GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 29 October 1929, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Routine Work in Flower Borders. Mulch. roses with manure. The mulching is of special importance in the case of newly planted trees. Gather flowers regularly from the herbaceous border. If the plants are not allowed to produce seed and ripen it, their flowering periods will be considerably extended. Continue- the routine work of staking up. Sweet peas, antirrhinums need attention in this way.

Continue to protect choice plants from garden enemies. Plant out border chrysanthemums in firm, rich soil. Place dahlia tubers in sand to encourage plenty of shoots. Prepare ground in readiness for planting time. Sow more hardy annuals for successsdon.

Lift' surplus bulbs from the borders and plant them in the wild garden. Lift and divide polyanthuses, after they have finished flowering, for blooming next spring. Sow seeds of auriculas and polyanthus for next spring’s bloom.

Keep all newly planted, bedded stuff thoroughly well watered, until they are Seen to have rooted'well.

■ Keep tho hoe going freely through borders.

' Dig any vacant borders thoroughly for summer bedding plants, working in plenty of well decayed. manure at the same time.

Train rose shoots over arbours and arches, tying them in early to prevent them being damaged. Propagate violets. Vegetable Garden.

Pinch out the tips of broad beans if not seitting freely. This also ensures an earlier supply of' beans. Sow beetroot on well dug soil, avoiding a site that has been recently manured. .

Earth up potatoes as soon as the tops are well through the soil, but avoid burying these too deely. Give, timely attention to all crops requiring thinning out. Sow seeds of dwarf beans, and vegetable marrow. Plant out well hardened tomato plants. Give early planted eschallots a good application of old soot. _ Sow seed of celery and leek. Give asparagus beds a good sprink: ling of old soot, salt or nitrate of soda, 2oz. to the square yard. Sow lettuce and endive., in/ open

ground. With the rush of other work, the sowing of winter greens may, with advantage, be left over until next month. Where savoys, winter cauliflowers, etc., are sawn too early they mature in the very early winter, at a time when vegetables are not really scarce. Continue sowings of carrot, parsnip, turnip, spinach, and any other wanted vegetable.

Sow parsley in rich soil. Prepare ground for all' field crops such as field peas, mangolds, artichokes, potatoes, etc.

Cultivate every part of the vegetable plot! Whore poultry is kept the surplus always comes in handy. Early Blooming Climbers.

A wealth of starry blossoms marks the spot where clematis montana rambles at will over arches ami pergolas erected for its benefit. The unusual pink, colouring of its companion, montana rubons, shows a greater wealth of bloom, being slightly earlier. An elusive fragrance is given opt by its pretty bios mr.: i and nearby masses of blue irises' enhance its trailing sprays of beauty, a combinatian of colouring that is delightful. The enchanting shades of wisteria,

with its lengthy, graceful festoons of bloom greets us in sunny corners. Its passing is all too swift and we would fain enjoy its beauty over a longer period, although its pretty fernlike foliage is decorative at all times. The flowering period of the haideflroscs a.re just commencing to open snowy white and buttercup yellow blooms. These old-fa-shioncd climbers, especially the latter, still continue to hold their place with garden lovers.

There Is a spring-like charm in their clusters of tiny double flowers. The flowerin gperiod of the ha id onbergias is such a lengthy one that masses of colouring still continue to brighten the garden. The purple, white and pink varieties are welcome additions to o.ny garden. A mass of green foliage, with quaint green,' trumpet-looking

flowers, Which turn later to rnauvy. purple shades, proclaims the spot where eoboa scandcns grows. It’s one of the freest bloomers we have, and much valued on that account. The J>lue Argentine pea is another climber which charms; and it is decidedly blue, at the present time, with spike upon spike " ef bloom. The native clematis transplanted from its native bush haunt, rewards with graceful, snowy festoons, which fend themselves so admirably in draping fern trunks, etc., with loveliness, i Phlox Drummondii. On, heavy soil a little extra preparation is needed in growing this charming, gay flowered annual. Phlox is a word of Greek origin, and signifies “flame.” When Mr Drummond found those plants growing in Texas, ho was, amazed at thoir j vividness, and from seed gathered then, they have continued to undergo a steady improvement, so that now we havo many brilliant

shades wherewith to enhance the borders. Phlox grows to perfection in a silty soil. Heavy soil must be lightened with leaf mould, sand, or better still, sandy silt, which is often to be obtained from river sides. The plants flower over such a long period that it is well worth while to go to a little extra trouble in soil preparation. A little artificial, or well decayed manure improves them.

