GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 19 February 1929, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Seasonable Routine Work.

With cooler weather, gardening is not such an arduous undertaking and an early start should bo made in providing positions and soil requirements for bulbs and corms. The ■winter creeps on us unawares and early spring display depends on the energy of the gardener during the next three months. Sweet peas we all love, and the best blooms are obtained from the autumn sowing. Massed effects of ranunculus and anemone are among the gayest of all ■'■spring flowers. These repay for extra labour in the preparation of the soil. Viola and aubretia seed sown now will furnish plants for edgings, or cuttings from existing stock may be struck. Seed of linaria, calendula, and land poppy, will furnish many more useful early flowering things for winter and spring. Another free flowering subject for sunny nooks, away from frost, is the summer chrysanthemum. Many of these have such beautiful bronzy flowers that they form a very welcome addition when flowers are scarce. Primroses, freesias and violets should be freely planted at any suitable showery period. Antirrhinums are a good standby, •and their hardiness enables them to be ' s(>Wn or planted at any time. Primulas and cyclamens are free v winter bloomers. In a sheltered ,welldrained nook, these are easily grown out of doors and give a display of bloom for months. Prepare lawns for autumn sowings. Stocks should be sown now for early blooming, either Beauty of Nice, Brompton, or the wallflower type. Sow seeds of wallflower,, sweet william and Canterbury bells, and aquilegia; they then have time to develop into, large plants by flowering time. \ The Vegetable Garden. Pull all ripened onions and as soon as they are dry tie in strings and hang in a shed or verandah. Hoe plots infested with couch grass, sorrel, etc., very frequently, always remembering that no plant can live long in the ground if it is not allowed to make any growth aboye it. . If cutting down is regularly practised thus giving the plants no chance to make any growth, the whole in time will disappear. Prepare any vacant plots for autumn sowings of spinach, onion, carrot, turnip, lettuce, etc. Dig in plenty of rough strawy material if available, bearing in mind that these plots will fall in for the winter rains, and good drainage will mean good results. Tomatoes are making plenty of wood, and much of this must be removed. The tips of the main shoots must also be taken out to induce early ripening. Feeding with liquid manure is of much benefit. . , Feed cucumbers; these can do with plenty of moisture during the cropping season. Keep the tips pinched off the main runners of all the melon family. Continue' planting ouit winter greens. Sow more cabbage and cauliflower seed fo-r early spring supplies. Make a final sowing’ of peas and French beans. Lift all potatoes as soon as matured, working up the soil for other crops. A further planting of 'potatoes may bo made from early ripened sqed. These if well worked, will yield a fair crop before frost. Procure all available manure, sand, ,etc., for autumn work while the weather is suitable. Get in supplies s of lime. Most gardens need a good application of lime every three years. See that all plots intended for growing winter and spring vegetables are - well drained. Hardy Orchids. Orchids are generally looked upon as subjects difficult to grow, but there are many beautiful hardy orchids which may be grown in gardens, either in half-shady portions of rock gardens, or ■in fern borders where such members of the family as the “Lady’s Slipper” (eypripedium), and others will thrive. The different genera, of which there are over 20, are found growing all over Europe. Many are also found native in England, but"*these remarks are con- ' fined to those that are fairly easy to .grow, omitting those of smaller value from a garden point of view. The eypripediums contain many fine varieties, and most of them thrive in well drained soil, rich in humus. Such places can be supplied’in the sheltered nooks of the rock garden or a prepared “sink” garden, placed in a favourable position, is quite easily managed. All varieties prefer half shady positions. Varieties can ho obtained which grow from nine inches up to two feet in height. Some have brown and yellow flowers, some white, others rich purple, and then there are mixtures of brownish-purple, yellow and white, and other variations, many of them being beautifully spotted. Another hardy specie is what is known as the Spotted Orchis, a variety with spotted leaves' and spikes of flowers varying from bright purple to white; these grow one * foot in height. . Other hardy orchids which may be easily grown include the Butterfly Orchis with yellow and white flowers, the bee orchis with velvety brown flowers, the twayblade with green flowers, and ■ the Lizard Orchis with greenish-yellow long-tailed blooms. Club Boot Of ftabhages. This is 'a disease which gardeners often have to contend with as it affects all members of the cabbage family, rape, etc. The disease is caused by a fungus called plasmodiaphora brassicac. The best method of control is an application of /quicklime at the rate of lib. per square yard and then not growing any member of the cabbage family for a number of years. Many gardeners have been disappointed

in the results obtained from applications of lime by not giving the lime long enough to do its work in removing the acidity from the soil. The fungus causing club root only flourishes and becomes epidemic when introduced into an acid soil which is carrying a crop of brassdeas or some allied crop. Once a gardener allows his soil to become acid it is several years before an application of lime will entirely remove the acid effect. The best remedy for club root is newer to allow it to get in at all. As long as land has a fair percentage of lime present club root can never be a serious pest.

