GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 12 April 1927, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

£*.' "With the shortening days and the $U gradual increase«of colour'among our W- - autumn'- tinted' shrubs =and trees, we \l< 'are- reminded of, the near approach \jjji. of .the cold wintry months. In garlic : dens- where shelter is deficient, the >\V', unusually eariy frost took toll of all \~ tender" subjects. The chrysantheare. growing rapidly, the filling *&.. buda.;g';ving .• promise of beauty to folf% low.' -With frequent showers, this is s', the ideal time to get the garden into «^ s thorough working order, which will ii considerably lighten the work in !?| springtime. Spring, we all-look forr:'- ward* to < it,-; and make many plans to ;V" improve the garden, which we also I tee dwindle away unaccomplised, on '-'■ account of the continual wet days. -S„ Many of these'same. plans may be got h' onwithat the present time. If put-: 1/ ting down a lawn sow it now, if con- \' J structing a Pergola, do it now. If jj'l- drains-are needed, the ground will \*Jl ; now be: found in good order, for dig*N:*: gitog. If'a hedge be needed, dig ana H ', manure the site and set in your "lv trees. If planting a shrubbery, pre§'f: ", pare •it now, planting all the ever-. £-.-■ green shrubs, these oi a dedicuoua §£,'"'. nature, "(that is those that lose their \'c., leaves during the winter months) are £%" "best left until spring. Fill the bor- ]■■ ders with hardy annuals as soon as I \ you, .have them large enough to han|i> , die. Plan: all anemone, ranunculus ?;'*.' and other bulbous subjects available. f>-" Construct rock gardens. Make new ?tr beds. If needed andsgarden paths. Newj i- ; rose-beds 1 are allr the better for being y' taken in-hand now, and they may al- ■'* so* be planted before the winter sets

}. In the Vegetable Garden. L % ;' Ai.general cleaning Of all refuse is 's• advisable at ; this time of the year. [K-' Old rubbish, heaps, are usually good '{?. breeding grounds for all garden pests, •f; and what isof-no- use for the compost > heap should be burnt. Most onions }: , have dried off and will be ready for .',-■ -storing in a dry place. The old ;•. method of tying them on strings ;, : " .Is the best way to keep them in good condition. •A\ Sow lettuce, cabbage and cauli-

flower for spring purposes. -;' 1 Plant new strawberry beds and ;;l keep, the runners cut from the per- '*-. mament beds. p,. Prepare rhubarb beds and also as-

l paragus. ~ ; ' Trim hedges and , prepare any

A ground intended for tree planting, if • whether fruit or otherwise. This is li the best time to use basic slag. Dig :: T--~8,-pit in readiness for the leaves which will shortly be falling, leaf mould is /-- invaluable for-many purposes.

Spring flowering Bulbs for the Roclt v » Garden. '('■ Many beautiful spring-flowering subjects may be planted now. in sunable nooks in the rock-garden. Wiu--1 v ter aconite, with bright yellow flow-

L era (low-growing); sparaxis, in many , glowing colours, crocus, of which there aro several _ varieties. Calochortu 3 (btar tulips) althouhg theso

belong to the same natural order as -. the: tulips of our gardens, bear little resemblance to them, they have a Hght, graceful growth, and for brilliancy of colour are unsurpassed, ' theft- long stems and contnuous £ bloomng qualities entitle them to a : J. . place in all rock gardens. ; -':> . Many of the cyclamens are eminV: ently suitable for the purpose, as are ':{■ also the erythronium (dog's-tootn-

Vi violets), muscari hyacinths, witn :• , dainty spikes of bell-flowers. Lny of the valley and primulas for shady ;'' ' nooks. The dainty alpine, and Blan"i, ' da anemones. , The interesting Frif-■■-, tillarios, the, winter "blooming irises, > ' glory of the snow, with.their brilliant h blue flowers with snow white centres, * grouped together are charming. \ Ranunculus, which fdfnish bright

