GARDEN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 42, 13 November 1926, Page 28

GARDEN NOTES

(By

“Kowhai.”)

NEPETA MUSSINI (CATMINT)

Borders and clumps of catmint are beautiful just now. 'Die plants themselves are charming, for the long sprays spread out and form large, compact, cushion-like, clumps. The grey-green foliage and slender spikes of lavenderblue flowers are particularly restful to look at, and the sun draws forth the fragrance of both leaves and flowers. Where the plants are ma.-sed in a border, or allowed to cascade over a lock wall or down the slope of a rockery they form drifts and patches of lovely colour.

Nepeta is invaluable for dry, sunny positions, and for seaside gardens where so many plants die during summer. The plants are easily propagated by means of cuttings, which root readily and soon grow into fair-sized plants. Few plants are more charming for a sunny border than nepeta, and the flowering season is a long one. HERBACEOUS SPIRAEAS.

Herbaceous spiraeas are charming plants for early summer, especially if one can give them a semi-shaded position. By semi-shaded I do not mean a position under trees, for spiraeas hate being where water drips on them during winter, but the shady side of a house, or the shade cast by near-by late-grow-ing shrubs is what they like. The plants are surface-rooting, forming a mass of crowns just under the surface soil; they are moisture loving, yet dislike growing in badly-drained ground. But once given the conditions they like they grow happily for many years, giving each summer great bunches of foamy-looking cream or pink flowers that are beautiful in the garden and splendid for the house. An ideal piece for them is along the side of a creek, not too near the water, and away from the drill of trees. The soil for spiraeas must be very deeply dug to ensure good drainage. In spring a mulch of half-rotted manure should be spread round the plants, and they should bo given an occasional good watering. This mulch feeds the plants and also protects the roots during summer. If manure cannot be had. a mulch of almost anything must be given if plants are to be a success, for remember that they are moisture loving and yet have their roots right on the surface where they quickly feel the effects of drought. During dry, hot weather the plants love to have their leaves sprinkled with water during the evening, and if this is done and mulching attended to they need be given a thorough watering only about once a fortnight.

Some of the pink varieties are very beautiful, and should be more generally grown. Among coloured varieties the following are good: Spiraea Peach Blossom, pink; S. Queen Alexandra improved? pink; S. America, lilac rose; S. Philadelphia, pink; Astilbe Kriembilda, salmon pink; A. Laschkonign, salmon; A. Rose Perle, soft rose. ROUTINE WORK. Tho weather during the past two weeks has been enough to try the most patient of gardeners, for we never know when a gale, either from the north. or the south, is going to swoop down upon us, undoing in a few minutes the growth of weeks. Our only chance is to secure our plants to stakes as fast as they grow, and as they are growing very fast just now we are driving in stakes or tying in growths most of the time. Canterbury Bells. —These are among the most brittle of plants, especially at this- time, when the stems are heavily laden with flowering buds. Great care is needed in tying to stakes these glorious flowers.

Seedling plants should be planted out as soon as possible for next year’s show of bloom, and seeds may still be planted. The cup-and-saucer variety is especially attractive, though all Canterbury bells are attractive when well grown. Seeds should be sown every year so that there may always be a supply of plants ready to flower at the coricct season. Tritonias. —Tritonias are glorious just now, and should the weather be dry should be given a thorough watering once a week, followed by a little weak liquid manure. As soon as the first spike of flower begins to fade cut it off to give tho second spike a chance to develop well. Spanish Irises. —Spanish irises, too, should have the first flower removed as soon as it begins to fade, for most of the stems will produce a second flower. Geums.—Genins aro making glowing patches of brilliant scarlet wherever they are grown. The long flowering _ stalks should be secured to stakes. Pick off dead flowers, water the plants during dry weather, and give them occasional doses of weak liquid manure, and they will continue to flower for many weeks. Tho yellow geuin, Lady Stratheden, is well worth growing. Thalictrum Dipterocarpuin—The plants are busy sending up tall.flowering stems, and should be given a mulch of wellrotted manure. It is a help to them if they are given a thorough watering once a week. Roses.—Cut the blooms off rose bushes as soon as they fade, cutting off at least a third of the flowering stem in doing so. The time has arrived when rose bushes should be mulched. This is an important operation in rose growing, for on it largely depends the quality of the blooms of the next crop. Roses are surface rooters, and fine feeding roots soon become parched unless a mulch is spread round the bushes to protect them. Wellrotted manure, decayed garden rubbish, lawn clippings all form suitable mulches First prick a little bonedust into the ground, and then thoroughly saturate the ground with water. The mulch should be applied while the soil is wet. Wallflowers. —Pull but wallflowers as soon as tho flowering season is over, and fill in the empty spaces with stocks, cosmos, phlox, ncmesia, French marigolds, African marigolds, or salvia bonfire.

Should you wish to save some of the wallflowers to flower again next year cut them back to within a few inches of the ground. Fork a. little bonedust into the soil, give a thorough watering, and new shoots will soon spring from the old stems. Seeds of wallflowers may bo sown during this month to provide new plants for next spring. As soon as the seedlings are. big enough to handle, plant I hem out in some spare part of the garden. and they may be transplanted into their permanent quarters in the autumn. This double move helps to make the plants bushy. Campanula Pcrsieifolia.—This campanula. commonly known as the peachedleafed bell-flower, is now opening its lovely blue flowers. The long slender stems should be loosely but securely tied to stakes, for they aro easily beaten down by wind or rain. The plants should be lifted every second year, broken up, and replanted, for they increase lyVEGETABLES. Sow where necessary the following seeds:— Pumpkin, marrow, pie melon, and cucumber: Sow on heaps, or in holes, of rich soil and decayed manure. Savov cabbage: Sow in seed beds for transplanting. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts: Sow in seed beds for transplanting. Celeriac (turnip-rooted celery): Sow in rows two feet apart in well-worked, wellenriched ground. Thin out the seedlings to six inches anart in the rows. Celeriac does not need earthing up like celery for it is grown for its root. Scarlet runner beans: Sow in ground that has been trenched and manured Sow the seeds from six to eight inches apart, and about two inches deep. French beans: Sow in drills two feet anart. Dust bonedust in the drills at tho time of sowing the seed, and give a slight, dressing of superphosphate as soon ns Ihe seedlings are a couple of inches high. Radish: Sow broadcast in rich, firm ground. Carrot: Sow thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Peas: Sow in drills from (wo to three foot apart. Ground should bo trenched and manured, and should have wood ashes mixed with it. Dust bonedust in I l>n drills when sowing.

Beet : Sow the seed in drills IS inches apart in ground that was manured for a previous cron- The rronnd should ho doenly dug and made firm again before sowing the seed. r n'tuce: Sow thinly in drills 15 inches anart. and thin out to nine inches in the rows. The ground should he deeply dug and enriched with well-decayed manure.