can with well-decayed; vegetable rubbish and boncdust. Much of the success of the plants depends upon' the deep 'and thorough diftgine of the soil, si.nd upoft regular hoeing and attention from the' time the first shoots appear until flowering time.

',- As soon as the weather, becomes -warmer <i,nd hot dry winds sweep through the garden, a mulch of well-decayed manure or vegetable rubbish -should ho spread around and among the plants. Occasional good waterings should be given when neceesary. As Eoon as tho flower-buds appear, beftin feeding the plants with weak liquid manure. Plant the corme four inches deep. Neat, fairly .tall stakes should be driven into place as soon as the corms are planted. There are many very lovely varieties of gladioli on the market, and. nurserymen ;supply, o,n application, catalogues contuining full descriptions and prices. ' V MLIUMS. ■ < Lillum bulbs may be planted now. liike gladioli, they appreciate good treatment. Beep dipdi'iß. ivoll-decaycd cow manure, or well-decayed vegetable rubbieh, coarao river sand, and a dressing of 6'onedust are all necessary to their well-being. Aβ :Soon as the bulbs are planted and the stakes driven in, a. mulch of well-decayed .manure ahould be spread. The shoots ■will push up through the mulch, and the iquicKly-for'minp; • roots will appreciate the !moist coolncßß that it provides. ■ 'A BLUB GABDEN. The following is repeated by.'request :— A garden full of bluo flowers! Instantly on«B triouKlUa are busy planning iilcasi.'ig combinations of the innumerable shades of this glorious colour. One sees in imagination bold clumps of stately delphiniums in shades of-pals blue and deep ■ dark blue, massed with Canterbury bells •in similar Ehade3, graceful-lookin.t bushes ■of scabious. Azure Fairy,- with its lovely pale blue flowere, tall clumps of pale blue eweet peas, croups of nigellii. (Jliss Jekyll). •larkspurs, cornflowers, campanulas, and ■ageratum, all so grouped and massed as to form xi perfectly-blended glorious bed of ■'blue, while crowding about their roots, and forming a brilliant carpet for these taller-gr-bwiiig plants, would be that lovely pale blue viola (Chief Justice), deep richly-hned lobelia, clear pale blue forget-me-not, and the rich blue daisy-like flowers of brachycome.

By careful planting, could manage to have something out in flower nearly all the year. At certain,times there.would be a regular feast of colour, at others only, a few vivid or delicately-toned patches. » . '•.

Beginning with the winter we have that ] lovely little iris stylosa. violets, and blue anemones. Towards the-end of the winter chionodoxa. (Glory of the Snow) opens vivid bluo flowers,, and is closely followed by pale bluo forget-me-not. A little litter, early in tho spring, we have anemones, forget-me-not, and grape hyacinths (mnscari, Heavenly Blue). Theee are quickly followed by the pretty blue daisy, astathaca. and dainty little spikes of scilla. We now have violets, anemones, forget-me-not, grape hyacinths, Ecilla, ami agathaea, all out. together in our blue border, and at the back tall clumps of the Argentine pea are fast opening their rich blue flowers. Almost at the 6ame time flag irises -push up tall flowering stems, arid ' very soon their rich blue flowers that blend so well with the Argentine pea are making vivid splashes of colour all up and down tho blue border. At the .same time hyacinths open their r-co-vily-Ecented flowers, nnd anemones and forget-me-not arc still flowering indeffl.tigH.bly. The Argentine pea has a lone-flowering season. It sees the flag irises come and go; it watches that litle Kern, iris reticulata, open ' its' rich blue, sweetlyscented flowers, grows with it a space, and then seee it fade; it is there to welcome the first flowers of'the blue sweet peae growing ■ in- clumps near-by; and it has still a. few flowers as late, as November when Canterbury, bells, delphiniums, larkspurs, campanulas, cornflowers, , lobelia, violas, scabious, and English irises are filling the bed to orcrflowine with their glorioußly-hucd flowers. Meanwhile bold clumps of agapanthUß have sent up tall straight stems soon to be crowned with clusters of pretty sky-blue flowers, and hydrangeas, aro wonderfully attractive with their wealth of blooms of the nalcst blue. Ageriitums. brachycome, nigclla, scabious, and anchusaß all have their place in Iho summer procession of blue flowers, while throughout the summer and autumn, lobelia, and violas oover every scrap of available snace at the roots of tho taller-Krowing plants. These nlants take us well into the autumn, when asters, salvia patens, delphiniums, and Michaclmns dairies bring us round more to the first, fragrant violets and the delicately-scented .pnle hhie iris styfosa. There nrc other lovely bluo flowers, -but I have chosen from the great army onlv those thnt arc/easily obtoinpd and eaßil'y grown. The prouiune and arranging I leave to the individual taste of I the grower. •

VECETABLES. Seeds that may be sown thia week arc:-Kadisli.-French breakfast, is the best. Sow broadcast in rich, firm eround, and in a warm, sunny position. Short Tlorii or Nantes Horn Carrot.—Sow thinly in drills, 12 inches, apart. Turnip.-Early Snowball or Early Wlute Stone. Sow in ground that was richly manured fpr a previous crop of greens, or in eround that was manured early m tho, autumn. Make the soil very firm, how thinlv in drills, 12 inches apart. I'caß.-Sow in drills from Jwo to three foot apart. Ground should be trenched ami manured, and should have woodashes mixed with it. Dust boncdust in the drills a.t the time of eowiinc. Soak pcan in warm water for a few hours before PO p V ;'™iios.-Sow in wound that wa? wl! ma mired for a nrevioue crop. Work, the "nil to a ilun tilth for a, depth of at least 18 inches. lumns may cause deformed anil worthless roots. Work into the soil aßhcs from a rubliiiO' fire, and bonet'limt (4oz. to square yard). Onions-Trench the Eround, working into the siili-soil plenty Of well-decayed manure. Animal manure is the best, Jbtit where that cannot be had. use wnll-dcoay«l vegetable rubbish. Before r?turnn;? the top soil, trn-mpln th» ami wellenriched sub-Boil well down. Do this only when tho eoil is dry. Keturn the ton foil, and mix with it plenty of soot, and a dressing of bonerhist, Before sowing the seed tread tho foil very firm. Firm soil ia of the. utmost importance. Blacken the soil with soot before rowing the seed, hoe it in. and then tramp!" tho soil firm again. Aiyoou finpear hooiug should bepin. Thin out the soedlinßS to four or sir inches nnart, "Garden Notes" next week will contnin I Reasonable notes about;-Boroma, routine 1 work, and vegetables.