GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 19 October 1926, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

, (By *‘Lorna. M ) Good headway haa been made by all growing things during the last week. - Seedlings are making quick growth, and should be planted out as soon as largo enough to handle., These, however, must be carefully watched and protected from slugs, which at present are very troublesome. To avoid the nightly task of looking them up with a lantern, pieces of old sacking may be left lying about, which, although not very elegant in appearance, have the advantage of coaxing the slugs to shelter under them, where they may be destroyed in the morning. Keep the soil constantly stirred among the growing plants, as weather and soil permit. There is nothing to be gained by interfering when the soil is in a wet state. Weeds are growing rapidly, and much may be done to keep them in cheek by pulling them out by hand, an operation which can be gone on with when the soil is too wot fdr anything else. Chrysanthemums and some dahlias for early flowering may be planted out this month. Re-pot any plants requiring a shift. Lawns are needing constant attention; keep the grass free from unsightly weeds. A few drops of benzine are said to destroy dandelions, etc. Seeds of almost all kinds of flowers may be sown now. The Vegetable Garden. Rhubarb is making good growth; carefully remove any flowering stems which may appear. Earth up peas, potatoes, etc., as growth requires, and utilise every spare moment in working among the growing plants when the soil is in a fit state. Seeds of all vegetables may be sown. Plant out tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflowers, onions and potatoes. A few French beans may be sown in a warm situation. Prepare the ground for mangolds, field peas and late potatoes. Prepare the beds for pumpkins, melons, etc. Dig deeply and trench in plenty of rotted manure. ' Spinach Beet. In small gardens the spinach beet is particularly valuable, as it gives such liberal returns for the small amount of space occupied. In gardens which are somewhat hot and dry during the summer months, the common spinacli runs to seed quickly, whilst the spinach beet is very satisfactory in such positions. The first sowing may be made in early spring, and picking commences in about six weeks or a little later from the date of sowing. This crop will give a succession of pickings till autumn is well advanced, and given mild weather, leaves may be gathered through the winter. Tho best yield for winter is furnished by a second sowing during March and April. Plants from both sowings will, however, if allowed to stand over the winter yield frequent pickings again in the spring at a time when greens are scarce. A good plan is to sow tho seeds in drills 18 inches apart, thinning out when required to six inches, the thinnings supplying the first dish. Rich, welldug soil is necessary for specially good results, as it must be borne in mind that a plant which is providing material for the igreater part pf the year requires rich soil to start wth. The Blue Woodroof (Asperula Awreflsetosa). A good hardy annual, which deserves far more attention than it receives, is the Blue Woodroof, It bears numerous flowers in clusters, which aro of a pretty soft blue of exquisito formation, which on close inspection give the effect of delicate lace work. Tho plant grows only about a foot in height, and is a valuable annual for the rock garden, as on rockwork it will assume a prostrate habit of growth which makes it very suitable for covering the places where the earliest bulbs have gone to rest. ' It may be sown thinly where it is to bloom, in any good light soil, just covering tho seeds with fine compost. Its habit of flowering resembles the Blue Lace flower (Didiscus Coerulcus), and the blooms of the two would blond very happily together. , Beauty in the Garden. One of the features of all small gardens should be ' tho herbaceous border. Once started, with a little renewal each year, it is a source of continual pleasure. All plants in it should be grouped, as stray plants here and there givo no effect. Have the border wide, 6 or S feet at least, and the full length of the garden. Group the larger _ plants, such as the lupins, delphiniums and hollyhocks, at the back, coming down in height towards the front. Clumps of marguerites and mas daisies are showy, and the purple of the etenactis is always pretty for filling up between the various groups, Get somo dark snapdragons and group them together. Fill in another space with the beautiful Oriental poppies; the bright scarlets and the lovely salmonshaded ones are very showy. Clumps of irises are nieo near the front, and do not forget a nice clump of the sweet-scented clove pinks somewhere near the front ot' the border. Bushes of lavender will help fill in the background among the lupins and delphiniums. It is surprising what effects can be got by qujto simple means and a little trouble in a garden. The Creeping Rosemary. A gem for the rock garden may be obtained in the creeping Rosemary, which goes under the name of Rosmarinus prostratus. It is a charming rock plant for trailing over stones and veiling" them with delightful greenery spangled with small dainty flowers. Like the wellknown upright growing variety, it is easily propagated from cuttings. A warm sheltered place should be

