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Garrya
The form of L. japonica known as aureoreticulata has proved more resilient in my line of a millstone grit boulder in the rock garden. L. periclymenum is the woodbine and its variety belgica makes the perfect company planting. The first crop of yellow-flushed dark red flowers opens early in June to be followed in September by a late indulgence of the same quality if not the quantity. Softwood cuttings in July root rapidly in the sand frame. To prune shorten back the side shoots to 4 buds after flowering in September.
The White Jasmine, J. officinale, is more circumspect, preferring to flower in the somnolence of July, lingering on until September. The sweetly scented white flowers festooned the tool shed at home where the roots were buried in mortar rubble, but refuse utterly to survive on wet clay, to my eternal regret. Cuttings taken with a heel in August will root readily enough.
I remember a vicarage, centre of a lovely Yorkshire Dales’ village which in October each year became a picture when covered by the scarlet leaves of P. tricuspidata. In good soil or poor sand the only variable feature is the size of the leaves. Trimming is usually carried out in early May, clearing windows, gutters, and chimneys.
Discolor has leaves which change colour I discovered last year, dark green most of the year but in May-June cream and pink tinted. I cherish marginata on the east wall of my house, beautiful triangular leaves edged with cream, and in winter flushed with red. The Arrow Head Ivy, H. h. sagittaefolia, went into the garden because it outgrew the greenhouse and will I hope transform a Doric column from dark masonry to warm green.
Lonicera x americana is a vigorous climber which will spread 30 ft. The flowers appear earlier than those of the native woodbine in June to July, white at first, then yellow tinged with plum purple. L. henryi is another climber which needs room to spread and is almost worth the space for the beauty of the dark evergreen leaves. The red and yellow flowers are rather small and the blue-black berries soon disappear down some bird gourmet’s rapacious throat.
Lonicera japonica is tender, or possibly intolerant of the heavy clay here, but flourishes in better-favoured gardens. It is partially evergreen and when grown in a cold greenhouse the pale, rather inconspicuous flowers are possessed of a delicate, attractive fragrance. It should be given a sheltered corner possibly on a summer house wall so that all the redolence of the flowers can be enjoyed.
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Climbers Plants
Glorious in flower, on occasions regally temperamental, this richly endowed genus must surely lay strong claim to contain the most beautiful climbers ever to grace our gardens. As I stand each spring under a 30-ft. high hawthorn through which has intertwined a Clematis montana Elizabeth I would be the last to disagree. The white of the hawthorn and pink of the clematis intermingle to make the complete floral curtain.
Tradition has it that clematis produce their best efforts when the roots are shaded but the flowers are allowed to reach up into the sun. However, I believe a well-drained soil to be more important, otherwise losses in winter are liable to be heavy. A mulch of peat mixed with a handful of bone- meal is all the feed necessary.
I grow C. alpina through and amongst deciduous rhododendrons. It comes so readily from seed that -some x)f my experimental plantings border on the reckless. Nothing, however, matches a plant I saw in the wild growing through Rhododendron ferrugineum. The blue flowers with a, central boss of white stamens overlaid the brick-red blooms of the rhododendron like a SpaniSh mantilla.
Actinidia chinensis will riot over an acre of wall in an undignified scramble. The large leaves, 6 to 8 in. across, and fragrant flowers are recompense enough if space can be provided, but really only a castle offers sufficient wall space and even then, should the drawbridge be left down, it could prove a liability for once inside it would take over the uppermost turret. A. kolomikta is a shrub of feminine complexity. It is incapable of deciding on a suitable leaf colour, the lower half remaining green while the upper half turns white and pink.
Climbers need not be confined to walls. Stumps of old trees, venerable apple or other fruit trees, chain-link fencing, indeed anything capable of supporting the extra weight. For climbers some support will be necessary and modern invention provides a richly varied choice. A well-made wooden trellis, plastic-covered mesh, vine eyes with wire stretched between, or a nail hammered in where required – there is something to suit every depth of pocket.
