GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 149, 19 March 1921, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By "Kowlku.’’) SPRINGJ'LOWEEING PERENNI AJiS.

Before moving wallflower seedlings into their permanent places in the beds, cut off the long tap roots with a sharp knife. Press the earth very firmly round the roots wheu planting, and work a little bonedust into the soil at the same time. Give the seedlings a really good watering as noon as they are planted, and drive in a short, strong stake for each plant. Wallflowers are so lovely in the spring that room should he found for as many as possible. Their delightful fragrance fills the garden, and their rich colouring is a pleasing contrast to the prevailing shades of yellow, cream, and white of so many of the early spring flowers. Plants should be got into place as soon as possible now. . Primroses and Polyanthus Primroses.— The plants have begun, to show signs of waking up from their long summer sleep, and every morning one sees new tender green leaves peeping up from .l-ke dewdrenched ground. All old or faded leaves should be removed. Work a little bonedust into the soil about the plants, and spread a light mulch of thoroughly decayed vegetable rubbish or leaf mould about them , . Plants that nre about three years old should be lifted, broken up. and the pieces replanted in well-dug soil to which some thoroughly decayed vegetable rubbrnli, or cow manure, and a little sand have been added. If the soil is deeply worked before primroses are planted, the Plauf® JVv •end their roots down a very long way. This is a great, help to them when they have tn face a hot., dry summer. ■ Forget-me-not.—What would- the spring garden be without its patches of clear pale blue forget-me-not? . As a carpet plant for the spring it is without an equal, for it creeps in among plants filling empty spaces, and covering the bare earth with sheets of llea ' ve^{ pq blu ®' ui blends with narcissi, snowflakes, aquiiegias, scarlet geums, deep blue irises, and all the dainty flowers that bri'W ™ch charm t.o the spring garden Wheie they encroach too much, the plants may be cut away in handfuls, and they don t resent It one bit, but hasten to grow again as a reproof to the too trim-and-tidy gard e new Forget-me-nots are exquisite when they are planted along the bank of a st ceam or pond, especially if they are planted among dark blue flag Irises. strong Now is the time to plant out st rO JW young seedlings into their flowering qua - ters. and remember that each plant, oen fully grown, will take up a considerable amount of room. Any s . Oll . sults „ rl f me-nots, but a little sand, decayed vegetable matter, and a dressing of bonedust worked into the soli will be appreciated b Violet?—At this time of the vear violet plants begin to produce a great m™ber of new leaves. Old leaves that are at all faded should be carefully removed before they .are covered by the lapidiygrowing new ones. If they are allovmd to remain they are a source of danger to the plants, for they harbour disease, red spider, etc. Plants that have any t™ce of red spider should be attended to. The leaves should be cut off and burnt, and the plants should then be thoroughly soaked with clear water, and sprinkled with flowers o 5 sulphur. Doronicum. -One of the earliest of h spring-flowering plants is . ' plant with pretty yellow daisy-like It may be grown either in the sun or in partial shade. It blooms freely under any circumstances, but if the old Plum® are lifted early each autumn, broken up, and replanted in soil to which a little land and bonedust have been added, it fairly surpasses itself for the number and the quality of tho blooms it proAuriculas.—Auriculas grow best on the shady side of the house', or under the shade of deciduous trees. In the latter position they get the sun during winter, and shade during summer, and that )s what they like. Before planting auriculas mix with the soil plenty of leaf mould, river sand, and well-rotted and sifted cow manure. Each year after the flowering is over, the top inch of soil should be removed. and should be replaced with a mixture of loam, leaf mould, sand, and broken up cow manure. This will. give the plants new rooting ground, and will help to build them up, and strengthen them for the next season’s flowering. Anemones.