THE GARDEN.

Shannon News, 3 September 1926, Page 3

THE GARDEN.

- * With the near approach of the gardener’s busiest time of the year, the leisure moments of every fine day should be taken advantage of in order to cope with the many items of our list calling for immediate attention. At this time of the year in particular, never put off until tomorrow what you can do to-day. The new catalogues are to hdnd with their lists of beautiful things for the garden. New colours may be obtained in the ever popular Iceland poppies, while a novelty colour in the Eschscholtzia • (pale buff inside with a raspberry red reflex) should become- very popular. The new giant-|lowered dahlia zinnias arc well worth cultivating. There is also something new' in the ncm.esia line, the upper half of the blooms are bright coloured and the lower’ part white,' producing a bicolour effect. Seeds of all new things should be ordered early, as there is usually a run on them. With the colder nights experienced during the last week or two, growing plants have made little progress. Bulbs intended for exhibition should, have a. little basie slag, worked among them. Dig 'over the rose borders as quickly as possible; they are already bursting into leaf and there is danger of knocking off many of these shoots when left too long in working amongst.

.Some Early Spring Blooming Shrubs Beyond the lilac, laburnum, hawthorn and a 'few others, there seems a general ignorance of our many charming flowering shrubs, and less knowledge as to their nature and time of flowering. Everyone wild loves gardens at all will be more than willing to admit that flowering shrubs generally are among the most delightful and varied of their occupants, and also that their permanent . character considerably enhances their , value. This week I wish to draw the reader’s attention , to some old and easily grown varieties which are valuable on account of their early blooming. First there is the well-known Laurustinus; we begin and end the winter as well as spring with this shrub in full bloom. "When there" are absolutely no flowers in the garden, the vases can al* ways, lie filled with -Sprays of' their clean-looking white flowers which show up well against the glossy green of the. leaves. The Daphne ranks among the earliest of our flowering shrubs. Looked at closely it is beautiful, viewed from a distance it is not so noticeable; but near or distant you can detect its presence by its delightful fragrance. Make a point of having at least one Daphne in your garden, for its cultivation is simple enough. Just plant it on any border, and there you are. Prunus, or the red-leaved plums, begin to bloom in August. Like other plums, it blooms before the leaves come, and when it becomes established it outrivals the almond In quantity ofj flower, though the individual blooms are smaller. On a good soil it makes quite a tree, so it is advisable, to grow it on poor soil to keep it down to shrub proportions. As the blooms fade the red foliage appears, making the shrub an object of beauty for ten months out of the year. In August our shrubberies arc enlivened by the vivid rod flowers of the American currant (Ribes astrosanguineum). This particular variety is quite the best of the Ribes family; a bush or two standing in any part of ,the garden is wonderfully effective when in bloom, and it plays its part in adding to the autumnal beauty when its, leaves turn russet and gold. This is one of the best known and most popular of shrubs, because of its brightness and earlincss, and also because it is as easy to grow as black or red currants. It is almost indifferent as to the sml in which it js grown, though the richer the soil the richer and larger are growth and bloom. bow’l of it will make any room, or any dull corner, quite fresh and bright. Fovtythia viridissima, sometimes known as flowering willow, makes just the companion for Ribes. Its golden flowers harmonise with tlie red of the other. It is ’of erect habit and nothingflowers more freely, for when well established the bush becomes a dense mass of yellow when its flowering season arrives, and in the autumn its leaves change to a pleasing deep purple shade. There is another variety called F. suspensa, the habit of which 'is very different, for it throAvs long trailing branches that suggest its usefulness for covering Avails or fences. These long branches floAvcr from every eye, and its blooms hang in shapely and Avell ordered strings. The blooms are golden yelloAV, and Avhere this variety can be used to advantage it ranks higher than viridissima. The Forsythias' are easy doers, and once planted they only need an occasional trimming. Spiraoa-arguta and S. Thunbergi are a brace of the earliest flowering of that great family of flowering shrubs Avliich in all sizes and all colours almost dominate the season through. Attention is called to these tAvo, not only .because they bloom in early spring, but more because they are real gems, Avith their quantities of tiny Avhite flOAvers' that grow together as ! thick as snow. Their groAvth is I slender and graceful, -v S. Thunbergi has fern-like foliage, and m this differs materially from arguta, but both turn crimson a?id gold when autumn’s sunshine hand?,' these colours round. The deciduous Magnolias are among the grandest garden subjects an early spring. One wonders lioav their waxy Avhiteness can eA r or emerge when the cold Avinds are blo-wing, for there are many of them white as snow, ivory chalices in very truth. Why will people persist in passing them by

'when making their selection of dowering shrubs. Is it the name,. Avith all its aristocratic associations, or do the stately cu,ps of perfect- purity pay the penalty of that beauty, by suggesting something too delicate to be grown successfully? Most of the Magnolias are inexpensive, easy to groAV, not difficult to please, and are certain to bloom. If the Avriter had only rooni for two shrubs, this would be one of them. The most serviceable and the earliest variety for small gardens is M. Stellata, \ which besides being early is a very , profuso bloomer. The old Pyrus japonica; Avith .its Avealth of scarlet blossoms, limited to no particular season, but most acceptable in early > spring, is so well known that it needs little more than mention here. There is no reason Avhy it should always bo groAvn against walls, for it may be very effective in bush form. Scarlet is a scarce colour in spring, and. that is one , reason why this shrub is so extremely useful and valuable, there are mapy other colours, most of which bloom later than the old scarlet favourite.