I tlooms for manv weeks. Spring snowflakes which only grow six Inches high, holding dainty white flowera with green tips. The white and yollow hoop petticoats, favourites of all. Angel's Tears daffodil, with elegant creamy white flowers with a long cup and a perianth which lies back on to the stem. Many of our daintiest little bulbs get lost in the &-■ open borders, but when planted in a -; ' suitable pocket in the rock garden *- they are safe from the continual hoe- '■-■ • inga which our borders receive. Staticc (Sea Lavenders.) ": At*the present time most varieties of staticc are blooming freely. Most people are aware that the statices, or sea lavenders are excellent to dry I for winter< decorations, and although the variety in colours is limited, much can be done by means of some ordln;i ary packets of dye. There is a good ',, species which bears white flowers and ."' goes urider i the name of Statice Fata- -' ' rlca, the flowers are small individually, but what they lack in size they r. . make'up in numbers. Thefie white £ varieties- will take- the colour so well £; ; that they will loql'c as if 'Nature alone %Z had been at worte With the aid of - these dyes a charming variety of colg-: ours may bVhad which brighten up lf* the rooms during, the dull winter |p> months-which wIH soon, be.with us %'. again. The sprays off statice inten|;;i-, ded 'for dying, should be cut as soon fjrt, as thtfflowers are ciuTte expanded, and %''\ hung up in a dry place until all molsfel«ture has left-the-stems. latest ".noveltlea of the

■statice family is Static© .pUtonl which -grows into 'quite- a shrubbery bush, bearing sprays of lovely bright plnK flowers. They are all very hardy and useful perennial plants and well worth a place in the garden, their culture being one of the simplest. Restoring the Garden with AnnualsHardy annuals unquestionably rank omongst the most showy and useful plants we possess, and not only that ? but they may be raised at a minimum of Co3t, whereas those of a more,ten:der character require the assistance of glass and heat to raise them and get them ready for planting out.

In fact, where the borders arc kept free from weeds and the soil hoed, many of our old favourites will seed themselves, and after our recent showers many tiny seedlings are already making their appearance above ground. These will make sturdy little plants for filling up bare spaces if planted out as soon as large enough to handle, or thinning if they are to remain where they are.

Larkspurs, and lupins are exceedingly showy annuals, also godetias, and clarkias, doing well in moderately good soil. Schizanthus, v (butterfly are a charming class of annuals, the flowers of which resemble a butterfly with wings outspread, and the petals are beautifully marked and spotted. These stand a fair amount of frost, buff or safety's sake should be planted in a warm, sunny spot. The annual varieties of chrysanthemums are also very fine, and should be laregly grown, being ttrong growers, from two to. three in a patch are quite sufficient, as they require much space. Candytuft, and Helichrysums, commonly known as everlastings, are invaluable, both for decorativo purposes in borders and for the embellishment of vases in rooms, where, if gathered before they becom©rtoo. fully expanded and dried in the shade, they last fresh and preserve their colour the whole of the winter, or even for years.

Sweet-peas are not to be forgotten. They form the subject of special articleg by experts., With a few patches of them in th e borders running up twiggy sticks, or a row in the garden, there is always something to help to fill the .flower basket. Mixed varieties give a pleasing effect. To have sweet peas strong they should be sown early during Hhe autumn months, and to keep up a supply make a further sowing during the spring months.

Stocks of the German kind make magnificent beds ablazo with colour. They need to be sown very thinly in rows where they are to bloom. This is; much better than transplanting as by doing that they lose their taproots and receive such a check as to throw them prematurely Into flower. To grow stocks well the soil cannot be too rich or deep, and therefore, before sowing it should be thoroughly broken up and heavily mauurcd, and then raked down fine to get the seed in. ■ The great advantage in' sowing annuals in autumn is that they not oniy flower much sooner f but they are, where- the soil suits them, always stronger and finer, with a much freer branching habit. influenza and Onions. As winter passes on, the earth naturally gets colder, vegetation becomes more sparing in its growth, the human body is gradually deplenished }n:its-store of vitamines and as a result of these changes, influenza, rheumatism, and other ailments begin to develop. In olden days these diseases used to make the last month or two of winter a time of universal illness and high mortality. To-day we can avoid:many of these winter scourges, and of all our natural I know none which can compare with the onion for winter health and healing. Onions are easily grown by tho.«e who have space for a garden, and lr not, they are usually cheap and easily obtained in every town and village. They provide the vitamines we need and must have, they give a sense of warmth and well being to the chilliest person on the coldest day, and further, they are rich in a delicate antiseptic which. reduces the vitality of lower disease organisms. Through ignorance of their true food value many modern people are apt to despise the odorous onion, but for the next few months, everyone who fears, and is subject to chills and influenza should add sliced onions to his or her daily salad, or else to eat an, onion that has been sliced thinly into vinegar and kept standing in it for. an hour. Those who aro anaemic or neurotic as. the result of intestinal poisoning should follow the advice of "Onions" and - still more "Onions"— or onion juice— be .consumed, and onion gruel or broth should invariably be taken in the early stages of a cold. .