GARDENING NOTES.

Shannon News, 20 March 1928, Page 4

GARDENING NOTES.

Seasonable Routine Work.

Sow seeds of hardy annuals including sweet peas for producing early summer blooms.

| Clear away annuals from the flower borders as soon as they have finished

blooming. Cut dovn plants as soon as blooir. ceases, or at least remove the dead flower heads to prevent seeding. Turn over heaps of rotted vegetable matter. The material will soon be wanted, for digging in.

Cut out suckers from roses and other climbers, as these do much harm if they are left. Cut back over-rampant growths of any climbers (roses, clematis, wistaria, etc) before the winter and tie m all long shoots firmly before the gales come.

Strike cuttings of pansies, violas? violets, and all hardy edging plants such as aubretia, pinks, etc. . Propagate herbaceous perennials by moans of cuttings which are nov. freely thrown up. Plant polyanthus and primroses into their 'flowering positions, also anj pinks *t>r carnations which have been struck or layered early in the season Stir the surface of flower borders and shrubberies every week to prevent autumn weeds getting a hold. Make a list of flowering plants, climbers, bulbs, etc., you may require and order them eatly. Disbud chrysanthemums as soon a; the cluster is large enough to define the centre bud and give weekly ap plications of liquid manure to back ward , plants. (

It is particularly necessary to Keep dahlias from seeding if they are te bloom continuously until frosts come Make great efforts to prolong th< beauty of the gardenias long as pos sible by caring for all plants well.

f The Greenhouse and Window Garden, Pot hyacinths and daffodils prefer i eiice being given to such serviceable 'varieties as Golden Spur, Empress, and iEmperor. The narcissi are also valuable when treated as pot {plants. Pot freesias, scillas, crocus, lachen ialias, etc. , Gut down pelargoniums to enable tthem to make a good break for spring iblooming; this also applies to any of I the geranium family. Wash the glass and woodwork before arranging winter. flowering plants. Sow sweet peas, in 3 inch pot 3 foi "I in door culture, also clarkias and *s6hi2aiithu?.

Pot tomato plants for winter crop fping.

The Vegetable Garden,

Sow seeds of spring cabbage, lettuce *and onions..

Continue to gather dwarf or runnei ibeans before the pods get stringy, liberal supplies of water to frows still in flower.

Lift main crop onions, and lay out 4 'thinly to dry before storing. Give celery copious supplies oi water, earthing up as growth proceeds bunches ol : popular herbs and hang them to dry in sheds. Give backward plants of lettuce a "watering with a. half-ounce Of nitrate fof Soda to each gallon of water. Plant main beds of strawberries or well prepared, beds. Where beetroot has matured, liff carefully, twist off the tops and store in a cool shed. Cut away many of the large leaves on pumpkins and cucumbers in ordciithat the later formed fruits may havt the, benefit of full sunshine. , Give leeks an abundance of liquid manure. Thin out late sown turnips, carrots etc., as soon as they are large enough to handle. Get all spare plots in readiness foi the planting of cabbage, cauliflowei, and lettuce. Give all plots a general tidying up burning all refuse. Shrubberies Late autumn planted shrubs, •cs peeially those of an evergreen nature, are usually most successful, and it is none too early to commence preparing the ground for planting. It is adv : s able first to trench or double dig thp ground working in some veritable mould, litter from an old stack bottom being excellent if the soil is at, all poor. Good rich loam does not need any addition. A well arranged and carefully, tended shrubbery is one. of the fines* features of a well managed garden, but unfortunately this is not always met with. Bad selection of plants, too close planting, and the introduction of too many tall growing trees arc the main causfes of failure. In laying out a shrubbery it is essential that the habits of the various plants bp fully understood and proper arrangements can then be planned and carried out. The fault of planting too closely is

one all gardeners are prone to indulge in, sometimes for the sake of immediate effect, and often from lack of knowledge of the room required for a given species, but whichever way it is, the weakness is to be strongly condemned unless arrangements are made to thin the plants out vigorously before over crowding, has spoiled the symmetry of the shrubs. Even so, lovers of shrubs are loth to cut out specimens when the time approaches, and are often guilty of another weak ness in letting them remain. In order to fill up the bare spaces

