GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 23 December 1927, Page 3

GARDEN NOTES.

Seasonable Routine Work. Continue the work of planting out bedding subjects with all pow»Wo •roeed The soil is favourable and the vou«g plants will quickly get rooted. " Make a final sowing of annuals, and sow where they are to remain. Dwarf nasturtiums, shirlcy poppies, csehscholtzias and. many other annuals will miicklv "row to flowering size. q Ket the side snoots plucked from the chrysanthemums, and finish plantin cc dahlias. , Keep rose, dahlia, and chrysanthemum bed* well hoed, and give them a good mulching with any straw litter or lawn grass clippings rius will help keep the beds moist, When it is not possible to supply them with the necessary water during the hot davs of January and February. Give the borders a good tidying up, as weeds have grown rapidly during the last fortnight. Remove seed heads from rhododendrons and other choice "'complete the lifting of bulbs from, the garden, either planting them m the wild garden under deciduitis trees, or loving them out to dry. The present time is one of the best for removing and/ subdividing tue bearded or flag irises. f ' Clip box edgings ,a«d where a shady qpot , is available strike cuttings ot violas pinks, aubretias. and-any other plants which will be suitable for .refilling and edging the borders during "if 1 stray seedling plants come up among the summer annuals, such ias for-et-me-nots. wallflowers, and violas these should be moved to the reserve <ravdcn. They will be strong bushy plants at the fall of Hie season. The Greenhouse.

Apply a light shading for the dimmer" months either with whitewash, or by tacking scrim, or even butter muslin, under the glass. Attend to watering in the early morning or -lute afternoon, the laUer period being preferable. Sprinkle the pathways morning and afternoon to produce a humid atmosphere. Shift young cyclamens into , their flowering pots; these are best not exposed to the direct rays of- the sun. Where tiliums are grown, give them a top dressing of'soil whenever the roots show above the surface, Give pot plants occasional doses of liquid manure. , Strike cuttings of pelargoniums and

geraniums. Sue Vegetable Garden. Give the potatoes a. fortnightly -prayino- with Bordeaux mixture. " Thin "out carrots sown last month, and afto." thinning give the bed a dusting of old soot. Give osparacMS bode a.good coating of manure, and sow more French " Plant out cucumbers and marrows, sowing more for a later supply. Dust onions very freely with soot to keep mildew in check.

As the early potatoes, peas, etc, are used, refill the plots with leeks, celery winter greens, etc. Make a final planting of tomatoes. Transplant beetroot and mangolds in .-■bowery, weather, and make successional sowings of lettuce and other salad plants. Planting out Winter Greens. A little forethought exercised in octtino- winter greens planted out in ai piece "of "round reserved exclusively for them 'will more than balance the toss of manv other crops. The graden;r, whose ambition is, to supply the family with vegetables all the yoar round will not need to be idle during the next few weeks. Peas and beans are flourishing, potatoes flowering, lettuces and cabbage growing into large crisp hearts. Spring onions and turn ips are plentiful, just at present the on id en or is rather apt to forget the lean times which will surely come if winter greens, leeks, celery, etc., are not planted and sown. A start should be made with.a few plants of biussels sprouts which need lonser time for development and also ,1,-h manure. Savoys are a useful winter vegetable and should not, be forgotten. Drumhead kale and all eurlv greens are very useful and are easily grown, and if possible it is advisable to procure some purple sprouting broeolli, as for family use these are out on their own. Moreover, they fill, in that lean gap between the late csuil'.nowors and early spring vegetables. Cauliflowers planted now, i should be the late heading varieties, for no cauliflower is satisfactory when maturing during the heat of summer. Broeolli will head from a mouth to two months later than the cauliflowers; therefore it is wise to grow both.

Red or Pickling Cabbag<\ This cabbage is 'often grown very indifferently and not infrequently its inclusion in the. ,garden is as an afterthought and it is put in anywhere whether the soil be poor or rich. It is a cabbage needing a well manured soil and one that has been deeply dug. The plants should be got in as quickly as possible in order that they may produce good hearts by the late autumn. Weeds and tneir Clearance.

