THE FLOWER GARDEN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 101, 31 May 1930, Page 11

THE FLOWER GARDEN.

To start the Winter with a elean surface, all weeds should be hoed up and raked off, or lightly dug in. Constant lioeing of Ihe surface soil should be practised to break the crusfc that always forms after heavy rains Chrysanthemums should have the spent biooms cut off. Carefully weed round the plants and save the suckers to provide suitable cuttings for propogation. See that tlie.se are correctly labelled and colours noted. Stocks are sub.ject to the attack of green fly or aphis. Spray with black leaf 40 or kerosene emulsion. The latter is easily prepared by boiling u soap and addmg some kerosene Tlie different kinds of liardy flowering bidbs are now sJimving above the ground. Keep the soil in the beds free from weeds. - Oleanders, camellias, euonymus, pittosporum and other shrubs and hedge rows that present a oJackened appearance are affected with scale insects and should be sprayed with red oil solution. Lilies have all npened off. Tlieir flower stems should be cut back and tho various clumps labelled to prevent injuring them when digging around them. Attend to the clipping of all hedges. excepting^ cupressus macrocarpas and other conifers, Prune back overgrown shrubs to admit as mucli air as possible at this of the year. MicFaelmas daisies should have the ol-i flower stems cut back to the ground. Cannas that have completed flowering may Be removed to Winter quarters. The planting of roses, ornamental and flower ing shrubs and other permnnent subjects can now be done. Winter flowering sweet peas sown in the open should be thmned' out and stakes or supports attached when the seedfings are about six inches high. Fallen Ieaves should he raked up I removed to the rubbish heap. Plant only hardy seedlings such as pansies, primulas, pentstemons, ice-

fand poppies, calendulas, lobelias, an- ] tiirhinums, larkspurs, godetias, etc. ] Box off struck cuttings of zonal and ] other bedding pelargoniums, also . shrubby calceolarias, mesembryanthemums, etc., for Spring planting.