Although ceanothus can be grown as a bush in the open garden, it is only happy in the colder gardens when given wall protection. However, it is worth all the devotion lavished on it. I remember a very old house in Hurworth, County Durham, which supported an enormous specimen of the variety A. T. Johnson. The brick mellowed by age to a warm buff pink made an ideal background to the blue flowers. See main list for full description.
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Lactarius Helvus
Laclarius volemus is a pleasant and easily recognizable mushroom. It is particularly well distinguished by its plentiful supply of white milk, which has a mild taste, does not change colour and has a smell of pickled herrings (trimethylamin). When the fresh fruit-bodies are cut, the milk pours out in quantity: although this is less of a feature in dry, old fruit-bodies, which sometimes lack milk altogether. The conspicuous pickled herring smell grows stronger as the fruit-bodies die away.
The sturdy fruit- bodies of this mushroom can survive for a long time in woods and are not as susceptible to decay as other fleshy mushrooms. It has strikingly sparse, thick fragile gills. The flesh of its fresh fruit-body turns a brick red when cut or bruised, and later turns grey and black. The flesh of its relative; Russula adusta, which grows regularly in pine forests, does not turn red, but becomes immedi’ately brown and black. The gills of both species also differ; in Russula adusta they are much closer together than in Russula nigricans.
When preparing the mushroom in this way, the caps should be placed in the frying pan with the gills facing upwards. Lactarius volemus is also good for soups. It can, however, be mistaken for the very acrid Lactarius rufus, and it is wise to taste a small piece raw, in order to make sure that the flavour is mild.
Lactwins decipiens is one of the lesser known representatives of the Laclarius genus. It cars be found in damp places in deciduous and coniferous forests and in some regions grows in large numbers. It can be distinguished from similar Lactarius species by its light-coloured cap and scarce white milk, which slowly turns’ yellow in the air. It has a bitter, resinous taste and is inedible.
A typical specimen has an orange-red or ochre-orange cap with greenish stains; when cut it produces a carrot-orange milk, which turns green when it dries out. Its gills also turn green when bruised. Lactarius deliciosus grows predominantly in grass and moss under young spruce trees, in woodland glades and at the edges of woods. Cantharellus cibarius is one of the most abundant and most often collected mushrooms. It grows from May to November on moss or among fallen leaves in both deciduous and coniferous woods. It occurs throughout the whole temperate zone of the northern hemisphere as well as in north Africa and Australia.
The cap and stipe of Lactarius piperatus on the other hand are smooth and its gills are crowded closely together. It is inedible. This species is very similar to Lactarius glaucescens, whose milk is also initially white, but turns greyish-green when exposed to the air. This can be best observed on the bruised edges of gills, to which the drops of milk cling that ultimately dry out in the form of tiny greyish-green balls. Similar to this species is the pure white Russula brevipes, which is distinguished by its lack of milk and its mild taste. Its gills usually have a pale blue-green circle at the point where they are attached to the stipe. It is inedible. Although Lactarius piperatus is acrid it can be prepared in various ways if it is just boiled in water for 10 minutes, rinsed and drained. It can then be seasoned and fried with bacon and onions.
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Planting and After Care of Peppers
During the nineteenth century, pepper in Malaysia was grown in conjection with gambier, Uncaria gatnbir Roxb., and the extracted waste from the gambier was used as mulch and manure for the pepper. When gambier went out of cultivation, increased use was made of burnt earth and wood ashes.
The leaves are removed from the nodes of the climbing stems, which are pruned back to within 15-22.5 cm from the ground when they have developed 8 to 9 nodes. (These cuttings may be used for new planting material as they root easier than those from older shoots.) When a further 9 to 10 nodes have been produced, the stems are cut back to within 3 to 4 nodes of the previous cut.
