GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 30 November 1928, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Seasonable Routine Work. Now that warm sunshiny days are to be looked for, plant largely of French marigolds, asters, zinnias, salvias, petunias, and any of the celosia family. All the above mentioned love warmth and sunshine, and if the soil is kept; well loosened among them, they will grow quickly. The celosia, or feathered coxcomb, is best sown in the border where it is to bloom. Enrich the border with plenty of manure, as they love a rich soil. They are among tlie gayest of plants for; the garden. Zinnias love a nice loamy soil. Where the soil is heavy, work in some sand or - anything that will have the effect of keeping it more open. Before planting asters, work in some vaporite or sulphur in the soil, in order to help keep the fungus disease in check. Following heavy showers, the recent hot days have had the effect of drying and hardening the surface soil. Lightly hoe over all the borders, this is much more easily accomplished after light showers, before the soil has had time to harden again. In tho large borders, and in spare nooks in the shrubbery, plant largely of dahlias, giving them a generous supply of manure at the same time. Dahlias quickly cover a large area of ground, and are among the best of things for choking out weeds. It is not too late to plant' gladioli, and chrysanthemums, and any other border plants available. The Vegetable Garden.

Sow runner beans, and dwarf varieties. Make further sowings of peas. Plant tomatoes, pickling cabbage, cucumbers, and others of the melon family. Sow seeds of all winter greens, Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, and celery. Sow more lettuce seed in a shady spot where plenty 6f moisture is available. Plots of half-grown lettuce will respond quickly to a dressing of ■ nitrate of soda. Those gardeners not accustomed to its use should understand that this manure must on no account touch the foliage, as it will burn, and probably destroy the plant. Use sparingly, until experience is gained. At no time should the amount exceed two ounces to the square yard. It may be either forked in between the plants, or watered in. This manure is very rapid in action and contains a large percentage of nitrogen. Plant more potatoes where spaco is available. In light-soils, see tha-t plenty of potash is added. 1 In sandy soils, the quantity of potash is usually limited, find, a shortage of this element limits plant growth. Potash is supplied in farmyard manure, in wood ashes, and in the special potash manures such as sulphate or muriate of potash, and kainit.

If a gardener takes the trouble to understand the principles which underlie manuring, he or she will be in a position to grow crops more successfully, and with less cost. Caution must always be used in the application of manures rich in nitro, gen, for it is possible to overfeed the plant. ' : • Oriental Poppies Failing. Many lovers of these noble border, subjects complain of their inability to grow them, on account of a fungoid disease which attacks their long, fleshy roots. In these cases, the plants should be taken up and burnt. Treat the soil with a good, dressing of some insect destroyer, such as Vaporite, btforo attempting to grow them again, and if possible plant them in an entirely fresh spot in the garden, adding a barrow load of fresh soil taken from the pastures. These poppies arc best planted in the early spring months. They are also easily raised from seed, which should be sown in the early autumn months. The plants will then bloom the following summer. The Orientals love a sunny, well drained position, with no hint of sourness in the soil. Shady spots, and badly drained soil invite the inroads.of the fungus pest. Summer Borders.

When. planting at tnis season-of tho year, a little forethought is necessary. Only those subjects which flower and thrive with the heat of the summer should be planted in the fully exposed places, where the sun's rays reach from early morn until late evening. Where low growing plants are needed, a bed or plot of verbenas is always pleasing and bright. Petunias will stand any amount of beat and flower freely; choos. 1 the smaller single varieties for a gay display

Zinnias are valuable where tall growing subjects are needed. The gay tones of the eelosias are useful for fronting these, with the taller growing amaranthus, which has bright coloured foliage planted here and there among the

zinnias, the effect is good and lasting. A lengthy, narrow border is ideal for salvias, with an edging of the small scarlet flowering begonia which has j bright bronzy and red tints in its i foliage. This bed also, will bloom- freely until cut down by frost. Bound borders look well, filled with gaillardias edged with dwarf French marigolds. Cannas are among the best of things for standing the heat, and at the same time, form a striking picture. Where an edging is needed for these, bright , patches of blue lobelia are most effeet- ; ive. The red flowered tobacco plant is ! one of the freest of flowering plants, j blossoming well into the winter f months. These are perennials and will throw up sprouts from the base each spring.

For sandy, shingly spots, sow seeds of portuliaeca freely; these are true lovers of sunshine, and their small, satin, gaily coloured blooms, provide a wealth of colour. The malope is for some reason rather a neglected annual, yet it is a most attractive one for those who are partial to pink flowers. Tall growing, of fine branching habit, large green leaves, and large satiny flowers of similar shape to single hollyhocks and of lovely shades of pink, render it a pleasing object in any- garden. Moreover, it blooms until frost appears, and is one of the easiest things to cultivate.

