GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 280, 20 August 1921, Page 13

GARDEN NOTES

(By

"Kowhai.")

SUMMER-FLOWERING PERENNIALS. Holly hocks-deeds of these glorious plants may be sown now if a little bottom hu can be provided, and tho plants will flower in the autumn. During their 11 season the plants eend up, as a . FV rinrintr one very tall flowering stem, but during tho next season tho stems are more - meroun and not bo tall. F° r so “® BC ' sons now hollyhocks have not been » popular, owing to the dread disease that attaclciid the plants, and their Btat ?}j flower-bedecked sterna have been sartiy missed in the summer border. A lew clumps of hollyhocks and delphiniums make ell tho difference to a well-planted border. Now, however, that we can keep the disease in chock, hollyhocks are again taking their place. By growing them in well-propared and woll-enriohea soil, ana by spraying the plants several times during spring and summer with potassium sulphide ftoz. In three gallons of water), ono can hope to keep the disease in cheek. Hollyhocks must have three thfngs-plenty of food* plenty of sunshine, ana copious supplies of water during summer. Thrift (Armenia).—Thrift makes a charming edging for the summer border. in» plants form neat, compact, cooWooumg tufts of green, and from these tho rosecoloured flowers rise on slander stems, me flowers are very freely produced ana last for a long time in water. Thrift likes a well-drained, rather sandy soil, and is very much at homo in seaside gardens. The plants should be lifted every two or three years and broken up, strong nieces from the outside being planned back. Autumn is the bent time for aoing this, hut the plants may still be attended to. Where the soil is clay, see that it Is very deeply worked, and mix with It plenty or sand and road grit. Ah it 1b difficult to raise thrift from seed, it fs best for amateur gardeners to purchaße a few plants. They increase very quickly. • Campanula nersicifolla (peach-leaved Campanula).—This campanula, especially tho blue variety, is one of the most charming, as well as ono of tho most easily grown of our perennial plants. Provided that it has been planted in well-prepared soli, it will grow and flower well for many years without any special attention. Tn fact, it rather resenta attention. for It lovaa to become established and to spread out its chimps without interference. As 80*>n «s it begins to take up too much room, however, It mutt be lifted and broken up. Cimnanula persloifolla should be rather near the edge of the garden, for it is not a very tall grower. Early in summer the plants send up straight slender etnmn, laden with glorious blue bells, and for several weeks they bring joy to the heart of the gardener. A few twiggy sticks should be placed among tho clumps to keep the items upright, and as soon as the flowers are faded, th« stems should ho cut right down. Plants may be put In now, and a little bonedust may be worked in about established ones. Lupins.—Perennial lupins are splendid border plants, especially for sandy gardens. Heavy sell should bo very deeply worked for them, for they send their thick fleshy roots a long way down. Liipinus polyphylluß blue sends up long spikes of bloom of a glorious shade of blue. Perennial lupins may bo had now in shades of white, yellow, nale inauve, rich purple, rose, and pink. Lupins are easily raised from seeds, and the plants will often flower during their first season. Lobelia.—For richness of colour few plants can compare with lobelia, Queen Victoria. The flowers are vivid scarlet, while the stems and leaves are metalHJ! crimson. The plants like a seml-flhadcd, rather moist, position. Where the soil is very heavy and cold during winter, it is sometimes advisable to lift the plants and winter them in a sunny, well-drained border. Early in spring they may he planted back in their flowering quarters, and he chance should be taken then of breaknc up clumps/hat are, too large. Hemerocallls qday lilies).—The day lilies may be relied unon to give an abundance of flowers all thYbugh the summer months. The individual blooms last for ouly one day, but t,lio succeeding hpflri form and. open so quickly that the planta’nre scarcely over without some flowers. The foliage nlono is a chnrming addition to a mixed border, and the beautiful flowers are borne well above it on long, stiff stems. TTemerocallis auraniiaca major is a splendid rate flowering variety. Hemerocallls fuloa has double flowers, which first open towards the end of November. Both varietieH are deep orange in colour. Any fertile garden soil and a position suit the plants. The beat time for (transplanting 'ls now. for growth is just commencing. Heliotrope.—There is scarcely .a garden that does not boast at least one heliotrope, the delightful fragrance of the flowers milking it a most popular cumins;and autumn-flowering plant. It Is unfor- 1 f.unato that frost plays such havoc with ib in many districts, but if the plants have straw tucked well under, around, and over them, and are kept securely covered till tho end of spring, very few of them will bo lost. When warm weather seta in, new shoots ar? put forth, and these push their way through their winter covering, and in a short time grow ail over it. As the straw decays it forms a nice summer mulch for tho plants. Tho mod suitable soil for heliotrope is a rich light loam, and a sunny position is indispensable. Pelargoniums.—Ono has only to see how well pelargoniums grow in Wellington gardens, right in the city, to realise their usefulness. They grow and flower well in steep hillside garde.ns where very few flowers do really well, and lino trusses of handsome flowers uro produced continiiously. Early in tho spring the plants should be cub well back with a view to securing bushy, instead of leggy, specimens, but not till all danger of frost is over.

Montbretias.—Montbrotias like a sunny position, but a cool root-run. These two reouiaites aro difficult to obtain naturally, unless one possesses a stream or pond with a sunny bank. But rhe sunny ppsition can be obtained by everyone without any trouble, and the cool root-run can oe had by taking the trouble to dig tho ground deeply, and to bury a supply of well-decayed vegetable rubbish for the plants to root into. The bulbs increase so rapidly that they should not be left in the ground longer than two- years without being lifted and divided. Tho growth of montbretias. as regards both flowers and foliage, is graceful in the extreme. Tho plants look beautiful In the garden when grown in groups in a mixed border, or when planted on the edge of native bush, or along the banks of a stream or pond. If left too long in one place, the plants become overcrowded, and the struggle for existence causes them to doteriqrnta, the growth to become stiunted, and tho flowers small. Overcrowded plants not only have not room to expand beneath the soil, but they must necessarily suffer, also, from s-mi-starvation. Perennial Popples.—The ground for perennial popples must bo very deeply dug, for the plants have lone-, fleshy roots. Popples like a rich, well-drained soil, and a sunny position. Beve.ral beautiful shades of pink and salmon may be had in addition to the old scarlet and dark red varieties. Mrs. Perry la a beautiful variety, with largo flowers of a soft salmon-piuk shado. Th? Oriontale hybrids are woi’. worth growing, for one then gets these lovely flowers in a variety of shades, including blush white, old rone, .orange, and very dark red. Romneya Cqulteri.—The flowers of Bomneyn Coulteri are like enormous white poppies with a mass of golden yellow stamens. Tho plant is quite hardy In our climate, and grows into a fairly large shrub. The soil should be trenched, and good drainage should be provided. Tho plants may bo a little difficult to establish at first, as they resent disturbance of their roots, but if they are shaded from the sun for a few days, npd kept moist, uo difficulty need he experienced. Garden Notes next week will contain seasonable notes about:—Summer-flowering perennials (continued), routine work, and vegetables.