The organic fertilizers are more expensive han a similar level of nutrients applied as inorganic fertilizers, particularly when the latter include trace elements, and the organic manures :ire twice as expensive to produce a given amount of pepper.
The usual form of compound fertilizer used is a mixture of urea, double superphosphate, muriate of potash and kieserite to supply the magnesium. The trace elements supplied are iron, copper, zinc, manganese, boron ;Ind molybdenum, which have been listed above: Sterameal has a main shoot and two lateral orthotropic shoots.
During the first two years, flower spikes are stripped regularly to prevent premature fruiting, and selective leaf plucking is also done to encourage prolific side branches. The first crop is taken in the third year and the productive life of the garden is usually 12-15 years.
As the gardens are often on slopes and are clean-weeded, serious erosion may occur. Soil conservation measures such as contour planting and bench terraces are desirable. Wherever possible the mounds should be replenished from time to time with burnt earth and topsoil from outside the garden.
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Clitocybe Nebularis
Clitocybe nebularis is one of the sturdiest representatives of its genus. It is readily identified by its loudy whitish cap, whose surface has a slight ashp:ey bloom, and by its sharp aromatic distinctive men, reminiscent of soap. It grows gregariously in different types of woods and even outside them.
Clitocybe wbularis is edible but of a poor quality, though some mushroom-pickers collect it and add it to a mixture of other mushrooms or pickle it in vinegar. It is advisable to scald the sliced mushrooms be[bre proceeding further, otherwise they can cause indigestion.
The reddish-brown Amanita umbrinolutea can also he frequently seen. It has a dirty-whitish volva, and its stipe has also transverse irregular stripes. All the above-mentioned Amanita species are edible; some mushroom-pickers even consider them tasty. Their disadvantage lies in their fragility and therelbre they do not transport very well. Finally it is worth noting once again that, when such Amanita species are being gathered, constant vigilance must be exercised to avoid confusing them with the Death Cap (Amanita phatloides), which has a similarly tall volva at the stipe’s base; however, the Grisette is always without the characteristic ring.
Edible mushrooms can be found not only in forests, but also in meadows, pastures and on grassy slopes. Blewits are among the most substantial and tasty. They even attract the inexperienced eye because they often grow in circles in patches of dark green grass, which ate a strikingly deeper green than the rest of the sward. A similar phenomenon may be observed in the Fairy-ring champignon (Marasmius oreades) and is due to the production of nitrogen, which enriches the soil and provides additional nourishment for green plants. This is one example of the symbiosis of certain fungus mycelia and adjacent green plants.
The coloration of Clitocybe odora differs from other members of this genus, in which the prevailing colours are white, whitish-grey, greyish-brown and brown. Instead, it has a copper, blue-green to green-grey cap with a whitish or greenish tinge on the gills and stipe. These features, along with the pleasant sweet aniseed scent of the whole fruit- body, distinguish it sufficiently from any other species. Its scent can be compared to that of fennel and is also shared by two other members of this genus, Clitocybe suaveolens and Clitocybe fragrans, although both of these have a completely different colouring: their caps are pale grey to ochre-brown in damp conditions and white in dry weather.
In calm weather conditions it is possible to smell the scent of Clitocybe adorn at a distance of several metres away, especially when several specimens arc growing together in one spot. This species is edible and best utilized when added to mixtures of other, less aromatic mushrooms. It grows predominantly in spruce forests amongst rotting needles. It loses its typical scent when it is dried out.
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Helvella elastica
The fruit-body of False Morels is divided into a stipc, which is either rounded and smooth or longitudinally ribbed or furrowed, with a cup- shaped or saddle-shaped fertile head which is often irregularly lobed. The head of Helvella elastica is reminiscent of the shape of a riding saddle and in addition Is divided into 2-3 lobes. It can be found growing in damp soil in various types of woodland. Helvetia acetabulum has deep, cup-shaped fruit- bodies which open gradually. Its prominent ribs, located on a relatively short stem, branch out to the underside margins of its cup-shaped cap.
