GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 26 April 1927, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

The wba£ri£irSas*Bb€!ri ideal for the t autumn gardening; ahd every effort should' be* made : to on- With - all necessary work;Autumn sown seedlings are making good progress and will be ready to*-refill all'bare’-spaces as soon ■ as* : they are cleared ■ Off.'* * Beds of animals which are only producing -a few odd flowers should be pulled up. It is far better to sacrifice a few blooms to have the same bed for a brilliant spring display. There aro many hardy plants available for the borders including many of the bulbous subjects such as anemones and RaririnculUS; : ' The * viola family are all very hardy, and early bloomers'* and should be used generously for edging borders etc Antirlhinums;rife- aitiong tho ! first : to bloom, also wallflotver#, a 'bed' of thd k latter looks well with yellow trhmp’ef daffodils planted amongst; them,'- - 'A bed of pink tulips is delightful with a ground work of ’fbfget-me-nots. 1 The annual; linaria' is one of*the most useful of winter bieemers and is’so"hardy it will thrive anywhere < j While slugs -are not so troublesome sow sweet peas • wherever space - permits. SCrw plentifully - df''alb the* Annual varieties of poppies, these make a brilliant display for many ‘Weeks, i A sheltered,' shhdy-border cOuld be filled with primula' inaiacoides. 'these have a very long blooming period; s Pla'nt violets' and primro'sed.' Strike hydrangea cuttings. Continue planting bulbous subjects. - Plant'hedges and evergreen shrubs. Prepare new rose beds. Plant all herbaceous perennials, sudh' as 'phlOx. Orrenf&l ' poppies geums, etc. Potting and Seed Boxes. .. The‘ideal'soil‘for potting is the top spit’from gOOd paitureiand. -Tt is usual to cut this In' turVes ab'Otit a foot square, and from two to five Inches thick according to the amount of fibre it "contains, dn'd then 'stack them-on slightly raiised’ground, Irkss side downwards. ' lit' ’sik 5 Ot* ’Oigplit months it will be ready for use and may be chopped down with a spade. : SeOond in importance ; is ; 16af-mould. It is impOssiblO'to havr ’-tob'much of this material in "hand,* a-""" it"‘ mixes freely with the soil suid lightens it, acting also as a mild re, encouraging a healthy root action: ’ - Oak dnd beech‘leaves make the' ’best mould. " - - '* ’ ; Seedlings. The management of seedlings is not, so easy as -it 'Souhds, : and : this many gardeners have found "to their cost., It is quite easy t 6 sow' seeds,*'arid 'to set plants out in =the garden, but it is not i so easy to 'manage- seedlings from the titme they 'are ready' fbn bedding out. '' MUch' can: be dbne' by-- Hislhg-" very light soil. Whatever compost - . r b i r is used, * should, ■ generally speaking, have at least one-i-eight part’ of : sand in it. ' It should riot ' be dressed - with (artificial" manures, as’ these do not tend to produce strong; healthy seed! •lings.- , .Seed when small should be sown absolutely on the' surface «f and the seed ' ‘ bOxfeS ■ 'coyefed ! ' wi.3i : brown paper and a sheet" of glasa' 4.11 .seed should be sown thinly; this is mdst importarif as "'thick sdWlrig' produces those thick, leggy plants so often seen- Early pricking out is advisable if strong l seedlings are to be the result. ; w > * ’ ( As soon as the little plants have two or four leavep they should bqcarefully lifted and planted out separately in other boxes, giving them one .good watering which shoUld carry them on for a considerable time. Some gardeners are fond of giving the tiny ’ plants J fertilisers in large doses and: nothing could b,e less to their advantage. Providing the soil is reasonably good no artificial manures are in the least necessary, arid' harm will be the result if they a!rel used. The only stimulant that cart be supplied with safety" is sOot water. All other fertilisers should not be/ used until the plants have ’ceased to ' be seedlings. > i Herbaceous Paeoniea. In size, form arid colour, modern paeonies may be said to have reached a state bordering-on perfection. Every shade of crimson, rose arid pink, from the deepest to the most-'deli-cate of hues, besides prirc white, primrose and cream, may be -looke’d for in an up-to-date collection of these handsome flowers. As to vari-, ety and beauty of form, you may have, large, full, double flowers which remind one of glistening silk," of you may have those cup-like blooms with huge centres of threaded tufts. * Bui if your choice rests with single kinds l there are those charming and-, enchanting varieties with • centres * of gold thread resting in a surround of wondrous shell-like guard petals. Finally instead of the somewhat un-. pleasant scent which characterised the flowers of the old fahsioned Species, you have in many kinds a fragrance, which equals any tea rose; - ; . Of the utility and the general desirableness of 'the paeOriy there can be no question. Their proved hardiness and immunity from disease arid' insect pests renders them * excellent and valuable subjects*for *the’permanent border. Even- : when:"oiit : '- of flower they have their handsomo- foli-'■' age to recommend theinT"’ Tbey 'Wb®