Small Bulbous Plants. One of the Joys of spring is the numerous varieties of small bulbs, whose dainty spikes of bloom grace our gardens. Unfortunately ,many of these same,small bulbs have a habit of disappearing from our gardens. Presumably they are hoed up at some time or other, when dormant,' the spot not having been marked. It is a good plan to remove all such to a rock garden a place where the hoe is not usable. They may be planted so as to have to force their way through among some low-growing alpine plant, thus doing away with the bare appearance for the greater, part Of the year that bulbgrowing entails. Some rock garden lovers look askance upon bulbs on account of tho untidiness, referring to them as 'dirty' plants on account of the withering foliage. But one cannot have everything and it would be a pity were all to deprive themselves of the joy given by these dwarf bulbs, even at the cost of a little untidiness. The leaves of the bulbs nrav be removed as soon as they show a tinge of yellow. Scillas, lachenalias, brodiacas, chocuscs, musearis, dwarf daffodils, the quaint low-growing snowdrops, hoop petticoat daffodils and many others will look their best in tho pockets of the rock garden. Here, too, will be found a homo for the dainty. types of the autumn flowered merinos.and crocuses. Effective Colours. Where there is a bed of pink toned roses, nothing is so effective as a bordering of nepeta mussini (catmint). When the border is gay with roses and the edging of catmint also a mass of bloom, framing the roses with its gre\ ; aromatic foliage and lavender-coloured flowers, the effect is charming. Look ed at from a distance, the subdued hazy colour effect produced by the lavender and pink is particularly pleasing t-o the eye. Another charming and effec tive display can be had on a stretch of sloping ground by planting dianthus deltoides (one of the dwarf alpine oinks) and catmint, broken at intervals by a few wcll-plae-Cd large stones, or pieces of rock. -Catmint is a most accommodating plant, seeming to be at home in almost any position, but it certainly loves sunshine. It makes a fine subject foV the top of a dry wall, elevated positions o-n the rock garden, or used as an edging for borders. It? long, flowering period enhances its value for all gordon work. There another varieties of catmint but none so pretty and useful as nepeta mussini. Cuttings root readily in spring ot lutumn, or whole clumps may be lifted and divided, and they quickly form bushy plants. Calendulas, or Fot Marigolds.

Very few amateurs take cognisance of the calendulas in spring, when they sow seeds of other annuals, overlooking the advantage there is in getting the seed in at this season. They commence to flower so early from seed that they may be had in blossom long»be fore nfany other spring sown flowers come to beauty an bin our climate they are not merely annuals but will continue to blossom for several seasons, and for the greater part of the year.

Calendulas are c xtroinclv useful as a pot plants for the winter months. Nice bushy plants are pot tel up during the 'ate autumn. The « bloom wonderfully ■veil in sunny windows, or conservatory and their warm orange and yellow, tints arc most welcome during the dull days of winter. Calendulas bloom lavishly

and arc delightful for cutting. The improved strains are so large and showy that a bright splash of colour is quickly obtained wherever they a resown or planted. Many of them are thickly double to the centre, while ethers display a handsome centre dis-: in a contrasting colour.

Weeding. The thought of the weeding to bdone in a garden often deters people from making one. Weeding is ofto'alluded to as a bore and a general un kindness displayed bv Nature toward-? our efforts. Weeding is not nearly so Ircadful as some imagine, in spite of all its knee-bending and back-breaking. Wooding really livings you in contact with your garden. Routine work means the knowledge of detail, and the knowledge of defail builds up the whole, whether it be gardening or any other work.

