IRISH GARDENING. 



^ 



Faldonside very close in the shape and colour 

 of its flowers, and seems easier. In the newer 

 yellows Borisii has done well, the flower is like 

 Paulinae in size and shape, but if anything a 

 shade deeper in colour. Haagii and Eudoxiana 

 are both vigorous growers, and have bloomed 

 most freely. The former is a deep yellow and 

 the latter a much paler edition. The flowers 

 are small and the petals rather wide apart. 

 Borisii is far away the best of the three. 



The pink Burseriana " Irvingii " is an ex- 

 ceedingly free flowerer, and has been smothered 

 Avith blossom, a very pleasing pale pink which 

 fades after a few days. 



All three Burserianas A\ere three or foiu' weeks 

 later than last year, were buffeted by wind and 

 hail stones and occasionally blanketed in snow, 

 but they are not a penn}' the worse. It is what 

 one might expect — if the drainage is all right 

 the more the exposure the more vigorous should 

 be the health of the Saxifrage. The whole of 

 the Silver Saxifrages are now showing signs of 

 an exceptional wealth of bloom. 



^Ethionemas, Lithospermums and Hypericum 

 reptans have not been too happy, but here it is 

 the battering, biting east and north-east winds 

 that do the injury, not the cold, and the best 

 remedy is the protection of a stone or rock. 

 Lithosperm\nn rosemarinifolium would have 

 been killed had it not been for the protection of 

 a piece of rock placed in the right position at 

 the beginning of the Avinter. L. prostratum 

 would have been a good deal knocked about 

 (though it AA'ould liaAe surviAed), but a piece of 

 Avire netting, of large mesh, Avas put oA^er it 

 and pegged doAvn, so that the Avind Avas unable 

 to lift up the mass and beat tAvig against twig. 



^Ethionema schistosum seems to be " as hard 

 as nails."" 



Veronica Hulkeana lost its leaves, but is noAv 

 breaking out again, though one, sheltered by an 

 Escallonia, kept its foliage and Avill soon be in 

 bloom. 



Geraniums argenteum and cinereum are 

 groAvmg A'igorously, and the Erodiums have not 

 suffered. 



The rare Anemone blanda scj'thinica rosea 

 commenced to bloom at the end of March : the 

 pink or rose-coloured floAvers are very beautiful, 

 and altogether it is a most desirable plant ; 

 blanda (Avhite Avith blue or purple reverse) Avas 

 about three Aveeks later, it is a lovely thing, and 

 there is a fine clump of it in the rock garden at 

 GlasneA-in. 



The only plants to receive the protection of a 

 pane of glass Avere Androsace lanuginosa, 

 Chumbyi and sarmentosa, Petrocallis pyrenaica 

 (noAV in bloom), and Asperula suberosa. 



Dalkey, 1st May. 



J. Harper Scaife. 



The Camassiast 



These are mostly strong groAving bulbous 

 plants belonging to the Lily order, and are 

 perfectly hardy in anv soil of average quality. 

 They are essentially May floAvering plants and 

 are fast pushing uj) their floAver spikes noAv, on 

 the 8th of May. For an early display in the 

 herbaceous border they are A^ery useful indeed, 

 but, like other early things, must be planted 

 judiciousl}^ so that as they go out of floAA-er and 

 the leaves ripen off they may be screened by 

 the deA'eloping groAvths of later floAvering 

 subjects. Just at present it is difficult to think 

 much of Avild gardening, but if Ave '" Ha^c in hope 

 Ave'll not die in despair," and there is no more 

 " heartening "" occupation than gardening. The 

 Camassias, therefore, should be borne in mind 

 for the Avild garden, Avhen we have finished the 

 more serious problems now in our minds. 

 Mostly pushing up their spikes to a height of 

 from tAvo to four feet, they suggest themselves 

 as admirably suited for planting in grass or by 

 the sides of thin Avoods. In shrubberies, too, 

 they make a nice displa}-, asking for little 

 attention other than to be left alone. There are 

 four species at least in cultiAation all from 

 America — tAvo from California and tAvo from the 

 north-Avest region. 



C. Cusickii is handsome, forming a rosette of 

 broad leaA^es and producing a handsome spike 

 of pale lavender-blue flowers ; height at floAvering 

 time, two to three feet, according to the vigour 

 of the plants. 



C. esculenta or Quamash, as it is sometimes 

 called, is a Aery fine species bearing large blue 

 flowers on a sjjike at least tAvo feet high in good 

 soil. Of this there are scA^eral varieties — viz., 

 alba — Avith Avhite flowers, Blue Star, Rojal 

 Purple, &c. 



C Fraseri is a dwarf er A-ariety, .sometimes not 

 much more than a foot high at floAvering time, 

 but often considerably more in really good soil. 

 The floAAcrs are not quite so large as some others, 

 and are of a delicate pale blue, and generally 

 admired. 



C. Leichtlini, illustrated in this issue, is a 

 strong groAver, as ma}^ be seen from the illustra- 

 tion. The floAvers are creamy Avhite, borne on 

 strong stalks. Of this, too, there are seA*eral 

 A'arieties in commerce. 



C L. Purple King is good, Avith large violet 

 blue floAvers, and many other seedling A-arieties, 

 probabh' hybrids, vary in colour through shades 

 of blue, laAcnder, purple, &c. 



Most of the species and A^arieties are com- 

 j)aratiA'ely cheap, and may be purchased in 

 Cj[uantity at Ioav rates for naturalising. 



It is recorded that the bulbs Avere eaten by the 

 North American Indians. Hortus. 



