THE GARDEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 62, 4 June 1927, Page 26 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN

BY

LEONARD A. GRIFFITHS,

F.R.H.S., F.N.Z. Inst.

One thing is certain and the rest is lies; The flower that once has blown forever dies. —OMAR KHAYYAM. INQUIRIES FROM PUZZLED GARDENERS. Any inquiries by our readers on the subject of gardening will be answered in our “Puzzled Gardeners’ Column” in the following Saturday’s issue. All letters must be addressed to the Garden Editor and forwarded to THE SUN Office on or before every Wednesday. Any specimen to be named must be packed securely in a strong box to prevent crushing in transit.

GARDEN HINTS

The tidy gardener always finishes off his sowing of seeds with a final levelling up with the rake. Uneven surfaces are unsightly and tend to condemn vou in the eyes of your criticising neighbours. (Be tidy.) A quick and easy method to cover up your newly-sown seeds is to shuffle your feet along the rows. Obviously you would not adopt this practice in wet weather or while the soil is stickv or moist. The greatest pleasure in gardening is to grow everything you can from seed and watch them from seed time until blooming. It makes no difference if you have to wait two or three years; the more interesting it is to you as you feel you have helped to produce something. Clean and well-drilled gardens are the best precautionary measures to use against slugs and snails. The lazy gardener eats up his profits in resorting to various concoctions for their eradication when the remedy is in his own hands. Hedges should be clipped often for best results. Even the naturallygrowing hedges need a bit of trimming now and then to keep them from looking ragged.

PALMS FOR LAWNS Now is the time of year for planting shrubs for lawn specimens. Many people a* often puzzled for a suitable tree to plant in their lawn or rockery. Palms form a distinct and important part in tree-planting. They are always ornamental and lend themselves to almost any situation. There are over 1,000 species known, the majority of which are natives of tropical countries and therefore a warm situation is preferable. The best hardiest varieties for private planting are Phoenix Cananensis, Chomaerops Excelsa and Ch. Humilis and Washingtonia Filifera. CHOKO VINE Perhaps no vegetable calls for such little cultural attention or responds with such bountiful crops as the choko (Sechium Edule). Of late years this useful plant has come into great prominence, due largely to its extremely easy culture and phenomenal liberality. The Mexican name for this vegetable is “Chayotte.” In the West Indies it is called "Chocho,” which is the nearest approach to the New Zealand corruption. “choko.” It is a climbing vine, producing an immense quantity of light green foliage, and is of very vigorous growth. The choko enjoys the distinction of being the most prolific bearer among the Cucurbitaeae, from which family it differs in that it only has one seed. It is very easily propagated by planting the whole fruit. When the seed has germinated, a plumule or sprout emerges from between the cotyledons, and this sprout will continue green for a very long period, even when lying un buried. Almost any soil suits its purpose, but when given a warm sunny positon in conjunction with well enriched soil, its cropping qualities are nothing short of remarkable.

So prolific is it in some districts, that i*, 1 ? Srown in large quantities for feeding: dairy cattle, pigs, etc. But it is well worthy of inclusion amongst the very limited variety of garden vegetables. F °r the home plot the ideal support would be an outhouse, or some similar structure, or better still, a speciallvconstructed device with latticed roof, where the fruit could hang down between. Fences and fowlhouses also afford useful support, and the wealth of foliage it produces, which cannot be described as unsightly, constitutes an excellent summer shelter or screen. The fruit, which is borne in great numbers, should be picked for table when young and tender, and cooked similarly to squashes or marrows. The choko requires no particular cultivation, but, like most plants, responds readily to any manurial treatment bestowed upon it by more bountiful yields. One plant is quite sufficient to meet the requirements of an average family. Indeed, from a single plant, as mamas 400 ehokos have been gathered. Riant the choko on its side about six inches below the surface in a wellmanured patch of deeply-dug soil. There are two varieties —green and white. ROSE PLANTING It is a great desire among all rosegrowers to produce more roses, better olooms, and extend their period of flowering for as long a period as possible. June and July are the best months for planting and we offer these few remarks with the hope of inspiring our readers in that wonderful plant, “The Queen of Flowers.” Roses are comparatively easy to grow, they succeed in almost any aspect and most soils. A moderately well-drained heavy loam is undoubtedly the best soil for their cultivation, although it is by no means essential. If the soil is sandy or loamy, well worked and drained, the rose is bound to succeed. Trench the ground well and mix rotted cow or stable manure and bonedust into the sub-soil. When planting, the rose should be placed to a similar depth as that which it occupied in the nursery bed. See that the roots are spread out and fine soil worked between them and the ground pressed firmly round them. If the plants are set too shallow or the soil not firmed sufficiently round them, the wood may start to dry up and shrivel before the growth starts. A good watering after planting may be given if the soil is not already moist, but it should be remembered that a dormant rose requires little moisture until growth begins.

