THE GARDEN

Evening Star, Issue 19794, 18 February 1928, Page 19

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK THE VEGETABLE CARDEN 'As the plots become vacant, dig and trench them, and at the base of the trench put the garden rubbish, such as cabbage stumps and so on, as this will not only remove what it unsightly but will at the same time put back into the ground some of the plant foods that were taken out. Plant out cabbage, savoy, cauliflower, leeks, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and lettuce, and sow cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, the last named to remain in the seed bed for transplanting in the early spring. I’rickly spinach can now be sown for winter use. Sow in rich soil in drills about ISin apart, and thin out freely, as this plant must not be crowded. Gather the leaves of this winter variety as they attain full size. Turnips for winter use _ can also be sown now. Use such varieties as Golden Ball, Red Globe, and Laing’s Garden Swede. A well-grown turnip should be tender and mild in flavor, and to attain those desirable qualities the crop must be grown rapidly and without a check. Good soil is therefore necessary, and any organic manure used must he thoroughly decomposed to avoid coarse and malformed roots. A sowing of lettuce can also bo made now, and as the crispness and good flavor of this indispensable salad depends on its quick growth, a well enriched soil is necessary. It is advisable for this summer or early autumn sowing to sow in drills about 12in apart, and thin out to about 12in between the plants. The thinnings can, of course, bo used to make up more rows, such rows generally coming to maturity a little later than" those in which the undisturbed plants remained. For salad purposes a sowing of onions can be made, and perhaps a little later on an autumn sowing can be made for transplanting in the spring. The Tripoli onions are generally recommended for this latter purpose. The early celery should be sufficiently advanced to be ready for earthing up. Remember that not much growth occurs after the earthing up, and the earthing is done for bleaching purposes, which generally takes about three weeks. Earthing up is performed, by grasping the plant close to the ground with one hand while the soil is drawn closely and firmly around it with the other, being careful to prevent the intrusion of any soil into the heart of the plant. Strawberries can now bo planted, but if the ground has not been prepared thoroughly it is better to delay the putting in of the plants until the ground is all that could be desired. Look over the asparagus bed for any weeds that may have appeared. As the asparagus lied is practically a, permanency, it behoves one to be careful not to let tho weeds get a. hold. Secure the tops against breakages by tying, and encourage good growths on tho asparagus plants, because the better tho growth now tho better will bo the young heads in tho spring. THE FLOWER GARDEN Hardy annuals arc best sown in early autumn for several reasons: the ground is warm, rains arc milder in temperature, and ground pests such as slugs scour to be loss voracious than in the spring. In addition to the foregoing reasons, garden work is more pleasant in the autumn and flower seed sowing is more likely to be done more thoroughly then, because in the spring one’s attention is taken up with tho vegetable garden mostly. The sowing of flower seeds requires more judgment and caro than generally bestowed upon it, and failures because of this want of care and judgment are frequent. Avoid deep sowing, and rather incline to tho opposite extreme. Think rather of the natural habits of tho seed that is being sown or of tho plant being grown. Nature’s way is just to shod that seed on'the ground, where perhaps a rain may partially submerge tho seed and start off germination. A general rule is to cover the seed with about twice its own thickness of soil, excepting in tho case of very fine seeds, which may bo sown on the surface of a fine smooth seed bed and gently finned with a smooth piece of board. Of course, the soil should be in just the right condition, and a moment’s reflection will show that this operation cannot be successfully carried out during wet weather or when the soil is in a rough, lumpy condition. By having the ground prepared properly the seedlings should get a good start and fine stocky growth should develop before winter sets in. Whether the seed is sown in drills for transplanting later, or straight into tho borders where they aro to flower, do not forget to thin them out as soon as they are largo enough to handle. By doing so at the earliest opportunity the plants will have light and air all around them, and consequently tho growth will be stocky and the seedlings hardy. On tho other hand, if the seedlings remain unthinned, there is a struggle amongst them to got light and air, and as that can only be obtained at the top, growth in that direction occurs. Long, spindly seedlings result, which are quite unable to stand up to any rough weather when it comes along. Different plants of course have different habits, and consequently different methods have to be adopted. Whore branching habits nr© to be encouraged, it is necessary to pinch the point of the main shoot, and as early as possible, so that the side branches will nave time to develop. Tho list of hardy annuals is so lengthy that it will suffice if I mention only a. few of the most popular, and these can be a guide as to what can bo suitably sown at tho present juncture: Alyssum, candytufts, clarkia, cschscholtzia, scabious, godetias, larkspur, lupins, and many others. Biennials bloom the second year from seed and die, although early sowings in many instances will ensure their flowering the first season. Familiar examples in this class are Canterbury bolls, Brompton stocks, and others. Most varieties of biennials are best sown in spring and transplanted to their permanent quarters in late summer or early autumn.