Weeding in the garden gives the whole opportunity of plant, life study. Wc observe the habits of the plants we grow, we learn theiir root requirements, we can observe the insect life, find the insects which destroy or are injurious to our plants, we can watch the bees and butterflies, in fact, natural history opens its pages of wonders

to us. Weeding should not be dull. We learn the small seed leavos and can distinguish at a glance whether it be flower or weed, wc find the chance seedling as something novel,'- perhaps lit will be something that will replace a lost plant and all sorts of expectations arise as to what it will eventually become. Many beautiful and wonderful novelties have had their origin in just such a way-r-“a chance seedling.” Weed-

ing is the incentive to greater efforts and gardening is a game that can always be played. It is like a newly acquired language; it has a literature of its own well worth reading and studying, arousing interest in the works of travels to learn of countries from whence plants have been brought and of the fascinating stories of natural history. Therefore in the words of Volta-iro: ‘ ‘ Cul ti vate our. garden. ’ ’

China Asters. The great points in the successful cultivation of asters are to give them a very rich soil at all stages and never allow the plants to receive a cheek in any way, such as suffering from lack of moisture during a dry spell, or from keeping them well hoed. Plant them out carefully into beds of good, rich end deeply dug soil. From eight to ten inches apart is a goo-d distance for the dwarf kinds, and one foot or more for the tall growers.

Haiwatha Rose. Roses come and go. Some are heard of for a few years and then they fall into line with many others possessing qualities nearly alike. Some seem to. retain their special points which make them popular at the time they make their debut and are not forgotten easily. Haiwatha is an' instance of a rose that is a good stayer, once its cultivation has been entered on. It is a single rose, crimson in colour, with golden anthers. When these drop off, they leave a white centre visible, and as it blooms in clusters, it is a favourite for arches and pergolas. Its continuity of flowering is one of its distinguishing characteristics and it is questionable whether any other crimson rose lasts such a long time as Hiawatha. Its clusters have been known to last in an attractive condition for four weeks and those who have not included this sort amongst their climbers should make a note of it for future use. Colour in the Garden. With the advance of spring, more and more colour is being added to the gurderf. Yellow and gold tints, symbolic of spring, continue to predominate. Contributions in these colours include handsome blooms of showy calendulas (marigolds), whose vivid tints of orange' brigbten the landscape wonderfully. Graceful ..Iceland poppies, too, are noticeable for, their arresting colours, while charming spikes of yoilow and orange lachenalia, with their bell-shaped blooms, are among the joys of the September garden. Yellow primroses and -narcissi continue to ad-1 their quota of colour, with brown and golden ivallflowers harmonising. A'general awakening is apparent on all sides. Early irises are budding freely, Oriental poppies, and tulip leaves enfold plump buds, with delphiniums and aquilegias making a wealth of foliage. Fresh ,tender, green leaves are to be seen on many of our deciduous shrubs'and trees, the maples (acer) in particular, are noticetble with their delightful crimson tinted foliage. A splash of colour marks the spot whore the pa coni es dwell, the young growth appearing of crimson hue in the sunlight, while fern-like in appearance are die masses of lupins in the herbaceous border.

Work in Flower Carden. The furnishing of the shrubbery with chosen plants should not- be delayed any longer, in order to give them a chance to get rooted before summer sets. in. Shrubs grown in pots may be transplanted at almost any time, as the roots are not disturbed’' in the same way. Complete any digging operations and ;Iterations to b unless. Riant tarnations, phlox, holcniunis,

and Michaelmas daisies. If the protection of glass is aval. 1 able, sow seeds of aster, zinnia, umar anthus, -coleous and bonfire salvia, .ithmvise delay sowings until the midlie of ..next month. Sowings may be made of all hardy annuals but if garden pests are troublemine, do not risk sowings in the open ••li-der.-. Plant generously of cannas for a •vonderful colour display during sum mr and up la frost’ time. .’Take fortn.ghtlv plantings of gladioli for continual blooming. Prepare for dahlias ami chrysanthemums, ’ Mark all bulbs which are to hie removed from the borders. In fact they may be dug out as soon as the blooming period is fever and removed pi grarer ban!;?, under trees, or other suitable places. 'They may not bloom -o well the first spring, owing to the

early shift.but the extra room gained in the borders for summer flowering annuals more than compensates. Wage war on all weeds, which rob the flowers of much nourishment. R !! ami weed lawns, tap-dressing if they show any signs of impoverishment.

Proceed with any rock gardening work. The planting of the.se should bo completed during next month. The Vegetable Garden. Slightly mould the autumn planted cabbage and cauliflower plants, after .applying a light cl rousing of nitrate of soda around each plant, being careful not to place it in contact with the foliage.