Manure should be well mixed with the soil, not placed in a heap at the foot of the hole (as shown). A rose well planted. The hole is wide and the roots are spread out. For those amateurs not conversant with the types and varieties of roses, the short list belo-w should be a good guide for planters. All these varieties have been proved, good strong growers in the Auckland district: Alexander Emslie.—Velvety crimson. Betty Uprichard.—Salmon pink. A. M. Rouger.—Beep apricot. Betty.—Ruddy gold. Caroline Testout. —Satin rose. C. E. Shea. —Rich bright pink. Col. O. Fitzgerald.—Crimson. Countess of Gosford. —Salmon pink, tinted yellow. Diadem. —Crimson, heavily overlaid orange-crimson. Duke of Wellington.—Saffron, yellow, stained crimson. Earl of Gosford. —Dark crimson. Emma Wright.—-Pure orange. Edel. —Pure white.

Geo. Dickson.—Velvet black, shaded scarlet. Golden Ophelia.—Yellow. Gorgeous.—Orange yellow and copper. Hugh Dickson.—Crimson scarlet.. Hawlmark Crimson. —Crimson. Independence Day.—Sunflower gold and orange apricot. Juliet. —Old gold, shaded rose. Lilian Moore. —Indian yellow. Mrs. W. H. Rowe. —Sweet pea mauve. Mrs. H. Morse.—Clear rose. Mrs: W. Quinn. —Canary yellow Marguerite D. Hamill. Straw colour. Rev. Page Roberts. —Rich yellow. Saehengruss.—China rose and white. Shot Silk.—Cherry cerise and yellow. Souv. de Claudius Pernet. Sunburst.—Yellow orange. Sunstar.—Beautifully shaded. Snow Queen. —Pure white.

Select an open situation where the plants will get plenty of air and sunlight, yet sheltei'ed, if possible, from the strong winds. Horse manure, when fresh, -is very heating and should not be used while in this condition. Roses are divided into different classes, the strongest-growing varieties being the Hybrid Perpetuals. Other classes are the Hybrid Teas, Teascented, Polyantha, Single, Moss Roses and the Wichuriana or Pillar Roses. When extra fine quality flowers are desired the side buds may be nipped off and the nutrition which was theirs will be conveyed to the centre bud. When the plants are established watch that no sucker growths spring up direct from the root. They are useless and simply steal the good from the roots that is meant for supplying the flowers. Carefully remove a little of the soil and cut away the growth with a sharp knife.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS J.M., Mount Roskill. —Buffalo grass is only raised by divii<on of roots. These thrive best when planted out in early spring nine inches apart each way. R.F., Epsom.—Perennial phlox are now starting to throw up fresh growth from the old crowns. Lift the clumps carefully and divide them with a sharp knife to the required number. Replant two feet apart, using a little blood and bone. Manure, Parnell. —The value of the animal matter referred to by you contains about 5 per cent nitrogen and 40 per cent, phosphates. This makes a splendid fertiliser and so long as you bury it deep enough no harm will come from it. By the time the matter is rotted the roots ef the plants will have travelled to meet it and so benefit from the properties supplied. 8.H., Kingsland. —Woodlice are a recognised pest in the garden. Yes, they will certainly eat any young tender foliage such as cineraria, stocks, cyclamen and often play havoc in the seed boxes when the seed is just germinating. One method of exterminating them is to lay boards or boxes on the ground near the plants effected. The lice will accumulate under these receptacles and can be stamped out as required. Perform this operation daily for a short period and you should soon rid your garden of these vermin. Another method is to mix a little bran and pollard with Paris green powder and a handful of sugar and scatter round the haunts of the lice. They will eat the sweetened bran and the Paris green will poison them. Re plants in shaded position you omitted to mention what you have planted, so I cannot advise what to do. For further reference the following will succeed in a shaded and cool spot: Cinej raria, cyclamen, calendula, eschscholt- [ zia, violas saxifrageas-