TALK ON BULB CULTURE BY MRS. C. J. BAKER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 105, 20 May 1937, Page 11

TALK ON BULB CULTURE BY MRS. C. J. BAKER

Every woman who is keen about her garden Welcomes fresh ideas from fellow gardeners, more especially when they are as experienced as Mrs G. J. Baker, of Haumoana, who gave a most interesting talk to members of the Hastings Community Club yesterday afternoon. As Mrs Baker is most interested in bulb-growing, she chose this as her subject, and illustrated what she said with a variety of beautifully-coloured plates. She described first the various divisions or sections of bulbs for show purposes, mentioning how each was distinguished by the length of its trumpet, or by its colour. "Bulbs should really be lifted each year," said the speaker, "but in the •average garden this makes too much . work to be possible. However, threeyearly intervals will keep them from deteriorating and will give less work if the various kinds are lifted in rotation. The bulbs should be planted in fresh ground away from the cold wind and in full sun. If the ground is close or heavy, place a tablespoonful of sand in the bottom of each hole and lay the bulb on fcip of that. Clumps should always be divided or they will choke themselves. and cease to bloom. "When picking the flowers they give best results if they are picked just as they throw the little ease off the flower and are then put away in a dark but airy cup-board. Tbe colour will tlien be perfect, untarnished J)y the sun or wind. When displaying/lie flowers al--wuys use their own foliage." Mrs Baker then spoke about several varieties of bulbs which are growa quite a good deal, and wliile doing so answered questions. She said that hyacinths like sand and leaf-mould or eow manure,- and if the ground is inclined to be damp the bed should be raised a

little. They should be planted 'three inch.es deep and nine inches apart, and they like to be in the open. If the bed is shaded the bulbs have imperfect blossoms.

"Tulips are very worrying because they will come stripy," said Mrs Baker "but I was told to pia'nt my bulbs deeper to avoid this. Formerly I have planted them six ipches deep, but wili now try a depth of nine inches. These Sbulbs like a liberal sprinkling of lime after the flowers have died down. "Amaryllis on the other hand, should be planted very shallow and other lilies like much shade and leaf mould. This climate is really too hot for perfection with lilies, but tluey are often successfully grown uuder azaleas or rliododendrons."

Mrs Baker also described the rock garden bulbs, and named several -varieties which she grew. She said that Hawke's Bay weather was really too hot for them, and tkougk they grow and flower they do not increase. The speaker advised the members tliat if they had a favourite flower they shoqld cultivate it and find out all about its history. Oue mugt, however, find what suits her particular soil, and not 'attempt to grow those plants which really will not tKrive. During her talk Mrs Baker gave a little tliought which many of her listeners will like to remember: "The garden is so flooded with liarmony that the discords of the world seem faint and far away." Mrs K. E. Crompton, leader of the eircle, tkanked Mrs Baker for her many hints, and later the members liad a further opportunity to ask questions and to admire the perfect miniature rock garden which Mrs Baker had brouorht with her.

After tea Mrs 0. 0. Moller read an interesting article by l)r Guiseppe, an explorer for flowers, in which he described an expedition in Portugal, the land of bulbs. Among those present at tbe meeting were: — Mrs K. E. Crompton, Mrs Hedley Harvey, Mr.s H. Lovell-Smith, Mrs E. V. Simpson, Mrs A. Lockie, Mrs W. A. MacFarlane, Mrs J. B. Pickering, Mrs Olliver, Mrs W. B. Nicholl, Miss Lewis, Mrs M. Biodie, Miss Starey (England), Mrs C. O. Moller, Mrs P. J. Holden, Mrs Harry Harvey, Mrs F. L. Boiie, Mrs B. Scannell, Mrs J. ' Wright, and Mrs Donald Robertson.