GARDEN NOTES.

Shannon News, 17 December 1929, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES.

Routine Work in the Flower Borders. Continue the work of planting out autumn bedding subjects with all possible speed, .sueh as zinnias, asters, marigolds, eosnueas, eelosia, salvia, petunia, phlox drummondii, nemesia, etc. Continue to sow a few more annuals to fill up any gaps at a later date; this is the final sowing."

Sow wallflowers, myosotis, aubrctia, alyssum, or anything wanted to fill the borders, in late autumn for winter blooming. Take cuttings of violas and aubretia for the same purpose, inserting them in a suitable spot in the reserve garden. If watered occasionally through dry weather, these will have grown into nice strong plants ready for edging the borders in late autumn.

Keep a sharp lookout foir all garden pests, especially for aphis, and white blight and apply remedies at once. Complete the lifting of bulbs from the borders, lay out to dry, as bulbs should be shaken free of soil before storing. Remove seed heads from rhododendrons and other choice shrubs.

, Take the top bud out of clarkias, helickrys'ums, godetias, and many other annuals in order to produce bloom on side shoots.

. Hoe herbaceous and general borders frequently. Make scent from stocks, roses, and other sweet smelling flower's. Continue all routine work, staking of herbaceous plants, thinning out of their growths, removal of suckers, and of weeds nestling round the base of plants.

Cut roses and sweet peas more freely than any other-flowers. Disbud carnations where extra fine blooms are wanted; and place small, neat stakes around, or wire frames, to support the flowering branches. A short length of bamboo, split into sections is suitable for the purpose, neatly tied round with raffia. Make plans for next autumn’s alterations. Go carefully over the entire garden and if any part does not please, plan but schemes which will. Pot up any chrysanthemums wanted for late indoor blooming; always choose late flowering varieties for this purpose.

Stake and tie liliums, taking care not to tie tightly or close to the point of a shoot. : Fruit and Vegetable Garden. Remove any peach or nectarine shoots damaged by aphis, and spray regularly to keep tree® clean. • Mulch raspberry beds -with rotten manure, or a dressing of artificial manure, to assist fruit to swell. Disbud outdoor vines, leaving one shoot to a spur; train very thinly

Put down straw on the latest strawberry beds after hoeing. Stop the side' shoots on bush apples, but do not stop the leader.

Remove all suckers from the base of fruit trees. Thin out carrots from three to tour inches apart. Give asparagus beds a good coating of manure, or encourage the roots to build, up strong crowns by repeated doses of liquid manor* ■ i ; Sow more French beans and peas. Dust onions very freely with soot to keep down mildew. frequent dustings of well slaked lime in early mornings to turnip, cauliflower, and savoy cabbage plants. Plant out anything of the melon family, and sow seed for later supplier.

Sow seed of all winter greens, and plant out plants of anything available. Remove the tops of pea shoots on rows now in flower, if early pods, are desired.

Mulch runner beans and otter crops with strawy manure, grass clippings etc. to conserve moisture.

Salad plants may be sown between rows, of winter greens or late potatoes, where the slight shade afforded jrill be of benefit.

Stake and commence to train'tomatoes; give a fortnightly spray with bor doaux mixture to check blight.

Lawn Sand,

While hand weeding is necessary to

remove such deep rooting weeds as

■ * f dandelions and docks from lawns, there s, are many preparations which if applied at. the present time, will kill other f weeds more or less effectively, and at ■ktfyc same time benefit the grass. These materials are known collectively as sands," and individually by distinctive or fanciful name. the gardener has a taste for it can be made at far less than the ready prepared article, ingredients needed, comprising four stone of sea sand, four dry nitrate of soda, four pounds of ammonia, and three pounds

fine, ground sulphate of iron. Mix y-.-the three chemicals together, then mix ' with the sand, a little at .a time, and j‘ as evenly as possible. Use during a \ dry spell in order to get full benefit.

Lawn Mowings. Large quantities of clippings are G. now available from lawns, and few gardeners realise the enormous value ; of them, or they would not allow them ?; to rot with rubbish they intend jrarn-

For mulching purposes fresh or rotted lawn mowings are valuable and ■ largely used. , rUr the winter ;they form a ■ valuable substitute for |J* *

) dung, especially if some bone meal is added. Year old lawn mowings are quite as mild as old hot bed manure, and “may be used in the same way. Mixed with vegetable refuse and garden weeds, they induce it to rot more quickly, and an equal bulk of rotted lawn mowings and rotted weeds, etc., makes a useful manure for tlie bottom of celery tenches, especially if it is watered -first or all with strong house slops. For digging into flower borders, lawn mowings about six months old prove invaluable where manure is scarce, and in the preparation of new borders, equal bulks of stable manure and month old lawn mowings will be quite satisfactory. This does not exhaust the uses to which lawn mowings may be put, though it includes the chief.