tulip, and so on. Moat daffodil growers will have thoroughly prepared the ground well in advance, and the bulbs will most likely all be back in mother earth again. To those who have still this work to perform 1 would recommend tho immediate preparation of the ground, so that hurried planting in unsuitable soil will not have to be done lato in the season. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “Doubtful.”—ln reply to your question about the seeds from stocks. These come from tiie singles, and each year a proportion of single and double flowers are thrown from tho seeds collected off the singles’ plant. “Vines.”—Re your question about the caterpillars. About the only remedy at the present stage is crushing them with tho fingers. Have you other plants in your vinery, or is there any source from which they, aro coming? because, if so, remove the cause. _ “ Yucca.”—From your description I have no doubt that the plant you planted some twenty years ago and is now blooming for the first time is a yucca. “Reader.”—ln reply to your question about pruning and how to encourage an upright growth, the following may help you : —lf you always prune to an outside eye Hie tendency is for a bushy and outward growth to develop, and when you wish for an upward growth on a plant that has a tendency to do the opposite you prune to an inside eye. THE POPULAR SWEET PEA The sweet pea has many admirers and in many countries. So much so has this been in evidence of late years that special societies have been formed, not only to look after the interests of that particular flower by classification and tho publication of literature, but also to the holding of trials to try out all new varieties. The parent society is, of course, the National Sweet Pea Society of England, whoso classifications and awards are practically accepted all over the world. It is therefore interesting to learn that this flower has been gaining in popularity to such an extent on the Continent of Europe that a National Sweet Pea Society of Holland has been formed, and very much on the lines of the English society. The headquarters of the Dutch society are at Leiclschovaartweg, Haarlem. Mr H. Carlce, of Haarlem, is tho chairman, and Mr B. P. Vader, of Overveen, is the secretary of this new special floral society. PRIMULAS Double Primulas aro tine subjects for conservatory and house decorations, but their cultivation has decreased during recent years. Formerly, remarkably lino plaids were on view at many of the autumn exhibitions. Tho specimens carried a wealth of bloom and abundance of healthy foliage. These plants were largely propagated from cuttings and from layers. The cuttings wore inserted in small pots filled with light, sandy soil and placed in moderate heat. A successful method of increasing tho stock is by layering. So soon as tho plants have finished flowering, remove a few of the basal leaves, partly sever the crowns with a sharp knife, and pile up a mound of fine soil and cocoanut fibre about the base ot tho plant. The soil should bo kept moist; a close atmosphere is also favorable to quick root action. So soon as roots are formed, completely sever the crowns and placo each one in a small pot. Excellent double varieties may be raised from seeds. The old double white Primula produces abundance of useful flowers during the winter, and a compost of good fibrous loam, thoroughly decomposed manure, and sharp sand suits it. A light position and an intermediate temperature should be provided, and when the pots arc well filled with roots, sootwater and weak liquid manure are beneficial. The free-flowering Primula keweusis is a most useful plant for the conservatory during the winter and spring. The bright yellow, fragrant flowers are produced very freely. Seeds may bo sown from April to June iu England. This plant thrives in a light, open soil. The Abyssinian Primrose, Primula verticillata, with sweetly-scented, yellow flowers and grey, downy leaves, is a most attractive plant and worthy of extended cultivation in pots. Both P. kewensis and P. verticillata may bo grown in cool pits, and they provide a color that is lacking _in forms of P. sinensis. The association of blue Cinerarias with tho Abyssinian Primrose is very attractive.—‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle.’

Hardy perennials form a very numerous class and may be looked upon, as the permanencies of the flower garden. They usually bloom the second year from seed, but many sorts by early sowing and artificial treatment will flcwer the first season. They last indefinitely, according to care and treatment, and are capable of propagation by division of the roots and by cuttings. Seedlings should preferably be raised in boxes or small nursery beds and transplanted. This mode lends itself to orderly and systematic cultivation, such as weeding, watering, and thinning out. Perennials embrace by far the largest number of plants cultivated in the garden, and in fact arc the backbone of gardens where a continuous display of blooms is aimed at. The seed of most of them is sown in the spring, and the young plants are put into their permanent quarters in early autumn, but the present period is suitable for sowing seed of some things such as antirrhinums. Expert bulb growers do not need to be told of the evils of keeping bulbs out of the ground too long, especially bulbs of the daffodil, crocus, hyacinth,

