GARDENING FOR JUNE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 June 1916, Page 3

GARDENING FOR JUNE.

KITCHEN GARDEN

As recommended last month, if not already done, plant out strawberries on a well-manured plot of ground. Select plot of ground intended for carrots, onions, and parsnips ; manure trench up and allow to remain in rough state until time to sow seed. Sow cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, and a little red cabbage, to have plants in readiness for planting in spring. Plants raised from seed sown this month will not run to seed. A small bed of leeks may also be sown for early planting. Broad beans sow for succession; also earliest variety of peas, in a warm, dry locality. Plant early potatoes in a warm sheltered situation. Continue to earth up celery as required. Keep the soil well stirred around potato-onions and shallots; hoe, weed, and mould up all crops that require it ; destroy slugs by frequent dustings of lime. Wheel manure on to vacant ground, clear away all rubbish, dig and trench and as you dig leave the surface soil in as rough a state as possible.

FLOWER GARDEN.

Plant, re-arrange, and divide all herbaceous plants, in doing which care should be taken to keep the tallest and strongest growing varieties at the back ef the borders, or in the middle of beds or clumps, and the colours and the varieties so disposed that the whole may appear to best advantage when in flower. Finish planting out late flowering varieties of bulbs, and stir the soil around those that are growing. The hardier varieties of lillies, with many others, should be planted now ; plant liliums from six inches deep ; and other small bulbs from two to three inches deep. Shr the surface soil about spring flowering bulbs. Make up b,ed of carnations, piootees, and pinks ; give a dressing of soot and well slaked lime to destroy their great enemy, the wire worm. Pansies and violas, or violßts, plant; the situation selected for these should be naturally moist, but not moist through want of drainage; the ground ought to be well dug, and if poor have it enriched with cow manure. Camellias, thin flower buds where necessary, and remove all decayed blooms ; by a judicious selection of varieties a contimious display of blooms may be ( kept up throughout the winter mouth. Lawns should be rolled frequently while the surface soil is in a comparatively dry state. This operation improves the texture and quality of the grass If lawns or grass verges are the least unlevel they should be taken in hand at once and re-levelled. Attend to pruning hard and deciduous shrnbs and trees, regulating the branches to keep the plants in good natural form and within bounds, being all that is annually required. Climbers on walls trellises and arbours should be thinned out and trained if not already done.

THE ORCHARD

This month prune the trees and gooseberries. It is also usual to prune vines as soon as tho ileaf falls, but on this subjpct there are different opinions. It is also usual to advocate manuring, to which the same remarks ap^ly. Fruit trees should now be planted, lor which purpose choose dry wealher. It is bad to plant in sloppy ground. Plant shallow, not moro than two or three inches deeper than the tree was before, if that. Dig the land fine first, and spread the roots very carefully out equally round the trees. Cover with well crumbled earth and press lightly down, securing with at least one stake. Prune down the branches, but be careful to preserve the roots (unless injured), ana if you purchase your trees from a nurseryman, see that he does not prune down the roots, which is too apt to be the case, rlhe apples are the hardiest, and do with the least shelter. They are also the latest to plant. Qooseberries and currants should be pruned and planted this month, and pay strict attention to their pruning, Remove suckers, and hunt insects. Keep lan 4 dry and well -drained for winter rains. Plant strawberries.