GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 36, 6 November 1920, Page 12

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Xowhftl") ANNUALS FOR SHADY GABDENS. Every day now hundreds of seedling annualß are being planted out, and the chance should bo taken to make the shadv spots in the garden as attractive as possible. In otir sunny cllmato many annuals that are usually crown in the »un will grow enually well in the shade. In the North Island. Nelaoiu. and Marlborough, tho summer weather* Is usually bo hot as to be trying for <all excopt really sun-lovtlTg annuals. In some .districts, too, summer time is a season of drought, and annuals, to be at all successful in a sunny garden, must be planted fairly | clone in very thoroughly prepared soil, and must be Riven food mulches from time to time. Otherwise, where water Is scarce, the plants are apt to be stunted 1 and short-lived. The majority of New Zealand amateur pardoner*, too, are either very busy during December and January, or are awav rrom home ror tnc summer vacation. The result is that many gardens receive scant attention during .them two months of hot summer weather. Alan, then, for the poor annuals! But bv digging plenty of well-decayed vegetable rubbish into a shadv or semi-shady garden, and by planting the annu/ils a little closer together than is u?ual, one can, with tho heln of one thorough watering and a good mulch, have a flno display of annual during the hottest part of the summer— December. .Tanuarv. and February. Another good watering early in February nnd a fresh mulch will carry to perfection autumn-flowering annuals such nfl asters. French and African marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, eto. I make no mention of annuals In th* spring and early-summer garden, for that is when annual? in New Zealand are at Uieir best, and give the least amount of trouble. I have crown all the following annuals successfully in a shady warden that had been deeply trenched and well enriched with deoayed vegetable rubbish :-Behlzan* thus, ten-week stocks, Virginian Rtocfc, doublo pink godetiaa, nfeella (Miss Tekyll), asters, agcratum, candytuft, cosmo*. single dahlias. forget-me-not. nnneitfs"*, larkspurs, linaria. whlox drummondii, Teeland poppies, and scabious, flweet peaH, especially those with salmon and orange scarlet shades, do well in a &cml-shaded

garden. CHRYSANTHEMUMS. Chrysanthemums will grow well in quite ordinary soil provided It lino been well dug. If possible, some well-rotted vegeInble rubbish should be due in. Worli r. little bonedust into the soil where cacli plant Is to go. a.nd as Boon aa the plants nre well e&tablißhod water t.lie roots "with a little wealt nitrate of sodn—hoi. in one cation of water. This will give thfl mailt* a cood start. and help them to make good ctronir growth before hot weather seta lit. Strong, wdl-erown .plants are more likely to resist disenao tlisvn weakly ones. • A 1 fow olant.a of the early flowerinß varieties Bhonld be srown. for they begin flowerinß very early in the autumn at a timo when flowers nre rather scarce. ROUTINE WORK. Liliums are making: good growth, and should now bo given a mulch-preferably of cow manure. Failing the manure, a little guano or superphosphate showa be pricked In round the clumps, and a mulch of Brass clippipgs or some such material should be placed round after first Riving a Rood watering. Occasionally applications, of weak liauid manure should be Eiycn during the summer, and also an occasional pood walerins. The Btems should be Becurelv fastened to atalces as they As soon as the Argentine has finished flowering it should oc cut down to within a- few inches of the noil, given a thorough eoaking with c,ear ™ ate -E' then a. mulch of cow manure, ■ Faluns* row manure, frnano should be .üßed. two ounces being spread round eachbush heforc the watering. A mulcli of decaj* ed rubbish or grass should then _ bei given to keep the roots. moist. Btronß new shoots will appear m a few weeks, and should at, once be trained up the supTn'most districts sweet peas are tcßljv nine to flower freely, and ha\o already reached tho stage when they provide « little daily work for the amateur Keener To keen the succeeding blooms largo and the Btems lon* it Is necessary to nick the flowers every day. If poeßible this should he done after sunset, leayl:nc the half-developed blooms to burst Into a™" the next morning. The blooma that have been cut may be taken inside and placed loosely In a deep jus: of water. Thifl elves them a cood drink before they are arranged in the vaseß