GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 161, 3 April 1920, Page 9

GARDEN NOTES

—•« ; (By "Kowhai.") COREOPSIS. The perennial coreopsis, coreopsis (jrandiflora;, is a most useful as well as a most, showy garden, subjeat. Some plants ol -my acniiaintnnce, growing in pure sniul, and without any attention beyond, having their seed pods nicked ofThavo flowered continuously from the beginning of i^'o- - until tliO' present time, and they are still producing lnrjro lonif-stemm.id flowers: Coreopsis, jrrosv.s, well,in, any, well-dug; soil, but it must bo eiven a =unny position. It is a splendid subject for town gnrdens. and/for sap,dv seaside gardens, ■and' rjay alwavs be relied 1 upon to make n, good show.. The best flowers. are obtained from nlants raised from, feed each, autumn.- but,.the. nlarii. may also l-e propagated by breakin?.\up (jacli year, the old roots, and planting back small out- • sido pieces. Nurserymen have seedling plants ready .now, and these 'liouln lie go I In as soon as possible to alow then; to . become ,we2l. established before the.'.winter sets in: ■ ITULICTRIM dipteeocahpum. " Thte is one of the, most charming of .the. Jroadow Hues, am! once it becomes letter :known, will be. coneidercd .indispensable m every, garden where .hardy verennuuplants llnd a-'home. It was introduced Trom China- several' years ago. and was considered one of the finest' herbaceous, novelties that' had-been brought into-Eng-land of recent'years. : • The,plants are:(iuite. hardy. provided they, -arc (riven a. sunny. position and., good'drainage. ■ Well-grown plants reach to. a .height-of five or. six feet, and: are.indeed: ilreautiful. One has only to. see them in flower. to.wish to possess a few., Hie,folt- . age is ; somewhat-, like that: of. actuilegias. -and. is'. ejceedlngly graceful, but the chief ! charm- of'the- plant lies in its. f!ov,-ors. l'hesc are borne freely on the long bianch; ing stemßi and are rosy purple In colour, with very noticeable pale, yellow stamens -and-anthers. When planting, we that the.subsoil has ijeen well: prepared; for. good, drainag.e is .'if the utmost importance. Plant,very firm'ly,. having the crown, of. the plant, we,ll above the surface. A littleweak liauid .manure-may, be given during the growingseason. ■ 'Propagation- is. h.v division- in ..spring, arid plantß . are easily raised 1 : from. sped. : ■ , "MAKING A NEW GA3DEN.- ! When malting 'a, new gardcn. it is of the utmost importance to prepare the ground thoroughly in the first instance. _All nlants, even shallD\v rooters, appreciate .deeply-worked soil; therefore, the. Fi.bsoil: should be broken up to a good depth: In heavy soils this. i,s, especially iiecees-iry, for most crops resent being in ground that holds'cold, stagnant water in winter; It is usual, to work the ground three feet deep, keeping the top fipil on top. as the '.subsoil "is' generally sour. Only -when- the. soil has been deeply worked; for siveralyears, is it safe, to-bring the siibsoil to the top. . Having . measured, off- the ground: to. bo. dug, proceed in the following a line, Arfi, right'down the centre, of the

: plot - ' . / * '

