Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 39, 6 March 1930, Page 9

Gardening Notes

PREPARATIONS FOR SPRING

BEDDING.

From the point of view of the gardener, t'lie weather conditions prevailing at the time of writing leaves nothing to'ibe desired. Flowering subjects sown during January for winter display are all "above ground, and everything points to a liberal supply of—flowers for cutting during the coining winter months. It may be well here just to offer a- reminder / that the young plants will require to be kept free from weeds} and thinning out later to enable eacn plant to grow to perfection.

During the present and next month all "gardeners will be sowing annuals, putting in cuttings of Zonal Pelargon-. iums, and making preparations for what is termed Spring Bedding, that ia, •the display of spring flowers in the garden. A few of the subjects mentioned last month for winter flowering , may be sown now for spring flowering. There are few plants more, useful for the purpose we have in . mind than Violas- and Pansies. Although. January is the best month to sow, March is by no means too late. The principal thing is good now seed and regular attention to watering to promote germination, and to enable the young plants to grow nearly to the flowering stage before placing them in their permanent quarteTs. Sow the seed thinly right in the open, and when about three or. four inches high plant where they are to remain. If the position desired is not available at the time,, plant them in some other space where they can be lifted ]ater on with a good ball of roots. • ' . One of the plants that will afford a splendid spring display and lends itself to a line- colour scheme is Anftrr/rhinum. The different colours should be sown separately, and marked so that when it comes to planting time, the colour effect will receive attention* Saw at once and water regularly. The seed soon grows, and is Teady for planting out. Nemesia if sown now will make a fine spring display. Not only then will a spring display be assured, but a goodly percentage of flowers can be cut in the winter and late autfumn. . The conns of Ranunculus, which make sivch a show in September an>iGetober. may be planted this or next month. My best results have, always i been obtained from seedlings sown this month; certainly a good many eonte single., but the colours aTe we beautiful, and when seen from a distance planted out in a bed on a lawn they. might easily Nbe • mistaken for Tulips. Tha flowers when cut will last for at least a week. The planting of bulbs may reeeivo attention this and next month. Select good flowering sorts of Polyanthus Nar cissus, ¥ot grouping or planting in lines, and selected bulbs from the various families ;of Narcissi, Hyacinth, Tulip or Ladhinalia family will do well if planted in March. The bulbs should be lifted each'year, and ii is impossible for the gardener to have the bulbs here mentioned looking well each springtime if they are continually grow am the same ground. As a rule, all these bulbs ma^y be purchased at a very reasonable' rate from seel mo chants and growers, and it is well wortii the extra expense to obtain good flow- ; ering sorts.The Laehanalias,'or, as they are more commonly called, Cape Cowslips^ are most useful for spring planting, and are, very little trouble to grow. They are very effective when planted in a bed with large double daisies, as they both flower at the same time, and the combination is a charming one. Laeh.-

analiaa are also beautiful; basket plants, and for this purpose are very easy to grow. Take a small mesh wire netting basket and line the inside with a layer of moss just sufficient to keep the soil from falling through. Place the growing point of the buibs at a distance of 2 or more inches at regular, spaces from the bottom of the basket to the edge, filling up with soil as the work proceeds. When all is level a few more bulbs can be placed on the surface, and the'basket -hung up in any partiaJJy shaded place, and watered. When growth, commences it should "bo hung in ani open sunny position anrl attended to. for water, until ..flowering1 season is passed. Tfyis .period will last.

some v eeks.

Hyacinths, Tulips, and Daffodils can be potted up and prepartd now for flowering in the spiring, and later on preparations made to flower, a few on the verandah porch.

The following annuals should be sawn now for later planting:—Douibls Daisy, Annual Chrysanthemums, Clarkia Elegans, . Cineraria Stellata, Collinsia Bicolor, Dianthus, Eschscholtzia, Larkspur, Linum grandiflorum, Lupins, Mysotis, Schizanthus, Wallflower, Godetia, Dimorphotheca, Del/phinium, Heiiotrojj? and varieties of Stock. Many of these can hi} used for bedding while ottaers ■wiill lje tisefml in borders.