the next morning. The laterals (the, little shoots that como out bv eaeli leaf) should be "ibbed out carefully with .the fingers. If they are loft on- the vines they n ro<Juc ° s J or > I hemmed, unsatisfactory flowers, ana In dninpr ro rob the main vine of Btremrth. i The soil must lie kept well ? tirr <"< ! - J*"' nendß to be a daily operation, because when one is picking the flowers It 1b mlioßßible to avoid treading on tho ground round the plants. In the shrubbery rhododendron* aro makin" a great show, the hushes being literally a blaze of colour, while pink and scarlet hawthorns, nale blue ceanothuscß. and purple-flowered paulownlas are particularly .attractive Mook-orange hufilies are covered wit« their fragrant, cream-coloured flowers., and deutzias are o, mass of white. The laburnum and the guelder rose are especially delightful, for both are decked in their delicate now foliaoe. Fi-oin the laburnum hang -Pretty yellow chains of flowers: from the guelder rofle hawr soft snow-white hnlle. Wcise* lias and flowcrtni; brooms aro now at . their best, and are making Bay patches of colour wherever they are grown*- In old-established Birdcn» bankalas.- honeysuckle. and wistaria have taken possession ot tonccs and ver»,nclahs, covering them with masses of dainty fragrant flowers. Robcs of every description and colour arc blooming [irofuscly. while, elovc-scented pinks fling their fragrance from end to end of - the garden Aay thinning out of t.he growths *;r shortening of the shoots that is necessary for snring flowering shrubs should be done as soon an the flowerinß Is over Flowering currants, exochorda grandlflora. and spiraeas may have tho shoots that have flowered cut bad; to a strong new reoot. As soon as rhododendrons have finished flowerinß 'he dead flower hea-df should be broken off. VEGETABLES. hckltng onions. The bed [or nlckllnß onion's should not undergo the careful preparation that s so necessary for other, onions. In fact, the soil should be poor and rather dry, for then the onions are Bmall and firm. Dig the ground well, but make it- firm again. The r.-ed may be sown in drills or broadcast and should be fairly thick. No wearisome thinning-out Is necessary as In tho ease of lartce omone. ROUTINE TVORK. Continue nlantine cut where neeessar>fomato Plants: Plant firmly 111 welldug. not over-rich soil. . Cn bbnge and Cauliflower: Plant in Tlch. well-dug. but firm ground. Cut off. with a. nharn knife, the long tap root at the time of planting out. . Pumpkin, marrow, cucumber, and plo melon- Plant in thoroughly enriched soil. Celery: Plant lii well-preniired trenches, flow, whc.ro neccssary, the following ""pntiinkln. marrow, pie melon, and encumber: Bow in.holes filled with rich Boil and well-decaytd manure. When sowing do not lav the 6eed flat and covdr it with earth, but P«sh the seeds edgeways for about an inch into the ground. Savoy enhhago: Sow in seed-beds for trnnsplnntWß. , Broccoli and .nrusselß snrouts: Sow in seed-beds for transnlnntinff. Celeriac (turnip-rooted celery):. Row In rows two feet apart, in well-worked, wellenriched crounfl. Thin out tho seedlings to sir inches apart, in the rows. Celeriac. does not need earthing un like celery, for it Is Brown for its root.* (Joar'et runner beans: Sow In ground that lias been trenched and mnnured. Rfiw tho seeds from six to eight inches nnnrt, and about two inches deep. French boons: Row in drills 'two feet onart,. and have the seeds six inches apart in the rows. Dust bonedust in the drills at the time of sowing the seed, and rrive a slight dressing of superphosphate as soon as tho seedlings are a couple of inches high. Brosd boans: A further small sowing may be made. Pinch the tops off plants as soon aB they are in flower. Radish: Sow broadcast in rich, flrm ground. Carrot: Row thinly in drills 12 inchcß anart. Peas: Sow in drills from two to three feet anart. Ground should be trenched and manured and should have wood ashes mixed with It. Dust bonedust in the drills when Bowine. licet: A li"lit sandy Boil is the best'tor beet, flow the seed in drills 18 inches apart in ground that was manured for ,i previous cron. The ground should be decnly dug and mede firm nrrain before mowing the seed. Dust bonedust In the d'llls when sowing. Lettuce: Row thinly in drills 15 inches onnrt. and thin out to nine inches In the rows. The ground should be deeply dug ami enriched with well-decayed manure. Keen the hoe at work among nil growing crops. fiarden Notes next week will contain p.easonnblo notes about:--Wallflowers, petunias. routine work, and vegetables. I