The species is often characterized by large round pores in the form of tubular openings about 2-4 mm wide, which are interspersed with minute, rust-coloured pores, through which drops of a hot bitter liquid are excreted. The fruit-bodies also secrete surplus water in this way.
This Polypore is one of the most damaging but also prevalent members of this extensive family and lives on old trunks of fruit trees. Its fruit-bodies are juicy, meaty, heavy and very watery.
The species is often characterized by large round pores in the form of tubular openings about 2-4 mm wide, which are interspersed with minute, rust-coloured pores, through which drops of a hot bitter liquid are excreted. The fruit-bodies also secrete surplus water in this way. These drops are best visible on young growths, which secrete large amounts of this liquid. This process takes place only in favorable damp weather conditions. The old dry fruit-bodies are hard, frail and almost black.
Inonotus hispidus is an annual fungus which attacks orchards with apple and occasionally pear trees, causing great damage. It prefers older trees as their central wooden column rots quickly.
In the past a yellow dye has been produced from its fruit bodies, used for painting and silk dying. In favourable conditions this fungus grows very fast, reaching a large size and weight, which can amount to as much as 5 kg when fresh. It is inedible.
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Greater Stitchwort
Not all alliums look like chives or the garlic used in cookery. Ram- sons, which grows in open as well as shaded deciduous groves, flood-plain forests, and mountain beech woods, is a species with broad leaves vaguely resembling those of Great Plantain.
It is a welcome sight to foresters because it often grows in conditions indicating suitable sites for the cultivation of valuable timber trees. This is a plant which often occurs in vast decorative masses in flood-plain forests. In mountain beech forests it generally grows in moist humus-rich soils in valley bottoms; at other times it is found in scree ash/maple woods.
The related Wood Stitchwort or Wood Chickweed (S. nemorum L.) grows in moist fertile soil in damp shrub growth alongside streams, particularly at higher altitudes, and in woods with alder and ash. However, it may also be found in broad-leaved forests as well as in mountain grassland.
Ramsons was at one time used as a remedy for digestive disorders, just as most plants of the genus Allitun were. It is of Eurasian origin. The Latin name A. ursinutn (bear’s allium) is reflected in the many common names it is known by in various languages.
Both Greater Stitchwort and S. nemorum are perennial herbs. Greater Stitchwort forms loose tufts and has a slender creeping rhizome from which rise quadrangular stems with long narrowly-lanceolate opposite leaves which are joined at the base. The corolla is much longer than the calyx.
Perhaps it is the scent which has given rise to the suggestion – not confirmed by experts – that the plants are pollinated by snails, a notion reinforced by the fact the flowers are clustered so close to the ground. The seeds of asarums are dispersed by ants.
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How Dahlia Works
The habits and formation of the dahlia are peculiarly suited to its natural environment. A native of Mexico, it experiences a high rainfall during the growing season, followed by an almost complete drought during the resting period.
The soil in which it grows is sandy and yet rich so that although the great demand for water is met by the heavy rainfall the fleshy tubers are not endangered by boggy conditions as excess moisture quickly drains away.
In the so-called double flowered varieties, a greater number of the male organs are converted into ray petals, with a consequent lessening in the number of the disc florets. In some cases only the disc florets are fertile, as the female organs in the ray florets are often rudimentary, and therefore not capable of being fertilised.
This explains why it is sometimes possible to obtain seed from ray florets, even though the petal has dropped; in this case the seed has been fertilised before the petal has fallen out, and is retained within the bracteole to finish development. Each floret is capable of producing only one seed.
Doubling in the dahlia is not of recent origin as it is evident that at least one species, D. Variabilis, produced some semi-double blooms naturally. It is not surprising therefore that shortly after its introduction into Europe fully double dahlias were raised. The earliest had more or less flat florets and from these evolved the ball-shaped formal blooms which were to exclude practically all other forms for many years. A later variant had short tubular florets incurving at the margin: the forerunner of the Double Show and Fancy and the pompons still widely grown today.
