THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 352, 12 May 1928, Page 26

THE WEEK’S WORK AT A GLANCE

THE FLOWER GARDEN With the coming of cold nights the joys of the summer border are soon over, and our thoughts should fly to the approaching spring with its dainty flowers and general awakening. Pansy, the most popdlar of all bedders, may be sown or planted now. There are some wonderful new colours, including mahogany, bronze, orange and blue shades well worthy of a gardener’s cultivation. Sow the seed in boxes and cover with a sheet of glass. Prepare holes now for shrubs and ornamental trees which may be shifted early June. Cut back the dead wood on roses and remove all the surplus growths. Manure the beds with bonedust and rake in round the roots. Lawns should be patched up immediately before the weather gets too cold, as growth will be much slower, and thus giving the weeds a greater chance of taking hold. Manure established lawns with super and blood and bone, half-and-half quantities, to promote good, strong growth. Sow seeds of stock, nemesia, carnation, canterbury bells, gaillardias, poppies, geums, linaria, mignonette, aquilegia, primula and candytuft. Plant out seedlings of pansy, verbena, early stock, antirrhinum, violas, cinerarias and lobelia. For massing in borders nothing will beat the primula malacoides, a dainty flowerer carrying masses of lavender flowers for months on end. Plant the last of the daffodil, tulip, hyacinth, ixia and freesia bulbs. These will not flower early spring, but will commence when others have finished. Pink and yellow arum lilies can now be set or planted in pots for verandah decoration. Lilium bulbs may be planted in clumps where wanted. Established lots in the garden may be lifted and divided and reset immediately. Cut back old heads of hydrangea bushes and other shrubs that have finished flowering. Plant out Japanese iris in damp and shady corners. Lift and divide all herbaceous perennials, manuring the ground well before resetting. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN Prepare asparagus beds for June planting, trenching the ground and digging in layers of rotted manure 12 inches from the surface. Asparagus does well in the open away from shade. Rows three feet apart. ■ t Early potatoes are now offering for those lucky persons who can give them sufficient shelter during the winter months. Early puritan is a good variety, maturing in about 10 weeks. Arran chief and gamekeeper are later varieties, but not so susceptible to blight. Planting now, they should mature end of July. As the ground gets colder, apply nitrate of soda to cabbages and cauliflowers. Weekly solutions of loz a gallon of water are quite strong enough. Keep the ground well worked and hoed between the rows. Continue sowing broad beans in drills three inches apart and two feet between the rows. Those sown earlier may have their tops nipped out to make them branch. It is a good idea to keep them dwarfed, as a protection against the strong winds. Onion sowing is still of paramount importance, and no time should be lost in setting the seed. Sow in drills thinly and leave plenty of space between the rows for working the hoe. This saves much back-breaking work, so obnoxious to onion-growing. The best varieties to sow now are ailsa craig, an early, large onion, but does not keep well, often weighing 141 b each. Giant rocca, a mild, good onion, dark skinned. Brown Spanish, or long keeping. A good cropper, the bulbs keeping for 12 months. Straw Spanish, perhaps the most popular of all onions. The bulbs yield twice the crop of the former variety. Prepare beds for rhubarb and strawberry plants, both obtainable early in June. Plant now shallots and garlic in light, rich soil. Set the bulbs 1£ inches deep and 6 inches apart. Plant all herb plants now, such as herbs, chives, thyme, sage, marjoram and lavender. Sow the seed of beet, parsnip, carrots, turnips, swede, parsley, lettuce, cauliflower and cabbage.