GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 12 February 1929, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Colour in the Garden.

In gardens where tiger-lilies, montbretias, tritomas, lion’s..tail, and orange cannas are grown, a glorious display of colour forms an arresting feature of the landscape. The tints are vivid, and groups of these flowers effectually fill in the gap that occurs when the early summer.flowers have gone, and asters, ziiinias, marigolds, cosmeas, etc., are yet mostly in the bud stage. Large masses of the double or single tiger lilies alone create a lovely display of orange, and the dainty sprays of the montbretia family are invaluable for ah cut flower work, especially the modern varieties which have larger flowers.

At this season masses of white may b * obtained by growing several species of the large-flowered Marguerite daisies Planted in the large borders or, better still, in the spaces between shrubs, they are capable of producing a plenteous supply of' beautiful blooms. Michaelmas daisies are giving promise of a lovely, autumn display, and already the earlier varieties are studded here and there with an odd pink or blue flower. -

Routine Woik. Assist all annuals to do their best by frequent hooings. If watering is resorted to, do it thoroughly, giving enough to penetrate well down to the roots of the plants, otherwise more harm than good is done as a little Water tends to harden or cake the surface .soil and so prevents the rising of moisture. Have everything in readiness for bulb and conn planting. < Narcissi, tulips, anemones, ranunculus, Spanish iris, and most other bulbs are all the better if planted during the autumn months, and makes one thing less to be' attended to in the busy /spring months. Rubbish will burn readily, and a general clean-up of all surroundings will aid in giving a well-kept appearance to borders and grounds. '

The Vegetable Garden. Welcome, odd showers have considerably lessened the labour of planting out winter greens, and if further areas of. ground are vacant,, this important work should be continued.

If planting out celery or leeks, see that they are kept thoroughly -well supplied -with water. - Ripe tomatoes, will be obtained earlier: if the tips of the plants are taken out and all surplus side shoots removed.

It is not. generally known that potatoes for seed, if secured before being quite ripe, invariably produce the earliest and finest crop. A very good plan is to pick out tubers of medium size while digging the daily supplies for the, kitchen. If laid in shallow boxes and left for a week or ten days in full sunshine to ‘green’ before storing away, they will keep splendidly. •

Roses. : The removal of all spent blooms not only adds considerably to the .tidiness Of the beds, but it is also beneficial to the bushes. Those that have finished what is termed the second crop of bloom may have their branches pruned half-way back. A later, crop of blooms will thus be obtained during the late autumn months. These-- late blooms are noted for their richness of ingEdgings for Winter and Spring. The practice of edging beds and borders with plants of a permanent character is steadily increasing. The , borders are usually gay during' the summer months, and if the edging plant is trim and green its flowerless state, is not noticeably missed, whereas a bordering gay with blooms is quite an asset in the winter or early spring. Perennial border subjects require very l-ittle attention. The charming, low-growing aubretias are specially suited for the rose bed. Plant two or even three rows of plants- which will brighten up the boi'der before the roses commence to bloom.

The dwarf campanulas are also be-au-*sful witih their pretty trailing habits and blue flowers, and are seen to great, advantage in places where a border is surrounded by pieces of rockwork. Pathways fringed with whiteness in the early days of spring may be assured wherever arabis is planted. Another cushion plant compact to a degree is found in the thrifts, studded with white or rosy pink flowers. Sedums and saxifrages of the cushion types are also good, and one might do worse than edge a border with pinks. The foliage is neat and attractive throughout the winter and spring, and at blooming time the air is filled with their fragrance. The newer alpine pinks are splendid for the purpose as they are more compact and the blooms are borne on shorter stems.

