GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 7 December 1928, Page 3

GARDEN NOTES.

The December Garden, Roses, sweet-peas and irises are the chief delights of the early December gardon. ». Roses-' in wonderful shades of orange, yellow, softest pink, down to the deepest love them all; sweet peas of gorgeous colourings are set side by side with the softest of lavender, cream and pink shades. Lovers of these latter perfumed annuals are conversant with the slightly ruffled type of bloom which has. been known for a few years and now, in the near future, there is promise of several new varieties which' present such a ruffled and fluffy appearance that they may be likened to the ruffs worn found the heck in the days of Queen Bess. At present the individual blooms are rather too closely placed and the stem is not quite so lengthy a.V it might be. With these difficulties overcome, this new type of sweet-pea will prove wonderfully attractive. /Present-day irises are full of charm and interest. New markings and colourings' are yearly added 1 to the list, and a border of them viewed with the sunlight on them, lighting-up and enhancing the satiny sheen of their petals, is ■ a sight not: ea'sily forgotten. ■ Recent rose shows have been full of interest to lovers of roses. The blooms have been exceptionally fine and the colours good. The yellow types have been much admired. Golden Gleam, Golden Emblem, Mabel Morse, and Florence Izzard are all lovely, bright yelloW roses with a wonderful depth of colouring.

SEASONABLE ROUTINE WORK.

The Flower Garden,

Welcome showers have obliterated the baked appearance of beds and •' borders. Loosen the surface of the soil with the hoe before it has time to settle down again; but be careful to wait until it is dry enough. Ver‘y fciv soils Will bear tampering with when on the We>t side. Prolong the blooming time of sweet pea'sby keeping all faded blooms plucked off and by supplying plenty of moisture when it is needed. The weather is favourable for planting otit asters, zinnias, salvias, petunias* etc. Plant generously of dahlias where plenty of space is available. They are 'alivays sure to please. Complete the planting of ehrysantbemums. Continue planting gladioli. Sow a few mb re sweet /peas for autumn blooms. Seeds of zinnias and asters may still be sown, also anemone, ranunculus, etc. The Vegetable Garden. With the approach of the holiday season the garden should be tidied up generally. Within the next few weeks, tomato plants, pumpkins, marrows, cucumbers etc., should be got under way. The soil is in a good workable moist condition, and the wise gardener will make the most of it. If space be limited, tie up the tops

of the early potatoes, and plant tomato plants or other plants between, of if a. crop of marrows or cucumbers is wanted, a potato root lifted here and there will provide space for a few plants to get started before the re- ■ mainder 'are lifted. French beans are very prolific if not sOWn too thickly. This is a common fault. Plants placed six inches apart will yield much more heavily than those which are sown thickly. The same may* be said of peas. Quality is essential in growing vegetables and this cannot be attained when plants are over crowded. Cabbages and cauliflowers are all too frequently planted- some six inches apart instead of from two to three feetl Cauliflowers and broccoli hava a tendency to mature before their season when not given sufficient space. Sow seeds of all winter maturing vegetables and make further sowings of salad plants.

Carrots.

The main crop of carrots should be

sown as early in the month as possible, choosing the intermediate varieties fof the purpose. Carrots require two very essential ingredients, namely pot- ■ ash and lime. To grow this popular and useful vegetable to perfection the

ground should be dug three feet deep,

working in at the same time a good dressing of newly slaked lime, and 'some 50 per cent, of potash. Wood ashes will supply the latter ingredient

but if these are not available procure pptash artificial manure. Oh deep, well woVked soil the roots will

penetrate to the full depth of the soil. They will be beautifully tapered and of that deep red colour so much desired, making them fit for the exhibition stand. On, no account must the plants be crowded, even in their young state, as this will weaken .constitution. If given a good start with all weeds kept down they quickly become established and able to look after themselves. Car-

rots do not require shelter and may

be sown with advantage in the most ,c> posed position in the garden. Shade and rank manure are to be avoided as

these conditions tend to produce much green top and ill-shaped roots. Frequent hoeing is essential where ■‘' high quality is looked for in vegetables In the case of stiff soils, the ground during dry weather’ cracks’ dreadfully, , and to obviate this, hoe the surface frequently.

