20 JANUARY 1950, Page 18

In the Garden

The crown of annuals, at any rate for the votary of vases, is the sweet pea. The flowering period is long—it rn‘y last to November— and how wonderfully the colours, especially the mauves and pinks, agree together. The flowering period depends chiefly on the length and spread of the roots, which may be almost as long as the stems. Here at any rate, whatever the no-diggers argue, very deep digging is needed, but if the top soil is shallow, it may be wise to remove altogether some of the sub-soil. However, even so, as an expert in My Garden em- phasises. it is wise, as in the no-digging theory, to keep the layers of soil in their right strata, and this needs care and system in digging the pit or trench. Some of the best varieties keep the names of famous growers, for example, Mrs. Bolton and Patricia Unwin. One of the

newest is, of course, Princess Elizabeth. W. BEACH THOMAS.