GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20728, 11 February 1939, Page 20 (Supplement)

GARDEN NOTES.

Seasonable Work.

(By Nikau) VEGETABLES AND FRUIT Plant cabbaere, kale 'borecole), broccoli, savoy and other winter greens. Plant leeks in rich soil, cither in trenches or on the flat. Sow peas, turnip, prickly spinach, radish, lettuce, parsley and silver beet. Spray tomatoes once a fortnight with -Bordeaux .1 oz. to*l gal. of water), to check the blights which have appeared. Remove and burn all diseased leaves and fruit. Dig potatoes as soon as the tops wither, because the recent heavy rain will start second growth and spoil the flavour of the t/übers. Kumara vines should have covered the ground now; it is advisable to lift them occasionally in order to stop them from rooting at the joints and from diverting the food which should go into the tubers. FLOWERS

Sow stocks but the seedlings will have to be dusted frequently with derris powder or else sprayed with arsenate of lead to kill the grubs of the large white butterfly. Various kinds of “greenfly” aphides '.re to be seen on roses, stocks, and other plants; they can be checked by spraying with Black Leaf 40, “katakilla,’ and other substances. Rambler roses need plenty of attention; cut out most of the long rods that have flowered, and tie into place the new ones. Sow calendula (hardy marigold) in the open garden, and transplant the seedlings before they become drawn up and spindly. Prepare the bulb beds; dig deeply; work in some old rotted manure or compost, and also bonedust or bonemeal. Do not use any fresh animal manure. Make sure that stakes and ties are strong, otherwise dahlias and other tall plants will be ruined. Transplant Madonna lilies now, or else leave them until next year. If trenches for winter-flowering 6weet peas are not ready yet, raise the seedlings in boxes and plant out in four or five weeks. The soil in the trenches should not be very rich, but a good sunny position must be found for these peas. Layer carnations and bud roses and trees; directions for these two operations were given in recent notes.

CONSIDER THE LILIES In all parts of Hamilton there are ▼arious species of lily in full bloom. The commonest, Lilium tigrinum or Tiger Lily, was described in recent notes, but one or two matters in connection with it should be repeated. First of all, it fs easily propagated by means of the little bulbs growing in the axils of the leaves; these bulbs should be planted as soon as they are removed or fall from the plapt. They should be planted an inoh deep in boxes provided with good drainage holes. Another matter is this: The Tiger Lily can be made to produce seed by cross-fertilisation, but the bulblets should be removed as soon as they appear on the stem bearing the flower-head to be fertilised. At present the Golden Rayed Lily of Japan Is in full bloom; to many people that name Is not as familiar as the botanical name, Lilium auratum. There are several varieties of this species, differing in sl2e of leaf and flower, strength of stem, marking of flowers, and time of flowering. The -finest is the broad-leaved, strong-stemmed variety called L. a. Platyphyllum. The flowers are larger than the ordinary, and have fewer spots. Moreover, it Is said to he better able to resist disease. * The ordinary type created a sensation in the gardening world when it was introduced from Japan by Messrs J. Veltoh and Sons in 1862. There is another type named Crimson Queen, a hybrid of garden origin. It is believed to be the result of a cross between L. a. Platyphyllum and the Melpomene variety of L. speciosum. Crimson Queen has a wide central band of red on its broad petals. All the types of L. auratum require deep planting—six to ten inches of soil above the bulb. The drainage must be good, but the soil may be light or heavy. A partially shaded position is generally recommended, but the best specimens of L. auratum seen by the writer were growing in open gardens in Tauranga. There have also been wonderful clumps in open Hamilton gardens, even where the soil is heavy. Another beautiful lily in full bloom now Is L. Henryi, sometimes called the Orange Speciosuru or Yellow Tiger Lily. It was discovered by Dr. Henry In Central China fifty years ago. It Is interesting to note that Dr. Henry said that he had never seen it growing more than four feet in height, yet it often attains nine feet in gardens now, and instead of its four or five flowers, it now bears twenty or thirty. (On flattened stems, it may bear many dozens, but these are monstrosities, as in the case of L. auratum.) This lily bleaches too much in the open, and should be planted where it gets sunshine for only half the day. It/ forms large bulbs—over seven im*hes in diameter—and can be propagated from small offsets. MANDEVILLA A climber that Is attracting much attention at this season is Mandevilla suaveolens. It is a fairly hardy evergreen and bears starry snow-white scented flowers. Mandevilla is very suitable for growing on trellises or pergolas or on netting along walls. It is easily raised from the seeds borne in the long, caliper-shaped fruits. A good plan is to raise the seedlings in paper pots and plant them out when they are about nine inches high. Any ordinary soil will suit, and the position may be sunny or partly shaded. LOVELY BEGONIAS Last week the writer had the privilege of seeing some lovely begonias in a private garden in Hukanui Road. Claudelands. Many types were noticed: single and double; plain, frilled and crested; large and small; erect and pendulous; red and yellow, with many shades of these colours. A fair proportion of the plants in the cool greenhouse had been raised from seed, and were the result of hybridising. The display proved that we have amateur gardeners who can raise seedlings equal to many of the begonias imported from the great English firms. “Go thou and do likewise” was the text from which these lovely flowers seemed to preach their gospel of beauty.

SIGHTS OF THE WEEK Some of the beautiful plants seen in the last week or two are: Lilies of many species: both the blue and the white Agapanthuses or African lilies; Maurandya, a lovely climber with little bell-shaped blue flowers; clumps of the purple-leaved d-hlia, Bishop of Llandaff; clumps of the new Montbretias large flowers, some red. some orange ) ; masses of Salpiglossis with their rich veined trumpets; fences, pergolas and trees draped with the red festoons of Bignonia; beds of annual phlox; edgings of a dwarf Michaelmas daisy with light blue flowers; a wonderful border of Calendulas in the grounds of the Claudelands Bowling Club; great masses of hydrangeas in private gardens and in the various plots of the Beautifying Society; a border of bright blue Viscaria; an edging of dark-foliaged dwarf Lobelia covered with rich blue flowers; clumps of dahlias of the aptly-named Flaming Meteor and the lovely Jersey Beauty; a rose of the good old red variety, George Dickson; long lines of giant gladioli; yellow, red, pink, maize-col-oured and other Gerberas of the longpetalled type; a good many plants of Galtonia, the giant Cape Snowdrop; a copper beech in its full summer glory of foliage; a shrub of Lasiandra covered with giant purple flowers; a Tamarisk with pink flowers; a double hydrangea of the variety Domotoi; masses of the Gleam hybrid nasturtiums; beds of Iceland Poppies that have flowered for months on end; masses of Cannas on roadsides and in gardens; borders edged with the yellow Cosmos, Orange Flare; an outdoor fuchsia nine feet high covered with giant double purple flowers; French and African marigolds of many types; evening primroses growing on an old redoubt; edgings of Globe Amaranthus; the formal bedding schemes on the Hamilton railway plat'form; masses of the spider-like Rudbeckia speciosa; zinnias, ranging from pompom to giant-flowered; great clumps of red-hot poker, and a long row of scarlet geraniums.