GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 167, 10 April 1920, Page 9

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowhai.") FLOWERING VERBENAS. Where a brilliant'effect wanted with very little trouble.- flowering verbenas should be made' use of. Tho plants creep over tho ground very quickly, fastening thcmßelvos down with rootlets as they travel, and the flowers are so freely produced that each plant becomes literally a sheet/-of colour. Of them all the one with mult scarlet flowers gives the, best cffoct/and a bed of this is so vivid in colour as to arrest the attention even of the most unobservant. For furnishing beds on lawns or round about specimen shrubs, verbenas are splendid, the plants quiokly covering the bare spll with a dainty or bright-tvied carpet according to the: variety used. . Another advantage of using verbenas is that tho bed may alwayß bo kept tidy, for wlicro the long runners fail to fasten 'themselves to tho soil, a few stout hairpins quickly do the work of pegging them Into place.

As tlie- plants llower so freely, and over such a- long period, they must be given liberal supplies of weak liquid manure and water during tne summer' anil autumn. Dead flowerß must bo picked off regularly, liecause' tlie.v quickly run to seed, and in doing so exhaust the plant very much. Now is a good time to increase one's stock of these beautiful bedding, plants. Where tne runners have been pegged down during the summer there will be plenty of nicelyrooted pieces which can now be lifted, separated from the parent stem, and transplanted into their permanent beds. '•

Those who have not these rooted runners may now take cuttings, and insert them in sandy soil to strike. For cutting, choose tho young shoota that appear on the old flowering stems. Water then} in well, and keen tliem shaded from the sun until roots are formed!

Old roots that have become shabby may bo cut right back to within a few inches of the ground. The soil Fhould. be thoroughly loQaonod round the plants, and a little bonedust worked.in. New shoots will foon appear, and tho- plants will begin blooming again early in the spring. Those who can get animal manure should spread a thick layer round tho plants, but it must be thoroughly rotted. Many amatours make the mistake of using fresli animal manure at this time of the year, and quite overlook the fact that the roots of most plants are dormant during tho coldest part of tho winter. Then winter rains come and wash the manure down to the roots where it is wasted, for it is only when they are active that the rootß. can absorb this precious food. .But in heavy soils there is actual harm caused', for tho manure, being unable to drain away freely, ilea about near the ■ rootß, often corroding them, and certainly caus. ing tho soil to become sour. .- Verbenas arc easily raised from sceu, and Beeds Bcwn now will produce flowering plants for the spring. Those who wish to sow seeds now, and are without a greenhouse, had better make sure of germination by using fairly deet. <-eed boxes. Half-fill these, with fresh animal manure, and fill up the remainder-of the box with earth and Band. Tho manure will give a certain amount of bottom heat, and the use'of it is ourer than'trusting 1 the seeds to ordinary soil at this time of tho year. Keep tho box shaded from the sun- till ■the seedlings appear. -Bracken fern laid across the box. or even trailers rf perl.winkle, make a good' shade for, seed., . ' ' PENTSTEMONS. ... ... ■ ' Peutstemonß may 'now- bo propagated from cuttings takeft from nicely-ripened, but not old., wood or seed may bo sown in a seed-pan. Take the cuttings from stems that have flowered.. Cut off the dead flower, and cut a piece of stem a "bout four 'to six inches long, making the cut just under a .ioint. Remove the Icaveß from the two lower-joints, and insert the cutting 'in a shady part of the garden in soil:that is composed chiefly of . sand.' Don't be sparing with sand when yout are striking cuttings. As soon' as they have taken root, the cuttings may be planted out, and the old peritstemon bushes rooted out and'burnt. It is the young plants that produce, the finest flowers: therefore, new stock , should be raised every year. Pentstc-mons are grand plants ; to grow they are. exceedingly "showy, moat accommodating about soil, and the* are still aflowering' gaily when-there 'is rather a scarcityof. flowers. PANSIES AND VIOLAS. Pansies and .violas that have been flowering all the summer are bv this , time untidy plants, with long sanpv growths, and the flowerß have gone off in >ize. . Cut away the long l shoots and give the basal oneß a. chance to develop. These are the shootß that providb plant's lor. ilext' season. After cutting . back, give the plants a goon watering, and 'then a. .little liouid manure .'loz. of nitrate of soda in 1 gallon of water). ; Plants that have not reached this unhappy Btate may still be. kept handsome by picking off regularly all tho dead flowers, and by feeding., after a good watering, with weak liquidmanure,. }oz.' of'.guano.in" 1. gallon of:water' or. weak soot water. ■■ ■ ' • • FLOWERING' SHRUBS.

