WORK IN THE GARDEN FOR THIS MONTH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 79, 20 April 1937, Page 11

WORK IN THE GARDEN FOR THIS MONTH

Members of the garden circle of the Hastings Townswomen's .Guild were most interested in the talk about work to be done in the garden during the month, whdch was given by Miss Shaw at the meeting yesterday afternoon. Many of the members took notes to enable - them to carry out the advice given by such an experienced gardener. Miss Shaw said that such a long spell of dry weather had kept work behind as it was not much use planting until there was moisture in the soil. The speaker described the work in the vegetable garden first. "All finished crops should be cleaned out, made into a pile and burnt for ashes to dig in later," said Miss Shaw. "Spare plots may be planted with white mustard or lupins to provide humus. When the ground is clear and damp, lime should be sprinkled over the soil, about one pound to the square yard as this will correc't any acidity, release the potash and break up the soil. Lime should not be used wher6 potatoes, azaleas, rhododendrons or heaths are grown. "Many people think that vegetables eannot be grown in the winter time but several varieties /an be planted now and these include broad beans, peas, carrots, white turnips, onions, mustard and cress, flower of spring cabbage, cauliflower, "'winter-spinach, lettuce and parsley. Later on, if such crops as lettuces do not come on well, they can be watered with nitrate of soda liquad jn the proportion of loz of nitrate of soda to a gallon of water used after rain or when the ground lias been well soaked. '"With the exceptiou of parsnips, all root crops should now be lifted and stored. Carrots should b© stood up in soil with a bag thrown over the top and tlien a layer of soil and they will keep fresh until the Spring." Miss Shaw said that this was the best time fr preparing the ground for alterations. Lawns, especially, should be altered this month and fallen leaves should be raked off the grass and made into a compost by covering them with a layer of soil, tben a sprinkling of lime. Suggestions for suitable plants for various parts of the garden were also mad© and were : (1) For shady places, polyanthus, primroses, forget-me-nots, Japanese anemones, Solomon's seal. (2) Damp places, pink and white Bpired irises, primulas. (3) JDry places, heaths, heathers, brooms, mysembre-anthe mum, tuKps, hyacinths, anemones, snowdrops and ranunculus should also be grown now. Ranculus must be planted with the points down, about two inches deep and nine inches apart and they flower better when in clumps in p, bed by themselyes. Anemones should not have manure but just a light soil. "When moving liliums do not leave the bulbs out of the ground," said Miss Shaw, "because they shrivel ia the air. Gladioli should be lifted six weeks after they finish flowering, even if the foliage is not yellow. Dry them in an airy place, not in the sun, cut off; the stem and clean off surplus coatings before storing in a dry place until the Spring. "Dahlias should be cut with six inches of stem as soon as the frost lias nipped them. Turn the bulbs up-side-down in a box and cover with dry soil mixed with a little flowers of sulphur. "Iceland poppies and wall-flowers should be planted out now and with the latter poor soil gives less foliage and inore flowers. Michaelmas daisies and helium sliiuld be cut cff, lifted and divided keeping the outside healthy pieces but delphiniums should be left until the spring.'' When speaking about th© need for manures in the soil Miss Shaw said that fish manure, 3oz. to the square yard, will deepen the colour of ycur flowers. ^ F or winter flowering sweet peas Miss Shaw suggested planting in clumps, about six seeds round a circle of wirenetting. Other seeds to be planted now were clarkia, godetta, nemesia, linaria and stoeks, the latter in boxes. Cuttings sliould be taken now of geranium, fuchsia, hy.drangeas-, roses. Ath the conclusion of her talk Miss Shaw was heartily thanked and many of the members took the opportunity to ask questoins.