• The tufted and viola forms of pansies are first favourites. The abundance of their blooms during the spring months is a revelation in colour. In fact, they bloom the greater part of the year. - Some gardeners resent edgings because they harbour slugs. This really is an advantage as the slugs are easily caught and destroyed during the hours of daylight, whereas otherwise they would have burrowed deeply into the soil. Prepare the soil at this season where cdging3 are to be planted. During March cuttings may be struck of aubretias, pansies, pinks,»and most edging plants. These, if kept watered, will strike successfully. Have a reserve supply to fill up any blanks which may occur or seed may be sown at once and a supply obtained in that way.' The great thing is to got the plants well, established before the winter sets in, otherwise the \york has to be left over until spring which means much later blooming. Treatment of Sandy Solis. At least one gardener has solved the difficulty* of overcoming the draw-backs

of sandy, too light soils. To the amateur gardener a light soil does not seem to call for deep digging, yet this is particularly important. The top spit o i most soils' is more' or less fertile since it is subjected to the influences of sunshine and the natural porosity due to the work done by the roots of plants. Many years of practical experience, involving much experimenting and many disappointments, ended in the gardener' digging these soils three spits deep. The layers of soil were then reversed, the top of the ground being finished. off with the bottom spit and .the top or surface spit put at the bottom. It is not generally taken into account that the subsoil is quite as rich in mineral plant foods as the top soil in these cases, the difference being merely that the top, through natural or artificial culture, is in'better condition for plant roots to assimilate nourishment. By burying this top spit deeply, there will be in it an attraction for the plants to root themselves deeply, an advantage particularly valuable in dry, hot weather. Under such conditions the difference in growth between' plants in deeply-dug soils and those growing where the ground has been but shallowly turned, is said to be amazing. The work sounds arduous, yet many gardeners with ov6r-light soils have gone to the greater labour and expense of carting other soil to mix in, in an effort to overcome the difficulty. Michaelmas Daisies. Not so long ago this beautiful, late autumn, hardy /plant was represented by a number of varieties, all of a washy blue lilac, or lavender shade, or rather a mixture of these tints, and all very much alike. This is now altcrod, duo to the work of the hybridist during the last 20 years, and the results of his labour’s are now seen in the raiige of colours extending from palest blue to deep purple, and blush pink to crimson, while a few good whites have also been secured.

Of new varieties there is no end, and certain of them should find a place in every garden. One of the best is Queen Mary which grows to a height of some five feet, bearing large pyramidal trusses in glorious tones of. rich purple. As a companion plant, Barr’s pink is worthy of special mention; this grows also to a height of - five feet and has very large, well opened flowers of bright pink. There are other Michaelmas daisies that make excellent companions, such as Little Boy Blue, and Little Pink Lady, the former having dainty little pyramids of semi-double, bright blue flowers, while the latter has double pink flowers in an exquisite shade of colouring. These two varieties are two feet in height and both are wonderfully free flowering.

Ethel Ballard is another really fine, pink flowered type, and is seen to great advantage un/ler artificial light. King George has trusses of violet blue flowers and Mother of Pearl, large single mauve flowers. Fascination has deep red sprays of bloom, and Climax is one of the best of the whites. Their ease of culture has made these graceful flowers very popular, and the new types and colourings, when" better known, will be appreciated by all garden lovers. Humea Elegans.

Throughout the autumn humea elegans is one of the most graceful of plants. It is of annual duration and is best sown in the autumn months instead of waiting until spring. When fully developed, this humea is one of the most charming of plants, its warm, rose-tinted floral plumes hanging down in delightful profusion. It is valued for the flower borders and for pot culture, as the pots can bo brought indoors and the plants keep their beauty throughout the winter. The leaves have a distinct and powerful perfume which is enjoyed by many. The seeds are sometimes slow in germinating and have been known to lie dormant for five or six weeks. It is a very convenient method to pot them a:> soon as they are about two inches in height, transferring them as they grow;,juntil they are put into eight or ten inch pots, and then finally plunge them beneath the soil in a border. In this way they, are conveniently lifted for indoor decoration before winter sets in. ,

The plants will grow some six feet in height and love a rich sandy soil. Like the pampas grass the /sprays of bloom may be cut and kept in a dry slate for years with the colour unchanged, only losing the rich satiny sheen , of the growing plant. The seed of this handsome plant, although known to many garden lovers, is not generally listed in New Zealand catalogued. It certainly deserves widespread cultivation and is always much admired wherevey seen.