GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 30 June 1925, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Routine Work. Prune roses and fruit trees uiid spray. Plant hedge plants, shrubs, fruit and forest trees and roses. Prepare frames for hot beds, and cleanse every nook and cranny with a reliable insecticide wash, to exterminate woodlice. Plant liliums and herbaceous subjects. Borders intended for the cultivation of summer annuals should receive attention, half-decayed leaves, old garden rubbish, and wood ashes, ■ire all excellent for annuals. Go over the rockery occasionally, and examine the hiding places beneath the foliage of plants and under stones killing as many slugs as you can find. Plant Solomons seal, lily of the valley, violets and primroses in partial shade, also plant generously of the dainty primula malacoides in the shadiest portions of the garden. The Vegetable Garden.

Plant a few potato onions and eschallots for early use in favourable weather. Plantings of cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce may be made. For the small garden, use a small variety of cabbage, many of the large coarse varieties take up too much space with useless leaves, Iho small and medium types- can be planted much closer together. Sow broad beans, and early pea in suitable situations. Book over the potatoes for early planting, and expose them in boxes to form short dark green sprouts. Ground intended for spring peas should be dug or trenched. Rhubarb should liave a dressing of rough stable manure. Flowering Shrubs for Winter.

Very welcome are the shrubs which bloom through the winter months, and many varieties may now be obtained, which provide a bright cheery note to an otherwise bare garden. The Virburnam Tinus, commonly known as Ban rust in us deserves a place in every garden. It flowers continuously and is at its best in July and August. It ; s then covered with tresses of pinkish white blossoms, and thrives in most situations. The Japanese Quince Cydenia Japonc'a) is another delightful shrub with showy scarlet flowers, and makes a fine display through the winter months. The various varieties of Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginica) arc among the best hardly early flowering shrubs, they are usually blooming through the month of June. The flowers ,are rather quaint, the stems being covered with yellow hued flowers with the Calyces brown. When used as cut flowers they produce a striking effect. Another free flowering shrub is the Daphne and its varieties. A bed or border of these sweet-scented favourites is charming. Bucullia gratissi nui is another beautiful sweet-scent-ed subpect which blooms in mid-win-ter, producing large bunches of a delightful soft pink shade, the shape of the flowers is similar to the Hydrangea, but it must be planted in a sheltered corner where the frost does not penetrate. The winter jasmine (Jasminuin Mudiflorum) is one of the earliest shrubs to flower, and is valuable for covering walls and fences. It blooms freely in mid-winter and succeeds in almost any position and soil. It. should be pruned as soon as the flowers »<’e over. Many of our Ericas are among the -winter flowering shrubs, perhaps the freest winter bloomers ar.e Allisoniana (pale pink) Autumnalis (also pink) and Pyramidalis Gracilis, Clethra Aborea (lily of the valley tree) is a’.so attractive, although it is only in the bud stag-*', through the winter Solanum Capsicasfrum is a very useful winter subject with cherry-like berries in winter, which are very useful for indoor decorations. Semphorica'.rpus Vulgaris is a pretty dwarf shrub with long racemes of carmine berries in winter, somewhat similar is Cotoneasler Microphyllus with pink berries. Another shrub which grows about four feet high is Cotoneaster Simmondsii with pretty orange-col-oured berries which brighten up the garden through the winter months. Another beautiful shrub is the Golden Tainui (Pomaderris Elliptica) a most beautiful hardly native, at the present time it is only in the bud stage which is yet very attractive, later, it blossoms into great bunches of small orange flowers, the foliage is inclined to he silvery. Some Garden Biliums. The planting o-t—lilies is invariably associated with groups of rhododendrons, azaleas, evor-green shrubs, and woodland and in such a manner as to rather dishearten the countless admirers, whose gardens possess none of these advantages. While admitting that: such conditions are ideal it would be a mistake to say that these charming subjects are only for the flavoured few. Before alluding to them let us what is required to make them a success. First of all we must dispel any doubts there, may be as to the hardiness of those 1 shall name. All the shelter they need is from cutting winds. Secondly, partial shade while growing may be reckoned as one of the things which should not he overlooked. Thirdly, the roots must be kept cool and moist and be allowed a free run. In the absence of a shrubbery we must turn to the half-shaded border -which exists in most gardens, where the sun does not reach till the afternoon, this can be made to grow flue lilies. When about to plant lilies the future effect should be considered, some plants never sliow r to greater advantage than as single specimens, but lilies are among those that look best in groups of from five to eight. Many semi-dw-arf bushy perennials associate well with them and aid as a protection tor the roots. The soil for lilies should be fairly rich, and above all. porous and lie over good drainage. If the soil is unsuitable remove it to about two feet deep, substituting good loam, leaf mould and sand and at the bottom well mixed with the existing soil may be placed some old manure. Most varieties are best planted about four inches deep, put a thin layer of sand for the bulbs to rest on and cover wdth the same before adding the soil. The following are a fe.v of the most, popular and easi y grown lilies to plant. One of the handsomest is Auratum the golden rayr.d lily of Japan platyhyllum is also noteworthy for its large spotted flowers. Longifllorum is another stately plant with pure white trumpet,

shaped dowers. Of the varieties of speciosum we cannot sav too much in their favour for they arc beautiful, and when other kinds are over they are just at their best. Special mention must be made of melpomene, magnilicum, rose uin and rubrum, each being notable for their broad petals, rich spotted crimson, rose or carmine on a white or crimson ground. Album Kraetzeri is one of the prettiest lilies it is possible to grow, with white flowers and a band of green down the centre of each petal. Of Chinese lilies there is a fair choice Henriyi bears bright orange flowers. Regale is another in which yellow is the centre colour, gra dully growing paler until the edges of the petals are white, this lily may be raised from seed. Another grand variety is tigrinum, but it is quite eclipsed by its varieties, fortune! and splendens both in form and colour. The Nankeen lily is one of the most fragrant and is a beautiful shade of apricot, then there, is the g’ aut lily with large white trumpet flowers tinged with violet and crimson and the. Panther lily which grows live feet high and bears large drooping orange, flowers. Many others might be named ,but where the above succeed, no difficulties will arise with the remainder.