_i vrAmr* I * fit 4^.■*.». ? r '' j"r . well among shrubs and- even under trees ho' long as thetr rooting niediuiri ' J is not •encroached upon; ’ ! " ‘ PaeOntOs are also' well adapted for ' groWlrig iri beds om lawns with’spring do-vJ'erlrife ‘bulbs planted 'freely among thfem 'which blborri 1 lit \a : '' tiiiie J when : '•’the young shoots of the' paeonies are commencing f to v iriake their' appear- - ‘aricel* 5 * 9 ' w, -•’•■' . - < > The cultivation of paeonies is some-' ‘times regarded as . difficult because ‘ riewly planted sprieiriiens fall to flow-' dr.*'- 5 This is ' an ' ' idiosyncracy which ca'riofit be help’ed, but 1 it is a - fault „= which' naturally ’disappears with age. • |These r plants afe.'not difficiiit tb grow’ if you- give them a' generous start and bearpatiently \Vith their sparse-pro-ductibif f bf bloom'thb firkt year or sb. ; • • * ‘ Fldrit therii ib vfbtl-drained,- deeply •' • dbg, and' liberally manured soil 'arid they will r not fail you. When once wetf-established.' let the plants remain uridistuf'bbd arid they will Iricreade In" bferiuty 'arid pfbdvfctiVeriess J '’ ! as l the 1 years go by. The present i 3 one of the most fashionable times to plant the paeony ! vvheri* it will have a' charide to root be- ’* fora tlirbwirig up : tlie new -the early spring. ! Routine -Work in. the Vegetable Garden. Hasten the ' preparing of all plots required for , all autumn sown vegetables. * It is a good plan to get all these in before-the "rainy season commences in earnest." If sown on well : raised beds they get a good start befOre the heavy frosts set in. . ‘ ’ 'Onions may be sown for. spring transplanting; lettuce and all salad > ptarits; carrotdi -parsnips,’arid early 5 ! maturing turnips.'-^- - ! / ‘Sow‘cabbages and cauliflower seed.' Plant-strawberries, herbs, cabbage, leeks;'and* Celery. • . - , , ' : Sow spinach and silver beet.. A Few Novelties in Seedland, Among the nevelties wiiicli may be expected shortly is a ’new white sweetpea/ narried’ Sutton’s* Avalanche, which is ! lifted as ! ri remarkable Varibty;‘The flowers are of ‘substance ' and possess a' glistening Sheen in striking 1 contrast to the'dead'white-effect usually associated' yri'rifetles 1 in this section. ■ * Although of" immense size,-' the delightfully frilled • blooms are'very 1 - refined '’ ‘rind are v ’ borne throughbut 5 trie in fourri and fiyes'dri stbut''steriis of fifreat lerigth. Il’ M ill prove iridispensabie to exiiibitL in those*-vWro -require a freegrowirig variety' for’ 1 gdrden 'dricOra'ti6n; v -.-. r.). - . ... Two more charming new varieties of godetias hav been introduced this year; -Sutton’s double Shell 'Pink,'and Siitto'ri’B double’ dtirih ' Pink. The de- ‘ lightfui * siieli' pirik' fioWers of the - f ormfer and the rid'lesri' charming bright, glossy -pink-flowers of ■ thp latter are ’worthy addittbri3' to’that'very popular. ‘ : ' ‘ Hri another very comprehensive cat-' aldgue we notice two or three interesting 1 ' novelties which call <for special 'ifster' ‘LtOhiankensis." a -«

liardy perennial aster from China, Which was described by the late Mr. Reginald Farrer &s a “Bonus of the Gods.” It produces a stem three ihches high bearing a single bloom of Idvcly purple.

’ j An improvement on the Giant White'bush poppy of California lias bfeen secured in Romneya Trichocalyx. This hardy perennial blooms more freely and bears very large 'white flowers with golden stamenu. Ahother novelty which should secure popularity is Violet Zariza, a charming, new, sweet-scented violet bearing flowers of a soft delicate, rose

'Three other novelties are Antirihinuin His Excellency, * a pure scarlet variety with no orange In the colouring and coming almost entirely true from 'seed. This is coilsidered an improvement' on Flame which most gardeners are acquainted with. Escbscholtzia, semi-double Toreador, feblden brown with intense orange crimson reverse, a beautiful new variety. Oenothera Trichocalyx, a new evening primrose with silvery 1 glaucdus foliage, snowy white flowers finished with golden anthers.