chosen for it on tlie rockery, with light, gritty, well-drained soil. Mowers for Catting. The cultivation of flowers for cutting a profitable business for those gardeners who live neat' towns, as there is always a demand for cut blooms of the right sort, while, the varieties which arc most in request are those that present no difficulties in raising. Sweet-scented flowers arc always favourtes, and quite a number of highly perfumed annuals can be grown from seeds sown in the open or in boxes in spring,} the most popular of them being sweet peas, scabious, ten-week stocks, sweet Sultan and mignonette. Even quite a late sowing is profitable, furnishing blooms long after the earlyraised plants are over. Sweet peas are indispensable ,for cutting, and of late years have become very popular. Those who have limited space would do well not to grow too many varieties. It is better to grow a few than to grow a large, number and get them crowded out. Like everything else in the floral world, it takes just as much labour and trouble to grow poor varieties as it does good ones, and now that so many magnificent giant flowered ones can be obtained at small cost, there is no excuse for raising worthless varieties.

Mignonette and the other plants above named, can be sown thinly where they are to flower and covered with just enough fine soil , to bury the seed. Ten week and giant stocks come particularly fine this way, as they resent moving. Wallflowers are very fragrant in spring, and useful as cut flowers, but they must be treated as biennials, the spring-sown '.seeds giving a wealth of bloom the following spring. Several distinctly coloured varieties aro obtainable, though probably tho old blood red and the rich warm browns give the most satisfaction, Roses, of course, must be grown, but they are a large class and need careful selection. Choose mostly hybrid perpetuals, as these provide blooms for quite six months of the year. i Carnations and pinks are valuable for cutting, and can bo produced from seed, but plants aro generallyto be obtained at a reasonable price The new pinks of the Allwoodi type are a great boon, as they aro perpetual flowering. Lily of tho Valley and violets provide a lot of sweetscented v flowers, ; A shady north border is the best to select for the former ,and if it is under trees it will not bo less successful. With an annual mulch of leaves and the occasional removal of weeds, a bed of Lily , of the Valley will give no further troublo for years. There is a recently introduced variety which produces charming pale pink spikes of bloom. Violets are best raised from division in the spring, or from cuttings planted in the autumn. Tho fragrance of tho violet makes it a general favourite, and it is just the fiowpr for button-holes. The bunching of the flowers is a little tedious, but anyone accustomed to the work can get over it in much less time than a novice, Violets love a rich loamy soil: tho bed should also have i a sunny position, and be well drain- ] ed in order to produce blooms as early as possible. In making a so-, lection choose the large flowered types, together with early blooming qualities. Gerbera daisies as cut dowers are

always in demand, but unfortunately they are fastidious as to soil, demanding a deeply worked silty loam. If your soil is at all clayey it will be best to leave them alone. The early flowering narcissi aro indispensable for late winter and early spring use. With these ths first expense is the last, and the blooms obtained from them the first season should pay for the bulbs.

Anemones, where they can be got to flower early, are perhaps the most profitable of all, as large quantities can bo gathered off a bed. These aro quite successfully grown from seed, and the roots or rhizomes may be obtained at a cheap rate. Procure largely of one or two colours, scarlets, purples, pink and salmon shades being most in favour.

Iceland .poppies are another line that pay well. They are very popular and flower continuously. The new pink shades are wonderfully attractive, -while the glowing orange shades aro always popular. A bed of ranunculus is well worth cultivating, 1 providing many attractivelyhued blooms, and last but not least the handsomo Darwin tulips, the outlay for which will prove a little more expensive.