DWARF TREES IN THE ROCK GARDEN

The planting of dwarf trees, mostly of an evergreen character, serves a useful purpose in all extensive rock gardens, and probably the most popular subjects for the purpose are the dwarf Conifers. Such plants are considered to represent the dwarfed character of trees found growing in alpine altitudes; they serve also to some extent to relieve winter bareness, and, finally, become good backgrounds for groups of choice flowering plants. In a rock garden of large dimensions there is naturally room for trees which finally attain considerable size, but in the small rock garden it is important that the choice should bo restricted to those species and varieties which arcknown to be of slow growth and more or less stunted habit. But oven some of these have a tendency to lose their dwarf ness after a number of years, and become unsuitable. A variety of the common Spruce, Picea excelsa prostrata, for example, grows slowly at first, but after a period of ten or twelve years it has a tendency to make more rapid growth, and loses, to some extent, ' its prostrate habit. P. e. globosa naua is a good plant, making a rounded hummock of stunted growth, and P. e. pygmaea is a diminutive variety of pyramidal shape. The Cypresses generally are too freegrowing for this purpose, but Cupressns ohtusa has two or three varieties of dwarf character which seldom reach more than two or three feet in height. C. o. compncta, C. o. nana, and 0. o. pygmaea are all good dw’arf varieties of very slow growth, while C. o. nana aurea is a small, dense-growing plant with golden foliage, C. pisifera also has one or two colored varieties of merit, notably C. p. aurea nana, with dense, rounded bushes of golden foliage, and C. p. ericoides, a greyishleaved plant, of more upright habit but restricted growth. Another grey-foli-aged plant of considerable merit is C. Lawsoniana Fletcheri, which forms a pyramid of plumose habit and is slowgrowing while Rheingold is a variety that maxes a small, dense bush and has attractive golden foliage. There are one or two Pinusesof very dwarf habit which may be planted with effect in the rock garden, notably P. Mafihus nanus, probably the dvrarfest

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of tho mountain Pines, and P. montana pumilio, a small, dense bush. Thuya occidentalis provides dwarf varieties in globosa which forms a dwarf, dense, globular bush, and pygmaea, a compact, miniature variety; while of T. orxentalis the varieties rompacta and ericoides are dwarf and slowgrowing. Among the Junipers there are several species and varieties admirably adapted In positions in the rock garden. J. communis alpina, the alpine Juniper, is of prostrate habit and seldom exceeds a foot in height. J. Sabina and several of its varieties are useful for planting where a low covering is needed, as also is J. squamata, the scaly-leaved _ Nepal Juniper. _ J. communis fastigiata—known as hibernira—is probably the neatest of all Conifers. It forms a slender, columnar tree, its numerous, rigid, close-set branches being' clothed % with short, deep-green leaves which give the plant a handsome appearance.—‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle.’ FLOWERS OF UNGEBIHG SUMMER It is difficult but always well worth while to look a long way ahead in gardening. As we sniff the fragrant Wallflowers and glory in the splendor of the Tulips in spring we are inclined to say “Go hang” to the Gladioli and Dahlias, the Phloxes and Border Chrysanthemums, the Scarlet Lobelias and the Golden Rods. But one cannot afford to snub the flowers; they always come out on top! What would our gardens be like now if in spring we had neglected to put in the late summer flowers, and what will they bo like in spring if we don’t put in the bulbs in autumn? Bulbs (including their near relatives the conns and tubers) are the sheet anchor of the lackadaisical gardener; he has simply to put them in the ground and leave them alone—often the most difficult part of the business! —and they do the rest. But they should he put in now, or soon; or even bulbs will be disappointing. _ . The present-day Gladioli are simply wonderful. It is difficult to say which are the most fascinating; until the large-flowered sorts begin to open yon think the smaller flowered primnlinus varieties are incomparable, but as they fade and the giant beauties open—well, you are not quite so certain about it as you were. Herein lies one of the _ greatest charms of the garden. Continually it provides fresh flower treasures, each so perfect in its season that you vow anti declare yon will fill the border with it next year, but other beauties claim your admiration as the seasons change, and in the end yon realise that they are all essential. The Gladioli are so fine at the moment that I have already decided to grow them in far greater numbers next year ; but I made exactly tbo same resolution when lho_ Sweet Peas, the Delphiniums, the Lupins, the Swectwilliams, and many others wore in the heyday of their beauty. And so in the end I and every other garden lover will do just as we have dons many other times: we shall plant to ensure a long-continued succession of bloom that will delight us as long as the sunshine lasts. A garden never really lets us down, though occasionally there are failures. As the days pass into weeks_ and the weeks into months the face of the garden changes,, but it always wears, a smile. Fresh flowers riso as -others fade, and they_ never outstay their welcome. That is probably why wo appreciate them so much. : Think of the ecstasy with which we greet the Daffodils in spring, but wc scarcely notice their fading, for other flowers claim out attention—flowers that we have not seen for a. year. And so when the first Michaelmas Daisy opens wo shall ho vastly interested, even though, or perhaps because, it is tbo last of the flowers of lingering summer. But let us not moralise, but bo up and doing and get in tbo bulbs, especially those that bloom early.—‘ Popular Gardening.’