GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 7 May 1929, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Autumn Work in the Garden,

Tho autumn months provide a glorious opportunity for the laying out of a new border, a new lawn, drive, paths*, and structural alterations. Maybe a new rose border is contemplated, and if the garden plot be small, it will be a wise plan to furnish it with standard vases. These are a little more costly but at the same tim'o, ample compensation is obtained from the extra space underneath, which may be planted with , a ,carpot of beautiful spring, flowers, sncli as anemones ,and violas. This same border,, if well dug and drained, "' a* every rose border should be, is also '. an ideal spot to plant with autumn seedling beauty stocks, with an edging . oj* mauve of pur.ple aubretia. These i.,\v usually finished before 'the roses commence, thus keeping the "border gay over a long period. New Catalogues. The season's catalogues 'are again coming to hand, accompanied by many beautiful illustrations, of various shrubs roses, and so on. The task of choosing is not always an easy one.. The novelty list is eagerly scanned by the enthusiastic gardener, who usually adds two or three to the list of wanteds. Novelties add interest to the garden and despite the fact that some of them eventually end in disillusionment, others are quite up 1o expectations, and the added pleasure derived from them U well worth the outlay. Routine Work.

Those who love irises should plant generously now. Small pieces of the popular flag, or bearded iris will readily strike. This work should be undertaken without delay as they are now s commencing to make active root growth Tho bulbous Spanish type will also make a wonderful display of early .blooms. These include many varieties, with both small and large flowers. The sibirica and Japanese irises, are gems for planting near ponds, the latter will grow in several inches of water. They will also accommodate .themselves and bloom- happily in the 01 dinary border. Then there is the early mlooming iris stylosa to be- given a place and a "gem" of a light shade of lavender, but. equally as early and equally free blooming, when planted in full sunshine. The iris family is a particularly largo and' attractive one. The old favoured blue and White flag iiises of olden days have been supplemented by many other varieties and beautiful shading* of bronze, yellow, rose tints, mauves and purples are to be had, many of which grow to a height of several feet. The flag ins loves a well drained, sunny bank, with plenty of lime mixed with the soil. Home Garden.

Great efforts are being made in all New Zealand cities to provide beautiful gardens, and how much these- are appreciated! The task of making the home garden beautiful is, in its own way, equally as important. From a ' health giving point alone, the growing of flowers and vegetables is always worth while and to the lover of flowers, the garden is an endless joy and delight. Commencing with a border, a small piece of rockery,"and perhaps ' a small stretch of lawn, the enthusiasm of tho gardener is gradually aroused, and the growing interest in the garden ends in all the surroundings taking an added beauty. Barren corners are made use of and stocked with "beautiful plants, and all unsightly objects hid- - den by trailing roses and creepers, until a beautiful garden emerges out of chaos. To provide a standard of com- . fcrt and beauty outside and inside the home should be the aim of every homemaker and will go a long way in convincing all members of the family that there is really no place like home. The head of the house often discourages the laying out of a flower garden, "unprofitable foolishness," often being the verdict, and with co-operation lacking, the half-formed plans of a garden are regretfully abandoned. However, nothing raises tho standard o'f the lioi.Tj more than its external appearance, and the most unenthusiastic will eventually t-.iko a pride in a well-kept garden, ' however small it may be. Garden Hedges. While some people in regard to garden hedges seem tc have no idea beyond green or golden privet, and claegnus, it still remains a fact that the material available for hedges presents a very wide range, offering suitable subjects for every position. There is no reason, consequently, why any proposed hedge should not be made a beautiful garden feature. Even to ensure privacy, ugliness need not and should not be tolerated. If privet must be employed, the golden form is a thousand times better than the green, and can bo grown equally as dense. Only, to maintain the bright colouring of the leaves, refrain from making the soil over-rich. This remark applies equally to all shrubs where the vivid colouring of the leaves is the chief consideration, also, plants acquire autumn tints • at a much earlier date when grown on poor soil. Where evergreen hedges are preferred, the small box-like foliage of lonicera jritide makes one of the neatest of hedges, and will grow up to sixfeet in height if required, its dense habit of growth, its quickness, and most important of all, its deep rooting qualities, tend to make this -plant an ideal hedge subject. A shrub with a deep rooting teiulencv

will not starve plants nearby. Privet - and escallonia, are among the worst for making a network of surface-loving rootlets, • which extract an enormous amount of nourishment from their surroundings. For the small garden where the want of more space is felt, the hedge, should be composed of something, ornamental, particularly if it be ''" u dividing hedge. The japoniea in particular may be trained to form a beautiful hedge, and at its base'many kinds of narcissi may bo planted. A rose bush here arid there will prolong its beauty, such as Eed Letter Day, or the n free-blooming monthly type.of rose. A a