A light dressing of the same, worked among the early lettuce will induce them to heart a fortnight earlier. It must, however, be used with care, or

a scorching of the foliage 'will result. Sow onion seed for main crop. Plant out onion, lettuce, cauliflower, and cabbage plants. Sow peas- at fort-nightly intervals for a succession of this favourite vegetable. Protect them at this time of the year, as soon as they seen! to be pushing through the soil. Birds are particularly partial to these, also to cabbage, lettuce, turnip, and radish seed, as soon as they have germinated. Sow broad beans for later use. Prepare all spare ground for late crops.

Protect the early potatoes by placing a very little strawy litter over each plant. A tin, or box, placed over each rhubarb plant will help force it along. Plant asparagus. Plant rhubarb- without further delay. A few tomatoes may be planted along a sunny wall. ' Sow seeds of cucumber, and any of the pumpkin family under glass. Also seeds of cape gooseberry and egg plant. Continue to plant. esehallots and potato onions.

Use the hot freely whenever weather and soil conditions permit.

Blowers Beneath Trees,

At this time of the year, it is noticeable how well spring flowers thrive under trees. Where the branches of trees, both evergreen and summer leafing, swoop the turf in pleasureground, or drive, many pretty spring flowering bulbs may be naturalised beneath the branches, and will thrive with little attention.

It is chiefly in the case of deciduous trees that this can be done, -but even in Hie case of conifers and evergreens, some graceful objects may bo dotted beneath the utmost points of their lower branches. We know that a great number of our spring flowers and hardy bulbs mature their foliage and go to rest early in the year. In spring, they require light tml sun, which they obtain abundantly under the summer leafing tree; they have time to flower and grow under it before the foliage of the tree appears. Then, ns the summer heat approaches, they are overshadow-

ed and go to rest, but the loaves of the trees once fallen, they soon begin to reapqicar and cover the ground with beauty.

Cowslips - and primroses as well as bulbs flourish extremely well under deciduous trees, and if a large outspreading apple tree is within the vicinity of the garden ,there is no prettier sight that to plant blue flag irises beneath its branches. ' The pale pink tinls of the apple blossom, with the blue setting of (he iris underneath, provide a pleasing colour combination. During exceptionally wet winters, bulbous things arc realty a greater success under trees, as the soots, spread out in all directions, tend to keep the roots uxy, and better drained. By taking advantage of all such spots, more space is available for growing summer and autumn flowering plants. .On any grassy spots where bulbs are to be naturalised, care should be taken not to overdo the planting. To scatter navebsi equally over the grass everywhere is to destroy all chance of repose, or relief and of seeing them in the ways in which they often arrange themselves. Bold groupings here and there are much more pleasing and provide a wealth of bloom for cutting.

Water Lilies (Nympliaea). Of all the phases of modern gardening, none'is more charming and attractive than water gardening and of all the plants used in this connection none is more beautiful and important than the water lily. From now on, these beautiful subjects may be planted.. It is generally believed that water lilies require fairly deep water but they will grow well in one foot of water, allowing an extra six inches to one foot for soil Many of the stronger growers will flourish in much deeper water, but, the point of interest to most people is the fact that very dee-p water is not necessary. Most of the hardy water lilies grow by means of rhizomes, which spread about among the mud, emitting long, fleshy roots.' As received for planting, they' usually consist of a short piece of rhizome with a growing point. The best method is to plant this in an open wicker basket,' using good loam

mixed with a little rotted cow manure, sufficient room being left on the top'of the basket for a couple of fairly heavy stones to keep it from floating when placed in the water. Many gardeners grow caoicc water lilies in tubs sawn in half and let into the ground. Concrete could be made use if iu the same wav.

In subsequent years, water lilies give little trouble. The strongest growerswill in time become a mass of crowns, with the result that many of the leaves in the -centre of the muss will be pushed above.the water and the flowers consequently hidden. When this condition arises, a little thinning out is necessary. Where water lilies are planted ;n small ponds of tubs, the water needs to be stirred, or irrigated occasionally when the weather continues dry for a period, also a little fresh water should be added from time to time. If slime should appear at any time, a little bluestone (sulphate of copper) tied in muslin and drawn through the water until dissolved, js a good remedy. Many beautiful hybrids are now obtainable among those acquatic plants and most of them are more suitable for small areas of water than the more commonly known large white ones.