CANNAS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 625, 30 March 1929, Page 24

CANNAS

HARDY AND ATTRACTIVE j There is hardly any position where j ! cannas will not grow. Give them water during the hot weather. Expert producers have succeeded in raising plenty of variety in growth | and flower. The tall growers are | used for the centre of a bed or for the back row in a border. The medium j go in the next row, and the dwarf in the front. ! Colour blending is most important ! when planting out the beds or bordi ers. The scarlet, yellow and pink ; make a good combination. improve- , ment in foliage has not been neglected ; from the original green, and some good colours have beeh produced. The large' foliage, borne on some of j the improved specimens, is extremely showy, apart from the spikes of bloom | they produce. The colours in the j foliage range fi'om light green to light i and dark bronze, and some strains j produce a shiny bronzy-red. .THE DWARF STRAINS OF CANNA j Some very fine dwarf strains have been raised within the last few years, and the small gardens can now be planted with some of these, if it is so desired, as they take up much less space than the taller types, and pro-

duce an abundance of bright bloom. A SHOWY EFFECT Cannas planted about the garden, cither in clumps, large beds, or borders, create a very showy effect. These useful garden plants are naturally lovers of warmth and moisture at the roots. In very cold districts where frosts are severe the crowns should be covered with a straw litter or dry grass, until the frosts are over. Rich soil produces growth of leaf and flower, but over-richness will cause abnormal growth of foliage, to the detriment of the flowering. DON’T LET THEM SEED The plants should not be allowed io carry seed—that sets after the flowers have died off—as this weakens the plants considerably. Also to allow the seeds to set causes the beds to have an untidy appearance. Cannas increase wonderfully during the growing season, and require lifting and dividing up each winter. When taking the stock for re-planting it will be necessary to select the most vigorous shoots, and these will be found growing on the outer line of the old clumps. Pieces with one or tw) shoots or eyes will be most suitable to replant. These should be spaced about three

or four feet apart, according to the richness of the soil. Any of the seeds of cannas will grow, but there is no certainty as to the flowering quality from the seed-raised plants. In many large gardens there are unsightly drains and damp places to be contended with. In either case the difficulty can be overcome by planting cannas as a screen. Though not classed among the aristocrats of the garden, and being so easy of culture.

these showy plants are likely to be neglected by the average gardener. A BIT OF A NUT Mrs. Hourigan: An’ what have ye named your baby Mrs. O’Rafferty: We’re going to call her Hazel. Mrs. Hourigan: Shure not! With 25 saints to choose from, ye’re not going to name her after a nut?