GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 29 November 1927, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Continue to plant and sow annuals. Sow seeds of perennial subjects such as geums, wallflowers, brompton stocks, etc., for next season’s bloorn-

ing. Sow freezia, anemone, and ranuncuius seed, and strike pansy and viola cuttings. Plant dahlias, and stake all tall growing plants. Plant gladiolus and disbud roses, keeping all dead flowers plucked off. Give the sweet .peas liquid manure where fine blooms are wanted. L The Vegetable Garden. Plant cabbage,. lettuce," ceiery, tomato, cap© gooseberry, cauliflower and kumera. Plant red cabbage for pickling. Continue to sow lettuce and other salad plants. Sow or plant marrow, pumpkins, etc., and broad beans, and dwarf. Sow seed for winter greens, such as brocolli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, curly kale, etc. Sow peas for rotation crop. Sow mangolds, field peas, carrots, and plant main crop potatoes. Sow beetroot, maize, and sweet corn.

The Potato Crop.

Although constant reminders are annually given as to the strong advisability of early spraying to ward off the dread potato's disease, especially at a time such as the present when an over excess of moisture and muggy atmospheres are prevailing, favourable conditions for fungus diseas es, little notice is taken of the warnings. Instead of occasionally spraying the plants with bordeaux mixture or any other good fungus check, there is a sort or "they must take their chance” feeling among inexperienced gardeners with the result that in many instances a serious loss occurs owing to the accumulation of large numbers of diseased tubers. Prevention is 1 better than cure, and this is specially true with regard to potatoes. The early plants are just at the critical stage of bursting into flower, a. stag e when blight is most likely to affect them. Leeks.

Leeks are among the most serviceable and easily grown .vegetables one can take in hand, yet it is surprising how many people there are who appear to be content to achieve only moderate results.. It is repeatedly found thkt the plants are given a r poor place in the, garden, not infre- • qitently some out of the way corner assigned to them as if their inclusion had been an afterthought. Planted in badly prepared ground the crop turns out an indifferent one. Leeks merit a- position open and sunny, where the soil is deep and has been made rich by previous culture and preparation. To get the best that this vegetable is capable of the trench should bo prepared now in readiness for the young plants which will shortly be ready for transplanting. Dig the trench at least two feet deep, and work ip manure with \he bottom spit. Then refil the trench tio within six inches of {he top, working in some well decayed vegetable manure as the work proceeds. Use a little good artificial manure, such as blood and bone, if the former is not available. It is a long period of growth in richly prepared ground that produces the finest leeks. When ready for planting, dig holes nine inches apart and drop the plants into the extremities of th e leaves. The 1 beginner may be dubious about sinking them in a hole almost out of sight, but he need have no fear as they will not be long in asserting themselves. Pinch the leaves once or twic e during the season, give copious supplies of water should the weather be dry, and feed occasionally with liquid manure. If extra fine leeks are wanted fix a board on either side of each row and draw the soil up to the plants as they grow, taking car e to keep the soil out i of the' collars as this will blanch them and also keep them very tender.' Garden Planning in a Small Way. There is a variety of styles from which to choose in garden planning, though there are- stil many gardeners whlo stick to the rectangular and geometrical forms with the deeply rooted idea that straight lines display the beauty of the flowers better • than vaguely meandering ones. Many argu e that a beautiful picture is never put in a wavy frame. Yet in plantj ing and planning a garden one is making a picture—not a frame. Often | the cottage garden will present a far more pleasing sight than the gentleI man’s garden does. The charm of the \ cottage garden lies in the fact that j th e plants, beds, and walks, are not | set out in geometrical lines or ways. , The straight line and the curved may both b e right in their proper place, , but both may be wrong when used inartistically. The true way to find the I happiest designs for flower gardens j is to let them grow out of the situation. } A person may admire some particu- | lar corner of the garden he has visit- | ed and decides to reproduce the same I effect in his own". This plan he often hastily carries out without a pause 1 to consider Whether his situation is as I favourable as the one he wishes to

copy. Som e plants are very beautiful in one garden, but in another they are often rank failures. Again the amateur gardener may yearn to own a pergola, and there being no other place to erect.it, the once fair expanse of lawn is marred with a straight, heavy construction not unlike an overhead railway. Why should th e dead lines of the builder be carried into the garden, which, above everything els.; should giv e the sweetest fellowskip with nature.

Speaking- generally, one prefers the winding course of a’ brook to a straight ditch, the meandering river to a navigation cut; yet who xvould wish to alter or destroy some of our stately and straight, avenues of handsome trees? Her e the long and unbroken line comes into its own, giving a restful effect, especially wher e a setting of broken, hilly outlines surrounds it. There are always odd nooks in the garden where only quiet restful types of flowers or hardy ferns will thrive, with perchance nearby, a suitable spot where the artist’s love of “colour” may run riot. Where window-boxes are used the same mistake of neglecting to consider the type oil plant required by the situation is often/miide. The plants must be chosen according to the site of the window box. For instance, a window box built where tiie . south winds have full access should be planted with only the hardiest subjects. Tcoplants and most spe'eies of the saxifrage family will do well; anything in fact, that loves sunshine and is' not easily damaged by gales. Shrubs and Climbers for Walls facing West. Escallqnia Langleyensis, eleniatis Nelliq Moser, Jasminum nudifldrum, rose climbing Lady Hillingdon, ceanothus veitehianus, and rose Zepherin dilauhen, are all excellent subjects to grow by and on walls facing west. There are places in most gardens—out of th e way corners near a hedge ox’ under deciduous trees—whereplants are seldom disturbed. It is in these places that one should contrive to have a few bulbs. Now that the soil is moist from the recent heavy rains, the opportunity should be seized and the bulbs lifted from the borders and planted in thes e places. They will come to no harm if they ai’e planted as soon as lifted, and not left to lie about for a few weeks, as the foliage has not sufficiently i;ipened off for this treatment. The gaps left by their removal may then be filled with gay annuals. All the ixia family (grass ljulbs) do well planled in odd, rough,; out of the way corners, together with several varieties of watsonia and the commoner gladioli. Airing the Green house. As a rule the novice is afraid of admitting fresh air into the greenhouse. This is a great mistake, for the plants, like i animals, must hav e fresh air if they are- to do well. Cold, draughts, of course, must be avoided, but from now on the air must be changed daily by means of the ventilators provided for the purpose. The milder the day the more fresh air should bfe given. Even in winter, unless cold winds are prevailing, a little air should be given daily, choosing the mid-day hour.