A good fertile soil ought to be kept up to pitch with a dressing of quicklime or ground lime at the rate of half a pound per square yard every third year. This finger and toe disease, as it is often called, does not spread from plant to plant through the air, as is the ease with many other diseases such as potato blight. It does, however, readily spread from the first point of at tuck in various ways. Suppose that a small patch of turnips in a large field is affected, a certain amount of soil will be borne from this patch and dropped elsewhere on the field every tune a plough, harrow or cultivator crosses it, and wherever this soil is dropped a new centre of infection is started. Or diseased roots may be spread on a grass fie.ld to be consumed by stock, and a year or two later this field may be under turnips when serioue infection may be revealed. Where the soli is inclined to be acid phosphatic manures to use arc basic slag, bone meal, or precipitated phosphate. ' Harvesting Everlasting Flowers. Some of our summer flowering plants are called “everlasting” on account of their peculiar quality of retaining form and colour for many months after being carefully dried. Among the annuals there are helichryums, acr*cliniums, rhodanthes, and honesty, the last named being valued for its seed pods. Then there are numerous varieties of statice, globe amaranthus, and pliysalis (Chinese lantern). The sprays of seed pods of the dainty gypsophila are also of value for mixing with other flowers to give a dainty effect. For diying the best time to-cut the blooms is when they are half opened, choose a sunny day for gathering and cut with long stems. Rodanthes and acrocliniums being light, merely require to be bunched together, but lielichrysums are best when the stems are cut away and pieces of fine wire, firm enough to hold the flower head, is passed through the centre of each bloom to take the place of the natural stem. This is necessary on account of their heavy heads w-liich rause their own stems to droop and break when dried. After gathering and tying, suspend the bunehes of all flowprs to be dried, heads downwards, from the roof of an airy shed. The length of time needed to finish them off will depend on the thickness. of the stems. Every year brings forth new . varieties of statice, and in these alone, many artistic decorations for winter can be devised. Novel Use For Stair-Rods.

These are of great value for staking small shrubs and perennials. They run in the soil so easily, hold very firmly, and finally become almost invisible. Then again, they are everlasting, never breaking at a critical moment, and there are no “splinters.”

Rhododendrons. Of all the shrubs grown in gardens the rhododendron is one of the most popular and gorgeously attractive. It has also the merit of evergreen, attractive foliage. For many years specialists have been engaged in improving on the old varieties, and magnificent forms with gorgeous long trusses of flowers are now being produced. Many amateurs think that rhododendrons are difficult to, grow. On some soils they certainly are, unless extra pains be taken to bring the soil requirements to the proper standard. The plants love a loamy, lime-free soil, with plenty of leaf mould. In such soils they grow into immense bushes. Those who intend growing rhododendrons ’in. a heavy clay soil are those who have the most work to do. The soil must be dug out three feet. Before filling in again, connect drain pipes to carry away excess moisture, otherwise during the rainy- season the excavated part will have a tendency to hold water. Fill in with a layer or two of turf and the balance with gofld loam and leaf soil. On such soils it is best to set aside a part of the shrubbery for rhododendrons, kalmias, a.nd azaleas as these all thrive on the same treatment, and in between the various shrubs an ideal place will be found for members of the lovely lilium family. Another point to remember is that rhododendrons love to be sheltered from cutting winds. If this shelter is not on the spot, plant a few shelter trees as a background —*prunus, lonicera nit&da, or anything that grows quickly. The latter provides excellent shelter from the base up and is an attractive evergreen.

The rhododendron is a very fibrous rooted shrub, and if a dry spell follows planting it must be kept watered. If the delicate fibres once get dry or shrivelled the effects are often disastrous, not noticeable perhaps at once, but some weeks after. The shrubs may be planted in autumn or spring. Even when flower buds are well developed,' they may be removed with safety, while the display of flowers is in no way affected.

Existing beds should receive a good mulch of well-decayed manure and leaf soil each autumn to provide food for the delicate surface roots.

It is most important, especially in the ease of choice sorts, that all flower trusses be removed directly the flowers are over. If seed is needed, leave a head or two, as plants are easily raised from seed. A good way to grow two or three choice varieties is in tubs, but plants grown in this way must have,

strict attention paid to watering in dry weather with an occasional dose of liquid manure.