Planted near masses of silver foliaged plants or trees they have a fine effect and will grow up to six feet in height where the ground has been worked and manured. Another useful place for them is among the lupins. The spikes of the lupins are a pretty sight when viewed with a background of pink malopes. Growing Narcissi from Seed. If there is ono flower above all others of which Britishers may be justifiably proud, it is the modern race oi narcissi, or" daffodils. Without hesitation or question, it is safe to say that this has not been merely a matter of selecting good or promising flowers ami increasing them, pre-eminently the province of Dutch cultivators, bat the actual'creation by a little band of British enthusiasts of a new race of flowers which 50 years ago did not. exist, but which will now and for all time live, improve, and bring* joy to th,e ■ hearts of generations yet unborn. Much has been done in our own country and some very promising specimens have been raised among our bulb enthusiasts.

Three hundred years or more have passed since Vincent Sion raised his new double daffodil in that pleasant, garden by the Thames side and named it after himself. The work requires patience, and an ability to distinguish merit, yet the gardener who owns a few choice bulbs will find it a most interesting hobby and probably a payable one if the seed js gathered annually and sown. The commencement,, is slow and the waiting period of four to five years before blooms appear sounds tedious, yet if seed is Sown annually, there is an added yearly interest as time goes on. The joys of any hobby arc pride of creation and ownership, and those who are gardeners by choice or of necessity will agree that, the companionship of flowers is a very real friendship. The recuperative value derived from association with flowers would be difficult to over-estimate. In the garden it is possible to detach ourselves from everyday frets and worries and steep our minds in the sheer luxury and enjoyment of our hobby, and the more complete the detachment the more certainly do we benefit in ,mental relaxation and refreshment. The quality of to-morrow’s work depends on the quality of to-night’s sleep, the quality of competitive effort and mental stamina upon the degree of restfulness found in hours of leisure. .

Young people should be encouraged to garden for profit. The lure of making money for its own sake will often ensnare them unawares into a love of true art and wholesome beauty, and provide them with an unfailing source of interest and relaxation, the powe.r of which will grow with passing years, and to which they can always turn for refreshment, amid the ever increasing social complexities with which they eventually become surrounded. •

Apart from the thrill of creating new flowers, the work is of national importance. A start may be made by buying feed from a good firm. Many beautiful species of iris, gladioli, chrysanthemums, etc., have been raised from seed, and so also have many of our best roses. The Blue Woodruff.

■ A good hardy annual which deservos far more attention than it receives is the blue woodruff, asperula azureasefosa. It bears numerous flowers in clusters after the style of the blue lace flower. These are not only of a pretty, soft, wedgwood blue, but they are of exquisite formation, looking like sonu delicate laeeworlt and well rewarding close inspection. The plant grows only about' a foot in height and is splendid for the rock garden in plots where bulbs are growing. A few plants of Woodruff take away the bare look for several months and do not harm the bulbs in any way. If left alone on l.ockwork, it will assume a rather prostrate habit, which renders it more valuable for this kind of gardening. It may be sown where it is to bloom in any good light soil, just covering the. seeds with fine compost. Another place whore it will be found most usefur is among the anemones. These (unless late planted) are now on the wane and a plant of some suitable annual here and there will add a little touch of colour during the summer. If the leaves of clumps of narcissi are tied neatly with the ends doubled and turned downwards, there is often room fbr a few annuals in between. Eunner Beans.

Probably no summer vegetable is so prolife as the runner bean. The productiveness of this vegetable is amazing, and, given a reasonable rooting medium, there is no other vegetable that one can grow, so - profitably in a limited space, and if trained on a fence or on rustic poles arranged for the'purpose, pleasing ornamental effects can b 6 produced. The regular gathering of the pods when of moderate size helps the plants to prolong their flowering period almost indefinitely. They love warmth and sunshine, and plenty ofv pioisturc at the roots during hot. dry weather. Nothing shortens the productiveness of this plant as leaving a\ few pod 3at the bottom bearing seeds, and where no space is available for a second sowing, it is important ; to maintain the plants in full vigour during the whole season. Extraordinary strides have been made in the improvement of varieties during the past few decades, and the modern favourites are models of excellence. So recently as 50 years ago, it was considered wonderful to obtain fleshy pods measuring nine inches, whereas our present day varieties easily double this figure. The runner bean is grown in thousands of tiny backyards where the cultivation of, any other vegetable would be hardly possible, yet, under anything but ideal conditions, it frequently beautifies many ugly surfaces, and in due course yields many succulent-dishes.