, Vegetable Marrows arid Pumpkin^. If sowing seeds or planting plants 'of useful and wholesome vegetables, dig a hole about three or four - feet square and three feet deep. Fill with a mixture of well-decayed manure, a haridful or two of blood and bone manure, with the balance of spent vegetable matter, rough grass from under tries, lOav’es, and such like. When ' three'phrts 'fuil, tread down very firmly. ■ Add more manufe, finishing dff

•with six inches or so of good soil. The refuso will generate a gentle warmth which is wiat' these plants need to start them away. Raised beds are not

to be recommended unless for very learly culture in sheltered spots. The "plants love moisture and the raised | beds get dry mudh more quickly during I the heat of summer than a bed on the I level.

Fairy Sweet Sultans. Sweet Sultans have always been much admired, and many attempts have been mado to grow them, but, owing to tLeir tendency of “damping off” efforts have not been too successful. In certain favoured gardens where the soil is silty and of a good depth, the sweet sultan will flourish and bloom well. The difficulty of growing these' has been overcome by the introduction of a new variety named fairy sweet sultans. This now type has a very graceful habit of growth. The plants are from some five to six feet in height (when grown on good soil) with long branching stems from top to bottom, smothered with dainty flowers with beautiful long stems. The blooms are ideal for all cut' flower work and last well in water. The petals are not so- numerous as in the old type, but the flower itself is fully as large and the plant in bloom certainly has quite a fairy/like appearance. It only needs the introduction of a larger colour range to render this flower one of the most popular and useful. At pre-. sent it is only to be had in two colours, a rosy mauve, and white, with a tint of palest pink at the base. Those who love really dainty flowers will appreciate this new introduction. Clematis Montana Rubens.

Those who., are enjoying this graceful climber with its glorious festoons of rosy pink flowers may be reminded that a few, ripe seeds saved later on and sown in pots of sandy soil will furnish them with a batch of healthy young plants which will vary in different shades of pink, some of which ever prove more pleasing than those of the typical rubens The white montana may also be grown from seed, and will also strike from cuttings. Freesias From Seed.

These scented favourites are now producing seed heads freely and as soon as these are sufficiently ripened they should be gathered and sown. Tho plants are easily raised from seed, and when cared for will bloom 'weeks earlier than the parent bulb. Seed from the coloured types are well worth experimenting with as many new shades may be obtained in this way. The seedling plants may either be transplanted to a sheltered, warm, border, or grown in pots under glass. If intended for outdoor culture sow the seed thinly in rows where the, plants are to remain. / Iveep them well watered during summer and autumn. Leaf Mould. Where the soil is heavy it will be found more advantageous to incorporate with it leaves in a semi-deeayed condition. If these are applied in the late autumn, the opening character of the loaves will further improve the soil by draining it. For light soils the leaves are best left to rot in a heap, and then in the spring forked into the soil. One great advantage of leaf mould in light soils is that it helps to retain moisture in the summer. Some of the finest anemone blooms have been grown on. soil which has been well supplied with leaf mould. . Crop of Stone Fruits.

All stone fruits may be made to crop regularly and heavily if the following directions are carried out: — First see that the soil is regularly supplied with lime every (second or third year either in the form of quick lime or carbonate of lime. This is necessary for stoning and also as a base in the soil when applying manure. The lime should be forked in during winter as far out as the branches extend. In early spring apply a dressing of bone meal and wood ashes, some two ounces to the square yard, which should be lightly hoed in. The former will assist fruitfulness and the latter prolong growth and give colour and flavour. After the fruit has set, and the small stone has formed, feed with a good nitrogenous manure to swell the fruits. Guano, sulphate of ammonia, or fowl manure are all excellent at this period when the trees need gross feeding if cropping heavily. Withhold water as soon as the fruit colours or the flavour will be inferior.

After the crop has been gathefed prune out any broken branches and dead wood and feed with a complete manure, one containing nitrogen, potash, and phosphate, the balance being of the latter. This late feeding is most necessary, as it assists the tree to recover itself after cropping and enables more fruit buds to be developed for the coming year. Those gardens which include a few fruit trees among the vegetables are attended to, and the extra quality and quantity of the fruits will repay the little extra trouble of supplying the trees with what they need.