GARDEN NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19887, 16 May 1936, Page 20 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES

SEASONABLE WORK

MEDIALLY WRITTEN AND COMPILED TO SUIT WAIKATO CLIMATE (By “ Nikau.”) VEGETABLES AND FRUIT Sow Broad Beans. Dwarf Peas, Parsley, and Turnip, all in raised beds. Plant Cabbage, Cauliflower, a few early Shallots, Rhubarb, and Herbs (Chives, Parsley, Thyme, Mint, etc.). Use Marrows before they become -stringy. Examine Pumpkins once a week, in case they have begun to rot, or have been attacked by rats. Onions and Potatoes also should be examined periodically. Dig in all kinds of green stuff suitable for manure; keep the bottom soil still on the bottom, but break it up and also work the green manure into it. Mould up Celery and a few early Leeks. Thin the Carrots sown a few weeks ago. Plant Strawberries firmly, so that frost will not lift them out before they are established. Dig the soil deeply for new trees, and plant them while conditions are favourable —not too cold, nor too wet. FLOWERS Loosen the sod around the early plantings of Iceland Poppy, Stock, Antirrhinum, Calendula, eto. Make further plantings of hardy bedding plants, not forgetting the merits of Violas, Pansies, and Polyanthus Primroses as edgings. Cut down Heleniums, Golden Rod, Rudbeckia, Perennial Phlox, eto., to within about three inches of the soil. Plant another lot of Anemones and Ranunculi; they like a cool root run, and yet good drainage. Plant out Sweet Peas in the trenches made and manured three or four weeks ago. Save leaves to make leaf-mould for putting In potting mixtures and for maturing Lilies, Rhododendrons, and various kinds of vegetables. Do not cut new lawns until the grass is six Inches high, and then cut with a scythe or very sharp mower.

any top growth appears. Bulbs of most kinds of lilies have already come on the market. There are over a dozen kinds which can be obtained quite easily, and as many of them cost only one to two shillings each, a collection may be worked up fairly cheaply. Culturally, lilies may be divided into two groups—stem-rooters and non-stem-rooters. They might be grouped also as lime-haters and lime-tolerators. Most kinds appreciate a rich soil, with plenty of humus in it, but the drainage must be really good, and fresh manure must not be used. A poor soil can be made quite suitable by the addition of leaf mould or well-rotted compost. Rotted turf also is a safe manure to work into the lily bed before planting. The Depth to Plant. The stem-rooters should be planted six to ten inches deep, so that there will be at least four inches of stem in the soil above the bulb to send out feeding roots. Examples of this class are L. Henryi, L. speciosum and L. auratum. These lilies and several others too should be planted beside low-growing plants which will shade the lower part of the lily stems and the soil in which they are growing. It is usually recommended that such lilies should be grown amongst rhododendrons and other shrubs, but the writer finds that these plants are pirates and rob the lilies of food, moisture and light. A better way is to grow the lilies behind delphiniums, aquilegias, fuchsias, paeonies, dwarf dahlias, dwarf polyantha roses, etc., as these can be easily taken up if they poach on the lilies’ territory. The lilies should be left alone for years,' because most of the clumps improve as the time passes. Some lilies thrive in a sunny, open position. Such are the Orange Lily (L. croceum), L. umbellatum, L. candidum (the Madonna Lily), L. regale, L. Longiflorum (the Trumpet Lily, or Christmas Lily of this province), and L. tigrinum (the Tiger lily). All the above are of comparatively easy culture. To secure good drainage, a handful of sand should be set at the base of the bulb, and another handful around and on the bulb. Shallow planting (less than four inches), suits the following:—L. candidum, L. chalcedonicum, L. croceum, L. tennii'olium, L. umbellatum, L. testaceum. One lily, L. giganteum, should be planted with part of the bulb exposed. Points to Notice. A point to notice is that some kinds of lilies are harmed by frosts in spring when sending up their new growths. That is another argument for planting the lilies amongst low-growing things such as polyantha roses and aquilegias. In some districts it will ibe necessary to plant the lilies close to a wall and to cover the young shoots on frosty nights. Protection can be given also by placing manuka tops in a slanting position over the lily clump. This enables them to grow under something like natural conditions, because many kinds of lilies are natives of the woodland or open heath, and push their stems up through low shrubs, bracken or grass. A final word of caution: Lilies have scaly bulbs which shrivel quickly if they are left out of the soil or if they are not wrapped in damp moss. They should not be left a day longer unplanted than is inevitable. If a bulb is seen to be shrivelled, place it in damp earth in a box for a few days, so that it may become plump. If it is soaked in water it will probably rot. Any scales that are knocked off should be planted carefully, as bulblets will form at their base.

