BULBS FOR THE SPRING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1940, Page 8

BULBS FOR THE SPRING

SOIL TYPES AND CULTIVATION. For a spring display in small beds there is nothing .to surpass bulbousrooted flowers such as daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, scillas and muscari. Make a start with the smaller bulbs, as these suffer most by being out of the ground too long. With tulips and hyacinths there is actually some advantage to be gained from delaying planting until the end of April or in May. If planted out too soon the bulbs sometimes make growth too quickly and suffer damage in consequence. Hyacinths are ideal for bedding in confined places for they are so compact and give little trouble. Moreover, their formal spikes are seen to the best advantage near flagged or bricked paths, or in close proximity to the house, and their fragrance is an additional qualification. Named varieties are on the whole too expensive for bedding purposes, and most gardeners will prefer to purchase the special bedding bulbs sold, according to colour.

Scilla sibirica makes an admirable border for spring flowers. This lovelylittle bulb only attains a height of three or four inches, and produces clusters of flowers of the brightest blue imaginable. Unlike the larger bulbs mentioned, the scillas should not be disturbed annually, but left to increase year by year. However, they take up but little space in the bed. In the planting of all the bulbs, correct depth is of the utmost importance. This will vary a little according to the nature of the soil, being slightly deeper on light, sandy soils than those of a heavy nature. On the average early tulips should be covered with three inches of soil. The so-called May flowering and Darwin tulips require four inches of soil covering; daffodils the same quantity: hyacinths from four to five inches; scillas and muscaris with three inches. Speaking generally, daffodils prefer a good loamy soil, retentive of moisture and do quite well in soil which could be termed heavy. An the other hand, while doing well in loamy soils, tulips do like free drainage, and are well satisfied with sandy or gravelly soils. Spanish iris agree with tulips as to soil, while the English section and scillas have more affinity with daffodils. In no case should fresh manure be incorporated. FALLEN LEAVES SAVE FOR THE GARDEN. Save tlio fallen, leaves. They are valuable in the garden. If stored under cover they can be used for making hotbeds in spring. Dry leaves provide a warmth that lasts longer than a hotbed macle with manure only, although it will not roach such a high temperature as the latter. Oak leaves are considered to make the best leafmould for mixing with potting composts, but for making leafmould for garden plants and shrubs almost all leaves are valuable. Those of fruit trees, forest trees, shrubs and plants should be gathered and stored in a heap. Large hard leaves, such as those of sycamore and plane, decay very slowly, and it. might, bo just as well to burn them. But all others should be saved.

If stacked in a heaj) in a corner of the garden and prevented from blowing about by a covering of wire-netting, they will decay, and by next autumn will provide rough leafmould for digging in or for use as a topdressing. Next spring when the leaves are partly decayed they will furnish a good substitute for stable' manure if buried about twelve inches down when the soil is being trenched. In trenches prepared for beans, peas or celery, or ground trenched for onions in autumn, the leaves may be placed in the bottom of the trench as gathered.