IN THE GARDEN.

Shannon News, 21 October 1924, Page 1

IN THE GARDEN.

Work for the Week. The recent showery weather, with its prevailing cold wi'ads, has proved rather trying, for the gardener, and has tended to greatly retard the growth of all growing things. Seeds are not germinating so quickly as might be expected. The roses, however, have made rapid growth in sheltered parts of the garden, the beautiful foliage, being already dotted with numerous buds. Keep the plants well supplied with some good fertiliser, either used in a mulch form or applied as liquid manure. The roses will quickly respond. Autumn-sown sweet peas ar© growing strongly, and will showing signs of buds. Supply them well with manure, wjiich is best applied in liquid form, as these plants love plenty of moisture. Transplant all seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle, as they suffer a .decided check if left too long in " a crowded state in tt seed box..

Keep the hoe going as often jts possible after the heavy winter rains.. The ground, unless well hoed bow will set very hard as soon as the hot weather commences. Later the borders may be easily and quickly loosened and kept free from weeds, with the aid of a Dutch hoe. Seeds of all varieties may still be sown, and sturdy plants, in tempting array, may b£ obtained from florists and nurserymen.- /

Always include a few novelties in your lists. The fascination of watching them grow, coupled later with the daily delight of watching each bud unfold, is well worth white.

Among the Vegetables. lTt~the vegetable garden stake the early tomato plants to prevent any interference with the roots, which would be the.case if left until the plants are large. Keep early potato crops hoed and moulded Autumn-sowed peas and broad beans will commence to bloom.

Ctfntinuo sowings of lettuce, mustard and cress and radishes to keep up a supply of health-giving salads.

Seeds of water melons may be sown in a, sunny position. Coles' Early is a splendid variety, which will, ripen its fruit where ordinary sorts fail. It has dark red flesh a"ad a very thin rind, which makes it rather brittle for market purposes but is unequalled for private use. Rock, pie, and citron melons may be sown, also beds of cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, and marrow.

Sow seeds of the red pickling cabbage and Brussels sprouts, also Cape gooseberries, which are most useful for preserves. Sow seeds of carrot, parsnip, kohlrabi and leeks.

Colour in the Garden The late ; varieties of both single and double flowering cherries are now making a brilliant display, the beautiful tints showing in tihe opening leaves blending charmingly with the lovely rose, soft pink, and white blooms. The { old-fashioned, sweetscented lilac fills the air with perfume, together with the later novelties which include a fine double lavender variety, with immense trusses of bloom also sweetly scented. Trees of rhododendrons are making a wrilliant splash of colour infinitely attractive, while the lavender and white wisterias, which ramble at will over our trellis, pergola and arches, are a mass of colour, together with the ever-charming yellow a"od white banksia roses, which are growing more attractive each day. Huge snowball trees are ✓ smothered with quaint green balls,, which will later change to purest white. In the borders, clumps of sparaxis, with bright satiny flowers, are ' gaily blooming:, with a back-ground of graceful fairy-like ixias in shades of pink, yellow, white green. Autumn-grown antirrjhinums are commencing to throw out spikes of lovely blooms. The earliest Irises are also adding their quota of beauty to the garden in beautiful shades of blue, purple and yellow. Occasionally a rose shyly peeps forth from among its foliage, a promising omen of the beauty to follow. Hedges of berberis are unfolding graceful hanging sprays of attractive yellow bloom, which, if hot thought so common, would be welcomed among our cultivated garden shrubs. Beautiful flowers and foliage and still more beautiful are the lovely berries which follow with a bloom on them, identical with the colour of wild grapes. s •' Delphiniums and Their Culture. The popular perennial delphinium has been on the increase In recent years,, probably due to the vast improvements effected by hybridisers. The new hybrids have much to recommend them, and have sometimes bee's alluded to as hollyhock delphiniums, owing to their immense height and general stately appearance. Wellgrown specimens often attain a height of from five to eight feet, with many beautiful shades of, blue a"ad purple, also white and, cream varieties. They are a hardy race and thrive in almost any good garden soil. They like a well-drained and sunny situation, and if good spikes are wanted, dig in plenty of well-rotted manure and good loam. If kept from seeding they will bloom from November until the late autumn. Avenues of these stately plants are most attractive, while used as a background for the borders they prove must suitable. They "may be raised with fair success from seed, either in spring or autumn months,

but sometimes take a long time to germinate. Much discussion at different times has been raised as to whence the name delphinium came, but inquiries land research meet with small success. The eye never tires in viewing their many shades of blue, ranging from sky blue down to deepest purple tones, some with rich. black centres seeming from a distance to carry a bumble bee in each bloom. . The white and cream varieties are a distinct break from the blues, a"ad although beautiful, cannot compare with the others, where colour is needed in the borders. It is best to plant them three feet apart, as in the course of a few years they grow into large clumps.