Mark off a strip, 0. about two feet wide, . lift the top- soil from it. and. throw it, on to Z. Tile subsoil of the. strip. Cib now. revealed. Break this up thoroughly to a depth of' 2ft. to 21ft., using -a pick if necessary.- If your toil is. a heavy one, mix with the subsoil plenty o£ wcll-decayed horso manure, or' well-decayed vegetable rubbish, road grit, cinders, and lialf-rtE-eayed leaves, Too'much, grit cannot- bo added, as it is; su«h a splendid thing, for keeping aOieavy soil, open. . _ ■ Now mark off- the. next; strip, D. ■ Lift the top soil, and throw it on to IJio now well-worked subsoil- of 0. .Proceed- to .preparo the subsoil of strip D in. the same way as' recommended for : 0. and : then- cover it iip with the top soilfronv strip E. Proceed in the. same way till you come to N. Ha vim? prerl.rcd tho subsoil of N, cross over the line A-B, o-nd mark off. a, strip o.' Throw the top soil from 0 on the wellworked subsoil of N. Ifoxt mark off a strip, P,' and throw, the top 60il on; the subsoil of 0. Work right up the plot l till you come to Z. By dividing- the garden plot into two, and .by working down, one half and thrn up the other, oner is. saved the usual labour of wheeling .the top toil from the; ■ first- trench down to the .iact one. Ashes from the rubbish Ireland decayed leaves or well-decayed, vegetable rubbish, may always be Diixed with the top soil. Fresh stable manure should not be added to the. top soil. , . A light, sandy soil is, on. tho other hand, too porous, and steps must he taken to mako it'retain a certain, amount of : moisture. In place ,ot horse, manure, clods of cow or pic manure should be added to tho Bubsoil, or half-decayed vegetable riibbish. Tho'use of cinders should be avoided. . , ' , . Removing the top soil nnd keeping it on top while the subsoil is being attended to may, to some, seem an unnecessary attention; but it is worth tho trouble. Tho top soil, is like, the cream, of the milk: it is the richest and ' s.weetest part, 'of the ground, and if'kept to the top gives young, plants a good start off. If, as in many cases, alas I it is turned under and subsoil is brought to the top, the plantß are obliged, to make their-first, start in life m sour, unwholesome soil. A young plant, that is put into an ill-mado. feeding ground 1 is stunted and weakly, and a prey to any disease-or blight that may some its way. ■ VEGETABLES. The stormy weather of last week-end was, the despair of the amateur gardener, but at least his winter greens have been we'l washed, and should now be free from, nil insect pests. Whenever the ground is dry enough keep hoeing, among the growing crops, ■ As soon as seedling onion, turnip, car--rot, etc., appear iibovo the ground keep, tho. surface between the rows well hoed. Dust, seedling 'vegetables with SOTt that has been, well exposed to the air. Tho turnip fly is vory fond of the first smooth', leaves that appear above the; ground, and soot helps to keep It off. When hoeing' along tho lines of onionß be careful not. to. cov.ei- tho bulbs, with soil.. Onions, do so much better when the bulbs are above , ground. •■Lift onions; that are ready and Btoro, them in a cool dry place, liend over tho . thick-necked ones, to help the bulbs ' t'k s'vell Jiift'notntoos that are still in the ground; Carrots aivd beet that are n atured should be lifted and stored in dry sand. Great care is. necessary in-lifting beet, because if-tho el;in is at all broken the beet bleeds. Cut the tops off the carrots, but beet is better with the tops left on till it is wanted for use. ; Parsnips may be left in tho ground, as 'their flavour is much improved after a , frost. They may b& left whore they nre {ill tho end of July unless the ground is wiin tod. Don't allow any more flowers to set on ; tomatoes unless small green ones "are . wanted for nickle. All tho strength of, tho plants should now bo concentrated in the ripening fruit. Cover tho plants at n:(rht if a front seems t imminent. Keep flido shoots severely pinched out. Take advantage of any plots being vac- - ant to trench and manure them iu readlik'or, fo" a future croD. Tho following seeds may bo sewn where necessary.—Carrots, oiions. turnips, broad beaiis. silver beet,. ..lettuea. cabbage, andcauliflowers. The soil Bhorild bo made very' firm before onion and turnip Eeed aro planted. BliOA'J BEANS. Make a small sowing of. broad beans. Sow them in ground that has already Ijr-en manured this autumn. Tread the ground we!!, to mako it firm, and then hoe the serfuou before making the drills for the seeds. Oboose a part, of tho garden that r»e's all the winter situ, aB this sowing in to produce beans for use in spring. A larger sowing may bo mado later on. The seeds should be flvo or six inches apart, and the rolvs tivo foot op; rt. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Flowering verbenas, routine work, and vegetables. •