it is a good plan to make use of some of tbc vigorously growing perennials, such as the handsome grey leaved thistles, cannas, dahlias, foxgloves hollyhocks, Michaelmas daisies, anything in fact to fill in and produce a gay note of colour. These may be easily done away with as the shrubs slowly but surely increase in size. \ With regard to shrubs, one Is not always able to plant several of a species together, want of space usually being the difficulty. But wherever possible, this method ,is to be recommended as it makes it much 1 easier to prepare suitable plots. Even in quite a small shrubbery clumps of half a dozen of the same kind, will give better. results than a mixture of' all species. Rhododendrons, azaleas, kal-mias,-heaths, and other peat loving subjects are best planted together, and care must Vie taken in planting them to exefude lime in any form. ' The question of pruning ns growth proceeds is another 'stumbling block Many amateurs leave the shrubs to go as they please, being over careful of! doing the wrong thing. Thus the trees get. out of shape and become an eye sore. All the commoner kinds that are grown 'for their foliage alone may, speaking generally, be pruned during the winter months, but flowering kinds should be treated just after the flow ers fade. Many of t-hem only require the shortening back ’of a growth here and there to prevent a straggly up pcar-ance. Dentzias, lilacs, and others of this nature, should have some of the older wood cut clean out to encourage strong young growth, for. future blooming. v - Colour in the Garden. Rapidly the dried up appearance of gardens is disappearing. Once more we are revelling in the fresh green tints of lawns, and the autumn flowers ;ue gaining in size ana, brilliancy. The tail spikes of the crimson 1 , bronze, andyellow heleniums are-a riot of beautifully- blended colouring, while clumps of golden rod, with its feathery sprays of a delightful shade of deepest yellow harmonize with the genera] effect. Aptly named, the sunflowers are. spreading out wide faces in the direction of the sun rise. Feathery sprays of graceful Michaelmas' daisies adorn drives, shrubberies, and borders Clumps of belladonna lilies, quaintly termed naked ladies, in charming shades of pink are among the most arresting sights in the garden. Asters and zinnias are in the zenith of their glory and are providing a wealth of gorgeous blooms. Dahlias are striving in a valiant attempt to make up for lost time along with the ever attractive cannas which are still giving of their wondrous colourings. Stray blooms, help to brighten the rose borders, while the shrubbery is adornqd with the whorl —like blossoms of the tawny orange-shaded lion’s tail. Scarlet salvias are gaining in brilliancy as also are the members of‘the celosia Strikingly beautiful are these latter with their wonderfully coloured plumes in orange and yellow anu from pink to deepest purple. Here and there a tall-stately lilium pleases the eye with its beauty of form, and subtle fragrance. The dear little white autumn crocus with its yellow throat presents a charming picture. Attractive too, are the clumps of the mauve shaded crocus, which pushes iip its flower stems minus leaves which appear when the. flower fades. Many of the norinc family nre also to bo seen pushing their flower heads through in the same why.

On the rockery a,, won'dei fully effective picture may be made U J plant.ng the mauve crocus among plartfs of the low growing grey leaved eerastium (snow in summer). Many of the gems of the garden iiave a habit of getting iost, but if planted in such a manner their whereabouts are not so likely to be forgotten. The drought has m no wise affected the wonderful flowering qualities Of the rod gums for their blazing • colours light up the landscape and call £ort|i many exclamations ot delight. / Brick shades, crimsons and scarlets, aiul a deep pink among the gorgeous colours. On walls, arches and pergolas, fes toons of gaily flowering passion vines are to be seen, many having their beauty further enhanced by quantitiesof pendant fruits in all stages of de velopment. Ponds, devoted to water lilies provide a daily attraction. Then, is something fascinating in these wonderfully formed blooms which de cerate the, surf ace of the water. Tin deep pink, and reddish shades of the new hybrids with their lovely centres are a revelation. A new note .in colouring is achieved in the pretty blue toned variety which has a yeilor\ centre, with flower stems rising sever al inches above the water level. The yellow water lily' is a beautifullj formed flower and its charms are further enhanced by large . spotted leaves.