June 8—Syria and Palestine are mentioned very often in our newspapers these days and fruit tree very common in those countries Is attracting a io, of attention at present our local gardens. This Is the "Apple of Carthage" or Pomegranate (Punica Granatum). is a handsome plan, that is grown here more for Us attractive double scarlet or creamy: yellow flowers, than for ite fruit. There are a Tew trees here, however, that are cultivated for their fruit, but in most cases, the fruit of a very Mediocre quality; much too bitter for our taste. Ju Syria, the fruit ripens in August, the seeds of the sweet variety being extracted from the hard leathery rind and served with sugar. We find that the pome-Branate was grown in the early days of Egypt and that "it was cultivated along the shores of the Red Sea long before peaches and other fruits were introduced from Persia. The so-called Cape Jasmine (Gardenia radicals) is also in full flower: there is a largerflowered species grown locally as well as the above, but we have not -yet seen it flowering this year. 'The pure while flowers of the Gardenias are very {ragrant, perhaps too, strongly scented for many people, but they are' nog used extensively for house decoration here: they attract too many insects and hundreds of these nay be found in each lower. Perhaps the most showy of the plants in flower. these days is the perennnlal Coreopsis. which is producing its masses of golden-yellow flowers in most herbaceous borders and shrubberies. The annual coreopsis, letten referred to as a Calliopsis, is also in flower and many plants are blooming in odd corners from self-sown seed. We have many varieties of this popular flower to choose from and as most of them flourish under very adverse conditions, they are worth growing. Some fare crimson and gold, others yellow and brown, while some varieties have a narrow zone of chestnut-brown in the centre: one of the best, however, Atrosanguinea—a variety with dark red flowers that is extremely useful for break ing up the groups of yellow which we see June &—One of the most atirsctive of our shrubs Oleander (Nerium Oleander) has started provide us with its annual display of bloom. We noticed some large shrubs in a garden Avenue Haig that looked, from a. distance, as if they were covered with snow; It isa very beautiful picture. 'The plants are facing north, which is not supposed to be a very good location: but they are very much at' home. The oleander is, at times, a difficult plant to establish, 1¢ often refuses to grow successfully in an exposed situation, but once it does become: established, it thrives. We remember well an fold. group in Hongkew Park, there were about fa dozen large shrubs exposed to the bitterly' feold winds that can blow across that place during the winter: every autumn they were carefully protected with straw; but during 1937 conditions rendered the carrying-out of routine duties diMoult. and the plants were left unprotected. Some had been damaged during the preceding summer; but those that were alive in the autumn came through the winter with nothing worse than a slight "burning" of the Collage: they Mowered extremely well the following spring. The oleander is not the only Mediterranean shrub that hes become acclimatized here: the Mediterraneen Heather also rows exceedingly well and serves as a sub. stitute for the plant that many of us know so well, Day lilies (Hemerocallis) are brighten ing-up our borders with their orange-coloured Mowers thay last for one day only: these plants require little or no attention, clumps may be left undisturbed for years and they will continue to provide 2 good display of flowers. Occasional transplanting and division of the roots does improve them, however; old Fools become weak through lack of sufficient
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