-Although anemones coms under the heading of spring-flowering plants, they arc—in the North Island of New' Zealand—more winter-flowering, for their long flowering season begins wrly in the winter, and continues till the end of spring It stands to' reason that plants with such a long flowering season must be planted in well-prepared and wellenriched soil. As soon as the foliage appears above the ground, the soil about the plants must be kept moist and well-worked, trom the starting of growth, until the flovv-ering is over, anemones should not be allowed to suffer from drought. Failure to keen tho plants moist, especially during the early stages of their growth, results in flowers of poor quality, and possibly in no flowers at all. Anemones like a light, rich soil. Heavy soils should be deeply dug. and should have-plenty of well-decayed horse manure, road grit, and river sand added to the sub-soil. A good supply of well-decayed vegetable rubbish and some river sand mav also be added to the top soil. Lighu sandy soils should have plenty of welldecayed vegetable rubbish added to them. A little bonedust may be worked in as soon as growth has started. For winterflowering, a warm sheltered spot should be chosen, preferably one that is shaded from midday sun. Anemones have an intense dislike of frost and cold winds.: As soon as planting is finished, a mulch of sifted, well-rotted cow manure, or well-decayed vegetable rubbish may be spread over tho beds, and a thorough watering given. Ranunculusefl.—The ranunculus 10 one 01 the most popular of spring-flowering plants, and one scarcely wonders at it. Its dainty, long-stemmed flowers, its value as a cut flower, and its extreme hardiness, all entitle is to a foremost place in our oprintr gardens. A light, sandy soil that has been well enriched with cow manure or well-decayed vegetable rubbish is tne one most suited to ranunculuses. the plants like an open, sunny position, and although they love root moisture, they very much resent being planted in soil that holds stagnant water during winter, so much so indeed, that failure in almost inevitable. Provided that the soil has been deeply dug, and that it-is well drained, and contains a fair amount of humus ranunculuses will almost always be Bl ’ c ' cessful. The plants are often attacked by wire worm B, but if they nre planted in "•round where a crop has been grown and turned in for green manure, this pest can generally be avoided. The roots should be planted claw downwards, about two inches deep, and six inches smart. Plenty of water should be supplied during the growing season. Geums—Geum is a late spring-flowering plant. Its double scarlet flowers are freely produced over a long period, and it makes a brilliant patch of colour m tho garden if several plants arc massed. “Mrs. Bradshaw” is the finest variety to grow. , Cinerarias—Wherever gardens are free from heavy frosts cinerarias ae among the gayest of our spring flowers. The colours of the flowers are so varied, so rich' and so gay. and the flowers themselves are so freely produced, that the plants should be extensively planted. Them, too, thev grow and flower ho well in the shade., that the generally hopeless-looking shady border is turned by them into a place of beauty. Strong seedlings are ready now for planting out. The soil Aiould be deeply dug. and should contain a large proportion of sand and well-decayed vegetable rubbish. Bonedust may be added when the seedlings are being planted out.

VEGETABLES. SPRING CABBAGES.

Seeds of an early variety of cabbages may be sown in readiness for planting out as soon as the’ soil is thoroughly moist. The part of the garden where potatoes have just been grown is most suitable for them, because it was richly manured last spring, and has just been deeply dug while the potatoes were being lifted. Rake it level, tread it firm, and then get in the cabbage seedlings. Before planting them, make a thick, porridge-like mixture of cow manure and water, and puddle the roots of the seedlings in this. A good coating of the mixture will adhere to the roots, and will give the seedlings a good start, especially If a little of the mixture is poured into each hole. One important point is to cut off the long tan root when transplanting cabbage seedlines. Do this, before puddling the roots. Make the soil very firm round the seedlings when planting. See that they aro watered or syringed daily till the roots “take hold" of their now quarters. It is a great advantage to have the rows of cabbages wide apart, so that you can constantly dig deeply between them. If manure can be dug into these intervening spaces, the soil there will become very rich. Later,' when earthing up is necessary, this well-worked, well-enriched soil will be drawn up about the cabbage plants with really amazing, but wholly satisfying, results. To follow out this plan, however, the rows of cabbages must be wide apart, or the roots would be Injured by tho deep digging. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about:-Chrysnnthenuims, routine work, and vegetables.