HORTICULTURE.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 8, 7 May 1920, Page 14

HORTICULTURE.

The weather clianges of last week or two have just been such as to make us feel that we are in that period that makes the amateur gardener realise that there is just a little gap as it wero between autumn and winter, during which we must hurry up and prepare for winter ( conditions. The days a.re short, many mornings, evenings, and half holidays are unfit for the particular little job we intend doing, and these ar,e just the little misses that often result in things being left over till spring, that ought to be done in autumn. Transplanting of small seedlings of annuals, etc., and newly rooted layers or cuttings must be done in timo to make at least some new roots before the frosts overtake us otherwise so many will be turned out by the frost and die, that it will be wiser to leave them till spring. Many of the self-sown annuals that can now be seen in our borders will not stand the winter, and are thus not vvorth transplanting, but there are numbers oi nice little plants of hardy hinds of annuals as well as biennials and perennials that are worth picking out and transplanting, and which will make strong plants for early flowering. The large yellow coreopsis drummondi (or grandiflora), in particular should be saved for early flowering, also geums, anchusa, wallfiowers, and don't forget the double arabig alpima, which can still be divided and is sure to delight with its raasses of pure white flowers in spikes like small stocks. Cerastium with its small whitish leaves now, and througliout the winter, and later its snow white flowers is always charming. Cut out and clean out the crowns of gypsophia pamculata and fork round the plants as slugs are particularly fond of it, and if shelter is left for them, will take all the strong early shoots as soon as they appear above the ground, and although the plants will

come on again, they are much retarded and a dense weaker growth takes place. Watch heleborus also as they are now coming on, the dwarf white niger is greatly improved if provided with a glass topped covering of some sort, particularly if the flowers are wanted for cutting as is usually the case. The orientalis varieties, particularly the white hyhrcds make magnificient plant if grown in deep soil with plenty of shelter, say, near a fence facing east and will bloom all through winter and spring, single specimens will grow three feet across and two feet high, with immense foliage and scores of bloom stems each giving a dozen or more blooms in succession. Don't delay your ordering, particularly rose3 and shrubs, and be ready for them when they arrive. What you have to do will of course depend greatly whether you are planting new beds or simply replenishing. Some varieties make very good border plants and can be used with nice effect where they are suitable spots, but the greatest satisfaction can only be got from separate beds and proper cultivation and pruning, cutting the plants well back each year. Dwarf growing and small rooting plants can well be grown in the rose beds and by covering the surface and keeping it cool, are benefictal to the roses, particularly in hot and dry seasons. Pansies and violas are particularly suited both by their top and root growth and their colours which all harmonise with the various art colours of the roses, even the yellow of pansies and vioias which however need not to be used if there is a desire to avoid everything approaching a primary colour. There are also various annuals such as phlox drummondi, etc. , which can be used with good effect by selecting the colours used, or if the bed has a hedge or wall at its back some long spnrred aquilegias can be grown with excellent effect towards the back, as with such beds the best effect is got by growing the bushes of the back row or rows to a greater height than those in front which is purely a matter of pruning. When your plants arrive they will not be pruned. Don't prune them but put them in just as they are, except perhaps to shorten some of the longest stems for convenience, as they will do better if the pruning is delayed until new roots nfive been formed. Doronicum is an extremely useful thing which should be planted now so that its large yellow marguerite like flowers with their long stems should come in just as tiro daffodils are over, and if cut back as soon as their first blooms are over they will later on give quite a good second blooming. Unfortunately in most gardens quite a number of useless things and poor

varieties of desirable things are retained from year to year, where the space might just as well be occupied by good varieties. Take a look round and get rid of rubbish, for instance don't let any old useless rose occupy a space where you might have something good and delightful. How frequently the old useless montbretia potsii is seen in. large clumps where some of the lovely new varieties might just as well be grown. How much better to have some of the cactus dahlias, lovely in colour and beautiful in form, than dense ugly colour,ed things so often seen, and the same rule can be applied to so many things, and wondrous changes made at very little expense, such as pansies, polyanthus, auriculas, wallflowers, sweetwilliams, antirinums, all of which have been so improved as to gain quite a new popularity.