THE GARDEN.

Shannon News, 19 December 1924, Page 4

THE GARDEN.

Among the* FlPWers. Make an effort at the present time to to roll all bare: spaces with' annual plants. If left until the holiday season is over, it will bp too late. On the other hand if away from home during the holidays, and a general clearing up and planting is done beforehand, the garden will be a joy to return to. Seeds of Iceland poppy, anenome, and ranunculus may be'sown for winter and early spring blooming. Finish planting of tdahlias and chrysanthemums! The Kitchen Garden In the- vegetable garden all plots which have been utilised for ea,riy potatoes, lettuce, radish and whiteturnips, should be cleaned and cultivated iff readiness for a rotation crop of late cauliflower, and savoy cabbage plants. Giant Malta and Veitch’s autumn giant are” both splendid varieties. Giant malta will head about six weeks to two months later than the autumn giant. ' . Peas and French beans may still be sown, also mangolds, swedes, turnips, field, peas, arid beetroot Celery and tomato plants may be also , set out and Brussels sprouts. Field carrots do very well if sown now, also all table varieties. , Colour In The Garden.

Arches, 4 pergolas, and fencesare gay with rambler roses. Masses of the beautiful pink t)orothy Perkins are to be seen, with the equally beautiful crimson ramblers, while the glorious single American pillar, with its huge clusters of pink blossoms, presents a wonderful mass, of colour, with Hiawatha and white Dorothy ■ near by, toning down the richer reds, crimsons, and pinks of the showier varieties! Rose beds are still producing numbers of beautiful blooms and clumps of noble delphiniums .which are fast being recognised as the kings of the hardy plant border, are full of glorious blue colourings, providing tones.uhobtainable from any other plant and acting' as an embellishment to any garden. Clumps and rows of sweet peas, are at the zenith of their beauty. Beautiful colourings, together with an abundance of bloom, dominate the landscape. Borders of bright sweet william, with vastly improved shadings, beautiful verbenas, coupled with gay little plots of bright antirrhinums are filling the garden with colour, presenting a 'Charming picture to the eye. Carnations which charm the senses with their delicious perfume are rapidly coming into bloom, the restful tints of their foliage adding another attractions to these beautiful well-known .border plants. Summer Management of The Garden.

This in undoubtedly the most important of all the seasons, as regards the herbaceous border and borders of annuals. From now on plants will commence flowering freely, and every possible effort (as individual time permits) to continue their blooming period.

First of all conies the matter of staking, which is- often .left undone Plants should, be staked before they really . need it ,and when tying up, the great thing to avoid is, a bunched up appearance of the plant, also avoid using too many stakes, which is sometimes seeh, giving the borders a forest-like appearance. ' Stakes of varied size and strength will be needed, and should err on the side of being over strong than too. flimsy. After staking, comes the question of soil cultivation to conserve moisture. The free use of the dutch hoe will do a great deal to attain this end, and will also keep the weeds down. Let not any weeds. seed if you possibly avoid it. You will find your garden much easier to keep clean during the year if weeds are not allowed to mature. By midsummer the borders will be getting thick and will require very little- attention beyond tying and staking the plants as they require it. Those fortunate enough to have a never failing supply of water, have an enormous advantage, and if the bonders are done regularly three times a week, a wealth of bloom will result in - the driest ■ weather. Even a good syringing once a week is a great help, so long as the soil is not allowed to bake on the surface If the water is not- available, the only thing to be done-* is to keep the soil well loosened and mulch the plants if possible with grass clippings etc. Moderate feeding in the way of liquid manuring is of course highly desirable as a measure of attaining good quality exhibition blooms, but who is there in these twentieth century days is content to feed anything moderately. The tendency is to resort to over feeding, which "produces rank sappy growth with very few flowers, and is an -evil to- be avoided. There are very few gardeners who, when they have produced a fine and effective border picture, like cutting the flowers off their plants and thus spoiling the picture. These gardeners can hardly be blamed although, as a rule, they, may be obtained in sufficient quantities from the borders in summer time, without spoiling the effect. However, if the flowers are not freely cut from the borders while they are fresh, they should most certainly be cut off the moment they are dead. Where there is an exceptional demand for cut flowers, the gardener should provide for that demand by, planting a reserve bed. Keep a watchful eye on your plants and note any appearance of disease. A timely spraying will often save a bed which would otherwise be destroyed. Most summer diseases are Of the milder type and there are several efficient remedies on the market. In mild attacks frequent 1 dustings with flowers of sulphur will often prove* effective.