Treatment of Sandy Soils. Very few amateur gardeners realise the absolute necessity for . deep digging, and this is particularly the case when dealing with light sandy soils. The top spit of 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 whatever may happen to grow 7 there. Years of practical experience, involving much experimenting and many disappointments has been the lot of a few enthusiastic gardeners in ,their dealings 'with light soils. Benefiting from such experience, the soil should be dug three spits deep, reversing the natural order of the layers and leaving the ground with the top spit at the bottom and the bottom spit on top. It is not generally taken into account that on these soils’the subsoil is quite as rich in mineral plant food as the top soil, 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 noticeable in dry, hot. weather, and the difference in growth in such conditions between plants in deeply dug soil unci those growing where the ground has only been shallowdy turned, is quite amazing. Antirrhinums. There seems to be a disposition today to plant out antirrhinums in the best of all ways, that of colour groups, instead of mixing -them. This is all to the good as the results are better and the effect produced is all that one •an desire. When one comes to think of it, these are wonderful plants. They will grow in any soil, in dry rock u r alls, ’neath the overhanging eaves of houses where the soil is too dry for most plants. For bedding purposes, poor soil is often an advantage, as they do not grow so rank, and not so liable to be damaged by winds. They are easily raised from seed at any season of the year, and may be planted out at any season. After a period of blooming, they only need the removal of the seed heads, and after a short period flowering is recommenced.. They may be either treated as annuals or biennials, but it rarely pays to keep ■ them beyond two years. Looking back on the old sorts of snapdragons, as they were called, we have a good deal to be proud of in the splendid varieties of to-day. We have the clearest yellows, and whites, deep crimsons, many shades of pink and rose, combined with beautiful buff and salmony tints, and charming orange to flame tints. Antirrhinums are splendid for massing, whether grown in beds or borders, and only ask to, be relieved of spent blossoms to make way for others. Unless for exhibition purposes, the antirrhinum is best without manure, which induces rank growth, with steins more easily broken by gales.

Weeds. The weeds of the garden are many. They are sturdy and tenacious of life. Often, as in the case of the dandelion or the dock, .they are plant bullies. In seasons like the present weeds develop at an amazing pace; the weather conditions arc in their favour, the warmth and moisture bring the weeds on apace. Against the weed the chief weapon of offence is the hoe The persistent use of the hoe, when possible, and when the ground is drj enough to work with safety, will not only dislodge thte weeds, but will keep the surface of the soil loose, so that its food containing moisture cannot evaporate into the air. This moisture is retained in the soil at the right depth for it to be assimilated by the delicate root hairs of the plants. It is often said that weeds such as thistles, docks, and dandelions will spread if the hoe is used to sever the tops of the roots. Certainly new growths will appoar, but if these ' arc relentlessly smitten with the hoe the roots will soon give up the unequal struggle. Even the dreaded couch grass has its uses. Deep digging is necessary to expose the roots so that they may be gathered and burnt. The deep cultivation is of immense benefit to the soil, whilo the ashes from the burnt roots are rich in potash and other plant foods. Beauty In the Garden.

One of the features of all small gardens should be the herbaceous border. Once started, with a little renewal each year, it is a source of continual pleasure. All plants in it should-be grouped, as stray plants here and there give no effect. Have the border wide, from six to eight feet at ‘the least, and the

full length of the garden, and if possible, facing south. Group the larger plants, such as lupins, delphiniums, heleniums, hollyhocks, etc., at the back, coming down in height toward the front. Clumps of gaillardias are showy and a grouping of dark antirrhinums. Yet another space can be filled in with zinnias, dahlias, whilo irises and pinks are useful to make a break between two strong colours. It is surprising what effects Can'be got by quite simple means and a little trouble in the garden.

Paths are always difficult to deal with. Gravel gets kicked up and weedy. Stone flags are very useful for tho construction of paths, and give charm and tone. These can be bought in varying shapes, or some may be made from a concrete mixture. A narrow path composed of these, with a grass edging or rock border on either side is very charming. The main lines of the garden should be kept simple. In a small garden straight lines have often to ba maintained, although where ever possible a few graceful curves should be introduced. If at the end of your paved walk you can fix up a pergola, so much the better. Group the dwarf roses together in a bed with a sunny aspect. Catmint between the roses gives a very pretty effect. At the top end of, the path and nearer the house, an arch in trellis work may be erected, the trellis work square, with arched top, where purple clematis can be planted. Very often at the back of a house there is a recess formed by the projection of the outbuildings. This, if possible, should be raised a step or two above the general level of the garden and form a small terrace.