' Cuttings of flowering Bhrubs may still 1 lie taken and planted in a thady .place. Make the cuttings from six to nine inches long of well-rinened. but not old, wood. Plant very firmly in sandy oil. I'HLOX DRUMMONDII. - Seedß may be sown now in the open border where the plants are to remain. A part ol the garden that gets plenty of winter sun is moßt suitable for this sowing for the plants will flower early in the spring. Mix some sand or road grit with the soil, and lightly work in a little bonedust .iust before sowing the seed. The seed should be sown as thinly as possible, and the seed-bed shaded from the ran to keep the soil moist! -As soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle thin them, out till those' remaining are about three or four inches apart each wav. Nip off the tops to encourage bushy growth. Those that arc nulled out may oo transplanted to another port of the garden, .and as soon us established may have their topß nipped off. . The transplanted . ones, will be a week or two later in flowering. VECETftBLES. SOWING PEAS. ■ The first sowing, of green, peas may be. made this week. The.noil is now imeood condition for this sowing, for it is still ■ warm, and likely to remain ..moist, Dwarf varieties are the beßt to sow at this time 'of the year;'' Soak the peas for., several hours jn water before sowing, or. where sparrows are likely to be troublesome, in kerosene for an hour before sowing. Tho ground should be. deeply due. and ehould have vegetable ruhbiih buried about a foot below the 'surface'of the soil. Or the seed may be sown where a green crop has been recently turned in. Work some lireo •Into'the "soil for peas"lovc lime. ' As..won. as the Eecd is sown place sticka along tho rows,, and stretch threads of black cotton along. Don't wait till the ereon tips appear above the ground, for the sparrows will probably see them before von do; As -soon aE the seedlings are about an, inch .high, put Eome.pieces,of manuka-brush aIL. along for, thein to creep into. It is won-, derful how tiuickly the vines grow if.theV' have : overi 'it little protection. Stake the peas from'the very beginning. The vines will not beor. pods till spring arrives, but all through the winter, they are making strong growth: below the ground, and building up a vigorous constitution that as soon as wariner weathor arrives the vines ivill lean ahead, and tlowera and Btrong pods will aulckly appear. ROUTINE, WORK.. Plant out seedling lettuce, cabbage, and cnuliflowcr iu ground from which potatoeß have just been lifted. Bake the trround level, and trample it firm. Puddle..the roots of the seedlings in, a thick, mixture o! cow manure and water before planting them. It cow manure cannot be had, soil, lime, and-scot-make a good mixture for puddling., Keen Fronch and runner beans well picked, and stimulnte the plants with regular supplies of weak liouid. manure. Iloe regularly between 1 all growing crops. Thin out carrots, turnips, etc., as soon fta the seedlings are big enough to handle. Slugs are on the look-out for tender seed-. lingß: therefore, ripo soot should be dusted along the rows regularly, It acts aB a tine' fertiliser when hoed in later. . Protect' tomato plants with ■ scrim ,'at night. Inspect rhubarb plants. Hemovo decayed leaves,, and renew the mulch of wellrotted manure and leaves where necessary. Earth-up Brussels sprouts, ltemjve any decaying leaves, but on no account cut away any of the others. Seeds that--may be sown this week arc:Peas. broad beans, onions, turnips, oarrots, cauliflower, lettuce, and cabbage. "Garden notes next week will contain Boasonable notes about:—lris stylosa, routine, work, and vegetables., SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. (For purebred ducks over 5 and under 9 months,) Total Weekly to . ■ ■ total, date. Indian Runners— > Tj. Wadhani. Ist • 2 248 W. T. Green. 2nd .0 254 11., Meadows, 3rd 0 203 T. Jleadows 0 162 J. Donald 3 192 "One bird ■ dead. -}Two birds dead. "J'hroe birds dead.