GARDENING NOTES.

Shannon News, 1 May 1928, Page 4

GARDENING NOTES.

Seasonable Routine Work. Clear away all hardy annuals planted last spring if winter beading., is to be undertaken. Plants need to get well rooted before the severe weather is with us. Dig and Manure the plots before replanting. Plant all kind? of winter bedding stuff, alyssum, arabis, for-get-me-nots, and aubretia for bordering work.

Plant all kinds, of bulbs in the borders, in the rock garden, in the grass, and in the wild garden, including all dwarf plants , c-uch as scillas, aconites, eroeus, snowdrops, grape hyacinths, etc. Plant all kinds of spring colour beds —tulips make some of .the best subjects for this work. Cut down perennial plants as soon as they go out ot bloom, clearing away the refuse. Continue to cut the flowers of plants still in bloom as freely as possible with a view to getting fur ther flowers. Make a start on all kinds of structural work, such as making new paths, building garden steps, erecting poles, pergolas, and arche?. Apply basic slag to lawns and greens at the rate of four ounces per square yard. Top dress pockets in the rock garden with fine soil, leaf mould is excellent. Seasonable Subjects' to Plant in the Bock "Garden. ( Anchusa (dwarf) anemone, aubretia nrenaria, aster, alpinus, hepa-tiea, primula, eberis, audrosace, dianthus, alpine phlox, silene, saxifragas, sedum, gentiana. Many of these may be planted among other existing subjects to -.help fill all bare spaces, also plant freely of all dwarf growing bulbs. These will tuck away into any, tiny space. The Vegetable Garden. Owing to the prevailing lino weather "fly" is still troublesome among the "winter greens" and spraying or dusting with tobacco dust, soot, etc., is still necessary in order to keep the plants in anything like condition. Sow lettuce an'd spring cabbage seed. It is safest to sow these in boxes or pans as birds continue to be troublesome, also woodlice often make war on the tiny seedlings as soon as they appear above ground. Continue to eiear away all garden rubbish, and neplant or sow with early spring vegetables. Expose the fruit on tomatoes to as much sunshine as possible in order to ripen the crop before frosts set in. Prepare rhubarb, strawberry, and raspberry beds. Starting a Hardy Flowei Border. In these days few gardeners practise the old-time bedding out of more or less tender plants, and rightly so, for hardy plants are not only less expensive, but they add so much more interest and charm to the garden. No garden, large or small ean afford to be without its' herbaceous border of hardy plants, for it is in this border. ' that something bright is to be found throughout the year. And if hardy bulbs, annuals, and biennials are mingled with them in certain suitable parts this mixed border will become one of the finest features in the

garden. The secret of success in starting such a border is the thorough and proper treatment of the soil before planting, otherwise disappointment i? the only result. Some favoured spots will grow anything with very little soil preparation. But in localities where there is only a medium, depth of good soil .some labour is involved to get it into decent condition. If plants are hardy they yet need a well tilled and well enriched soil to enable them to root freely, therefore trench the border quite three feet deep. Take out a trench two spits wide and one in depth, and remove the soil to the opposite en'd. Well break up ! the soil at the bottom with the spade, i working in some manure at the same time. Over the broken up soil place a layer of manure and dig over the next spit of top soil on to it. Pro eeed in this way until the end of the border i 3 reached and the soil from the first trench ready to fill the last, and the job is finished. The border is now tilled to th ( depth required without mixing th< layers of soil, which is of some imj portance. It is a mistake to put the : goad surface soil at the bottom and bring the sub-soil—which is almost always sour—to the top. If care if taken to pfoperly carry out the operation we, shall obtain a greater depth without mixing the top soil and sub- ] soil. ' | Where possible use the manure most | suitable for your particular soil. Heavy j clay land benefits most from stabio manure mixed with the sub-soil and some •'.veil rotted manure with the top soil, also road grit, loaf mould, sand, or any burnt refuse that might be available. Light soils will benefit from cow or pig manure mixed with the sub-