Seed can also be obtained from the ray florets, provided that these have perfectly formed female organs, as pollen can be transferred from other dahlias to fertilise the stigma. Unfortunately in many cases, even though the ray florets hear fertile organs, the florets fall out before the seed has begun to form.
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How to Propagate Dahlia Through Cuttings
The propagating compost may be one of several types, but should be sterile and very porous. Probably from the amateur’s point of view it is best to eliminate soil from the compost as it is difficult to sterilise without the aid of rather elaborate apparatus.
It is usually advised that the cuttings should be taken when about 3 to 3 in. in length, and this is probably the ideal length, though the commercial grower usually takes a very much smaller cutting, whilst many amateurs prefer to take an even longer cutting, up to 4 in. long in fact. It is really difficult to say which is best, but, on balance, from the average amateur’s point of view the slightly longer cuttings are easier to handle, as these usually produce very strong roots and make good plants much quicker than their smaller brethren, often a very important factor in a small greenhouse with not a great deal of available heat, particularly when a comparatively late start in propagating is made. The longer cuttings are more susceptible to flagging, which delays rooting.
The danger in such deleafirig lies in the open wound which is a possible point of entry for fungoid rot. On the other hand too much leaf may lead to flagging, caused by excessive respiration, and a consequent lengthening of the time taken to strike, plus the additional danger from fungoid attack.
As an alternative to a true cutting, it is possible to take what are known as heel cuttings, that is cuttings taken with a small part of the crown attached. This is easily done with a very sharp knife, providing it has a thin point (a rose budding knife is ideal), by making at least two cuts inwards at the base of the cutting from opposite sides to minimise destruction of the secondary eyes.
But should cuttings he removed too high on the shoot, so that a stump containing one or more leaf joints is left, fresh shoots will grow from the leaf axils rather than the secondary eyes and these may not develop.
Such stem cuttings seldom make really good tubers, and are often hollow and therefore difficult to root. The succeeding crops of cuttings rapidly become very thin and long jointed, and are definitely poor material for propagating.
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Making the Most of the Microclimate in Your Garden
A rough guide to the selection of suitable plants can be gained from observing what grows in similar conditions in the wild. In exposed places in Europe one often finds silver birch, mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), pines (shrubby varieties are good on a roof), heathers and gorse. The trouble with any kind of wind break is that, although it lessens the wind pressure in one place, it may increase it elsewhere.
A well planned garden should make the most of variations in the microclimate. The plants behind the pond and under the tree-Himalayan poppies, rhubarb, hostas and primula -all like shade and moisture; the fruit trees are trained up against the wall, since brick stores and re-radiates solar heat long after the sun has gone off the garden; and the vegetables are planted on a south-facing slope to catch the full benefit of the sun’s rays.
The sun’s rays are important because provide the source of energy used in the of photosynthesis, shown here for the tom plant. Solar energy, which is assimilated in the green parts of the plant, causes carbon dioxide (taken in from the atmosphere) to be combine into carbon monoxide and oxygen; they them combine with water brought up from the soil to make the starch which the plant needs in order to grow. Oxygen and water vapour are given.
Temperature, rainfall, the hours of daylight, solar radiation (the amount and intensity of sunlight) and frost frequency and severity are all important variables in the overall climate. Certain factors are of particular importance to the gardener.
Although sufficient wind is therefore desirable to prevent frost developing, high wind speeds can result in the atmosphere trying to make more water evaporate from the leaves than can be supplied from the roots. This is known as water stress and it stunts the growth of plants. Of course, too much wind can also have a more directly disastrous effect by uprooting plants.
The maps shown here cannot indicate the details of local variations, though these can be significant. The effect of local altitude, for instance, can mean that a garden in a sheltered valley above a frost pocket will enjoy one or two weeks more growth than a nearby garden up in the hills.
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