20 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Antirrhinums or Snapdragons* 



Antirrhinums, those plants which used to be 

 known in, gardens as " Snapdragons," have 

 within recent years been developed and improved 

 to an enormous extent. There is iio class of 

 plant which has taken such a firm hold in oui 

 gardens as these. They have certainly come to 

 stay, and they have won this position from the 

 reliance that can be placed in them. They can 

 now be had in fixed and distinct colours, all 

 shades from white, orange, copper, scarlet, pink 

 and dark crimson. 



For use in bedding out, as cut flowers, for 

 large bold masses, in ribbon borders, or even 

 pot work, no plants are better suited or more 

 showy. They remain in floAver as long, if not 

 longer, than any other bedded out stuff, and if, 

 when first the bloom shows signs of fading, the 

 plants are cut over, removing all old flower 

 shoots, a second growth will be made and a 

 further period of flower ensured. 



Two distinct varieties can be obtained in 

 which appear the same range of colours. 



" Tall " where the plants reach as high as 

 3 feet, with long spikes of bloom. 



" Intermediate," being from 12 inches to 

 18 inches, and the most useful for all bedding 

 and border work. 



Those who have time and space to raise their 

 own plants should purchase seed from a reliable 

 firm, stating the colours they desire, and make 

 one sowing in September or October in a cold 

 frame. When the seedlings are fit to handle, 

 they can be pricked off into boxes or pans, and 

 left to winter in the frame. Wlientlie spring 

 bedding is over and the beds or borders ready, 

 these plants will be fit to go out. 



Another sowing can be made in February in 

 a warm house or on a hotbed, pricked out when 

 fit and gradually hardened off so as to prepare 

 them for planting about April or May. 



Plants produced from this later sowing willform 

 just as strong, sturdy and satisfactory plants as 

 those raised from the autumn sowing, but thej' 

 will be somewhat later in coming into bloom. 



For tnose who have not the advantages of 

 frames and hot beds, or pans and boxes, these 

 plants can be bought, and splendid results can 

 be obtained from them. They can be relied on 

 to come true to name, and they cost very little. 

 When the plants arrive early in May, they may 

 at first appear small and poor value for the 

 money, but in a very short space of time they 

 will have filled out to compact bushy plants 

 covered with bloom. They should be i^lanted 

 in well prepared ground, and well watered if the 

 weather is dry after planting, and any which 

 show signs of running up should have their 

 tops pinched out, R. M. P. 



Hypericum patulum var, Henryi. 



This I have noted in the Botanic Gardens at 

 Glasnevin as a very handsome flowering shiub 

 apparently much hardier and finer than the 

 older H. patulum. 



Originally discovered in China by Dr. Henry, 

 now of the Royal College of Science, Dublin, it 

 reached Kew in 1898, but is still too rare in 

 private gardens. Such a beautiful, hardy 

 flowering shrub should be more widely known, 

 giving, as it does, a fine display of large, hand- 

 some, yellow flowers throughout summer and 

 autumn. It is a most useful plant for the front 

 of a shrubbery, and makes a fine bed. Although 

 not jiarticular as to soil and j)osition, 

 undoubtedly a well drained soil and an open, 

 sunny site give the best results. 



The pruning consists of cutting hard back the 

 previous year's shoots, and should be done now 

 to give as long a season of growth as possible. 

 Seeds are jiroduced freely and cuttings strike 

 readily in a cold frame. . Tutsan. 



Sternbergia. 



Mr. Preston in last month's issue remarks that 

 "the requirements of the genus Sternbergia are 

 so easily met that one wonders why this beautiful 

 class of plant is not more often grown." The 

 reason is that, although its requirements may 

 be easily met at Cambridge and other j)arts of 

 soi^thern England, they cannot be j)rovided on 

 the west coast of Scotland — that, at least, is my 

 experience ; for, after rej)eated failures extending 

 over many-years, -I- have had to abandon hope. 

 It seems that the plant requires stronger sun and 

 less winter Avet than it meets with here. It may 

 save disappointment to those similarly situated 

 as regards climate if this reservation is added to 

 Mr. Preston's note. Conditions which suit most 

 plants from southern Chile admirably are not 

 acceptable to Sternbergia, which I have never 

 seen in such brilliant profusion as in the sun- 

 baked soil near Bordeaux. It would be in- 

 teresting to hear whether it flowers regularly in 

 Ireland. Herbert Maxavell. 



Monreith. 



A New Barberry, 



BeRBERIS LEVIS. 



Lovers of shrubs avIio want a robust growing 

 yet ornamental cA^ergreen will find this Chinese 

 species of much A^alue. It will apparently groAv 

 to a height of six feet or more, judging by com- 

 paratively young plants noAv groAviiig here, and 

 Avhich are four to five feet high noAV. The leaves 

 are dark green above, rather j)aler below, and 

 with sjiiny margins. The flowers are produced 

 in spring, and are borne in clusters, pale yelloAv 

 in colour, Dublin » 