soil with a little sulphate of potash and bone meal added to the top soil, about one ounce of the former and four ounces of the latter to the square yard. A 3 each autumn comes round dress the border with four ounces of ground lime per square yard, and one barrow load of rotted manure to every ten

iquare yards, then in November fork a two ounces of a good fertiliser to jvery square yard. Garry out this ;reatment and you will secure a fine lisplay of bloom from spring to late lutumn. What to Plant. Planting depends on the size of tbe border, in most amateur gardens borders are on the small side and definite colour schemes are not so easy to manipulate. A nice mixing of colours is usually preferable, taking care not to plant near each other two colours that do not harmonize. Plants of different kinds must be selected in order to give a display all the year round. The first flowers will be in spring when all bulbous things will be blooming next will follow delphiniums. lupins, and flag irises with tulips to follow. Oriental poppies, gcums, and verbenas brighten up the next period together with any annuals and biennials which are used. Gladioli are useful for filling in bare spaces throughout the season. Phloxes and pyrethrums are riseful and a host of other favourites. In a small border 2 to 3 feet wide and say 40 feet long plant not less than three of each kind in order to form a bold group. Avoid planting in straight lines, but have some in oblique strips, some elongated ovate masses, and others in a free and natural way. There must be no arrangement in order of height from the dwarf to the highest, but let some kinds come well and boldly to the front, forming bays of irregular formation in which the dwarf kinds can be planted. ''' If the border is planted, on these lines it will be far more interesting and beautiful than lines of equal height or a'"mere jumble of colours, Such a border must also contain its autumn flowering plants such as dahlias, chrysanthemums, michaelmas daisies, heleniums, rudbeckias, ete. Carefully choosing what you have room for and the colouring required. Plan, and utilise your space as much as possible as for instance a dozen or so bulbs of any of the narcissi family may be planted here and there among a clump of paeonies, or among anything that does not bloom at the same time. Paeonies are just throwing up spikes of reddish tinted foliage when > the daffodils bloom. Eariy Rhubarb. To obtain supplies of rhubarb one need not be in possession of heated greenhouses or even cold, frames. Rhubarb growing in the open can be forced into growth by merely placing some temporary protection over the erowns such as benzine tins, old wood-, on tubs or boxes. If heating material, such as fresh stable manure, can be had this should be placed thickly over and around the boxes, but even when leaves, ashes,'or soil, and no heating material is used the plants speedily commence to grow. Broad Beans for Early Use. The broad bean is a hardy plant ahd passes through even a severe winter well. Where the broad bean follows a potato crop additional manure is not needed, but they like a firm soil, and this firmness is better secured now befor the ground gets moist. They are lime lovers, and wonderfully good crops result from the autumn sowing, this however, is not the chief advantage, as, sown now the beans are reSdy for use before we are able to cull our supplies of the first green peas, and are particularly relished on that account. Cotoneaster Horizontalis. Now that “autumn” is creeping into this lovely species of Cotoneaster to turn it shortly into a picture of vivid red berries and foliage of the same colour, it impresses one more and more that this cotoneaster holds its own as one of the first shrubs which should be planted for autumn effect. Except for a brief period when its leaves are fallen. Cotoneaster Hori- r zontalis is always attractive, with its nice compact habit, its branches growing more or less horizontally with the main stem. It is sometimes used as a wall shrub, but better still, being a hardy shrub, plant it in the open, preferably on a high place in the rock garden. There, it is at its best. This cotoneaster, like most of its species, will thrive in sun or shade and in almost any kind of soil, but where possible, plant it. in good spil and in full sun, then it will prove one of the thrills of the garden in the late autumn and early winter. It is easily propagated by layers o.; cuttings in early autumn, also from seed.

Bulbs for the Window Garden. These may include hyacinths, tulips, freesias, ciocuses, scillas, anemones, snowilakes or daffodils. Soil to Use. Three parts of fresh turfy loam pulled to pieces with the hands, two parte leaf mould, one part coarse sand. The addition of a five inch potful of bonemeal of each barrow load of soil is beneficial. Mix all thoroughly together and before filling the boxes arrange a layer of rough material in the bottom to ensure perfect drainage.