warning, however, should have gone in front of all this. Hedges are grave concerns, and overhaste to plant thqm nto be deplored. Hedges are the ruin o.». many tiny gardens, front and back. In such places there is so little space to utilise that it is positively sinful to occupy it with a permanent hedge that represents much waste opportunity, robs the soil- of nourishment and starves all plants in its vicinity. Walls are much to bo preferred, they provide required shelter and privacy and may be quickly clothed with trailing shrubs and plants. In large gardens well : kept hedges add dignity and provide shelter from rough winds, also in many country homes, evergreen hedges are a" .necessary protection for both flower and vegetable growing. Preparing the soil should be undertaken without delay, and after allowing a week or two for the soil to settle ,furnish with plants. Spring planting is also permissible, but new growth will.be much later in starting. The hedge is to "carry on" for years, and therefore needs to be well prepared. Trench' to a depth of two feet, working in some well-rotted manure in much the same way as if making a bed for roses. The healthy- appearance and rapid growth of the hedge will; repay the extra trouble taken in soil preparation.

Should it. bo- contemplated- to lay down fresh beds of asparagus it is important to have the site for the new beds thoroughly prepared, some , time in advance of either sowing or planting. A generous supply of well.rotted farmyard manure should be given, and the ground either trenched or double-dug, leaving the surface as rough as possible to permit the sun and frost to pulverise and sweeten it to as great a depth as possible. Although spinach has never been quite so popular as many other vegotablej in many households, more attention is now paid to it by private growers than formerly. Properly cooked, it makes a desirable and health-giv-ing acquisition to the table and there is scarcely any garden where its culture cannot bo undertaken. To grow it well, it should be given rich ground, in an open sunny position, and seed ought to be sown at stated intervals so as to ensure cropping over a long ■period. To this enel, ground needs to bo well dug, and provided with sufficient humus, so that in dry seasons it will not run to seed so quickly. For this purpose good farmyard manure is best, or, failing this, work in some garden refuse that has been stacked' for a time. The prickly or winter varieties may be sown now —these will do particularly well on a sunny bed backed by a wayy—or both summer and winter varieties may be sown. Some gardeners give as their reason for not growing spinach, that it takes a lot to make a boiling but that is only part of a truth, as it is in many instances thick sowing and.failure to thin that yields such poor results. It is best sown very thinly in drills, and any thinning required should be done early, It is a quick growing crop and is valuable for early use. For these reasons it is one of the things that, to utilise space, may be used as a 'catch crop' grown between rows of other plants that take a lengthy period to mature. Rock Gardens.

This is one of the best times to make a rock garden. Rock gardening appeals with singular force to the amateur, either as a hobby or as a pastime. It can be carried out in limited space, the initial outlay will probably run into a little, depending on whether stone can be got near at hand, but the maintenance in after years does not run to a fraction of what bedding plants cost. The display is always satisfying, as there is usually at all seasons something interesting and somethting bright in a well planted rock garden, while the practical work associated with rock plants affords the most healthy relaxation from business work and worry. The site of the rock garden is of first importance. Wherever possible, choose a sunny position in the open, away from largo trees. Some shelter to the north and east is* desirable, but this can be supplied by planting a few hardy shrubs of moderate growth near to the rack garden, to act as a screen. The drips from large trees are not conducive to the well-being of many rock plants. A natural sloping bank maybe'converted into quite a pretty rock garden. The outline at ground level should always be irregular and the actual building should commence there, the first stones having their lowest edges concealed, gradually working back. Taste has a great latitude here, for a rock garden may be anything from a low, almost flat series of undulating beds or mounds, up to terraced hills of soil studded or built up with rock masses, which is usually beyond the amateur gardener. Boldness and a certain amount of rugged aspect can only be obtained by using huge blocks of rock, but where stone is scarce and one wishes to use it to the best advantage, the low type of rock garden is the best. It is quite an erroneous idea to suppose that large quantities of rock are necessary or desirable, many rock gardens suffer from a surfeit. In small gardens it is never advisable to attempt anything too elaborate; simplicity should be the keynote throughout. Suppose the site be flat, narrow and of moderate length, then the highest point may either be in the centre or at one of the ends. If the first arrangement

is followed raise one end about two-

thirds the height of the centre, and the other end about half the height of the centre. In the other arrangement, the ends may bo treated boldly, using the largest pieces of rock available, with one end raised higher than the other, and the intervening apa.ee treated as a valley slope or boulder-strewn incline. Strive in all building and arrangement to make the rock garden appear is an outcrop or natural feature of the

position, and not as a forced growth, having no sympathy with its surround-