The weeds that infest gardens are many and under the influence of warm showers develop amazingly. Against weeds the chief weapon of defence is the hoe. The persistent use of the hoe wherever possible when the ground is

dry enough lo work with safety will not only dislodge the weeds, but will keep the surface of the' soil loose; so that its food containing moisture can not evaporate into the a'.r. This niois lure is thon relaiued in the soil at ilu right -(lepra for it to bo assimilated b\ the dclicato root hairs of the plant.* It is often said Hint weeds such as thistles, docks, and dandelions, will spread it' the hoc is used to sever Hit tops from the . roots Certainly new growths .will appear, but if those an. again relentlessly smitten with the hoi. the roofs will soon give up tin. unequal struggle. Ba-oii the dreaded couch grass has its Uhes. Deep. digging is neees sary to expose its roots so that the} may be gathered and burnt, but its cultivation is of immense benefit t;. the soil, vvhi'e the ashes from tinburnt roots arc rich in potash arm other plant food. In rows and thickly planted beds hand picking to destroy weeds' is the only remedy In those plots arc usually i'ouu'd the succulent type oj weed, such as chiekwoed, groundsel, etc. Here again, the back-acliinj, business of hand picking tends to loosen the surface soil and thus to ad -mit air and pi event wastage of plant food The surface rooting woods when ■•veil rotted form good humus, and can be made to return to the soil the wealth they have stolen from it. The essence of good cultivation is never to allow weeds to seed, but here again, the gardener is often confronted with the difficulty presented by his neighbour's garden where weeds are allow ed to flourish and the seed is scattered witli every breeze To hasten the totting ciovvn of wo-eds use plenty of lime on the compost heap Eschscuoltzlas.

Preseut day strains of esehscholtzias arc noted ; for their brilliant' colourings, and a'morgst hardy annuals the fiowan< of which arc of service for- cut ting, few are more easily grown. For garden display,, those who love bright-i-plashes of colour will never tire of viewing the lovely satiny blooms of these plants uheu the sunshine is streaming full of them. -They arc dwarf growing with pleasing, thread like lacy foliage. A sandy loam suit*them admirably although they will flourish in any .soil. Flowers are produced with wonderful profusion and ii wanted for cit flower work will last longer if cut in the- bud stage early' in the morni2ig. The plants may be had in all shades of yellow tb bron/e, Grange and flame salmon to vieux'rose biscuit to cream and many with u bright-contrasting colour on the undei s'de of the petals. Some varieties', have the petals beautiiuily fluted, and are wonderfully decorative In our climate the c.-civsidioilzia ,is not strictly an an nual, for if- cut back in the late autumn it will make fresh growth and bloom in early spring. At tLe present time, where then is a vacant border, it could very pro fitably be tilled with eschscholtzias Work tno bed down finely and scattci the seed thinly over it, afterwards thinning out. where the plants are too thick. At any other time they will readily transplant. but during the hot v.Gather they need continual supphe.of water. Ornamental Grasses. r Considering their undoubted valm. and the case with which they may bt grown, it is strange that ornamental grasses are not more frequently scei. in gardens. They: are. admittedly' do corative ni flower border.-,, and anyom who has had the care of cut flower, for vase decotation will • know how easy it is to get a pretty effect with only a -few light spiays of grasses ano yet it is just these latter ■ that art generally lacking It surely must b( that they are overlooked at sowing time. The greater number of th< best, sorts are annuals and thrive with the ordinary care usually allotted tc such plants. All varieties may". !>■• grown in spare spaces in the borders but they are well worth a small plot j reserved exclusively for them. Then are a few good perennial varieties whi'di are weil worth growing in clumps in tlie shrubbery.

Ornamental Vegetables. Vegetables are often made to serve two [imposes —usefulness and ornamental. Bee fro ot is p--rhaps ' the best of this' kind of vegetable and besides being useful in beds and borders, can be inlerplaced. singly or grouped among other subjects. There is an almost black leaved variety that is \eA'y fiat for this purpose, alio a finely cut foliaged plant resembling the tops ot carrots. The kales also are very decorative .wlicrt large leaved subjects are needed to fill the gaps in shrubbery borders. Their curly leaves are always attractive and there is a new variety listed with coloured leaves, which are ideal. Many of the herbs are decidedly ornamental, as also are scarlet runner beans. The bright-scarlet blossoms of the runners, aud later, the hanging clusters of beans, never fail to give a gay and bright appearance to bare walls aud ugly fences. Then there is also the humble vegetable marrow which makes a hand-

some picture if trained up rough trellis work or allowed to ramble its I; way over banks' or mounds of turf i and rubbi.di. It will cover many an » unsightly spot with its verdant foliage i enhanced by dazzling golden yellow

flowers, with lure and there a huge dark green or yellow fruit. One ean- ( not help wondering why this crop is not grown more by the gardener who wishes to combine utility with beauty.

' The globe artichoke is a handsome plant and not generally known. It has greyish—toned, divided foliage, and can be planted to remain in one spot for a number of years if the position chosen bo warm and sheltered Its edible.portion of scaly.globe heads is very attractive. Table asparagus is also noted for its decorative value. For five or six months of the year its feathery sprays wave to and fro with every breeze, first green, then yellow, with seed.* in the form of scarlet berries,