NATIVE BUSH PRESERVATION.

The following is a reprint of a letter Issued two years ago by the Hon. Minister of Lands:— “I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the Bth ultimo, bringing under my notice the following resolution passed at the recent annual conference of your Institute (The N.Z. Institute of Horticulture): ‘That the attention of the Government be drawn to the urgent necessity for the preservation of all native forests on hill country, particularly on watersheds, with a view to maintenance of regularity of stream-flow and prevention of soil-erosion, scenery preservation, prevention of floods, conservation of hydro-electric supplies and of food for birds.’ “So far as my Department is concerned, the position is that the desirability of preserving high country forests is fully recognised, and extensive areas of hill and mountain country have been set apart as climatic and water conservation reserves, while large reservations for river protection purposes have also been made. As you are no doubt aware, the State Forest Service controls some millions of acres of permanent and provisional State forests. Included particularly amongst the permanent State forests are large areas which are regarded purely as protection forests, and which are administered and safeguarded accordingly. “Scenic reserves throughout the Dominion under the control of the Land Deportment now amount to over G50,000 acres and are being gradually extended as opportunity offers. In this connection you may be interested to learn that arrangements were recently completed for the reservation of an area of some 9000 acres of beech forest extending for some six or seven miles along the new Lewis Pass Road on the west banks of the Boyle and Lewis Rivers. This area was formerly included in a pastoral run, but following negotiations with the licensees, the area concerned was surrendered from the license and so freed for scenic reservation. It may be mentioned also, as an indication of the policy being followed, that the Department has recently refused to relet for pastoral purposes an area of some 30,000 acres, comprising the Travers Valley at the head of Lake Rotoiti, Nelson District. It is proposed that this area shall be set aside as a scenic reserve and the matter will be brought before the Scenery (Preservation Board at an early date. ASPARAGUS BEDS. The tops of asparagus have ripened sufficiently for them to be cut down close to the ground. All the seeds that have fallen should be swept off with a cane broom, because seedlings would interfere with the proper plants of asparagus. The surface should be loosened with a hand fork, care being taken to avoid damaging the crowns and fleshy roots of the asparagus. In a cold district some loose strawy litter should be scattered over the bed, but heavy mulchings should wait until spring. At that time the roots will be active again, and will be able to absorb the food supplied by the mulch. Sprinklings of salt and nitrate of soda should be given then, not now, t or a similar reason.

THE SUMMER CYPRESS. For several weeks the “summer cypresses” (Kochia tricophylla) have been showy plants in local gardens. During most of their short life these annuals are green, but in autumn they assume red autumn tints. These, • combined with the pyramidal or oval habit of the plants, make the Koehias very desirable as border or “dot” plants. Nearly every year there are dozens of good specimens of Kochia in our various public gardens, especially Memorial Park, so that readers are quite familiar with them. Two points to note: First, seed is easily saved at this time, and plants I are easily raised in spring in boxes; j secondly, Koehias are suitable for pot I plants in conservatories. The common mistake is to crowd the plants; in such a case they cannot attain their proper shape, even if they grow big enough. That is why they look so well when dotted about in beds of smaller plants. LILY CULTURE. There are few people who do not appreciate the beauty of lilies, and therefore the writer has no hesitation in describing the culture of these plants. Although liliums can be planted at any time in autumn and early winter, there is no doubt that the earlier they are moved after the foliage has died, the better it is for them. Like daffodils, they have a short resting period, for root action goes on long before